ESPN College Football

Signing day is exactly a week from Wednesday, and it's time to take a look at who needs what in its 2011 class.

Some schools have addressed these needs with their current class. Some haven't. Others are still trying.

Here's our look at the South, after running down the Big 12 North earlier this morning.

BAYLOR

Defensive tackle: The Bears are loaded on offense and have a ton coming back, but anyone who watched Baylor in 2010 knows the big problems are on defense, starting with the front four. Phil Taylor is headed to the NFL and Nicolas Jean-Baptiste will be a senior next year. Reserve Chris Buford is gone, too. The Bears need to fill out some depth up front to avoid a repeat of their Texas Bowl debacle defending the run against Illinois.

Punter: Derek Epperson was rock solid as a four-year starter for the Bears, averaging near 44 yards a punt for his past three seasons. He's gone now, and the Bears will need a replacement. The good news is Baylor's offense with Robert Griffin III doesn't make the position nearly as important as it used to be.

OKLAHOMA

Receiver: Ryan Broyles, a senior, and Kenny Stills look ready for big years in 2011, but senior Cameron Kenney is gone. Trey Franks, Dejuan Miller and Joe Powell could contribute in 2011, but beyond that, another big-time threat across from Stills would certainly help. One of the Sooners' top 2011 commits, Trey Metoyer, could become that player.

Safety: Both starters, Quinton Carter and Jonathan Nelson, have graduated, and the Sooners will try to replace them with Sam Proctor, who has started plenty of games, and Javon Harris. The Sooners are pretty well-stocked about everywhere, but more depth in the secondary is always welcome.

OKLAHOMA STATE

Defensive line: Three of the Cowboys' four starters are gone, and it's always necessary to fill in some depth behind them. Shane Jarka, Chris Donaldson and Ugo Chinasa all had good years in 2010.

Offensive line: Oklahoma State brings back all five starters for 2011, but four will be seniors. That means replacing them in 2012, which will be a lot easier if those replacements don't end up being true freshmen. Oklahoma State kept offensive line coach Joe Wickline, a candidate for the same job at Texas, and his development of the line last year with four new starters was a big reason for the Cowboys' success. He'll need to do it again in 2012.

TEXAS

Running back: Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson will both be seniors in 2011, and Tre Newton's career is over because of issues with concussions. Texas would be well-served if its top 2011 commit, Malcolm Brown, can come in and be effective immediately as a true freshman.

Cornerback: Aaron Williams left early. Curtis and Chykie Brown graduated. Texas needs help at corner and will have big problems in the near future if they don't get it.

Linebacker: Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson will be seniors in 2011, and Dustin Earnest and Jared Norton already graduated. New talent behind them will help prevent a drop-off in 2012 after Acho and Robinson split.

TEXAS A&M

Kicker: Randy Bullock will be a senior in 2011, but Texas A&M is already hoping his spot is filled by incoming freshman Taylor Bertolet, the nation's No. 2 kicker who won the Under Armour All-American game with a last-second field goal earlier this month.

Linebacker: Michael Hodges and Von Miller have graduated, and Garrick Williams will follow them in 2011. The Wrecking Crew was pretty stout for most of 2010, but filling those holes in a four-linebacker front will be key in ensuring things stay that way.

TEXAS TECH

Secondary: LaRon Moore and Franklin Mitchem are gone, so Texas Tech will be breaking in some new blood in the secondary for new coordinator Chad Glasgow and cornerbacks coach Otis Mounds. Freshmen cornerbacks Jarvis Phillips and Tre Porter made plays in 2010, but they also allowed offenses to make a few of their own. Stopping that will be a big step in Texas Tech getting things rolling under Tommy Tuberville.

Receiver: Texas Tech already needs to replace Detron Lewis and Lyle Leong, and Tramain Swindall and Jacoby Franks will follow suit after 2011. Alex Torres was hampered by a back injury all year, but the Red Raiders will need some depth around him at receiver to keep the offense humming.

Inspired by our friends at the Big Ten and SEC blogs, we'll put together a long-overdue team composed of the league's best seniors.

We made a team full of freshmen, so why skimp on the old guys? Well, we won't.

My All-Big 12 team featured 16 seniors, and they're all on the team below, but plenty of other guys put together distinguished careers and 2010 seasons that deserve recognition.

Their careers may be over, but you can bet all these players will live on in school lore for quite some time. Here goes:

OFFENSE

QB: Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
WR: Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
WR: Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
T: Nate Solder, Colorado
T: Danny Watkins, Baylor
G: Keith Williams, Nebraska
G: Ricky Henry, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DL: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Acho, Texas
DL/LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Derek Epperson, Baylor
Returns: Niles Paul, Nebraska

Selections by school: Nebraska (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma State (3), Texas A&M (3) Baylor (3), Kansas State (2), Oklahoma (2), Texas (1), Missouri (1), Colorado (1)

A few thoughts:

• It was kind of slim pickings at receiver, but only because the Big 12's top five and 11 of its top 15 receivers will be coming back in 2011. Colorado's Scotty McKnight only narrowly missed the team. I'd say he's probably a more talented receiver than Quarles, but Quarles' production was there in 2010. McKnight's, after adding freshman Paul Richardson to the mix, took a bit of a dive in his senior year.
• That's a heck of a defense. All 11 guys weren't very far off from making the regular All-Big 12 team. The same is true of the offensive line.
• Potts' year was a lot better than a few Texas Tech folks would have you believe, but he didn't have a lot of competition to make the cut on this squad. His own teammate, Steven Sheffield, was probably the only guy who could keep him from this squad. The only other Big 12 starters this year were Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Kansas State's Carson Coffman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.
• It's a solid group at running back, too. Thomas and Hunter were the same two guys on my All-Big 12 team, getting the nod just over Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. and Baylor's Jay Finley. Definitely a great year for Big 12 running backs, especially the seniors.

The Big 12 has nine representatives on the Academic All-District team for District 6 and six from District 7, meaning they're now eligible to become ESPN Academic All-Americans.

Here's who made the midseason list.

District 6

• Derek Epperson, P, Baylor (3.62, Management & Management Information Systems)
• Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (3.64, Political Science)
• Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M (3.59, Biology)
• Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor (3.80, General Studies)
• Brian Lepak, OL, Oklahoma (3.86, Finance)
• Demontre Hurst, CB, Oklahoma (3.32, University College)
• Michael Hodges, LB, Texas A&M (3.82, magna cum laude graduate, studying Sports Management)
• Jamarkus McFarland, DT, Oklahoma (3.32, Health and Exercise Science)
• Sam Acho, DT, Texas (3.55, honors Business)

District 7

• Nate Solder, OL, Colorado (3.52, Biology)
• Brad Thorson, OL, Kansas (3.58, Economics, Master's degree)
• Grant Ressel, K, Missouri (3.64, Biological Sciences)
• Austin Cassidy, S, Nebraska (3.88, Psychology)
• Tysyn Hartman, S, Kansas State (3.59)
• Drew Dudley, LB, Kansas (3.73, Civil Engineering)

Offense

Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska. Helu ran for a school-record 307 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries in the Huskers' 31-17 win over Missouri. His performance is also the best by a running back in college football this season.

Defense

Byron Landor, S, Baylor. Landor had his second consecutive game with 15 tackles, including nine solo stops in a 30-22 win over Texas. He also broke up two passes and had a quarterback hurry.

Special teams

Derek Epperson, P, Baylor. Epperson had punts of 65, 64, 51 and 47 yards. His 65-yarder pinned Texas at its own 8-yard line with under three minutes to play and Baylor leading by eight points.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced 121 semifinalists for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, formerly known as the Draddy Trophy, or "The Academic Heisman."

The 121 semifinalists are made up of athletes from every level of college football, including FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA athletes.

Here's who made the list from the Big 12:

• Baylor punter Derek Epperson
• Colorado left tackle Nate Solder
• Kansas State long-snapper Corey Adams
• Nebraska kicker Adi Kunalic
• Texas defensive lineman Sam Acho
• Texas A&M linebacker Michael Hodges

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper revised his list of the top five seniors at each position for the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Big 12 is heavily represented, but nowhere as noticeably as at running back.

Kiper's top three senior running backs are Daniel Thomas, DeMarco Murray and Kendall Hunter, who wasn't on his top 5 in April, but has moved on with an impressive return.

Here's what Kiper had to say:

Thomas isn't the top overall back in the draft class -- he's behind Mark Ingram -- but he could move up the charts with a similar level of productivity in his senior year. So far, so good. He's off to a monster start after shredding UCLA.

You'll need ESPN Insider to read the whole thing, but here are a few other Big 12 notes. Again, this list is only for seniors:

• Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson has moved up to Kiper's fourth-best quarterback. No. 5 is Idaho's Nathan Enderle, who Nebraska got a look at last weekend, but they'll face No. 1 this weekend, Jake Locker. Oklahoma saw his No. 2, Christian Ponder, last weekend.
• Nebraska's Niles Paul tops the list of receivers and Mike McNeill is Kiper's No. 3 tight end.
• Colorado's Nate Solder is the No. 2 tackle prospect.
• Three Big 12 cornerbacks made the list: Nebraska's Prince Amukamara (No. 1), Colorado's Jimmy Smith (No. 3) and Texas' Curtis Brown (No. 5).
• Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal is the No. 5 defensive end and Adrian Taylor is the No. 5 defensive tackle.
• Von Miller is the Big 12's only representative at outside linebacker. Kiper ranks him No. 2.
• Oklahoma's Quinton Carter ranks as the No. 3 safety.
• Special teams representatives were Nebraska's Alex Henery (No. 2 kicker) and Baylor's Derek Epperson (No. 2 punter).

Here's what his list looked like back in April.

"It's way too smooth for the '80s, it's not gonna get past No. 4."

"The smooth grooves of this song alone will make it to at least No. 2."

• Texas Tech running back Baron Batch is writing a weekly journal for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's website. Here's the first entry.
• Oklahoma may be missing reserve running back Roy Finch for half the season, and starting defensive end Frank Alexander is probable for the season opener.
• Stewart Mandel tries to figure out why Texas Tech has been disrespected by the media this offseason in his mailbag on SI.com.
• Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is firing up the hype machine for talented freshman corner Aaron Colvin, calling him as talented a player as he's ever recruited, reports the Tulsa World's Guerin Emig.
• Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson is doing everything he can to avoid injury again this season, including Epsom salt baths, massages and yoga, reports Nick Petaros.
• Oklahoma State has found its top eight receivers, but injury has kept Hubert Anyiam from making the list, reports John Helsley of The Oklahoman.
• The heat is on for Texas' young players, and Mack Brown sees it in their faces. But the season is approaching fast, writes Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Tully Corcoran and Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal got the brilliant idea to bring me on their podcast to talk Kansas and Kansas State football. Surely, they'll be fired soon.
• Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is demanding, but his players aren't complaining, writes Kellis Robinett in the Kansas City Star.
• Missouri tight end Andrew Jones wants to prove he belongs after a disappointing start to his career, writes Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.
• Baylor was pretty good on special teams last year, but that doesn't mean it can't be better, writes John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald.
• Nebraska running back Roy Helu doesn't feel like he's done much at Nebraska. That might change soon as he climbs the school's chart of all-time leading rushers, writes Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Dan Hawkins would like a contract extension, reports Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera.
• Versatility has been a blessing and a curse for Texas A&M defensive tackle Lucas Patterson, who has a lot of expectations for his senior season, writes Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station Eagle.

The Lowe's Senior CLASS award has released its list of candidates, and six from the Big 12 made the list.

• Derek Epperson, P, Baylor
• Nate Solder, LT, Colorado
• Corey Adams, LS, Kansas State
• Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• Sam Acho, DE, Texas

The CLASS award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, rewards those making an impact in their communities.

Candidates must display excellence in four areas -- community, classroom, character and competition.

Colt McCoy of Texas, Kurtis Gregory of Missouri and Darrell Stuckey of Kansas were finalists for last year's award.

The full list of nominees can be found here.

The Big 12 announced its preseason award winners and All-Big 12 team on Thursday. Here's who's on the list:

Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M

Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska; and Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Newcomer of the Year: Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado

Offense

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

TE: Mike McNeill, Nebraska

OL: Ryan Miller, Colorado

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado

OL: Tim Barnes, Missouri

OL: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

OL: Stephen Good, Oklahoma

OL: Kyle Hix, Texas

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DL: Aldon Smith, Missouri

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Sam Acho, Texas

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas

LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

DB: Aaron Williams, Texas

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

DB: Blake Gideon, Texas

DB: Curtis Brown, Texas

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

A few notes/thoughts from the team:

• Only three players were unanimous selections: Jared Crick, Travis Lewis and Jeremy Beal. Other guys I'm surprised didn't earn that distinction: Ryan Broyles at receiver, Aaron Williams, Von Miller and Nate Solder.
• Ties at linebacker, defensive back and offensive line forced the conference to make room for an extra spot.
• The media's opinion of DeMarco Murray is somewhat divided, so I was a little unsure who would nab the second spot on the ballot. I'd be interested to see how close it was between him, Roy Helu, Kendall Hunter and Alexander Robinson.
• Home run selection of Toney Clemons as Newcomer of the Year. If I'm guessing, the fact that he was the No. 1 pick in Colorado's spring game helped him earn this honor. An action like that by players speaks pretty loudly.
• I definitely prefer football over basketball in these situations, which doesn't have to deal with freshmen on the preseason all-conference team.
• I'm interested in how close the vote was between Missouri's Grant Ressel and Nebraska's Alex Henery. Henery's punting skills make him the clearly more valuable player, but talking strictly place-kicking, it's pretty close, and Ressel's additional accuracy is quantifiable.

Here's the list breakdown by team:

1. Oklahoma - 7

2. Texas - 6

3. Nebraska - 4

3. Texas A&M - 4

5. Missouri - 2

5. Colorado - 2

7. Baylor - 1

7. Kansas - 1

7. Kansas State - 1

7. Texas Tech - 1

11. Oklahoma State - 0

11. Iowa State - 0

You may have noticed the preseason top 25 list lacked any special teams players. I don't mean to downplay their impact -- they quite obviously have plenty of influence on games' outcomes -- but players should be on the field more than a few plays per game to warrant inclusion into the conference's best.

Here's the conference's top performers in the game of football's special third.

1. Alex Henery, K/P, Nebraska

Henery made a strong case for co-MVP of the Big 12 Championship even with Ndamukong Suh's dominant performance going down in history on the same night. Henery booted four field goals, including a 42-yarder to take the lead with 1:44 to play. He also helped the Huskers play the field position game with eight punts for an average of 37 yards -- two inside the 20. On the season, Henery averaged over 41 yards on his Big 12-most 77 punts, pinning opponents inside the 20 on 26 occasions, more than any other punter in the league. He also made 24 of 28 field goals with all four misses coming from beyond 40 yards, including three attempts of longer than 50.

2. Grant Ressel, K, Missouri

Ressel connected on 26 of 27 field goals in his first season as starter. After entering preseason camp as the No. 2 kicker for the Tigers, he finished as the nation's most accurate kicker. His impressive debut earned him first-team All-American honors by Sports Illustrated and first-team All-Big 12 by the coaches and media. Came to the team as a walk-on, but was given a scholarship after the 2009 season, which featured his game-winning kick to end the regular season against Kansas. His only miss of the season came on a 43-yarder against Nebraska in a downpour at Faurot Field. Henery and Ressel could both be finalists for the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker, but beating out UCLA's Kai Forbath will be difficult.

3. Tress Way, P, Oklahoma

Way led the Big 12 in punting average, with 45.7 yards per kick on 61 punts as a freshman, the second-highest average in school history. He posted a school-record 22 punts longer than 50 yards, nine of longer than 60 and another two over 70 yards, highlighted by a 74-yarder against Oklahoma State. His efforts helped Oklahoma finish No. 2 in punt return defense nationally (1.8 yards per return) and fifth in net punting (40.3 yards per kick).

4. Quinn Sharp, P/KOS, Oklahoma State

Sharp averaged 45.1 yards on 67 punts, the second-best average ever for an Oklahoma State punter and fifth-highest in the nation. He also had 35 touchbacks as a kickoff specialist and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention as a freshman.

5. Derek Epperson, P, Baylor

An All-Big 12 first-team punter, Epperson, a senior, will be a four-year starter at punter for the Bears. Last season, he was third in the Big 12 in punting average (44.8 yards) and put opponents inside the 20-yard line 12 times.

Phil Steele has released his All-America and All-Big 12 teams, which will be featured in his annual season preview magazine on newsstands June 8.

Here's a look at who made each team.

All-Americans

First team:

• DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma

• Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

• Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska

• Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

• Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Second team:

• Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

• Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

• Curtis Brown, CB, Texas

Third team:

• Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

• Alex Henery, Nebraska

Fourth team:

• Kyle Hix, OT, Texas

• Sam Acho, DT, Texas

• Blake Gideon, S, Texas

• Ryan Broyles, PR, Oklahoma

There are four All-Big 12 teams, but I'll just list the first-team in the interest of space.

Offense

QB Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

RB Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

WR Niles Paul, Nebraska

WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

TE Andrew Jones, Missouri

C Tim Barnes, Missouri

OG Ryan Miller Colorado

OG Stephen Good, Oklahoma

OT Nate Solder, Colorado

OT Kyle Hix, Texas

Defense

DE Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DT Adrian Taylor, Oklahoma

DT Jared Crick, Nebraska

DE Sam Acho, Texas

LB Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB Keenan Robinson, Texas

LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

CB Curtis Brown, Texas

S Blake Gideon, Texas

S Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

Special teams

K Alex Henery, Nebraska

P Derek Epperson, Baylor

KR Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

PR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

2009 overall record: 4-8

2009 conference record: 1-7

Returning starters: Offense (6), Defense (6) P/K (2)

Top returners: QB Robert Griffin III, WR Kendall Wright, RB Jay Finley, OT Danny Watkins, LB Antonio Johnson, DT Phil Taylor, P Derek Epperson

Key losses: C J.D. Walton, WR David Gettis, LB Antonio Jones, LB Joe Pawelek, S Jordan Lake, DL Jason Lamb

2009 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jay Finley* (370 yards)

Passing: Nick Florence* (1,786 yards)

Receiving: Kendall Wright* (740 yards)

Tackles: Joe Pawelek (109)

Sacks: Tracy Robertson*, Jason Lamb (3)

Interceptions: Chance Casey* (2)

Three spring answers

1. The return of RG3. He does still exist. And though he was only a partial participant in spring practice, fans got to see him back on the field for the first time since September. Griffin unsuccessfully campaigned with Baylor coach Art Briles to let him play in the spring game, but says he’s about 80-90 percent recovered from knee surgery.

2. Deeper and deeper. Briles finally feels like his team has a quality two-deep full of players who won’t have a significant dropoff if forced into action. It’s something he didn’t have in the team’s first two seasons under Briles, and now his focus shifts to becoming as deep as some of the teams who routinely finish above them in the Big 12 South.

3. Patching together the O-Line. Baylor is replacing All-American J.D. Walton, among others on the offensive line, and the spring was the first step to filling those holes. Briles says offensive tackle Danny Watkins could be one of the best in the conference, and juco transfer Robert T. Griffin will compete for time at guard in the fall after recovering from shoulder surgery in the middle of this spring.

Three fall questions

1. Is Robert Griffin really back? He’ll be back on the field, but will he be the same Griffin? There isn’t a lot of reason to think he won’t be, but you never know until he takes the field. Whether it’s in his mind or in his legs and arms, a layoff from live action for almost a year could be tough to come back from.

2. Competition in the secondary? Baylor brings in two talented recruits in Prince Kent and Ahmad Dixon in the secondary, along with a few others, but the Bears have three seniors and sophomore Chance Casey leaving the spring with starting positions. The fall camp could play host to heated competition from the talented youngsters.

3. Bowl-bound Bears? This season, not unlike the last, begins with plenty of optimism and legitimate hopes of reaching the program’s first bowl game since 1994. By turning down Texas Tech in the offseason, Briles re-affirmed his commitment to doing it, and he’ll get a chance to prove it when the season arrives.

The college football website nationalchamps.net placed 18 players from the Big 12 on its All-American teams.

Just a glance makes it obvious how quickly the power has shifted in the conference. Not from one team to another, but from offense to defense. The conference doesn't have a single offensive player on the first three All-American teams, and the only player with a possible gripe is Ryan Broyles, and it's not a big one.

Conversely, a third of the first defensive team is from the Big 12, and all of them play in the box.

Last year, the Big 12 was loaded with offensive talent, and its far from starved this year, but clearly, the strength in talent at the top of the conference is on the other side of the ball this year.

Also of note, check out my pick for the conference's No. 1 team: Not a single player on any team. That's not too surprising on offense, but it's a little surprising Aaron Williams wouldn't land, at the very least, honorable mention. But unlike the past three seasons, Texas won't be driven by star power unless Garrett Gilbert establishes himself as a household name early on.

First Team All-American

• DL Von Miller, Texas A&M
• DL Jared Crick, Nebraska
• DL Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
• LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

Second Team

• P Derek Epperson, Baylor

Third Team

• K Grant Ressel, Missouri
• DB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

Honorable Mention

Offense

• QB Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
• RB Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
• WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
• WR Scotty McKnight, Colorado
• TE Mike McNeill, Nebraska
• OL Nate Solder, Colorado

Defense

• DL Aldon Smith, Missouri
• DB Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

Special Teams

• P Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
• PR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
• K Alex Henery, Nebraska

No worries to those of you fighting draft withdrawal. Mel Kiper has you covered. ESPN's draftnik ran down the top five prospects at each position heading into the 2011 season, and plenty of Big 12 players landed on his list.

Here's a look:

Quarterbacks

5. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

Johnson enters the season as the conference's top quarterback after throwing for 30 touchdowns and running for eight more. Possesses the elite size (6-foot-5, 243 pounds) the NFL loves, and with one of the conference's best receiving corps, should put up big numbers in 2010 and, barring injury, could improve his status. If Texas A&M lives up to some of its early hype, he could land on a few Heisman lists, too.

Running backs

1. Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

I was a little surprised by this one, but Thomas has good size (6-2, 227) and average speed at the position. He has to improve his ball security and vision, but in only his second season playing the position, he should see some improvement.

3. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

Murray's career hasn't lived up to the self-imposed hype that came with his breakout as a freshman in his first spring game. Part of that has been because he hasn't been on the field. Injuries are his big knock, and he's had a solid career, but he's been outproduced by Chris Brown the past two season and overshadowed by a Heisman winner. Without Brown in the backfield, he could get more touches this season.

4. Roy Helu Jr., Nebraska

He could see his stock drop if Rex Burkhead steals away more carries than he did late last season. The two will enter the season pretty close, but if Burkhead's YPC rises and Helu's falls, so will Helu's touches.

Wide receivers

5. Niles Paul, Nebraska

Put up decent numbers with poor quarterback play in 2009, and his stock could rise if he finds someone to get him the ball consistently. Finished the season with some momentum after catching at least four balls for over 80 yards in three of the final five games.

Centers

4. Tim Barnes, Missouri

The three centers before Barnes earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in their senior seasons. Earlier this month, Barnes suggested to local media that Missouri could be the new "Center U." Presuming there was an old Center U.

Outside linebacker

2. Von Miller, Texas A&M

Can't mention Miller without noting his status as the nation's sack leader, but Miller could improve his stock by proving he can excel in pass coverage as well as chase down quarterbacks.

Cornerbacks

2. Curtis Brown, Texas

Kiper notes that Brown is the corner who gave up Michael Crabtree's famous touchdown, but he could be known for a lot more than that in a loaded Texas secondary after this season.

3. Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

Joins Jared Crick as the stars of the 2010 Blackshirts, and could have the advantage over Brown of playing in the North, where the quarterback play isn't as solid.

Kickers

2. Alex Henery, Nebraska

Should have a shot at the Lou Groza Award, but has to beat out Kiper's No. 1, Kai Forbath of UCLA. Without Henery, Nebraska doesn't win 10 games in 2009, and he could be a big asset to the win total again this year, especially if the offense continues to struggle.

Punters

2. Derek Epperson, Baylor

Like Shane Lechler of the Oakland Raiders, if your offense isn't doing much, it's a good idea to have a good punter. Epperson, who averaged almost 45 yards per punt on 54 punts last year for the Big 12's 11th-ranked offense, gives the Bears that. He did the same on 49 punts as a sophomore. Quarterback Robert Griffin will try to keep Epperson on the bench as much as possible in 2010.

As we all pore over the recruiting ratings of each school for the next few days, it's wise to take all of these rankings and ratings with a healthy grain of salt.

Recruiting is, always has been and always will be an inexact science. For every can't miss product, there are others who emerge out of nowhere to become standout players.

This trend was shown after I analyzed the first- and second-team All-Big 12 teams from the 2009 season and went back to check their original ESPNU grades. On some, the service hit. But on many others, it missed like Sean Weatherspoon and Danario Alexander.

Both had scores of 40 when they came out in their recruiting class. Weatherspoon weighed 195 pounds. Alexander was projected as a safety. And both put aside their dubious recruiting marks to develop into two of the best players in the country at their position over the course of their college career. I thought it was interesting to go back and look at the best players in the conference and see where they were ranked coming into college.

The ESPNU ratings database goes back only to 2006. That does not allow us to get ratings for players who took a redshirt year during their college careers. But it gives a pretty accurate picture about the crap shoot that college recruiting really is.

Here's a look at the Big 12's coaches' first and second teams for 2009. The positional rankings, typically listed second for most players, are national rankings.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2009.

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State: 77 rating; ranked 44th among all safeties; ranked 73rd in state.

FB: Bryant Ward, Oklahoma State: Walk-on.

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas: Class of 2004, no information available.

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri: 40 rating (as safety), ranked 229th in state.

WR: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas: 40 rating, ranked 363rd in state.

TE: Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State: 40 rating, ranked 13th in state.

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State: 73 rating, ranked 61st among all tackles, 138th in state.

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma: 76 rating, ranked 22nd among all guards, 78th in state.

OL: Nick Stringer, Kansas State: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado: 40 rating (as tight end), ranked 48th in state.

PK: Grant Ressel, Missouri: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

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FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma: 89 rating, ranked 2nd among all defensive tackle, ranked first in state, ranked 21st in nation.

DL:Von Miller, Texas A&M: 77 rating, ranked 37th among all defensive ends, ranked 52nd in state.

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech: Junior-college class of 2007.

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 86th among all defensive ends, ranked seventh in state.

LB: Jesse Smith, Iowa State: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri: 40 rating, ranked 294th in state.

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma: 75 rating, ranked 86th among all running backs, ranked 96th in state.

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas: 71 rating, ranked 75th among all cornerbacks, ranked 170th in state.

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

DB: Dominique Franks, Oklahoma: 74 rating, ranked 53rd among all cornerbacks, ranked 15th in state.

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska: 78 rating, ranked 31st among all running backs, ranked fifth in state.

DB: Larry Asante, Nebraska: Junior college class of 2007.

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor: 76 rating, ranked 15th among all kickers, ranked 87th in state.

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SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M: 79 rating, ranked first among all athletes, ranked 29th in state.

RB Roy Helu Jr., Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 113th among all running backs, ranked 97th in state.

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: 92 rating, ranked first among all running backs, ranked first in state, ranked sixth in nation.

FB: Jamie McCoy, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 58th among all wide receivers, ranked fourth in state.

WR: Kerry Meier, Kansas: Class of 2005 , no information available.

WR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

TE: Riar Geer, Colorado: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: J.D. Walton, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available (transfer from Arizona State).

OL: Chris Hall, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Kurtis Gregory, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brody Eldridge, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Lee Grimes, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

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SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Sergio Kindle, Texas: 92 rating, ranked first among all outside linebackers, ranked second in state, ranked seventh in nation.

DL: Lamarr Houston, Texas: 78 rating, ranked seventh among all fullbacks, ranked fourth in state.

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma: 80 rating, ranked 11th among all defensive ends, ranked 17th in state, ranked 137th nationally.

DL: Jaron Baston, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Daniel Howard, Texas Tech: Junior college class of 2007

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Phillip Dillard, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jamar Wall, Texas Tech: 72 rating, ranked 79th among all safeties, ranked 142nd in state.

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 39th among all safeties, ranked third in state.

DB: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jordan Lake, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Cha’pelle Brown, Colorado: 40 rating, ranked 287th in state.

DB: Trent Hunter, Texas A&M: 68 rating, ranked 90th among all cornerbacks, ranked 250th in state.

P: Tress Way, Oklahoma: 78 rating, ranked sixth among all kickers, ranked sixth in state.

It's interesting to note that only four members of the two teams were ESPNU top 150 selections: Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, DeMarco Murray and Jeremy Beal and Texas' Sergio Kindle.