Big 12: Danario Alexander
Heading into the season, I see five teams in the Big 12 with a realistic chance to win the league. I'll be breaking them down in order (which won't be the same as my post-spring power rankings) of their chances to leave the season with the Big 12 title.
No. 1 on the list was the favorite: Oklahoma.
No. 2 was Texas A&M.
Oklahoma State came in at No. 3.
Why the Tigers will win the Big 12
1. Experience. Missouri returns 105 starts on the offensive line, losing only center Tim Barnes. That's the most in the Big 12 and 11th most in the nation on an offensive line that was fantastic in 2010. Just less than 80 percent of its total lettermen return, eighth-most in college football. That's a lot of guys who have been around, and the Tigers knocked over a big wall last year when they toppled the Sooners. Eliminate Mizzou's curious road hiccup at Texas Tech, and the Tigers would have been back in the Big 12 title game instead of sharing the Big 12 North with Nebraska after a third 10-win season in four years.
2. Dave Steckel. The Tigers' defense has steadily improved under Steckel, who previously coached linebackers under Matt Eberflus. Missouri had its best defense under Gary Pinkel last year, and that could continue this year with a great mix of experience and upside at linebacker, with Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden set to knock around a few folks. Missouri's defense is noticeably tougher under Steckel, and though the Tigers must replace Aldon Smith and both starting corners, don't expect it to take a big jump back. Though Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines lack the experience of Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, they may prove to be better corners very soon.
3. The defensive line. And what's the best way to negate inexperience at corner? How about the Big 12's best defensive line. Brad Madison is arguably the Big 12's best returning pass-rusher, and his counterpart at defensive end, Jacquies Smith, is one of the better ends in the Big 12, too. Missouri also has the best depth of any defensive line, with Michael Sam and Kony Ealy itching to spell Madison and Smith. At defensive tackle, Terrell Resonno could be poised for a breakout year, and blue-chip recruit Sheldon Richardson, if/when he actually makes it to campus, should join Dominique Hamilton at the opposite tackle spot, making sure Missouri's front four are not to be trifled.
Why the Tigers won't win the Big 12
1. The quarterback has never started a game. Sometimes, it's just this simple. James Franklin may blossom into a star at Missouri, but as a first-year starter, he's bound to have a few bad nights. Can Missouri survive them? Its Big 12 title hopes depend on it. If Blaine Gabbert had stayed, Missouri would likely be a top-15 or top-10 team and join Texas A&M and OSU as the chief contenders to knock off Oklahoma. Instead, the Tigers are relegated to a dark horse/wild-card role that depends heavily on how Franklin performs in his first year. The one advantage he has is after Tyler Gabbert's post-spring transfer, fall camp will be more about cementing his role as starter than winning it. Franklin walked in as a true freshman last spring and eventually won the No. 2 job behind Blaine Gabbert. That says a lot, and he earned some playing time last year, but his sophomore season won't be anything like 2010, when he threw all of 14 passes.
2. The passing game is limited. NFL teams knew Blaine Gabbert had a cannon, but he didn't get very many chances to showcase it to college fans last year, and Franklin may be forced to do the same. T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew are a great duo with some of the best hands in the league and a great sense of space, but without a deep threat to keep defenses honest, their production declined late in the season. Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin were able to stretch the field for guys like Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker in the past, but Moe and Egnew won't come close to 2010's production if the Tigers can't find someone to haul in a few passes over the top of the secondary.
3. Trips to Norman and College Station are on the schedule. I hear you, Missouri fans. I was there for the destruction of Texas A&M at Kyle Field last year. But that was a very different Texas A&M team than you'll be facing this time around. And the return trip may not be quite as enjoyable. Jerrod Johnson struggled against the Tigers, but the 30-9 loss was his penultimate start and Ryan Tannehill is driving the bus now. Also, don't count on this one being an 11 a.m. kickoff. I'd plan for prime time, and Kyle Field is a very different place at 8 p.m. than at lunch time. Ask Nebraska. Missouri knocked off Oklahoma last year, too, but don't think the Sooners have forgotten the fourth-quarter meltdown in Columbia. Oklahoma gets both of its losses in 2010 -- Missouri and Texas A&M -- in Norman this year, where it carries a 36-game home winning streak, the nation's longest, into 2011.
No. 1 on the list was the favorite: Oklahoma.
No. 2 was Texas A&M.
Oklahoma State came in at No. 3.
Why the Tigers will win the Big 12
1. Experience. Missouri returns 105 starts on the offensive line, losing only center Tim Barnes. That's the most in the Big 12 and 11th most in the nation on an offensive line that was fantastic in 2010. Just less than 80 percent of its total lettermen return, eighth-most in college football. That's a lot of guys who have been around, and the Tigers knocked over a big wall last year when they toppled the Sooners. Eliminate Mizzou's curious road hiccup at Texas Tech, and the Tigers would have been back in the Big 12 title game instead of sharing the Big 12 North with Nebraska after a third 10-win season in four years.
2. Dave Steckel. The Tigers' defense has steadily improved under Steckel, who previously coached linebackers under Matt Eberflus. Missouri had its best defense under Gary Pinkel last year, and that could continue this year with a great mix of experience and upside at linebacker, with Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden set to knock around a few folks. Missouri's defense is noticeably tougher under Steckel, and though the Tigers must replace Aldon Smith and both starting corners, don't expect it to take a big jump back. Though Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines lack the experience of Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, they may prove to be better corners very soon.
3. The defensive line. And what's the best way to negate inexperience at corner? How about the Big 12's best defensive line. Brad Madison is arguably the Big 12's best returning pass-rusher, and his counterpart at defensive end, Jacquies Smith, is one of the better ends in the Big 12, too. Missouri also has the best depth of any defensive line, with Michael Sam and Kony Ealy itching to spell Madison and Smith. At defensive tackle, Terrell Resonno could be poised for a breakout year, and blue-chip recruit Sheldon Richardson, if/when he actually makes it to campus, should join Dominique Hamilton at the opposite tackle spot, making sure Missouri's front four are not to be trifled.
Why the Tigers won't win the Big 12
1. The quarterback has never started a game. Sometimes, it's just this simple. James Franklin may blossom into a star at Missouri, but as a first-year starter, he's bound to have a few bad nights. Can Missouri survive them? Its Big 12 title hopes depend on it. If Blaine Gabbert had stayed, Missouri would likely be a top-15 or top-10 team and join Texas A&M and OSU as the chief contenders to knock off Oklahoma. Instead, the Tigers are relegated to a dark horse/wild-card role that depends heavily on how Franklin performs in his first year. The one advantage he has is after Tyler Gabbert's post-spring transfer, fall camp will be more about cementing his role as starter than winning it. Franklin walked in as a true freshman last spring and eventually won the No. 2 job behind Blaine Gabbert. That says a lot, and he earned some playing time last year, but his sophomore season won't be anything like 2010, when he threw all of 14 passes.
2. The passing game is limited. NFL teams knew Blaine Gabbert had a cannon, but he didn't get very many chances to showcase it to college fans last year, and Franklin may be forced to do the same. T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew are a great duo with some of the best hands in the league and a great sense of space, but without a deep threat to keep defenses honest, their production declined late in the season. Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin were able to stretch the field for guys like Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker in the past, but Moe and Egnew won't come close to 2010's production if the Tigers can't find someone to haul in a few passes over the top of the secondary.
3. Trips to Norman and College Station are on the schedule. I hear you, Missouri fans. I was there for the destruction of Texas A&M at Kyle Field last year. But that was a very different Texas A&M team than you'll be facing this time around. And the return trip may not be quite as enjoyable. Jerrod Johnson struggled against the Tigers, but the 30-9 loss was his penultimate start and Ryan Tannehill is driving the bus now. Also, don't count on this one being an 11 a.m. kickoff. I'd plan for prime time, and Kyle Field is a very different place at 8 p.m. than at lunch time. Ask Nebraska. Missouri knocked off Oklahoma last year, too, but don't think the Sooners have forgotten the fourth-quarter meltdown in Columbia. Oklahoma gets both of its losses in 2010 -- Missouri and Texas A&M -- in Norman this year, where it carries a 36-game home winning streak, the nation's longest, into 2011.
Mailbag: Preseason hype, recruiting, '04 title
June, 15, 2011
6/15/11
4:00
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Thanks for all the questions, everybody. Didn't get yours answered? Try again with a more interesting one.
Jon D in Davis, Calif., asks: Other than trying to pad his legacy or résumé, I cannot believe that Tuberville is being serious about his comments and the vacated 2004 title. Auburn should be the champ? Is he nuts? Was that not the same year that Auburn had the 90th-100th toughest schedule in the country? His comments make about as much sense as that hack that runs Ohio State and spews garbage out of his mouth "little sisters of the poor." We all saw how Wisconsin and the Big 10 handled that little sister TCU.
David Ubben: I can't believe people have a problem with him campaigning for it. As a lover of college football, I'd like to see it remain vacated if for no other reason than awarding it to someone else doesn't do very much and cheapens the title for the program that gets it.
But imagine if it was your school or in Tuberville's case, your team. Criticize the nonconference schedule all you'd like, it cost them a spot in the national championship. But the Tigers still made it through the SEC undefeated, and went 13-0 with five wins against top 15 teams. That's a national championship-caliber résumé. Tuberville's campaign is futile, but that doesn't mean it's misguided. I'd probably do the same thing if I were in his shoes.
Rob in St. Peters, Mo., asks: Why is aTm getting more preseason love than Missouri? Does nobody remember the beating that the Tigers gave them @ Kyle Field last season?
DU: Here's the thing: I've realized over time that fans have a very warped perception of a team based on how it played against them the previous year.
I saw A&M play in person four times last year, and watched their entire games on a few other occasions. I'll be clear about this: That was the worst performance the Aggies had last year by a wide, wide margin. It's the same reason why all my friends from Arkansas thought they were going to roll the Aggies in 2010. I disagreed then, too.
More than anything, the lack of an experienced QB is why Texas A&M is going to be favored by the posse of prognosticators this fall. But despite Missouri's solidness just about everywhere, I'd take the Aggies at just about every position other than defensive line. They're a solid team who, in the past, has shown some problems handling hype. We'll see how it ends up in 2011. Both are good teams, but A&M is just a bit better at almost every position. That pays off. I'm in the minority in thinking Missouri is a top 20 team, but I'd say A&M is a borderline top-10 team to kick off the season.
Edward in Austin, Texas, asks: Hey Ubbs...love the blog. It seems to me that talent doesn't necessarily translate from one level to the other; a lot of (if not, a substantial portion) of the time, highly-touted HS players don't do that well at the college level. And maybe as an extension of that, players that weren't highly sought after become superstars. I guess my question is, how much stock do you put in the ESPNU 150 rankings?It also seems the same is true for the next level. To recent memory, a couple of Heisman trophy winners (Matt Leinart and Eric Crouch) flopped in the NFL. Also you look at guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady...who were afterthoughts in their respective drafts. Am I being overly critical? Your thoughts?
DU: I'll nitpick a bit before I answer this question and point out that Manning was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, but I get your question.
Obviously, the ESPNU 150 isn't the gospel, but it's still a good indicator of future success. Guys will hit and miss, and you can pick out plenty of All-Americans or Heisman winners who weren't top-flight recruits, but a good percentage of those All-Americans and Heisman winners? They were. It's no guarantee, but get more ESPNU 150 guys, and you're liable to have a better team. The simple truth is the chances of them turning out to be stars is much higher. Sure, there's a few two and three-star guys who become big time, but there's a whole lot more who don't. I'd be interested to see the percentage of guys who become starters after being five-star recruits vs. guys who become starters out of the three and two-star group. I'd bet good money the top guys are a lot higher.
John in Stillwater, Okla., asks: Why do you think recruits are decommitting from OSU? Are there any reasons to be alarmed?
DU: I assume you're talking about LB Dalton Santos and ATH Bralon Addison, a pair of former OSU commits who were ESPNU 150 guys. Santos reopened his recruitment and Addison did so briefly before committing to Texas A&M.
They were doing something right to get them to commit in the first place.
It's no cause for alarm. Nothing happened for them to jump ship. It's different for every guy. I don't really see a trend. The larger trend is Mike Gundy being in classes that are better and better, and you've seen that with OSU's recent rise, culminating in the first 11-win season in school history last year.
You never know what exactly causes high school kids to pick or not pick a school. When they do, it's a lot of the same comments about "family," etc, but it comes down to the best fit and what each individual player wants out of his college experience. Not every guy goes to the best school he possibly can go to. You have to consider playing time, helping a program rise, family connections, etc.
OSU's recruiting is fine.
Jared in College Station, Texas, asks: With all the hoopla around A&M's recruiting class, how much of a disappointment is it that they only have a few guys on the ESPNU150? (Especially since Texas has 7)
DU: I wouldn't get too wrapped up in it. I don't get out and watch or scout high school guys, so it's tough for me to say definitively. If a top recruit is playing a game on national TV, I'll usually DVR it and kind of half watch it while I work.
But, every indication about A&M's class is that the strength is in that second group. You only see three of them in the ESPN 150, but if it was the ESPN 350, I bet you'd see a ton more.
Cal Hardage in Chelsea, Okla., asks: All the talk about ESPNU 150 makes me wonder which coaches do more with less. Sure Texas (outside of 2010) wins, but they also bring in highly rated recruits. I'm not sure how you calculate it. Number of stars per win? Wins per star? Do you use only starters, two-deep, or entire team? I'm sure you can figure out a great way for it. Thanks!
DU: Yeah, you could probably break it down over time, but from a birds-eye view, I'd say it's pretty clear Missouri does the most with the least of any team in the Big 12. They don't haul in a lot of top-flight recruits, but they've won consistently in the last six years or so under Gary Pinkel, winning a share of the North three times and playing in the Big 12 title game twice. Texas Tech is probably a close second in that group.
Both teams always seem to find a lot of great players that weren't highly recruited. Sean Weatherspoon and Danario Alexander are two great examples of guys that not a lot of schools wanted but became stars at Mizzou.
Jon D in Davis, Calif., asks: Other than trying to pad his legacy or résumé, I cannot believe that Tuberville is being serious about his comments and the vacated 2004 title. Auburn should be the champ? Is he nuts? Was that not the same year that Auburn had the 90th-100th toughest schedule in the country? His comments make about as much sense as that hack that runs Ohio State and spews garbage out of his mouth "little sisters of the poor." We all saw how Wisconsin and the Big 10 handled that little sister TCU.
David Ubben: I can't believe people have a problem with him campaigning for it. As a lover of college football, I'd like to see it remain vacated if for no other reason than awarding it to someone else doesn't do very much and cheapens the title for the program that gets it.
But imagine if it was your school or in Tuberville's case, your team. Criticize the nonconference schedule all you'd like, it cost them a spot in the national championship. But the Tigers still made it through the SEC undefeated, and went 13-0 with five wins against top 15 teams. That's a national championship-caliber résumé. Tuberville's campaign is futile, but that doesn't mean it's misguided. I'd probably do the same thing if I were in his shoes.
Rob in St. Peters, Mo., asks: Why is aTm getting more preseason love than Missouri? Does nobody remember the beating that the Tigers gave them @ Kyle Field last season?
DU: Here's the thing: I've realized over time that fans have a very warped perception of a team based on how it played against them the previous year.
I saw A&M play in person four times last year, and watched their entire games on a few other occasions. I'll be clear about this: That was the worst performance the Aggies had last year by a wide, wide margin. It's the same reason why all my friends from Arkansas thought they were going to roll the Aggies in 2010. I disagreed then, too.
More than anything, the lack of an experienced QB is why Texas A&M is going to be favored by the posse of prognosticators this fall. But despite Missouri's solidness just about everywhere, I'd take the Aggies at just about every position other than defensive line. They're a solid team who, in the past, has shown some problems handling hype. We'll see how it ends up in 2011. Both are good teams, but A&M is just a bit better at almost every position. That pays off. I'm in the minority in thinking Missouri is a top 20 team, but I'd say A&M is a borderline top-10 team to kick off the season.
Edward in Austin, Texas, asks: Hey Ubbs...love the blog. It seems to me that talent doesn't necessarily translate from one level to the other; a lot of (if not, a substantial portion) of the time, highly-touted HS players don't do that well at the college level. And maybe as an extension of that, players that weren't highly sought after become superstars. I guess my question is, how much stock do you put in the ESPNU 150 rankings?It also seems the same is true for the next level. To recent memory, a couple of Heisman trophy winners (Matt Leinart and Eric Crouch) flopped in the NFL. Also you look at guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady...who were afterthoughts in their respective drafts. Am I being overly critical? Your thoughts?
DU: I'll nitpick a bit before I answer this question and point out that Manning was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, but I get your question.
Obviously, the ESPNU 150 isn't the gospel, but it's still a good indicator of future success. Guys will hit and miss, and you can pick out plenty of All-Americans or Heisman winners who weren't top-flight recruits, but a good percentage of those All-Americans and Heisman winners? They were. It's no guarantee, but get more ESPNU 150 guys, and you're liable to have a better team. The simple truth is the chances of them turning out to be stars is much higher. Sure, there's a few two and three-star guys who become big time, but there's a whole lot more who don't. I'd be interested to see the percentage of guys who become starters after being five-star recruits vs. guys who become starters out of the three and two-star group. I'd bet good money the top guys are a lot higher.
John in Stillwater, Okla., asks: Why do you think recruits are decommitting from OSU? Are there any reasons to be alarmed?
DU: I assume you're talking about LB Dalton Santos and ATH Bralon Addison, a pair of former OSU commits who were ESPNU 150 guys. Santos reopened his recruitment and Addison did so briefly before committing to Texas A&M.
They were doing something right to get them to commit in the first place.
It's no cause for alarm. Nothing happened for them to jump ship. It's different for every guy. I don't really see a trend. The larger trend is Mike Gundy being in classes that are better and better, and you've seen that with OSU's recent rise, culminating in the first 11-win season in school history last year.
You never know what exactly causes high school kids to pick or not pick a school. When they do, it's a lot of the same comments about "family," etc, but it comes down to the best fit and what each individual player wants out of his college experience. Not every guy goes to the best school he possibly can go to. You have to consider playing time, helping a program rise, family connections, etc.
OSU's recruiting is fine.
Jared in College Station, Texas, asks: With all the hoopla around A&M's recruiting class, how much of a disappointment is it that they only have a few guys on the ESPNU150? (Especially since Texas has 7)
DU: I wouldn't get too wrapped up in it. I don't get out and watch or scout high school guys, so it's tough for me to say definitively. If a top recruit is playing a game on national TV, I'll usually DVR it and kind of half watch it while I work.
But, every indication about A&M's class is that the strength is in that second group. You only see three of them in the ESPN 150, but if it was the ESPN 350, I bet you'd see a ton more.
Cal Hardage in Chelsea, Okla., asks: All the talk about ESPNU 150 makes me wonder which coaches do more with less. Sure Texas (outside of 2010) wins, but they also bring in highly rated recruits. I'm not sure how you calculate it. Number of stars per win? Wins per star? Do you use only starters, two-deep, or entire team? I'm sure you can figure out a great way for it. Thanks!
DU: Yeah, you could probably break it down over time, but from a birds-eye view, I'd say it's pretty clear Missouri does the most with the least of any team in the Big 12. They don't haul in a lot of top-flight recruits, but they've won consistently in the last six years or so under Gary Pinkel, winning a share of the North three times and playing in the Big 12 title game twice. Texas Tech is probably a close second in that group.
Both teams always seem to find a lot of great players that weren't highly recruited. Sean Weatherspoon and Danario Alexander are two great examples of guys that not a lot of schools wanted but became stars at Mizzou.
I've done it. You've done it.
"Hey, is that guy still around?"
Even with two fewer teams, it's hard to keep track. Our next series, which we did last year, too, takes a look at two key players for every team in the league that are taking their talents elsewhere, returning to campus, or arriving to try and write a legacy of their own.
So really, this series isn't so much for the fans of the teams in the posts, but more for everyone else. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bookmark this series.
Next up: Missouri
Going:
Blaine Gabbert, QB
Gabbert left Missouri after his junior season with two years of starting experience under his belt. The rocket-armed, 6-foot-5, 235-pounder did it as the 10th pick in the NFL draft, after throwing for more than 6,800 yards and 40 touchdowns with just 18 interceptions. The St. Louis native came to Missouri as one of the program's most touted recruits ever and made a whole lot of his potential. It was obvious during his freshman season that Gabbert was the heir to Chase Daniel, and he earned the right the following season. As a first-year starter, Gabbert earned loads of respect from his teammates for playing through a painful ankle injury courtesy of the House of Spears. In 2010 he helped Missouri win the biggest game of Gary Pinkel's career, knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma at home in front of a homecoming crowd with ESPN's College GameDay in town for the first time.
One final note: At this rate, Gabbert is on pace to have the NFL's most recognizeable 'do south of Troy Polamalu and Tom Brady. Gordon Gekko? Give me Gordon Bombay.
Aldon Smith, DE
Smith earned a reputation as one of the league's best pass rushers fast, sprinting to an 11-sack freshman season in 2009, a Missouri record. His production was limited in 2010 because of a broken bone in his leg, but NFL teams believed in his freakish athletic ability and upside, enough so that the San Francisco 49ers made him the seventh overall pick in last month's draft.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Raytown, Mo. native was one of the first surprises of the draft, but he'll get his chance to develop while collecting hefty paychecks in the NFL.
Staying:
T.J. Moe, WR and Michael Egnew, TE
Missouri's top receiving duo is back and should provide Gabbert's replacement, James Franklin, with a lot of help. Both are sure-handed and won't go down easily. They were the driving force behind Missouri's passing game in 2010, which lacked a home-run threat a la Jeremy Maclin or Danario Alexander. A year of experience as relied-upon threats should be valuable, too.
In 2009, they combined for five catches and 33 yards. Last season? Try 182 catches, 1,807 yards and 11 scores. Finding a deep threat that was absent in 2010 will make it a lot easier -- their production dipped in the heart of conference play -- but both should put up big numbers again in 2011.
Will Ebner, LB
Ebner seems to continually battle injuries, but the big-hearted senior is back for a fourth season. As a freshman, he earned a reputation as one of the team's hardest hitters very early in camp. In 2009, he returned in two weeks from arthroscopic knee surgery, and in 2010 he played through a broken foot. He had just 47 tackles last season, thanks in part to being slowed by the foot injury, but he's likely to slide into a spot on the All-Big 12 team if he can finally stay healthy.
Coming:
Sheldon Richardson, DT
I'd argue that no player in Missouri history has had more written about him before he stepped on campus as an official, enrolled member of the Tigers. Richardson's three-year (and perhaps longer) saga seemed to reach its natural end when he signed with Missouri as its top recruit in 2009, a member of the ESPNU150. But Richardson didn't qualify and headed to junior college in California. Then, as the nation's No. 3 juco recruit, he committed to USC but switched back to Missouri before signing with the Tigers. He's expected to be on campus in June. The athletic, 6-foot-4, 296-pounder looks like a game-changer on paper and on the limited game tape he produced during an injury-plagued juco career. Will he become one at the major college level?
Corbin Berkstresser, QB
After Tyler Gabbert's transfer, James Franklin looks like the likely successor to Tyler's older brother, Blaine. But could Berkstresser slide in front of Ashton Glaser to become Franklin's backup, or perhaps earn time if Franklin struggles? The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder from outside Kansas City will have to make up a big experience gap between himself and Glaser, a redshirt sophomore entering his third season in the program. Berkstresser didn't come to Missouri this spring like fellow 2011 signee Wesley Leftwich, whose speed wowed coaches in his first 15 practices as a Tiger.
Click here for more from The Revolving Door.
"Hey, is that guy still around?"
Even with two fewer teams, it's hard to keep track. Our next series, which we did last year, too, takes a look at two key players for every team in the league that are taking their talents elsewhere, returning to campus, or arriving to try and write a legacy of their own.
So really, this series isn't so much for the fans of the teams in the posts, but more for everyone else. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bookmark this series.
Next up: Missouri
Going:
Blaine Gabbert, QB
Gabbert left Missouri after his junior season with two years of starting experience under his belt. The rocket-armed, 6-foot-5, 235-pounder did it as the 10th pick in the NFL draft, after throwing for more than 6,800 yards and 40 touchdowns with just 18 interceptions. The St. Louis native came to Missouri as one of the program's most touted recruits ever and made a whole lot of his potential. It was obvious during his freshman season that Gabbert was the heir to Chase Daniel, and he earned the right the following season. As a first-year starter, Gabbert earned loads of respect from his teammates for playing through a painful ankle injury courtesy of the House of Spears. In 2010 he helped Missouri win the biggest game of Gary Pinkel's career, knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma at home in front of a homecoming crowd with ESPN's College GameDay in town for the first time.
One final note: At this rate, Gabbert is on pace to have the NFL's most recognizeable 'do south of Troy Polamalu and Tom Brady. Gordon Gekko? Give me Gordon Bombay.
Aldon Smith, DE
Smith earned a reputation as one of the league's best pass rushers fast, sprinting to an 11-sack freshman season in 2009, a Missouri record. His production was limited in 2010 because of a broken bone in his leg, but NFL teams believed in his freakish athletic ability and upside, enough so that the San Francisco 49ers made him the seventh overall pick in last month's draft.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Raytown, Mo. native was one of the first surprises of the draft, but he'll get his chance to develop while collecting hefty paychecks in the NFL.
Staying:
T.J. Moe, WR and Michael Egnew, TE
Missouri's top receiving duo is back and should provide Gabbert's replacement, James Franklin, with a lot of help. Both are sure-handed and won't go down easily. They were the driving force behind Missouri's passing game in 2010, which lacked a home-run threat a la Jeremy Maclin or Danario Alexander. A year of experience as relied-upon threats should be valuable, too.
In 2009, they combined for five catches and 33 yards. Last season? Try 182 catches, 1,807 yards and 11 scores. Finding a deep threat that was absent in 2010 will make it a lot easier -- their production dipped in the heart of conference play -- but both should put up big numbers again in 2011.
Will Ebner, LB
Ebner seems to continually battle injuries, but the big-hearted senior is back for a fourth season. As a freshman, he earned a reputation as one of the team's hardest hitters very early in camp. In 2009, he returned in two weeks from arthroscopic knee surgery, and in 2010 he played through a broken foot. He had just 47 tackles last season, thanks in part to being slowed by the foot injury, but he's likely to slide into a spot on the All-Big 12 team if he can finally stay healthy.
Coming:
Sheldon Richardson, DT
I'd argue that no player in Missouri history has had more written about him before he stepped on campus as an official, enrolled member of the Tigers. Richardson's three-year (and perhaps longer) saga seemed to reach its natural end when he signed with Missouri as its top recruit in 2009, a member of the ESPNU150. But Richardson didn't qualify and headed to junior college in California. Then, as the nation's No. 3 juco recruit, he committed to USC but switched back to Missouri before signing with the Tigers. He's expected to be on campus in June. The athletic, 6-foot-4, 296-pounder looks like a game-changer on paper and on the limited game tape he produced during an injury-plagued juco career. Will he become one at the major college level?
Corbin Berkstresser, QB
After Tyler Gabbert's transfer, James Franklin looks like the likely successor to Tyler's older brother, Blaine. But could Berkstresser slide in front of Ashton Glaser to become Franklin's backup, or perhaps earn time if Franklin struggles? The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder from outside Kansas City will have to make up a big experience gap between himself and Glaser, a redshirt sophomore entering his third season in the program. Berkstresser didn't come to Missouri this spring like fellow 2011 signee Wesley Leftwich, whose speed wowed coaches in his first 15 practices as a Tiger.
Click here for more from The Revolving Door.
MISSOURI
2010 overall record: 10-3
2010 conference record: 6-2
Returning starters: Offense (9), Defense (6) P/K (2)
Top returners: DE Brad Madison, WR T.J. Moe, TE Michael Egnew, RB De’Vion Moore, LB Zaviar Gooden, S Kenji Jackson, LB Will Ebner
Key losses: QB Blaine Gabbert, DE Aldon Smith, LB Andrew Gachkar, CB Kevin Rutland, CB Carl Gettis, C Tim Barnes
2010 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: De’Vion Moore* (517 yards)
Passing: Blaine Gabbert (3,186 yards)
Receiving: T.J. Moe (1,045 yards)
Tackles: Andrew Gachkar, Zaviar Gooden* (84)
Sacks: Brad Madison* (7.5)
Interceptions: Kevin Rutland (3)
Three spring answers
1. Primary concern? Not the secondary. Missouri lost both starting corners, Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, from last year’s team, but the secondary could be even better in 2011. Kip Edwards played extensively last year and the coaching staff considers him a returning starter. E.J. Gaines, just a sophomore, could be in for a solid year, too. Don’t expect a big dropoff from the Tigers’ secondary.
2. The next Aldon Smith? Missouri already has a solid duo at defensive end with Jacquies Smith and Brad Madison, but the Tigers found another this spring. Kony Ealy, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound redshirt freshman, was unblockable for stretches during the spring and should find a spot in the rotation of a loaded Missouri defensive line next fall.
3. Tigers find a center. Three-year starting center Tim Barnes is gone, and the search for his replacement was on this spring. Missouri’s reserve centers struggled with snaps at times, but Travis Ruth won the job over Justin Britt after the spring. I wouldn’t expect that to change in the fall.
Three fall questions
1. Is the new QB ready? James Franklin will enter fall as the starter, but Tyler Gabbert is right there with him. The Tigers didn’t settle much this spring, but most agree that this is the best team surrounding the quarterback maybe ever under Gary Pinkel. Once the Tigers figure out who’s starting, can he keep up with what should be a solid team?
2. Paging Sheldon Richardson. The defensive tackle is one of the most highly recruited prospects in Missouri history, and has already signed with the Tigers twice, snubbing USC the second time. He was scheduled to arrive this spring, but he hasn’t officially qualified yet. He’s expected to arrive in June, but if we’ve learned one thing throughout this saga, it’s nothing is a given. If he does eventually arrive, will he be the impact player that his athletic, 6-foot-4, 295-pound frame suggests he could be?
3. Can the offense stretch the field? Missouri’s two top receivers, T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew, are possession receivers that don’t often beat defenses deep. Defenders keyed in on them late in the season, and their production waned a bit. Can Missouri find a player like Danario Alexander or Jeremy Maclin this year to stretch the field and open up more space for Egnew, Moe and the running game?
2010 overall record: 10-3
2010 conference record: 6-2
Returning starters: Offense (9), Defense (6) P/K (2)
Top returners: DE Brad Madison, WR T.J. Moe, TE Michael Egnew, RB De’Vion Moore, LB Zaviar Gooden, S Kenji Jackson, LB Will Ebner
Key losses: QB Blaine Gabbert, DE Aldon Smith, LB Andrew Gachkar, CB Kevin Rutland, CB Carl Gettis, C Tim Barnes
2010 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: De’Vion Moore* (517 yards)
Passing: Blaine Gabbert (3,186 yards)
Receiving: T.J. Moe (1,045 yards)
Tackles: Andrew Gachkar, Zaviar Gooden* (84)
Sacks: Brad Madison* (7.5)
Interceptions: Kevin Rutland (3)
Three spring answers
1. Primary concern? Not the secondary. Missouri lost both starting corners, Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, from last year’s team, but the secondary could be even better in 2011. Kip Edwards played extensively last year and the coaching staff considers him a returning starter. E.J. Gaines, just a sophomore, could be in for a solid year, too. Don’t expect a big dropoff from the Tigers’ secondary.
2. The next Aldon Smith? Missouri already has a solid duo at defensive end with Jacquies Smith and Brad Madison, but the Tigers found another this spring. Kony Ealy, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound redshirt freshman, was unblockable for stretches during the spring and should find a spot in the rotation of a loaded Missouri defensive line next fall.
3. Tigers find a center. Three-year starting center Tim Barnes is gone, and the search for his replacement was on this spring. Missouri’s reserve centers struggled with snaps at times, but Travis Ruth won the job over Justin Britt after the spring. I wouldn’t expect that to change in the fall.
Three fall questions
1. Is the new QB ready? James Franklin will enter fall as the starter, but Tyler Gabbert is right there with him. The Tigers didn’t settle much this spring, but most agree that this is the best team surrounding the quarterback maybe ever under Gary Pinkel. Once the Tigers figure out who’s starting, can he keep up with what should be a solid team?
2. Paging Sheldon Richardson. The defensive tackle is one of the most highly recruited prospects in Missouri history, and has already signed with the Tigers twice, snubbing USC the second time. He was scheduled to arrive this spring, but he hasn’t officially qualified yet. He’s expected to arrive in June, but if we’ve learned one thing throughout this saga, it’s nothing is a given. If he does eventually arrive, will he be the impact player that his athletic, 6-foot-4, 295-pound frame suggests he could be?
3. Can the offense stretch the field? Missouri’s two top receivers, T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew, are possession receivers that don’t often beat defenses deep. Defenders keyed in on them late in the season, and their production waned a bit. Can Missouri find a player like Danario Alexander or Jeremy Maclin this year to stretch the field and open up more space for Egnew, Moe and the running game?
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- I hope you've enjoyed our coverage from Mizzou the past few days. If you aren't one of my most faithful readers, here's a refresher.
But not everything fit neatly into those stories. I've got plenty more on the Tigers from my visit to Columbia.
Quarterbacks are the focus of spring for the Tigers, but there's no doubt, it's going to be a bit of an adjustment if James Franklin wins the job. That's no guarantee, and Tyler Gabbert has come on strong this spring, but Franklin is just a completely different type of person than the fiery Chase Daniel or uber-competitive Blaine Gabbert. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Offensive coordinator David Yost told me he wants each new quarterback doing things his own way, and that includes his demeanor and actions off the field.
"Blaine and Chase were different, and Blaine did a good job of not just copying Chase. He took what Chase did and tried to make it fit him and how he dealt with players, getting himself ready to play," Yost said.
Franklin will have to do something similar. Tyler Gabbert, who has come on strong of late in practices, is a much more heated competitor. "Sometimes you have to calm him down because he gets very, very 'on,'" Yost said. "He wants to make every throw. It’s great to have that, but you can’t let that affect the next play, so he’s kind of learning that."
Franklin is a much more easy-going type of guy. He's nowhere near as outspoken. It'll just be different. I believe it was Rene Descartes who said, "Different strokes for different folks." Seems to fit this scenario.
"I’m not too vocal as a quarterback. As a person, I talk a lot, but once I come on the field, I’m not as vocal. It’s something I hadn’t really done in the past, so it’s something I need to adjust to," Franklin said.
Coaches have told him that sometimes his silence, especially after negative plays, can come off as bad body language, so even if his head is clear, his actions have to communicate positive messages to teammates. Sometimes his quiet demeanor meant his teammates didn't even realize who had thrown them the ball in practice.
"They’d come back and say 'Hey, nice throw James' or 'Good call,' and I’m like, 'That wasn’t me, that was Ashton or that was Tyler," Franklin said. "To me, I’m thinking, 'How could they not know?' For one, I’m just a little bit taller and my skin is like 50 shades darker. But they’re just kind of in the zone, so if I’m more vocal and demanding of them, they kind of recognize 'hey, that was me.'"
The thing is, he has to do it naturally, and managing that balance will be a key for all three quarterbacks' development. Franklin can't just turn into an animated screamer overnight. That would only come off as disingenuous and be more counterproductive than anything.
"Being more vocal will help. Not only as a quarterback, but also as a person, because it should show you leadership and you demand things out of your offense.
- Continuing the QB tradition at Mizzou
- Missouri DE Madison an unlikely star
- Tigers continue growth in secondary
- Video: QB James Franklin
- Video: WR T.J. Moe
- Notes and observations from practice
But not everything fit neatly into those stories. I've got plenty more on the Tigers from my visit to Columbia.
[+] Enlarge
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireJames Franklin may need to be more assertive if he wants to become a leader on offense.
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireJames Franklin may need to be more assertive if he wants to become a leader on offense."Blaine and Chase were different, and Blaine did a good job of not just copying Chase. He took what Chase did and tried to make it fit him and how he dealt with players, getting himself ready to play," Yost said.
Franklin will have to do something similar. Tyler Gabbert, who has come on strong of late in practices, is a much more heated competitor. "Sometimes you have to calm him down because he gets very, very 'on,'" Yost said. "He wants to make every throw. It’s great to have that, but you can’t let that affect the next play, so he’s kind of learning that."
Franklin is a much more easy-going type of guy. He's nowhere near as outspoken. It'll just be different. I believe it was Rene Descartes who said, "Different strokes for different folks." Seems to fit this scenario.
"I’m not too vocal as a quarterback. As a person, I talk a lot, but once I come on the field, I’m not as vocal. It’s something I hadn’t really done in the past, so it’s something I need to adjust to," Franklin said.
Coaches have told him that sometimes his silence, especially after negative plays, can come off as bad body language, so even if his head is clear, his actions have to communicate positive messages to teammates. Sometimes his quiet demeanor meant his teammates didn't even realize who had thrown them the ball in practice.
"They’d come back and say 'Hey, nice throw James' or 'Good call,' and I’m like, 'That wasn’t me, that was Ashton or that was Tyler," Franklin said. "To me, I’m thinking, 'How could they not know?' For one, I’m just a little bit taller and my skin is like 50 shades darker. But they’re just kind of in the zone, so if I’m more vocal and demanding of them, they kind of recognize 'hey, that was me.'"
The thing is, he has to do it naturally, and managing that balance will be a key for all three quarterbacks' development. Franklin can't just turn into an animated screamer overnight. That would only come off as disingenuous and be more counterproductive than anything.
"Being more vocal will help. Not only as a quarterback, but also as a person, because it should show you leadership and you demand things out of your offense.
- You get the sense Yost could talk about Blaine Gabbert and what he's meant to the program for hours. I'm sure he could. But when it comes to influencing younger quarterbacks, it's easy to see why. "You’d go up for room check [the night before road games] and Blaine’s sitting in his bed with his iPod in and his computer on his lap watching cut-ups," Yost said. "Every week. That'd be at 11 o'clock and at meetings the next day I’d ask what he watched, and he'd tell me. I'd ask when he got to bed, and he’d say, 'Ah, it was about 1:30.'" Franklin roomed with Gabbert on the road, and his younger brother surely saw some of that.
- Passing down lessons like that is nothing new. When Blaine Gabbert came into the program, he'd spend about two hours a day during the summer as a freshman with Chase Daniel watching tape. He wasn't watching the offense by then. He was looking at the defense. "Where are they moving? Backing up? Where can I get throws? When this guy does this, this opens up," Yost said. And because of those summer film sessions, "Blaine was way ahead of where Chase was in understanding defenses at the same spot in camp their sophomore years," he said. The idea, of course, is that continues with the younger quarterbacks.
- Speaking of Gabbert, Yost loved how he blossomed into a "quarterback" after coming to Mizzou as a "thrower." "He was a tremendous, highly recruited thrower out of high school, but he bought into becoming a great quarterback," Yost said. He did it by first learning how to study film from Daniel and carrying it on once Daniel left and he became a starter. "People look and say, 'Well, his passing yards are down,'" Yost said. "But he became more of a quarterback because of how he prepared each week."
- Part of the reason for that dip was Missouri's lack of a vertical passing game in 2010, which is are of focus this spring. Tyler Gabbert has the arm strength. Yost likes Franklin's deep ball a lot. But somebody's got to catch it. I did think it was funny that Yost cited my look at explosive plays across the Big 12 in our conversation. The number of plays longer than 20 yards didn't drop much for Missouri (73 in '08, 66 in '09 and 63 in '10), but the longer plays did. "We were still getting our 20-yard plays, but instead of having Danario [Alexander] take a 20 yarder to a 60-yarder, we were getting that 24-yarder. Even when you go back to 2008 when we had Maclin, the numbers were a lot higher than last year," he said. "Anytime you can get those, it takes off so much pressure. You could feel it last year. Guys were tightening up on us. We didn’t hit a lot downfield last year, and that was more disappointing than anything. We took some shots, and there were some games when we’d be at halftime and we’ve thrown the ball downfield eight times and we’re 0-for-8. Either we could have thrown it better, could have caught it, protected better and given him a better chance, there was a multitude of things. It wasn’t just one reason. But you hit those, it changes a game."
- Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp have the ability to get vertical, even if they lack Alexander or Jeremy Maclin's straight-line speed. The potential is there for younger receivers such as Marcus Lucas and Wesley Leftwich, or older ones such as L'Damian Washington or Rolandis Woodland who have had modest careers thus far. But someone has to do it. Missouri has the rare opportunity to bring back every single receiver on its roster from last year, and it added Leftwich, who enrolled early and has 4.4 speed, according to Yost. But for Michael Egnew and T.J. Moe to be their most productive, someone has to stretch the defense.
Best case-worst case rewind: Missouri
January, 28, 2011
1/28/11
1:30
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
We're taking a look back at what we thought the best- and worst-case scenarios for each team were in August, and how it shook out now that January has arrived.
Next up: Missouri.
Best case: 11-1, with a loss to either Oklahoma or Nebraska, and depending on the loss and Nebraska's fate, a Big 12 North title.
Worst case: 6-6, with wins over Illinois, McNeese State, San Diego State, Miami (Ohio), Colorado, Iowa State and Kansas.
Reality: Missouri raced to a 7-0 start and a top 10 ranking before dropping a pair of games against Nebraska and Texas Tech and finishing 10-3 with a loss to Iowa in the Insight Bowl. The Tigers also went 6-2 in Big 12 play to finish as co-Big 12 North champions.
Analysis: The Tigers did what most thought they'd do in 2010. They gave Nebraska a solid run in the Big 12 North race and put together a solid season. I pegged the Tigers for 9-10 wins in the preseason, with losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma and a decent shot at dropping a random game on the road in the Big 12. A bowl game, generally, is a coin flip, though Missouri was upset 27-24 by an unranked Iowa team.
Missouri snagged an upset over Oklahoma, but the Tigers dropped slightly surprising game on the road to Texas Tech. The loss of Derrick Washington in the preseason hurt the Tigers, and there's no telling what his experience and new-found shiftiness might have meant to the team, but Missouri's stable of four backs filled in nicely. They ran the ball well against Oklahoma, despite being shut down about everywhere against Nebraska's defense.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert's numbers fell, but the cause was more the lack of a big play receiver like Danario Alexander or Jeremy Maclin than anything Gabbert did or didn't do. T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew are great at getting open underneath, but neither is going to beat very many defenders deep. Finding a deep threat will help the new quarterback and further open things up underneath for Moe and Egnew. Gabbert topped 300 yards just four times on the season, but he did what was necessary for the Tigers to get wins.
A season with 10 of them -- the third time that's happened in four years at Missouri -- is a good season. The special season that looked possible after a win over Oklahoma never materialized, and the avoidable losses to Iowa and Texas Tech will sting for the Tigers looking back, but 10-3 is a year to be happy about. Replacing Gabbert in 2011 will be difficult, but there's plenty of talent around the new starter, and if they play well, 10 wins is within reach again for the Tigers in 2011.
Next up: Missouri.
Best case: 11-1, with a loss to either Oklahoma or Nebraska, and depending on the loss and Nebraska's fate, a Big 12 North title.
Worst case: 6-6, with wins over Illinois, McNeese State, San Diego State, Miami (Ohio), Colorado, Iowa State and Kansas.
Reality: Missouri raced to a 7-0 start and a top 10 ranking before dropping a pair of games against Nebraska and Texas Tech and finishing 10-3 with a loss to Iowa in the Insight Bowl. The Tigers also went 6-2 in Big 12 play to finish as co-Big 12 North champions.
Analysis: The Tigers did what most thought they'd do in 2010. They gave Nebraska a solid run in the Big 12 North race and put together a solid season. I pegged the Tigers for 9-10 wins in the preseason, with losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma and a decent shot at dropping a random game on the road in the Big 12. A bowl game, generally, is a coin flip, though Missouri was upset 27-24 by an unranked Iowa team.
Missouri snagged an upset over Oklahoma, but the Tigers dropped slightly surprising game on the road to Texas Tech. The loss of Derrick Washington in the preseason hurt the Tigers, and there's no telling what his experience and new-found shiftiness might have meant to the team, but Missouri's stable of four backs filled in nicely. They ran the ball well against Oklahoma, despite being shut down about everywhere against Nebraska's defense.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert's numbers fell, but the cause was more the lack of a big play receiver like Danario Alexander or Jeremy Maclin than anything Gabbert did or didn't do. T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew are great at getting open underneath, but neither is going to beat very many defenders deep. Finding a deep threat will help the new quarterback and further open things up underneath for Moe and Egnew. Gabbert topped 300 yards just four times on the season, but he did what was necessary for the Tigers to get wins.
A season with 10 of them -- the third time that's happened in four years at Missouri -- is a good season. The special season that looked possible after a win over Oklahoma never materialized, and the avoidable losses to Iowa and Texas Tech will sting for the Tigers looking back, but 10-3 is a year to be happy about. Replacing Gabbert in 2011 will be difficult, but there's plenty of talent around the new starter, and if they play well, 10 wins is within reach again for the Tigers in 2011.
Signing day is exactly a week from today, and it's time to take a look at who needs what in its 2011 class.
Some schools have addressed these with their current class. Some haven't. Others are still trying.
We'll kick things off with the artists formerly known as the Big 12 North and examine the South later today.
COLORADO
Cornerback: Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith were pretty reliable for the Buffaloes, but both are headed to the NFL, and the Buffaloes could definitely use some depth behind their first-year starters. It's not quite as pressing of an issue considering their move to the less pass-happy Pac-12, but they still like to sling it out west.
Receiver: Colorado isn't exactly starving anywhere on offense, but receiver sticks out a bit. Toney Clemons was good, but maybe not quite what the Buffaloes hoped he'd be in 2010, but they caught a break in getting Paul Richardson back after a great freshman season. The Buffaloes need some complementary pieces around Clemons and Richardson to replace departed pass-catchers Scotty McKnight and Travon Patterson. Next year, that should be tight end Ryan Deehan and receiver Will Jefferson.
IOWA STATE
Receiver: It's been a struggle for Iowa State in recent years, but they have to get better outside to help out their quarterback. Sedrick Johnson's transfer only worsens the Cyclones depth at the position, but Jake Williams and tight end Collin Franklin, the team's leading receiver, are gone. Shontrelle Johnson looks ready to become a big factor in the offense, but the Cyclones filling the space at receiver will make it easier for Johnson to replace running back Alexander Robinson.
Safety: Both starters, David Sims and Zac Sandvig, are gone. So is the Cyclones top reserve at the position, Michael O'Connell. Sims was a top-notch talent that will be tough to replace, but Iowa State needs more depth here. They should be solid at corner with Leonard Johnson, Ter'ran Benton, Jeremy Reeves and Anthony Young, which could make the new safeties' jobs easier.
KANSAS
Defensive line: KU is losing three of four starters on the line, including the team's only All-Big 12 talent, defensive end Jake Laptad. Turner Gill wants more speed, and this is a place to install it. Tackles that tip the scales at 320 pounds aren't too necessary in this league, but speed on the edge can go a long way in stopping the pass.
Quarterback: Neither Jordan Webb or Quinn Mecham look like long-term answers at quarterback for the Jayhawks. Mecham will be a senior, and Webb might develop into a better player as a sophomore next year, but Kansas needs other options. The Jayhawks hope Brock Berglund, the top-rated recruit in Colorado, is the solution to the problem.
KANSAS STATE
Running back: I hear your cries for Bryce Brown, Wildcats fans, but K-State can't expect to hitch their wagon to the former blue-chip recruit turned Tennessee transfer in the same way it did for Daniel Thomas. Thomas and his backup, William Powell, are gone, and the Wildcats need some depth at running back to show up.
Interior offensive linemen: K-State loses both guards and its center from an offense that produced the Big 12's leading rusher in 2010. Don't expect them to do it again in 2011 without Wade Weibert, Kenneth Mayfield and Zach Kendall, as well as Thomas and Powell, but finding some new talent behind them will help them come close.
Cornerback: David Garrett emerged as a budding star in 2010 ready for a breakout senior year in 2011, but the Wildcats lose Terrance Sweeney and Stephen Harrison, as well as safety Troy Butler. Like we've mentioned earlier, good secondaries are a must for success in the Big 12, and K-State had one of the league's worst in 2010.
MISSOURI
Receiver: Missouri has some good ones ready to suit up in 2011, namely Wes Kemp, Jerrell Jackson and T.J. Moe, but the Tigers don't have a true gamebreaker. They have some younger players in Marcus Lucas and Jimmie Hunt who they hope will develop into big-time, All-American caliber receivers, a la Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander. In Missouri's system, though, adding a few receivers is always a good idea. They certainly don't need any more running backs.
Defensive backs: Mizzou doesn't have any huge holes that need to be filled with recruiting, but the Tigers lose both corners, Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland from their 2010 team. Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines look likely to fill those roles, but the Tigers could use some depth and keep recruiting in the secondary to help add some talent around Tavon Bolden and Matt White, safeties who will replace departed Jarrell Harrison, who actually had to play some linebacker in 2010 because of injuries.
NEBRASKA
Every kind of kicker: Alex Henery, the team's punter and kicker is gone. So is kickoff specialist and lover/producer of touchbacks, Adi Kunalic. Fan favorite Henery was hardly underappreciated by the Nebraska faithful, but they'll miss him even more if the Huskers can't find a suitable placekicker and punter. Bo Pelini was reportedly after Wake Forest commit Mauro Bondi this week.
Receiver: Niles Paul and Mike McNeill are gone. The Huskers need Brandon Kinnie to come through with another good year and it'd be nice if Quincy Enunwa broke through in 2011, but Taylor Martinez needs some more help at wide out, and a couple new recruits could provide it as Martinez's passing prowess matures.
Some schools have addressed these with their current class. Some haven't. Others are still trying.
We'll kick things off with the artists formerly known as the Big 12 North and examine the South later today.
COLORADO
Cornerback: Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith were pretty reliable for the Buffaloes, but both are headed to the NFL, and the Buffaloes could definitely use some depth behind their first-year starters. It's not quite as pressing of an issue considering their move to the less pass-happy Pac-12, but they still like to sling it out west.
Receiver: Colorado isn't exactly starving anywhere on offense, but receiver sticks out a bit. Toney Clemons was good, but maybe not quite what the Buffaloes hoped he'd be in 2010, but they caught a break in getting Paul Richardson back after a great freshman season. The Buffaloes need some complementary pieces around Clemons and Richardson to replace departed pass-catchers Scotty McKnight and Travon Patterson. Next year, that should be tight end Ryan Deehan and receiver Will Jefferson.
IOWA STATE
Receiver: It's been a struggle for Iowa State in recent years, but they have to get better outside to help out their quarterback. Sedrick Johnson's transfer only worsens the Cyclones depth at the position, but Jake Williams and tight end Collin Franklin, the team's leading receiver, are gone. Shontrelle Johnson looks ready to become a big factor in the offense, but the Cyclones filling the space at receiver will make it easier for Johnson to replace running back Alexander Robinson.
Safety: Both starters, David Sims and Zac Sandvig, are gone. So is the Cyclones top reserve at the position, Michael O'Connell. Sims was a top-notch talent that will be tough to replace, but Iowa State needs more depth here. They should be solid at corner with Leonard Johnson, Ter'ran Benton, Jeremy Reeves and Anthony Young, which could make the new safeties' jobs easier.
KANSAS
Defensive line: KU is losing three of four starters on the line, including the team's only All-Big 12 talent, defensive end Jake Laptad. Turner Gill wants more speed, and this is a place to install it. Tackles that tip the scales at 320 pounds aren't too necessary in this league, but speed on the edge can go a long way in stopping the pass.
Quarterback: Neither Jordan Webb or Quinn Mecham look like long-term answers at quarterback for the Jayhawks. Mecham will be a senior, and Webb might develop into a better player as a sophomore next year, but Kansas needs other options. The Jayhawks hope Brock Berglund, the top-rated recruit in Colorado, is the solution to the problem.
KANSAS STATE
Running back: I hear your cries for Bryce Brown, Wildcats fans, but K-State can't expect to hitch their wagon to the former blue-chip recruit turned Tennessee transfer in the same way it did for Daniel Thomas. Thomas and his backup, William Powell, are gone, and the Wildcats need some depth at running back to show up.
Interior offensive linemen: K-State loses both guards and its center from an offense that produced the Big 12's leading rusher in 2010. Don't expect them to do it again in 2011 without Wade Weibert, Kenneth Mayfield and Zach Kendall, as well as Thomas and Powell, but finding some new talent behind them will help them come close.
Cornerback: David Garrett emerged as a budding star in 2010 ready for a breakout senior year in 2011, but the Wildcats lose Terrance Sweeney and Stephen Harrison, as well as safety Troy Butler. Like we've mentioned earlier, good secondaries are a must for success in the Big 12, and K-State had one of the league's worst in 2010.
MISSOURI
Receiver: Missouri has some good ones ready to suit up in 2011, namely Wes Kemp, Jerrell Jackson and T.J. Moe, but the Tigers don't have a true gamebreaker. They have some younger players in Marcus Lucas and Jimmie Hunt who they hope will develop into big-time, All-American caliber receivers, a la Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander. In Missouri's system, though, adding a few receivers is always a good idea. They certainly don't need any more running backs.
Defensive backs: Mizzou doesn't have any huge holes that need to be filled with recruiting, but the Tigers lose both corners, Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland from their 2010 team. Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines look likely to fill those roles, but the Tigers could use some depth and keep recruiting in the secondary to help add some talent around Tavon Bolden and Matt White, safeties who will replace departed Jarrell Harrison, who actually had to play some linebacker in 2010 because of injuries.
NEBRASKA
Every kind of kicker: Alex Henery, the team's punter and kicker is gone. So is kickoff specialist and lover/producer of touchbacks, Adi Kunalic. Fan favorite Henery was hardly underappreciated by the Nebraska faithful, but they'll miss him even more if the Huskers can't find a suitable placekicker and punter. Bo Pelini was reportedly after Wake Forest commit Mauro Bondi this week.
Receiver: Niles Paul and Mike McNeill are gone. The Huskers need Brandon Kinnie to come through with another good year and it'd be nice if Quincy Enunwa broke through in 2011, but Taylor Martinez needs some more help at wide out, and a couple new recruits could provide it as Martinez's passing prowess matures.
Lunch links: Mack Brown gets motivating
October, 28, 2010
10/28/10
12:00
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
That doesn't make any sense! Who wants to live in a world where dogs eat each other? Doggy-dog world is a beautiful world filled with little puppies.
- Bob Stoops wouldn't want to coach his sons, reports Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman.
- Mack Brown wants to see the same kind of fiery leadership from his current team that former Longhorns once had, reports Laken Litman of the Dallas Morning News. He resorted to some unusual motivation tactics earlier this week.
- Former Sooner Sam Bradford lost a bet to former Missouri receiver Danario Alexander, and conducted interviews in a No. 14 Missouri jersey on Wednesday. Bradford got in a quip, though, when asked if he regretted his college selection. "Absolutely not," Bradford said. "I wanted to win Big 12 championships."
- Garrett Gilbert is a better QB prospect than Colt McCoy, writes Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News.
- Kansas State's best receivers are injured, but the replacements have added a lot to the passing game, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
- Nebraska received a commitment from one of the nation's best running backs, Aaron Green. The Huskers beat out Texas and Florida State to get him.
- Kansas State leads the Big 12 in graduation rate among football programs. Oklahoma has the worst in the conference and in the BCS top 25.
- Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman offers his thoughts on Justin Blackmon's suspension.
- Texas Tech is still trying to get used to its new running game, writes Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The team is also dealing with a stomach virus that several players have contracted.
- Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum weighs in on this week's game, a matchup between two of his former assistants.
- Quinn Mecham is getting ready for his first-ever start, and shares his thoughts with Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
Mailbag: Blackmon, T-Magic and MU's shot
October, 22, 2010
10/22/10
3:30
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Thanks for the questions, everybody. Enjoy the weekend and Saturday's games.
Allen in Stillwater writes: So, Prince Amakamura is going to keep Justin Blackmon from winning the game on Saturday? As if Nebraska's played anyone else this season! Funny how Oklahoma State's schedule is supposedly so much weaker than Nebraskas. Blackmon isn't used to playing top competition? What about Amakamura? Whose he even played? Idaho??? Sick of the ESPN bias favoring the "traditional powers." You'll see on Saturday! Blackmon for Heismon!
David Ubben: Well, I don't know who Prince Amakamura is, but Nebraska had an All-Big 12 first-team corner last year named Prince Amukamara. Does what he did count for nothing? That's the biggest reason Amukamara will get the best of Blackmon--his experience. It's obviously not as simple as one-on-one; there's always safety help, and Nebraska had great play there last year and does again this year.
That said, take a look at how the top receivers in the Big 12 performed last year against Nebraska:
That's a pretty fantastic résumé. And the one thing that pops out from that set? Zero touchdowns. Here's my deal: You won't get an argument from me that Justin Blackmon hasn't been the most outstanding receiver in college football so far this season. But in his first time around facing guys like Amukamara and Aaron Williams at Texas, it's going to be an adjustment. Oklahoma State doesn't have any corners of that caliber that he can line up against in practice. He's never been the focus of a secondary that ranked inside the top 100 nationally in pass defense. Nebraska is No. 1. It's not like I think Amukamara will completely take him out of the game; Amukamara Island is nowhere near as remote as Revis Island. Even still, connections will be infrequent and difficult. I pegged him for about 5-6 catches and about 70 yards or so. There's no way that's going to be enough to win the game.
If Oklahoma State wins this game (and it's very capable of doing so), it's going to have to do it on the back of Kendall Hunter. For all of Blackmon's success, Oklahoma State's next three receivers don't have as many receptions combined as he does. I don't believe the Cowboys' other receivers are going to be able to get it done, and Nebraska has looked way, way more vulnerable in the running game (see: Texas) than through the air (see: Washington).
Travis Tiblier in Chicago writes: It seems like nobody on ESPN is giving the Tigers any chance to win this weekend. Do you think that Tiger fans will have any chance to celebrate or will it just be another tough loss?
DU: Missouri has a great chance to win, definitely a better chance than in any of those games with the Chase Daniel-led teams. This Oklahoma team isn't as dominant as those were, and we still don't quite know what to expect when they leave Owen Field. Oklahoma nearly lost to Cincinnati on the road, and Missouri is pretty obviously a better team than the Bearcats. The big thing to worry about for Missouri fans is Oklahoma looks like it's playing some of its best football right now, but they've still been pretty susceptible in the fourth quarter, having been outscored 51-17 in five games before last week's 52-0 win over a struggling Iowa State team. If Missouri can keep it to a one-score game inside the final period, you have to feel pretty good about their chances.
Russ in Tempe, Ariz., asks: LOVE THE BLOG! We all know that T-magic is a great player on the field, with that speed and all. But what are your thoughts on him as a leader? I mean he tuned out most of the game after he got pulled. He won't meet with the press. Is this a guy that can Lead the huskers?
DU: I'll tackle this question in two parts:
First, I don't believe that what a quarterback says or doesn't say to the media (unless it questions his teammates' abilities) has much impact on his ability to lead. What happens in the locker room and what happens in the huddle is what matters. We're not there. I can't speak to that dynamic. But I doubt Niles Paul or Jared Crick lost any sleep on Saturday night knowing Martinez chose not to address the media about the loss. If they want to know something about the game, I'm sure they'd ask him, not read this blog or the newspapers. It's maybe a little better to have a media-savvy quarterback, but it's not a big deal if you have one who doesn't care about it.
As a journalist, yeah, of course I'd prefer it if he's talk and provide some insight into why Texas was so effective against him and all the other burning questions. That's good stuff that lots of people want to read and helps people like me do our jobs more effectively. But if I were a teammate or coach? I couldn't care less. There's only so much you can take away from what a player says to the media.
Second, there is a good deal of inherent leadership that comes solely with playing quarterback, but I'd be shocked if Martinez has assumed the role of "The Leader" of this team. Again, I'm not in the locker room, so I can't say with any certainty, but that role should, at least, fall more to the seniors on the team who know very well what the next few months are going to be like and can help prepare younger teammates (like Martinez, who you may still forget, is still a freshman) for those challenges.
Martinez obviously has a huge impact on the outcome of games, but let's not forget: That's a new role. Two months ago, nobody even knew if he was going to play. It's still way too early to start casting any definitive judgment on how well or how poorly he leads. He definitely looked a little detached on the sidelines, but he's young and from what I've been told, one of the most competitive players the coaches have ever been around. It has to be frustrating to be pulled in the biggest game of the year, and even more so when your coach admits later that it wasn't your fault.
For now, let the results on the field speak for themselves.
Justin Adam in Overland Park, Kan., asks: The forecast for Saturday's night game for Mizzou vs Oklahoma currently shows some rain. How do you think this could affect the outcome of the game?
DU: Unless it's pouring rain, the weather won't have a huge effect on it. It's about a 50 percent chance of scattered showers, but Missouri's not going to stop throwing the ball just because it gets a little wet out. They can keep the ball dry for Blaine Gabbert, and receivers are wearing gloves. It's not a huge issue; sometimes people get too caught up in that. If it does start pouring rain, a la Nebraska Thursday night game in 2009, it definitely favors Oklahoma and its power running game. The Sooners have a handful of backs who can run with power, and since Derrick Washington won't be playing, Oklahoma's top two backs, DeMarco Murray and Mossis Madu, are better than any of the backs Missouri's putting out there, not to mention a handful of other young guys who look fantastic so far this year, beginning with Roy Finch and Brennan Clay.
Allen in Stillwater writes: So, Prince Amakamura is going to keep Justin Blackmon from winning the game on Saturday? As if Nebraska's played anyone else this season! Funny how Oklahoma State's schedule is supposedly so much weaker than Nebraskas. Blackmon isn't used to playing top competition? What about Amakamura? Whose he even played? Idaho??? Sick of the ESPN bias favoring the "traditional powers." You'll see on Saturday! Blackmon for Heismon!
David Ubben: Well, I don't know who Prince Amakamura is, but Nebraska had an All-Big 12 first-team corner last year named Prince Amukamara. Does what he did count for nothing? That's the biggest reason Amukamara will get the best of Blackmon--his experience. It's obviously not as simple as one-on-one; there's always safety help, and Nebraska had great play there last year and does again this year.
That said, take a look at how the top receivers in the Big 12 performed last year against Nebraska:
- Missouri: Danario Alexander (six games over 170 yards receiving last year, led the nation in yardage): 6 rec, 43 yards (in rain)
- Texas Tech: Detron Lewis 5 rec, 100 yards (with 58-yard reception)
- Baylor: Kendall Wright 4 rec, 49 yards
- Texas: Jordan Shipley, 7 rec, 71 yards (avg. 106 yards/game)
- Oklahoma: Ryan Broyles 8 rec, 74 yards. (Having covered that game, I can tell you the majority of those came on swing passes)
That's a pretty fantastic résumé. And the one thing that pops out from that set? Zero touchdowns. Here's my deal: You won't get an argument from me that Justin Blackmon hasn't been the most outstanding receiver in college football so far this season. But in his first time around facing guys like Amukamara and Aaron Williams at Texas, it's going to be an adjustment. Oklahoma State doesn't have any corners of that caliber that he can line up against in practice. He's never been the focus of a secondary that ranked inside the top 100 nationally in pass defense. Nebraska is No. 1. It's not like I think Amukamara will completely take him out of the game; Amukamara Island is nowhere near as remote as Revis Island. Even still, connections will be infrequent and difficult. I pegged him for about 5-6 catches and about 70 yards or so. There's no way that's going to be enough to win the game.
If Oklahoma State wins this game (and it's very capable of doing so), it's going to have to do it on the back of Kendall Hunter. For all of Blackmon's success, Oklahoma State's next three receivers don't have as many receptions combined as he does. I don't believe the Cowboys' other receivers are going to be able to get it done, and Nebraska has looked way, way more vulnerable in the running game (see: Texas) than through the air (see: Washington).
Travis Tiblier in Chicago writes: It seems like nobody on ESPN is giving the Tigers any chance to win this weekend. Do you think that Tiger fans will have any chance to celebrate or will it just be another tough loss?
DU: Missouri has a great chance to win, definitely a better chance than in any of those games with the Chase Daniel-led teams. This Oklahoma team isn't as dominant as those were, and we still don't quite know what to expect when they leave Owen Field. Oklahoma nearly lost to Cincinnati on the road, and Missouri is pretty obviously a better team than the Bearcats. The big thing to worry about for Missouri fans is Oklahoma looks like it's playing some of its best football right now, but they've still been pretty susceptible in the fourth quarter, having been outscored 51-17 in five games before last week's 52-0 win over a struggling Iowa State team. If Missouri can keep it to a one-score game inside the final period, you have to feel pretty good about their chances.
Russ in Tempe, Ariz., asks: LOVE THE BLOG! We all know that T-magic is a great player on the field, with that speed and all. But what are your thoughts on him as a leader? I mean he tuned out most of the game after he got pulled. He won't meet with the press. Is this a guy that can Lead the huskers?
DU: I'll tackle this question in two parts:
First, I don't believe that what a quarterback says or doesn't say to the media (unless it questions his teammates' abilities) has much impact on his ability to lead. What happens in the locker room and what happens in the huddle is what matters. We're not there. I can't speak to that dynamic. But I doubt Niles Paul or Jared Crick lost any sleep on Saturday night knowing Martinez chose not to address the media about the loss. If they want to know something about the game, I'm sure they'd ask him, not read this blog or the newspapers. It's maybe a little better to have a media-savvy quarterback, but it's not a big deal if you have one who doesn't care about it.
As a journalist, yeah, of course I'd prefer it if he's talk and provide some insight into why Texas was so effective against him and all the other burning questions. That's good stuff that lots of people want to read and helps people like me do our jobs more effectively. But if I were a teammate or coach? I couldn't care less. There's only so much you can take away from what a player says to the media.
Second, there is a good deal of inherent leadership that comes solely with playing quarterback, but I'd be shocked if Martinez has assumed the role of "The Leader" of this team. Again, I'm not in the locker room, so I can't say with any certainty, but that role should, at least, fall more to the seniors on the team who know very well what the next few months are going to be like and can help prepare younger teammates (like Martinez, who you may still forget, is still a freshman) for those challenges.
Martinez obviously has a huge impact on the outcome of games, but let's not forget: That's a new role. Two months ago, nobody even knew if he was going to play. It's still way too early to start casting any definitive judgment on how well or how poorly he leads. He definitely looked a little detached on the sidelines, but he's young and from what I've been told, one of the most competitive players the coaches have ever been around. It has to be frustrating to be pulled in the biggest game of the year, and even more so when your coach admits later that it wasn't your fault.
For now, let the results on the field speak for themselves.
Justin Adam in Overland Park, Kan., asks: The forecast for Saturday's night game for Mizzou vs Oklahoma currently shows some rain. How do you think this could affect the outcome of the game?
DU: Unless it's pouring rain, the weather won't have a huge effect on it. It's about a 50 percent chance of scattered showers, but Missouri's not going to stop throwing the ball just because it gets a little wet out. They can keep the ball dry for Blaine Gabbert, and receivers are wearing gloves. It's not a huge issue; sometimes people get too caught up in that. If it does start pouring rain, a la Nebraska Thursday night game in 2009, it definitely favors Oklahoma and its power running game. The Sooners have a handful of backs who can run with power, and since Derrick Washington won't be playing, Oklahoma's top two backs, DeMarco Murray and Mossis Madu, are better than any of the backs Missouri's putting out there, not to mention a handful of other young guys who look fantastic so far this year, beginning with Roy Finch and Brennan Clay.
Lunch links: Nebraska QB race clears up
August, 23, 2010
8/23/10
12:00
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
But you're drowning in the past, Mike. And I've got your life vest right here: it's called the '80s, and it's gonna be around forever!
On an unrelated note, this post marks No. 5,000 in the history of the Big 12 blog. Thanks for helping us get there, everybody.
On an unrelated note, this post marks No. 5,000 in the history of the Big 12 blog. Thanks for helping us get there, everybody.
- We shouldn't be surprised that Toben Opurum isn't starting at running back, writes Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Capital-Journal. Turner Gill has talked speed since his arrival, and his actions support that. Elsewhere, Kansas running back Rell Lewis suffered a season-ending injury in Saturday's scrimmage, leaving the Jayhawks with just one running back with game experience.
- Bo Pelini showed promise as a CEO by removing media from his practice, says Ameritrade chairman and Pelini's adviser, Joe Moglia, reports Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald.
- Despite losing the quarterback battle to Tyler Hansen, Cody Hawkins has been named one of Colorado's four team captains.
- Nebraska's quarterback situation is clearer to the coaches, but Pelini declined to elaborate on what that means. Steve Sipple at the Lincoln Journal Star writes that mobile redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez made a strong push late last week.
- Bob Stoops' future at Oklahoma hinges on his health, writes Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World.
- Eight Big 12 athletic directors, including Colorado but not Kansas, Texas, Baylor or Nebraska, met on Friday morning with Learfield to discuss forming a cable network, reports Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com
- Missouri linebacker Will Ebner was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of DWI, reports Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune.
- Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles revisits his prance into the end zone down 34-6 at Texas Tech last season with the Tulsa World's Guerin Emig.
- Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman lays out five things Oklahoma State still needs to do this preseason.
- Garrett Gilbert is finally showing some fire underneath him, a good sign for his development, writes Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
- Cole Manbeck of the Manhattan Mercury likes what he saw from quarterback Carson Coffman on Saturday, and explains why.
- Missouri's Danario Alexander, the nation's leading receiver a season ago, has had trouble finding a job in the NFL because of knee troubles, but he signed a contract with the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
- Three from the Big 12 are among Rivals.com's top 20 offensive tackles.
Schedule: Practice starts today
What’s new: Not much, and that's a good thing. Missouri's coaching staff is intact and the team lost just three starters from a season ago. Two of those starters were leaders on last year's team (receiver Danario Alexander and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon), and replacing them will be key for Missouri to make a run at its third North title in four years.
Key battle: The secondary returns all four starters, but junior Kenji Jackson enters camp as the strong safety over last year's starter, senior Jarrell Harrison, who had two minor run-ins with the law this summer for shoplifting and trespassing. Missouri doesn't have a lot of battles for starting positions, but Jackson and Harrison should be the most exciting and impactful. Missouri gave up the second-most passing yards of any team in the Big 12 in 2009, and the back line has to improve for Missouri to improve on its eight-win season in 2009.
New on the scene: Blaine Gabbert's top target. Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp both have experience and could share the job pretty equally of catching balls from Gabbert, one of the conference's best quarterbacks. Alexander's 1,781 yards last season were more than any receiver in college football, but Kemp and Jackson could both realistically top 1,000 yards.
Breaking out: Receiver T.J. Moe or tight end Michael Egnew. Moe will be working the slot and had one of the best springs of any Missouri player. Egnew caught just three passes a season ago, but should be featured more prominently in the screen game like past tight ends at Missouri like Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.
Don’t forget about: Kicker Grant Ressel. He missed just one kick (26-of-27) last season -- a 43-yarder in a downpour against Nebraska -- and eases the pressure on the offense to put the ball in the end zone deep in opponent's territory. If it doesn't, Ressel's pretty close to a sure thing in making sure three points get on the board.
All eyes on: Quarterback Blaine Gabbert. He's got an argument as the conference's best quarterback, but he'll try to prove it this season. Former Missouri star Chase Daniel established himself as a star and Heisman finalist his junior year. Gabbert will try to do the same.
Quoting: "When you look at our program, and I constantly evaluate everything we're doing, I think we've made a lot of progress. There's a consistency of winning that we have. There's a lot of things we have to accomplish, and I want to win at a higher level on a more consistent basis. So I think we look back to evaluate, and then you look forward. You know, I just want to continue to build our program and raise the standards of the winning." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel
What’s new: Not much, and that's a good thing. Missouri's coaching staff is intact and the team lost just three starters from a season ago. Two of those starters were leaders on last year's team (receiver Danario Alexander and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon), and replacing them will be key for Missouri to make a run at its third North title in four years.
Key battle: The secondary returns all four starters, but junior Kenji Jackson enters camp as the strong safety over last year's starter, senior Jarrell Harrison, who had two minor run-ins with the law this summer for shoplifting and trespassing. Missouri doesn't have a lot of battles for starting positions, but Jackson and Harrison should be the most exciting and impactful. Missouri gave up the second-most passing yards of any team in the Big 12 in 2009, and the back line has to improve for Missouri to improve on its eight-win season in 2009.
New on the scene: Blaine Gabbert's top target. Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp both have experience and could share the job pretty equally of catching balls from Gabbert, one of the conference's best quarterbacks. Alexander's 1,781 yards last season were more than any receiver in college football, but Kemp and Jackson could both realistically top 1,000 yards.
Breaking out: Receiver T.J. Moe or tight end Michael Egnew. Moe will be working the slot and had one of the best springs of any Missouri player. Egnew caught just three passes a season ago, but should be featured more prominently in the screen game like past tight ends at Missouri like Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.
Don’t forget about: Kicker Grant Ressel. He missed just one kick (26-of-27) last season -- a 43-yarder in a downpour against Nebraska -- and eases the pressure on the offense to put the ball in the end zone deep in opponent's territory. If it doesn't, Ressel's pretty close to a sure thing in making sure three points get on the board.
All eyes on: Quarterback Blaine Gabbert. He's got an argument as the conference's best quarterback, but he'll try to prove it this season. Former Missouri star Chase Daniel established himself as a star and Heisman finalist his junior year. Gabbert will try to do the same.
Quoting: "When you look at our program, and I constantly evaluate everything we're doing, I think we've made a lot of progress. There's a consistency of winning that we have. There's a lot of things we have to accomplish, and I want to win at a higher level on a more consistent basis. So I think we look back to evaluate, and then you look forward. You know, I just want to continue to build our program and raise the standards of the winning." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel
Today's links are powered by "The Suburbs." Released today and continuously flowing through my earbuds.
- Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Iowa State defensive back David Sims, has pled guilty to unauthorized use of a credit card.
- Texas A&M DE Dan Bass is back after sitting out last season because of academics, Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman announced.
- Oklahoma will open its season on pay-per-view.
- Curt McKeever at the Lincoln Journal Star has a few notes from Big Ten media days in Chicago, where Tom Osborne is making an appearance.
- Hunter Ansley at Fox Sports Southwest has Ten Truths about the Big 12.
- Mack Brown deserves the credit for reviving the Texas program, writes Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com.
- Tariq Lee of The Oklahoman gives a look inside Oklahoma State's new expanded locker and equipment rooms.
- Former Missouri receiver Danario Alexander is making the NFL workout rounds and passed a physical with the Rams, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Oklahoma State DE Jamie Blatnick pled not guilty to his felony assault charge, reports Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World. Warning: Pretty gruesome mugshot of the victim.
- Six Texas Tech signees, about what coach Tommy Tuberville expected, won't qualify academically, and three offensive linemen have lost at least 40 pounds, reports Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas Tech also picked up a commitment in running back DeAndre Washington.
- John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald tries to answer five big questions for Baylor this season.
- Nebraska's move to the Big Ten was about stability, reports the Associated Press from Big Ten media days.
Here are three Tigers with relatively low profiles throughout the Big 12 who you'll be hearing from this season.
Zaviar Gooden, LB
Gooden has earned a reputation as Missouri's most athletic player, with a 4.37 40-time, a 405-pound bench press and a 40-inch vertical jump at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. This season, he'll take that onto the field as a probable first-year starter at outside linebacker for the Tigers. As one of the most-used reserves from last season, Gooden notched 30 tackles -- including at least three in six of his final seven games -- and appeared in all 13 games. He'll play in the strongside spot to replace fellow linebacker Andrew Gachkar, who moved to the middle to fill the hole left by first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon. Gooden also wears the honorary No. 25 jersey, given to a Missouri linebacker as a tribute to former Tiger Aaron O'Neal, who died during a voluntary workout in the July 2005. He'll pass it on to another linebacker when his career ends.
T.J. Moe, WR
Moe was one of Missouri's sudden stars during the spring. The former quarterback caught just two passes all of last season while battling an injury, but he rebounded this spring, hauling in 12 passes for 85 yards. He also caught more passes through all five spring scrimmages than any receiver on the Tigers roster. The 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore came to Missouri as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and should offer some additional depth at receiver behind Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp. Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert has to be pleased with that development after losing the nation's leading receiver, Danario Alexander, from last year's team.
Terrell Resonno, DT
Resonno earned significant playing time in 2009 -- including a start in the season opener against Illinois -- but he'll likely be counted on as a starter in his junior season with 27 games of experience. A physical, 6-foot-5, 295-pounder, Resonno sticks out quickly on Missouri's front line, and should have a big impact on the Tigers run defense in 2010. He made 13 tackles as a sophomore, including 1.5 for loss. He also had a career high three tackles in a loss to Texas, later tying the career high with three more against Baylor.
More Fresh Faces:
Zaviar Gooden, LB
Gooden has earned a reputation as Missouri's most athletic player, with a 4.37 40-time, a 405-pound bench press and a 40-inch vertical jump at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. This season, he'll take that onto the field as a probable first-year starter at outside linebacker for the Tigers. As one of the most-used reserves from last season, Gooden notched 30 tackles -- including at least three in six of his final seven games -- and appeared in all 13 games. He'll play in the strongside spot to replace fellow linebacker Andrew Gachkar, who moved to the middle to fill the hole left by first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon. Gooden also wears the honorary No. 25 jersey, given to a Missouri linebacker as a tribute to former Tiger Aaron O'Neal, who died during a voluntary workout in the July 2005. He'll pass it on to another linebacker when his career ends.
T.J. Moe, WR
Moe was one of Missouri's sudden stars during the spring. The former quarterback caught just two passes all of last season while battling an injury, but he rebounded this spring, hauling in 12 passes for 85 yards. He also caught more passes through all five spring scrimmages than any receiver on the Tigers roster. The 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore came to Missouri as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and should offer some additional depth at receiver behind Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp. Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert has to be pleased with that development after losing the nation's leading receiver, Danario Alexander, from last year's team.
Terrell Resonno, DT
Resonno earned significant playing time in 2009 -- including a start in the season opener against Illinois -- but he'll likely be counted on as a starter in his junior season with 27 games of experience. A physical, 6-foot-5, 295-pounder, Resonno sticks out quickly on Missouri's front line, and should have a big impact on the Tigers run defense in 2010. He made 13 tackles as a sophomore, including 1.5 for loss. He also had a career high three tackles in a loss to Texas, later tying the career high with three more against Baylor.
More Fresh Faces:
Today is Day 14 of our countdown of the Big 12's 25 best players entering the 2010 season. The full results are locked in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player per day until we reach the top of the list.
Remember, this isn't a list of the top-25 NFL prospects in the league. It's heavily weighted toward actual accomplishment in players' college careers, as well as the likely impact for their teams in the 2010 season.
No. 12: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
2009 numbers: Second in the Big 12 in passing yards (3,593). Fourth-most touchdown passes (24). Second-fewest interceptions among full-season starters (8). Second-highest QB rating (140.46).
Most recent ranking: Gabbert was unranked in the past offseason's ranking of the conference's top-40 players.
Making the case for Gabbert: In his first season as starter, Gabbert nearly matched former Tigers quarterback Chase Daniel's numbers, and in Daniel's second season, he threw for almost 800 more yards, five more touchdowns and led his team to a North title and No. 1 ranking in December. There's no telling what's in Gabbert's future, but a similar jump could be a possibility. Though Daniel was more accurate, Gabbert has a stronger arm, and a prototypical quarterback frame at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. As a sophomore, he threw for at least 290 yards in eight games, and his numbers aren't skewed in any direction home or away, somewhat surprising for a first-year starter. Gabbert also played with a badly injured ankle for much of the conference season, courtesy of Ndamukong Suh in the conference opener. Though he loses his top target in Danario Alexander, the nation's leader in receiving yards, he'll have some experienced new receivers to throw to in Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp, as well as newcomer T.J. Moe.
The rest of the list:
Remember, this isn't a list of the top-25 NFL prospects in the league. It's heavily weighted toward actual accomplishment in players' college careers, as well as the likely impact for their teams in the 2010 season.
No. 12: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
2009 numbers: Second in the Big 12 in passing yards (3,593). Fourth-most touchdown passes (24). Second-fewest interceptions among full-season starters (8). Second-highest QB rating (140.46).
Most recent ranking: Gabbert was unranked in the past offseason's ranking of the conference's top-40 players.
Making the case for Gabbert: In his first season as starter, Gabbert nearly matched former Tigers quarterback Chase Daniel's numbers, and in Daniel's second season, he threw for almost 800 more yards, five more touchdowns and led his team to a North title and No. 1 ranking in December. There's no telling what's in Gabbert's future, but a similar jump could be a possibility. Though Daniel was more accurate, Gabbert has a stronger arm, and a prototypical quarterback frame at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. As a sophomore, he threw for at least 290 yards in eight games, and his numbers aren't skewed in any direction home or away, somewhat surprising for a first-year starter. Gabbert also played with a badly injured ankle for much of the conference season, courtesy of Ndamukong Suh in the conference opener. Though he loses his top target in Danario Alexander, the nation's leader in receiving yards, he'll have some experienced new receivers to throw to in Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp, as well as newcomer T.J. Moe.
The rest of the list:
- No. 13: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
- No. 14: Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State
- No. 15: Sam Acho, DE, Texas
- No. 16: Roy Helu, Jr., RB, Nebraska
- No. 17: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
- No. 18: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
- No. 19: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
- No. 20: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
- No. 21: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
- No. 22: Brian Duncan, LB, Texas Tech
- No. 23: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
- No. 24: Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas
- No. 25: Blake Gideon, S, Texas
Scotty McKnight suffering a sprain in his left leg, as well as a chipped bone, marred Colorado's first scrimmage in March. The injury ended his spring and forced quarterbacks Tyler Hansen and Cody Hawkins to duel for the starting gig without the Buffaloes' leading receiver.
Well, McKnight is back at home in Southern California, and the time off has obviously been beneficial.
“It’s 105 percent right now,” McKnight said. “I’m ready to go. All I’ve been doing here is training all day long.”
Of course, that's good to hear for the senior, who caught 76 passes for 895 yards and six touchdowns last season.
But 105 percent? Any athlete looking for success gives 110 percent, but I couldn't recall the last time one described himself as 105 percent healthy or talked about giving 105 percent effort.
I may have been right. A quick Google search for "105 percent" shows McKnight as the fourth overall result. No other sports-related links even show up in the first 10 pages of results. I don't know if McKnight used a hyperbaric chamber, but whatever he used, it had unique results.
Page 2 here at ESPN addressed this issue a few years back, and if McKnight can keep the healing process going, he could find himself among some rare company.
Should have gotten hurt more often, perhaps.
Can't be easy to keep that up constantly. If he's only 100 percent, did he pull himself from games? This needs investigation.
No wonder the 49ers won all those Super Bowls in the '80s and '90s. If only the rest of the league had figured that out.
And finally, in perhaps the most applicable example, Big 12 defenses might as well not even show up to games against Colorado this season if McKnight gets a hold of the Mark Prior Injury Recovery Plan.
For those keeping count, if McKnight can do that, he'll have 152 catches, three short of the record set by Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes last season. He'd also have 1,790 yards, 9 more than Missouri's Danario Alexander, who led the nation in receiving yards in 2009.
Well, McKnight is back at home in Southern California, and the time off has obviously been beneficial.
“It’s 105 percent right now,” McKnight said. “I’m ready to go. All I’ve been doing here is training all day long.”
Of course, that's good to hear for the senior, who caught 76 passes for 895 yards and six touchdowns last season.
But 105 percent? Any athlete looking for success gives 110 percent, but I couldn't recall the last time one described himself as 105 percent healthy or talked about giving 105 percent effort.
I may have been right. A quick Google search for "105 percent" shows McKnight as the fourth overall result. No other sports-related links even show up in the first 10 pages of results. I don't know if McKnight used a hyperbaric chamber, but whatever he used, it had unique results.
Page 2 here at ESPN addressed this issue a few years back, and if McKnight can keep the healing process going, he could find himself among some rare company.
Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora, on recovering from an injury: "I'm fine now. I'm 120 percent." (The Miami Herald, May 8, 2005)
Should have gotten hurt more often, perhaps.
B.C. Lions player personnel director Bob O'Billovich on former NFL defensive tackle Frank Ferrara: "He only knows how to do things at 150 percent." (The Vancouver Sun, May 31, 2005)
Can't be easy to keep that up constantly. If he's only 100 percent, did he pull himself from games? This needs investigation.
Former Bears defensive lineman Richard Dent, shortly after being picked up by the 49ers: "A lot of guys play 110 percent, and that's fine. But then there's another 60-70 percent that's mental. Now you've got 180 percent, so what do you do?" (San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 9, 1994)
No wonder the 49ers won all those Super Bowls in the '80s and '90s. If only the rest of the league had figured that out.
And finally, in perhaps the most applicable example, Big 12 defenses might as well not even show up to games against Colorado this season if McKnight gets a hold of the Mark Prior Injury Recovery Plan.
Cubs catcher Henry Blanco on Mark Prior: "His stuff is always there, but you just wondered if the elbow would be 100 percent healthy. He showed he was 200 percent healthy." (June 27, 2005)
For those keeping count, if McKnight can do that, he'll have 152 catches, three short of the record set by Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes last season. He'd also have 1,790 yards, 9 more than Missouri's Danario Alexander, who led the nation in receiving yards in 2009.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ubben
Ubben joined ESPN.com in March 2010 after covering Big 12 football for two seasons at the Columbia Missourian and The Oklahoman. Ubben, a native of Springdale, Ark., lives in Dallas.
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