ESPN College Football

NFL.com just finished unveiling its list of the top 100 players in the league heading into the 2011 season, as voted by both players and fans. Both groups had separate lists, but seven Big 12 players landed on it. Here's where they were placed:

3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota (Oklahoma; ranked seventh by fans)

33. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City (Texas; ranked 48th by fans)

50. Wes Welker, WR, New England (Texas Tech; ranked 50th by fans)

51. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit (Nebraska; ranked 20th by fans)

55. Carl Nicks, OL, New Orleans (Nebraska; unranked by fans)

57. Andre Gurode, OL, Dallas (Colorado; unranked by fans)

86. Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay (Kansas State; ranked 88th by fans)

Note: Considering they played in the Big 12 for the duration of their careers, Suh, Nicks and Gurode are all included in the Big 12, rather than their respective programs' new conferences.

Here's how it compares to the rest of the conferences:

Big East: 16
Big Ten: 13
SEC: 13
ACC: 12
Pac-10: 11
Big 12: 7
Notre Dame: 1
Non-AQ/Small schools: 27

I was surprised the number was so low compared to the rest of the conferences, but hey, what can you do? The Big East rules college football. No one denies this.

No Big 12 player snubs popped out to me, but what about you? Anyone missing?

For just the second time ever, the first round of the NFL draft will be the only part of the draft's first day, set for primetime on Thursday night.

This year, the Big 12 could have as many as five first-round picks, and five players from the league are in New York for the draft.

So, let's take a look back. Since the first NFL draft of the Big 12 era, who has the most first-rounders?

Texas: 16

• 2010: S Earl Thomas, 14th overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2009: DE Brian Orakpo, 13th overall, Washington Redskins
• 2007: S Michael Griffin, 19th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2007: CB Aaron Ross, 20th overall, New York Giants
• 2006: QB Vince Young, third overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2006: CB Michael Huff, seventh overall, Oakland Raiders
• 2005: RB Cedric Benson, fourth overall, Chicago Bears
• 2005: LB Derrick Johnson, 15th overall, Kansas City Chiefs
• 2004: WR Roy Williams, seventh overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: DT Marcus Tubbs, 23rd overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2002: OL Mike Williams, fourth overall, Buffalo Bills
• 2002: CB Quentin Jammer, fifth overall, San Diego Chargers
• 2001: OL Leonard Davis, second overall, Arizona Cardinals
• 2001: DT Casey Hampton, 19th overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1999: RB Ricky Williams, fifth overall, New Orleans Saints
• 1997: CB Bryant Westbrook, fifth overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma: 12

• 2010: QB Sam Bradford, first overall, St. Louis Rams
• 2010: DT Gerald McCoy, third overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2010: OT Trent Williams, fourth overall, Washington Redskins
• 2010: TE Jermaine Gresham, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals
• 2007: RB Adrian Peterson, seventh overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 2006: OL Davin Joseph, 23rd overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2005: OL Jammal Brown, 13th overall, New Orleans Saints
• 2005: WR Mark Clayton, 22nd overall, Baltimore Ravens
• 2004: DT Tommie Harris, 14th overall, Chicago Bears
• 2003: CB Andre Woolfolk, 28th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2002: S Roy Williams, eighth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2001: Stockar McDougle, 20th overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma State: 6

• 2010: OL Russell Okung, sixth overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2010: WR Dez Bryant, 24th overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2009: TE Brandon Pettigrew, 20th overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: WR Rashaun Woods, 31st overall, San Francisco 49ers
• 2003: DE Kevin Williams, ninth overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 1998: CB R.W. McQuarters, 28th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Missouri: 4

• 2010: LB Sean Weatherspoon, 19th overall, Atlanta Falcons
• 2009: WR Jeremy Maclin, 19th overall, Philadelphia Eagles
• 2009: DT Ziggy Hood, 32nd overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 2001: DE Justin Smith, fourth overall, Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas State: 3

• 2009: QB Josh Freeman, 17th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2003: CB Terence Newman, fifth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 1997: DB Chris Canty, 29th overall, New England Patriots

Texas A&M: 2

• 2003: DT Ty Warren, 13th overall, New England Patriots
• 2003: DB Sammy Davis, 30th overall, San Diego Chargers

Texas Tech: 1

• 2009: WR Michael Crabtree, 10th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Kansas: 1

• 2008: CB Aqib Talib, 20th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baylor: 1

• 2009: OL Jason Smith, 2nd overall, St. Louis Rams

Iowa State: none since 1973 (George Amundson)

A few thoughts and observations:

• I doubt many would be surprised that this list is also a reasonably accurate reflection of overall success since the Big 12's inception in 1996. Obviously, Texas and Oklahoma have dominated. Since 2000, Texas has the nation's fourth-most first-rounders. Oklahoma is No. 6. Their success has paralleled that, along with recruiting rankings.
• In that same breath, it's impossible to look at this list and not once again be impressed with what Mike Leach did. He obviously has the reputation as an overachiever, but looking big picture, he was able to do it with one first-round pick. Nobody beat Texas and Oklahoma more and Leach helped put together what is still the Big 12's longest bowl streak.
• Texas' consistency sticks out, too. Since just 2001, Texas has had two first-rounders in six different seasons. If you've got two first-rounders on your team, you're probably going to be pretty good. The Longhorns, if you haven't noticed, have been. Those two first-rounders in six seasons are more or as many as half the league has in the history of the Big 12. What else you should note? Texas is unlikely to have a first rounder this year, and after Aaron Williams is drafted, Sam Acho probably will be the next to go, which won't be until the third or fourth round.
• Oklahoma State and Missouri's rise over the past three seasons has paid off in the NFL draft. Missouri had three first-rounders in the last two seasons and figures to add two more this year after having just one in the 12-year history of the league before 2009. That's quite a streak, and even more proof of what Gary Pinkel has built at Missouri. One more piece of evidence? Despite losing those two first-rounders, Missouri should be back in the preseason polls next year after losing two of its top players. That's definitely something new in Columbia. The Cowboys figure to add more soon with Justin Blackmon at least. As long as Pinkel and Gundy are at the helm for their respective programs, expect them to continue to rise.
• Don't be surprised by Texas A&M's swoon following R.C. Slocum's departure. From 1990-1998, the Aggies won nine games every season but one. From 1990-96, the Aggies had eight first-round picks. Since 1998? Two seasons with at least nine wins and just two first-round picks.
• More evidence you can't underestimate the importance of having first-round picks? None for Baylor in the history of the Big 12 before Art Briles. In just three years, Briles may have three if the Bears add two more this year with Phil Taylor and Danny Watkins. Taylor and Watkins both came from unlikely sources. Taylor was a Penn State transfer and Watkins a juco transfer that formerly worked as a fireman in Canada.

Marshall, you can't pay your mortgage with hacky sacks and good vibes.

• Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin nearly left school when the pressures of school got to him. But he rebounded and recently won an academic award, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman.
• Iowa State is looking for a big playmaker at defensive tackle, writes Bobby La Gesse of the Ames Tribune.
• The quarterback competition at Kansas looks pretty similar this year, but it's quite a bit different, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• I stopped by the AFC North blog to talk about Texas CB Aaron Williams with James Walker.
• It won't be easy, but Oklahoma is trying to replace long-time starting defensive end Jeremy Beal, writes John Hoover of the Tulsa World.
• Bradley McDougald and Keeston Terry were receivers, but now play safety and have less than a season of experience at the position combined. Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World writes that they're coming along well.
• Tony Jerod-Eddie, Cyrus Gray and Ryan Swope were a few standouts in Texas A&M's last workout, writes Richard Croome of the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
• Kansas opened part of practice for the third time this spring on Monday, and Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World has a few observations.
• The NFL forwarded a letter from the NCAA warning players to not jeopardize the eligibility of other athletes by possible violations at draft parties.
• The best thing to take away from this video? Former K-State quarterback Josh Freeman has the best afro in sports.
• Coach Mike Gundy endowed a $167,000 scholarship for the OSU quarterback spot.

Schedule: Kansas State opened spring practice on Wednesday with the first of 15 workouts, concluding with the annual spring game set for April 30.

What’s new: Defensive coordinator Chris Cosh came under fire after the Wildcats' defense struggled for most of 2010, ranking 11th in the Big 12 and 106th nationally in total defense. Coach Bill Snyder kept Cosh, however, and added his son, Sean Snyder, as the special teams coordinator and associate head coach. Snyder, a former K-State punter, had previously served only as director of football operations. The Wildcats also added Tom Hayes as secondary coach, replacing Keith Burns.

On the mend: None are more notable than receivers Brodrick Smith and Tramaine Thompson. Smith sufffered a broken leg late in the loss to Nebraska and missed the rest of the season. Thompson, a shifty 5-foot-7, 165-pounder, also suffered a leg injury late in the season. The pair should be among K-State's leading receivers in 2011.

Key battle: Quarterback. All three springs in Bill Snyder's second term will have featured quarterback competitions. This time around, the key characters include Collin Klein, Sammuel Lamur and incoming transfer Justin Tuggle, who previously started at Boston College. Quarterback play has been a problem for Kansas State since Josh Freeman took his talents to the NFL, and to compete in the Big 12, the play simply has to be better.

Key battle II: Defensive line. Prizell Brown and Antonio Felder are both gone and must be replaced. All of Kansas State's top five recruits from the 2011 class were defensive linemen, and it's likely that at least a couple will start or find their way into the rotation.
Breaking out: Defensive back David Garrett. One of the bright spots of a struggling defense last year, Garrett led the team with 92 tackles and had 15 tackles for loss, which ranked fourth in the Big 12. He broke up nine passes, made three sacks and intercepted a pass. He somehow managed to be left out of the coaches' All-Big 12 team, but he should make plenty of offenses sit up and take notice this year.

Don’t forget about: Defensive end Brandon Harold. He had a quiet season in 2010, making just two sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. His talent was clear in his freshman season, though, when he had three sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. He's still a solid end, and could be due for a big year in 2011.

All eyes on: The Brown Brothers. The Wichita natives will be the story of the spring and, perhaps, the story of the 2011 season. On paper, both sound like possible program changers. Former five-star recruits, both signed with major programs out of high school. Bryce Brown, the running back, headed to Tennessee in 2009 and linebacker Arthur Brown went to Miami in 2008. Neither ended up being serious contributors, however, despite the talent showcased in high school. Now, they're back closer to home and hopeful that they'll be integral pieces of the Wildcats' offense and defense.

Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech already have begun spring drills., but I'm kicking off my spring tour around the Big 12 campuses on Wednesday.

Here's a wide-angle look at the Big 12, with the five biggest questions hounding the conference to begin the spring.

1. Does it have a national championship contender or not? Oklahoma is by no means uncontested at the top of the Big 12, but it is a clear notch above Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as the favorite to win the conference. Additionally, there's a good chance the Sooners will open 2011 as the No. 1 team in the country. But in the two months before spring drills began, Oklahoma's had plenty of negative headlines off the field. Their best cornerback, Jamell Fleming, won't be with the team in the spring and his future is in doubt. Starting defensive tackle Stacy McGee was cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Star freshman Kenny Stills, a receiver, was arrested on a DUI complaint and his close friend, freshman safety Tony Jefferson -- also a California native and the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, was booked on a complaint for interfering with the official process in the incident with Stills. That's a lot of distractions, but the Sooners will need to end that list now to have the best chance of validating their preseason hype on the field. Oklahoma has no glaring weaknesses as it stands, but if academics or discipline keeps players off the field, that could change. The hype will only grow if the Sooners stay out of the police blotter and book a solid spring camp.

2. Is Texas over its "entitlement?" Is the new staff jelling with players? This should be a fascinating spring in Austin. For the first time in perhaps a decade, the Longhorns have a long, long list of things to prove. They'll try to do it with a youth-infused staff and it all begins this spring. The defense was decent last season, the offense was awful. Both will need to be great if the Longhorns are going to compete for a Big 12 title after a last-place finish in the Big 12 South. Is Texas up to the challenge?

3. Where are the quarterbacks? Think back to 2008. The Big 12 had -- by my count -- eight quarterbacks that could play for about anybody across the country. Sam Bradford won the Heisman. Colt McCoy was one of the best in school history, winning more games than any quarterback in college history and reaching a pair of BCS bowls, including a national championship appearance. Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing, Zac Robinson, Robert Griffin III and Josh Freeman were all solid. That's eight out of 10 teams in the current Big 12 with excellence under center. This year? I count four. Griffin is still around. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are set with Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden and Texas A&M should be fine with Ryan Tannehill. Beyond that? It's pretty slim. The potential is there for Garrett Gilbert at Texas, but he's coming off a season in which he threw six touchdowns and 16 picks in conference play. Will we see breakout stars begin to write their legacies at Texas Tech, Missouri or Kansas State? All three have players who could be set for breakout years in Seth Doege, James Franklin and Justin Tuggle, but they'll have to win the job first and try to make a name for themselves if they can pull that off.

4. Are leaky defenses with new coordinators ready to support their teams' high-powered offenses? Texas Tech and Baylor both had offenses good enough to compete for a Big 12 title, but poor defense meant both had to settle for seven-win seasons and lower-tier bowl games. Both are back this spring with new coordinators. Veteran Phil Bennett is in at Baylor, and first-time coordinator Chad Glasgow will try to extrapolate the success he had coaching TCU's secondary into Texas Tech's secondary and defense, which ranked last in the Big 12 last year.

5. Can the Cowboys keep the status quo? Dana Holgorsen was the big story in Oklahoma State's spring camp last year, and he showed why during the season, turning the Cowboys into the Big 12's best offensive team. He's gone, and Todd Monken is taking over. Can the excellence continue? Bringing back all five offensive linemen will make it a lot easier. Skill positions look a lot better when quarterbacks have time and running backs have holes. Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden are back, but can their talents be showcased as two of the Big 12's best in 2011. They better be. If not, the Cowboys can rule out a Big 12 title.

On Wednesday, we wrapped up our look back at the last five years of ESPNU 150 recruits that signed with Big 12 teams.

Here's a quick refresher course on every Big 12 ESPNU 150 signee:

• Big 12 signees in the 2006 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2007 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2008 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2009 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2010 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2011 ESPNU 150

I learned a lot in looking back on these classes, and the spectrum of results was fascinating. Here are a few thoughts:

• There wasn't a Heisman Trophy winner among the bunch -- Oklahoma's Sam Bradford was a three-star recruit -- but there were plenty of All-Americans and All-Big 12 talents, as well as a few draft picks. It's interesting to note that the 2010 class was the only one in which more than one Big 12 Freshman of the Year came to campus as an elite recruit. Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis and Oklahoma safety Tony Jefferson shared the defensive honors last season.
• I'll count probable draft picks, but here's how many NFL draft picks emerged from each class. Obviously, the most recent classes won't be included, and it tapers off quite a bit as you reach the '08 class, which will have a few more drafted eventually. Any players after the 2008 class are ineligible for the draft.
• 2006: 8
• 2007: 3 (Dez Bryant, Sam Acho, Curtis Brown)
• 2008: 1 (Blaine Gabbert)
• Additionally, I don't have a ton to say about the 09-11 classes because, well, at this point, you can't have much to say. Oklahoma or Texas don't have too many four-year, or even three-year starters at too many positions. It's still very, very early to pass judgment on those guys.
• Obviously there's still time, but the 2008 class looking back was pretty weak in comparison to those around it. It's easily the worst of the four classes, not including 2011. Two of the top five recruits have transferred. The other three in that group have yet to make significant contributions. Players like Jon Major, Cyrus Gray, Emmanuel Acho, Kendall Wright and Landry Jones join Gabbert as some of the best in the class, but guys like Jameel Owens, Kye Staley, Lynn Katoa and Justin Johnson aren't even with the teams they've signed anymore. Plenty of others haven't come close to the projected impact others would hope.
• Compare that to the accomplished 2006 class, which was loaded at the top of the board. DeMarco Murray, Sergio Kindle, Jevan Snead, Gerald McCoy and Eddie Jones won't make anybody say, "Who?" That's a strong top 5. Mike Goodson, Jeremy Beal, Josh Freeman, and Jermaine Gresham could all have solid NFL careers, too. In my book, this is the class others will have to live up to.
• One quick thought: Are Jevan Snead and Josh Freeman's careers the inverses of each other?
• I'll give a full breakdown of the team totals later on next week, but I was shocked at how few Nebraska reeled in. From 2006-10, they had just three. S Rickey Thenarse signed in '06, OT Baker Steinkuhler signed in '08 and OG Andrew Rodriguez signed in '10. Steinkuhler, of course, has moved to defensive tackle since. For a team that's won the North the past two seasons and at times looked like a national title contender in 2010, that's a pretty solid endorsement of Bo Pelini's coaching. He's won 29 games in his first three seasons, and his nationally-ranked class in 2011 signed four ESPNU 150 recruits alone. For all you non-mathematicians out there, that's more than 06-10 combined. That has to give Nebraska fans a whole lot of confidence about the program moving forward, even if three of those four signees are from Texas, where Nebraska may struggle to recruit after its move to the Big Ten. That, however, is a whole different post and discussion.
• As an overview of all this, I can't stand it when people decry the recruiting rankings system all together, declaring it worthless. It's not. I also can't stand it when others contend the rankings mean everything. They don't. The truth is right where it usually is: somewhere in the middle. Cite all the two-star recruits you want. I can come back with 10 more that showed in their college careers why they were two-star recruits. You can build a successful program on three and four-star signees, but the facts are this: if you keep reeling in top-level recruits, you've got a much, much greater chance of having big success. Bottom line, that's the truth. You'll encounter some busts among the five-stars. You'll encounter some gems in the two-stars. But recruiting rankings mean something, just not as much or as little as people like to think sometimes.

ESPN the Magazine had a fascinating feature looking back at the past 25 No. 1 high school recruits, where they are now and what the ranking meant to them. With apologies to Vince Young, there aren't a ton of Big 12 talents on the list, but there have been plenty of great recruits to come through the Big 12. We took a look on Thursday at how the All-Big 12 team stacked up as recruits, and you saw quite a mixed bag.

Well, it's the same for the recruits who came to campus with high rankings and high profiles. Going back to 2006, here's how every Big 12 commit from the ESPNU 150 turned out. We'll look at 2006 in this post before eventually reaching 2010 and the current class, 2011, by signing day.

2006

No. 6: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma. Murray set the school records for touchdowns (64) and all-purpose yards (6,498) as a Sooner. He's projected to be drafted on the first day of this year's NFL Draft.

No. 7: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. Kindle was a finalist for the Butkus and Hendricks Awards and was a two-time All-Big 12 performer with 176 career tackles. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round last year's NFL Draft, but missed his rookie season after fracturing his skull in a fall on the stairs at his home.

No. 13: Jevan Snead, QB, Texas. Lost a quarterback battle to Colt McCoy following the 2005 season. Played sparingly as a freshman before transferring to Ole Miss. Went undrafted in 2010. Now plays for Arena League's Tampa Bay Storm.

No. 21: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. McCoy was a Lombardi finalist, a three-time All-Big 12 performer, a two-time All-American who left Oklahoma after his junior season and was selected No. 3 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

No. 22: Eddie Jones, DE, Texas. Jones just finished his career at Texas with an All-Big 12 honorable mention year in 2010. Finished his career with 111 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

No. 34: J'Marcus Webb, OT, Texas. Webb played one year at Texas before transferring to Navarro College and eventually West Texas A&M. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2010 draft and spent the season with the Chicago Bears.

No. 36: Adron Tennell, WR, Oklahoma. Tennell finished his four-year career at Oklahoma with 40 catches, 505 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 42: Dustin Earnest, LB, Texas. Earnest finished his career in 2010 with 84 tackles and a sack for the Longhorns.

No. 45: Mike Goodson, RB, Texas A&M. Goodson was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2006 with his career high 847 yards. He finished with 1,966 yards and 13 TDs in three seasons before being drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers.

No. 67: Phillip Payne, WR, Texas. Caught his first career pass in 2009, his third year at UT, before transferring after the season.

No. 75: Derek Burton, DE, Oklahoma State. Started 15 games in four years for the Cowboys, recording 67 career tackles.

No. 82: Ben Alexander, DT, Texas. Made four career starts, with 51 tackles and half a sack in 38 career appearances.

No. 104: Terrance Anderson, CB, Oklahoma State. Made 96 tackles in four years with the Cowboys. Had four career interceptions.

No. 110: Jonathan Nelson, CB, Oklahoma. Started all 14 games in 2010 for the Sooners after earning All-Big 12 honorable mention as a junior in 2009. Finished career with 155 tackles and five interceptions.

No. 111: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. Caught 111 passes for 1,629 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons, including an All-American season in 2008. Missed all of 2009 with knee injury. Drafted No. 21 overall in the 2010 draft by Cincinnati Bengals.

No. 137: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma. Had 224 tackles, 58.5 tackles for loss, and 29 sacks in four seasons, including three All-Big 12 seasons, an All-American season and was a Hendricks Award finalist in 2009. Projects as middle-round pick in 2011 NFL Draft.

No. 141: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State. Threw for 8,078 yards and 44 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 35 career games. Also ran for 404 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Drafted No. 17 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Don't hide your thighs. Notarize.

• Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register takes a look at Iowa State's two new linebackers off to good starts, A.J. Klein and Jake Knott.
• Mike Leach weighs in on what might as well be the de facto Leach Bowl this Saturday, when Texas Tech plays Oklahoma State. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman has the story.
• How long do Texas A&M fans have to wait? Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News examines the question.
• Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman tells you why Oklahoma doesn't retire jerseys for former players.
• Army staff sergeant Brian Blair is in Iraq, and lets Kevin Robbins of the Austin American-Statesman in on how he follows his favorite team, the Texas Longhorns.
• Kansas is still having trouble with the basics of football, writes Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Carson Coffman may not have the NFL arm or prospects that Josh Freeman had, but at least he can beat Kansas, writes Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Baylor dismissed receiver Willie Jefferson, who was arrested with teammate Josh Gordon two weeks ago.
• The blame for Thursday night's loss to Kansas State falls squarely on Turner Gill, but any real talk of firing is premature, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star.
• Missouri backup quarterback James Franklin is marked by a calmness, writes Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Nebraska is making its biggest home game of the year its biggest recruiting weekend of the year, too.
• Colorado's Will Jefferson is ready to make the switch from receiver to running back, writes Tom Kensler of the Denver Post.

Conference realignment means we live in even tougher times for the numerically inclined in regards to conference names. So no one should pull a double take at 12 high school quarterbacks taking part in the "EA Sports Elite 11" exhibition and camp for the top quarterbacks across the country, which also hosted 12 for the past two summers.

But Big 12 fans -- specifically those in Oklahoma -- might want to keep an eye on the proceedings out in Aliso Viejo, Calif., where three future Big 12 quarterbacks are among the nation's top recruits.

Oklahoma has a pair of 2011 quarterback commits taking part: Archie Bradley of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Kendal Thompson from a few miles up the road in Moore, Okla. Oklahoma State commit J.W. Walsh, a Denton, Texas, native you heard a bit about last week, is also showcasing himself at the camp.

The camp finishes with little consequence other than relationships built and young quarterbacks learning from their older counterparts, but the list of alumni -- even just in recent years -- is impressive.

Oklahoma was the only Big 12 school with a 2010 signee at last year's camp in Blake Bell. Texas' Garrett Gilbert, who you may have heard of recently, attended the 2008 camp.

Other notable alums include current Big 12 quarterbacks Landry Jones and Blaine Gabbert, who is back out in California this week as a college quarterback helping run the camp. So is another Big 12er who never took part in the camp as a high schooler.

1. 
   
   
   JerrodJohnson1 Just had a good day out here in cali, elite 11 is the real deal for quarterbacks 20 Jul 2010 from TweetCaster

Side note: Jerrod Johnson should have more than 358 followers on Twitter.

A few other Elite 11 members you might recognize: Texas' Vince Young, Missouri's Chase Daniel, Kansas State's Josh Freeman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.

Here's a few notes on all the quarterbacks on the West coast this week. Additionally, colleague Bruce Feldman is providing periodic updates from the site via Twitter. His blog from earlier today is all about his experiences on Day 1.

Writes Feldman:

Truth be told, [Jerrod] Johnson speaks better than almost every college guy I've ever covered; he is a better speaker than most of the coaches and most of us who cover them, too. Listening to him talk about how he had to mature after his father, a former Aggies' receiver-turned-school principal, died, you find yourself thinking about how proud his family must be about how he's turned out. He walked back to his seat to applause. I felt bad for the guys who had to speak after him.

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- It was supposed to be Carson Coffman's time. He'd sat behind first-round draft pick and starting quarterback Josh Freeman for two seasons, and now he was going to take his turn, continuing a family tradition. His father, Paul Coffman, was a standout at Kansas State before going on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Older brother Chase Coffman caught more balls at Missouri than any tight end in college football history.

Carson Coffman's looked ready to carve out his own legacy, especially after beating out transfer Grant Gregory for the starting job in fall camp after Bill Snyder regained the rein for the Wildcats.

Before long, Coffman says, the pressure got to him.

"All of it," he said.

As a first-year starter, he'd never had a whole team counting on him every time the ball was snapped. By the time conference play arrived, Gregory took over as starter.

"I think it was just a mind game last year. My head was just messed up," Coffman said. "I was thinking way too much."

Coffman didn't have to think much when he watched from the sidelines as Gregory helped the Wildcats knock off Iowa State in the conference opener at Arrowhead Stadium, the same place his father finished his career with the Chiefs in the NFL.

"I felt a lot of pressure last year, I felt a lot of pressure from the coaches and my family and the players and the team," Coffman said. "I just think I need to go out there and play and have fun. I’ll play a lot better that way."

He's tried that this spring, and he's emerged, along with former receiver Collin Klein, as a frontrunner to re-win the job he lost last season. The issue likely won't be settled by Saturday's spring game, but Coffman will try to beat out Klein again in the fall like he did last season, prompting Klein's position change. Sammuel Lamur is also hoping to win the job.

"If one of those three individuals would gain the kind of consistency we're talking about, then I think the depth chart would define itself a little bit more clearly than it has," Snyder said.

Klein and Lamur can't compete with Coffman's experience. Coffman can't compete with either player's athleticism.

"Ultimately, it’s going to be what the team needs at the time they need it," Klein said. "And I think we’re still developing some identity as an offensive unit. So, [the starter will be] whoever fits that picture the best and who’s best able to serve the team."

Coffman knows he's been there. Made his mistakes and learned from them. He remembers what it was like before those four interceptions were thrown, open receivers missed.

"I learned a lot just about myself through sitting on the bench and being benched. I could have been real down on myself and had a bad attitude, but I feel like I handled it pretty well and supported the rest of the team, Grant and everything they were doing," Coffman said.

Both know they have a long way to go to separate from the other. Asked where he needed to improve to do so, Klein laughed and glanced at the ceiling.

"We could be here for awhile," he said.

Snyder wants his quarterback to understand the game. Every day, he stresses not trying to force the offense through defenses set up to stop it. That's where Coffman hopes he has the advantage.

"If me or Collin check a play, I think he gets pretty excited about that," Coffman said. "I feel I have a leg up, just with the confidence to check those plays, because I’ve been in there. I know what I’m doing and the other guys I’m competing against haven’t had a chance to do that."

They'll be able to showcase their skills on Saturday. Coffman hopes his second chance comes in August and doesn't end until December -- or maybe January. He just wants to stay there.

This time, he says, he's ready.

At an earlier stage of my life, I spent almost two years living in Temple, Texas.

It's a nice town. Back then, it had a good mall and a great location. I was never more than an hour away from either Austin or Waco if I really wanted to do something.

But it's surprising to me that Lache Seastrunk, the most notable football prospect from that city in many years, has decided to foresake all of the schools of the Big 12. Instead, he will travel 1,661 miles away from home (according to the Web site How Far Is It) and play for Oregon.

I'm sure that Seastrunk was struck by all of the cool Nike-influenced uniforms the Ducks have. And he also probably saw a better chance of being a featured running back so far away from home than if he had stayed in the Big 12.

With the Big 12's developing reputation as a conference of passers and throwers, that's the way the school's recruiting philosophies have tilted.

We've seen first-round picks like Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman and Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew all selected from the conference last year. We should have more this season with Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant and Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham all likely to be picked in the first round in April.

Contrast to the conference's running backs. Most draft projections have Oklahoma's Chris Brown pegged as the Big 12's top running back. He's not expected to be picked during the first day of the draft.

Adrian Peterson was the last first-round running back picked from a Big 12 school, and that came in 2007.

So it's not surprising that Seastrunk has decided to pack his bags and head to Oregon when all of those factors are considered. I'm sure it was noted to him that Oregon's Jonathan Stewart was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2008.

I also checked the Web site the Sports Librarian.com, which has already posted a group of favorites to win the Heisman in 2010.

No Big 12 players are listed among the site's top 12 contenders, and only Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert is included among seven potential candidates who could emerge as dark-horse contenders.

Included among the top 12 contenders for the 2010 Heisman are Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon running back LaMichael James. It's also interesting to consider that Rodgers graduated from Lamar Consolidated High School in Richmond, Texas, and James is a product of Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas.

Like Seastrunk, both players would have been a natural fit at a Big 12 school. But they all decided to travel far away from home to play in offenses that they deemed more conducive to their running talents.

Sometimes, playing time in a run-friendly offense is a more important determiner for a running back recruit than all of the home-cooked meals he would receive by staying closer to home.

All season long, I heard offensive coordinators across the Big 12 talk about how much more difficult it was to move the ball in the conference last season than it was in 2008.

The conference still leads the nation in scoring when compared to other conferences with a per-game, per-team average of 28.39 points per game.

But the Big 12's average in yards per play was down to 5.47 yards per snap. That figure ranks ninth among the 12 FBS conferences and worst among the conferences that receive automatic berths in the Bowl Championship Series.

As shown on Tuesday, most every team in the Big 12 saw a noticeable reduction in offensive production and scoring last season compared to the previous year.

That trend didn't necessarily correlate across the rest of the country, when individual conferences are analyzed.

The number of plays remained the same from 2008 to 2009, but total yards and yards per play increased across the nation. Rushing yardage and passing yardage was up a little bit across the board as well. Scoring did drop, but not by the 20.3 percent reduction that we saw in the Big 12 in 2009.

Obviously, the graduation of top players like Michael Crabtree, Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Graham Harrell, Quan Cosby, Josh Freeman and Joe Ganz had something to do with it. The conference also struggled with injuries to many of its top stars as Jermaine Gresham missed the entire season, Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin, Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter all were gone for most of the season. Even Colt McCoy's injury came at a critical time to limit his team's offensive efficiency when it really could have used him.

Most importantly, the Big 12 had a wealth of top defensive players last season. We'll see that in the NFL draft when Ndamukong Suh is the likely first pick of the draft. Gerald McCoy should follow soon thereafter -- perhaps as quickly as the next pick. It wouldn't surprise me to see Earl Thomas and Sean Weatherspoon both as high first-round picks as well.

For a closer examination, I looked at every conference and compared offensive numbers from 2008 to 2009. The Big 12's figures were noteworthy, when compared to the rest of the nation.


It's interesting to note that the Big 12's per-team averages were down in yards per game, yards per play and scoring from 2008. The only other conferences where this trend occurred were in Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

And contrasting with this trend, the Southeastern Conference's figures in all three categories went up in 2009.

These figures are cyclical. But with the departure of so many dominant defensive players in 2010, along with the return of eight of 12 starting quarterbacks next season, we might see an increase from the numbers of this year.

If that happens, maybe we won't hear as much whining from the offensive coordinators, either.

Much was made during the past season about the Big 12 defenses had finally started catching up to the offenses across the conference.

Obviously, numbers would be expected to plummet with players like Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Joe Ganz and Josh Freeman gone from last season. Toss in injuries to Sam Bradford, Kendall Hunter, Jermaine Gresham and Robert Griffin and offenses would be expected to be weaker.

But an underrated factor in the offensive decline across the Big 12 was the hard work of defensive coordinators across the conference.

Defensive coaches and players got tired of being humiliated on a weekly basis last season. It led them to come back determined to stop the offensive growth in the conference. The numbers bear out that they did a much better job in 2009 than the previous season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 North has been a surprise in ways that would have seemed unimaginable before the season started.

But it still doesn’t explain the unlikely scenario now in place with Kansas State in first place and Iowa State a game behind among a jumble of four teams with two conference losses.

The Wildcats and Cyclones were the fashionable preseason picks to battle it out to escape the conference cellar.

Their ascension while projected conference contenders like Nebraska and Kansas have stumbled in recent weeks has turned the early North Division race on its ear after its early stages.

The Cornhuskers have lost back-to-back home conference games to Texas Tech and Iowa State -- both times as heavy favorites.

And Kansas followed a disappointing loss at Colorado last week by getting run out of their home stadium in a 35-13 home loss to Oklahoma, a team that was struggling with the largest loss of injuries in Bob Stoops’ coaching tenure.

The early surprises have kept Kansas coach Mark Mangino from even trying to explain what’s going on in the wild and wacky division so far.

“I can’t think of any,” Mangino said. “I spent a little time trying to figure out what’s happening and those are for better minds than mine. I just need to get ready and see what we can do. Maybe somebody might have a better explanation, I don’t know.”

Kansas State might have been the biggest unknown in college football with the return of Bill Snyder to the sidelines after a three-year coaching sabbatical.

His rebuilding job was made that much tougher when, shortly after he started, Josh Freeman declared for the NFL draft.

The Wildcats stumbled early with losses at Louisiana-Lafayette and UCLA with their only victories over FCS teams Tennessee Tech and Massachusetts. Their positioning at the bottom appeared even more solidified after those first four games this season.

Even after a 20-6 victory over Colorado last week boosted them to a 3-1 -- their best conference start since 2000 -- Snyder was more disappointed in what the Wildcats didn’t do, as opposed to the fact they are sitting in first place midway through their conference race.

Snyder was particularly angry about his team being shut out in the second half by Colorado after scoring on three of their first four possessions.

“The name of this game for us is trying to get better. We got better on defense and I am proud of that," Snyder said. "We did not get better on offense. It is all about preparing well and playing well. It is no more complex than that.

"If you finish well, it means you played well and prepared well. If you do not, that means you did not prepare well or play well. Half of our game we did not prepare well or play well."

And Snyder didn’t spoil the rod as he described his team’s struggles.

“We did not play well,” Snyder said. “This is all about getting better, and we did not. That’s why I’m upset.”

Conversely, Iowa State couldn’t be happier after its surprise victory at Nebraska, boosting Paul Rhoads to his fifth victory. The post-game celebration in the locker room already has become a YouTube staple among Cyclone fans.

That triumph continues a surprising first season for Rhoads -- his 3-1 nonconference record is the fastest start by a first-year Cyclones coach since George Veenker in 1931.

The Cyclones played Kansas State very competitively in their conference opener. The 24-23 loss was settled on a blocked extra point by Emmanuel Lamur with 32 seconds left.

Rhoads was bracing for the worst, but found his group to be resilient -- even after a 41-36 loss the following week to Kansas that extended their conference losing streak to 11 straight games.

But they rebounded to beat Baylor to snap the streak and notched an impressive 9-7 victory over Nebraska in Lincoln. It was ISU's first victory in Lincoln since 1977 and even more remarkable because the Cyclones did it without starting quarterback Austen Arnaud and starting tailback Alexander Robinson.

"I think our confidence has grown and grown every week,” Rhoads said. “Believe it or not, I think it has grown even in the losses. Our goal and expectations have been to improve in everything we’ve done. We’ve done it with the tough losses to Kansas State and Kansas and I think it will improve with this victory.”

Whether we’ll see Kansas State and Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game is still to be determined. Both teams still have a long way to go.

Kansas State will travel to Oklahoma on Saturday, where they have never beaten the Sooners since Bob Stoops arrived. Iowa State will visit suddenly resurgent Texas A&M in another key game in the divisional race.

The North’s jumbled mess at the top makes anything seem possible. And considering the struggles with the rest of the conference, the Cyclones and Wildcats seem as viable as anybody else in this up-for-grabs division at this point of the season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

After several sputtering weeks in Kansas State’s retooled new offense, Brandon Banks charged back to show what he could do in one magical afternoon last week.

The first three games of the season were disappointing for Banks, who had trouble producing and was even demoted from his accustomed role as Kansas State’s top punt returner after a slow start.

“There was never any doubt, but I was struggling a little bit,” Banks said. “I had to get my confidence back and that game gave me the opportunity.”

It all changed last week against Tennessee Tech when Banks’ big-play abilities resurfaced as quickly as they had disappeared.

Banks returned kickoffs 92 and 91 yards for touchdowns to help spark the Wildcats’ 49-7 victory over Tennessee Tech. It marked the first time in Big 12 history and only the 12th time in NCAA history that a player had returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game.

Before the game, KSU wide receivers coach Michael Smith told Banks that he should be prepared to produce a big play that could help the Wildcats win.

But two kickoff returns for touchdowns?

“He always encouraged me and told me that anything is possible,” Banks said. “It let me know they still had confidence in me. I wanted to make the most of my chance.”

His first return might have been one of the most technically precise returns he has ever been a part of.

“It was just a thing of beauty when you watch it on film,” Banks said. “Everybody on the field had their hat (helmet) on somebody on the other team. The whole thing opened up so wide you could have driven an 18-wheeler through it. It was the best blocking for a return I’ve ever seen.”

Veteran Kansas State coach Bill Snyder joked that even nearing 70, he could have made some yardage on the return because of the blocking precision exhibited by the Wildcats on the play.

“You just couldn’t have blocked it any better,” Snyder told reporters after the game. “That's what you hope for every single time. Our other 10 guys really did a nice job. But on the second one, he made some things happen on the return as well. I was pleased with him."

The big effort on special teams carried over to Banks’ receiving skills, where he had similarly struggled earlier in the season attempting to make connections with new Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman.

Before last week’s game against Tennessee Tech, Banks was averaging less than 9 yards a reception -- a huge drop from a player who was KSU’s primary playmaker last season.

While playing with Josh Freeman last season, Banks accounted for 1,049 yards last season to rank fifth in the Big 12 in receiving yards as he averaged more than 15 yards per catch.

“I really didn’t know what had happened this year,” Banks said. “It was just the way the game had gone for us. Offensively, we had been struggling with the passing game and I wasn’t touching the ball much. I hoped we could get it turned around.”

But the big special-teams plays helped Banks return on the offense. He produced 90 yards on three receptions, including a 64-yard grab that represented the longest pass reception of the season for the Wildcats.

Banks also produced 29 yards on three punts and another yard on a reverse to account for 303 all-purpose yards. It was the fifth-highest total in Kansas State’s history and nearly matched his previous season total of 375 all-purpose yards compiled in his previous three games.

“I hadn’t been playing like I would have liked,” Banks said. “I knew I needed a spark and Saturday’s game gave that to me. It was a relief to get that.”

His breakout game has come at a critical time for the 2-2 Wildcats, who travel to Kansas City for Saturday’s game against Iowa State. It’s a game between two teams expected to battle to stay out of the North Division cellar.

If Banks is playing like he did last week, he’ll be a factor that Paul Rhoads and the Cyclones will have to account for on every play.

“He’s scary and you immediately start to figure out schematically what you’re going to have to do,” Rhoads told the Des Moines Register. “Is there a way of keeping the ball from him, to give him a shorter field to work with?”