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Texas is easily the wildest card in the Big 12 deck this season, but how do you see the Longhorns faring in 2010?

The defense returns six starters, and is the strength of the team, despite losing Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams to the NFL. The team's safeties, Kenny Vaccaro, Christian Scott and Blake Gideon are solid, though Scott will be sidelined the first three games because of a suspension.

The front seven is loaded with potential, and the Longhorns have two of the best linebackers in the league, Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat are exciting defensive ends offsetting Kheeston Randall, one of the league's best overall linemen.

Offensively, well, the Longhorns have a lot to prove. They're the only Big 12 team left that doesn't know its starting quarterback for the opening weekend. Eight starters from last year's offense return, but some of the team's biggest hype is coming from players new to campus.

Running back Malcolm Brown and receiver Jaxon Shipley showed up to campus this summer, but quarterback David Ash impressed coaches after enrolling early this spring.

The offensive line will have to be better, especially if any of those three will have success. Shipley should add some solid playmaking ability to a receiving corps depleted with the losses of Marquise Goodwin (Olympic track qualifying) and Malcolm Williams (personal issues), who won't be with the team this year. Mike Davis will likely be the team's go-to receiver, at least to start the season.

So how do the Longhorns stack up?

Coaches across the Big 12 are opening camp Thursday or hosting media days, and we've already seen news from a pair of them.

Texas coach Mack Brown announced receiver Malcolm Williams will miss his senior season and focus on a family situation, as well as academics.

The pair met on Thursday morning and made the decision, Brown said.

"He’s had some tough things happen that would be tough for all of us, that got tougher in the summer," Brown told reporters. "He was planning on playing, but some more things popped up. This morning, we talked. I want what’s best for him. I wish him well.”

Williams, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder who caught 24 passes for 334 yards and two scores last season, would have been the team's lone senior receiver. He was also the team's second-leading receiver 2009 behind Jordan Shipley, when he caught 39 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

Missouri also shared some bad news as camp opened. The Tigers had four featured running backs last season, but may have to make do with three this season, according to multiple reporters on the scene in Columbia for the first practice of fall camp.

Marcus Murphy had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and his return is indefinite after rushing 22 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in 2010.

Murphy was also the team's top kick returner, averaging just fewer than 20 yards on his 24 returns

The Big 12 might be weak at the top of the running back heap, but it's definitely not at receiver. The conference has at least three of the top five receivers in the country, and the top two. They highlight a very strong group of receivers across the league, and I continue our position rankings with receivers today.

Remember that depth plays a big part of these rankings. We'll be ranking the top 10 individuals at each position later on before the season begins.

Other position rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs

1. Oklahoma

The Sooners have the nation's No. 2 receiver, Ryan Broyles, but found a handful of others to surround him in 2010 and should have a couple more in 2011. Sophomore Kenny Stills broke Broyles' freshman receiving record and looks like a budding star. Dejuan Miller came on strong before a season-ending knee injury, but he's back. The Sooners lose Cameron Kenney, but Trey Franks had a strong freshman campaign, and freshmen Justin McCay (redshirt) and Trey Metoyer could provide even more playmakers.

2. Oklahoma State

The Cowboys boast the returning Biletnikoff Award winner and 2011 favorite, Justin Blackmon, with a great group around him, too. Slot machine Josh Cooper returns for his senior year, and fellow senior Hubert Anyiam (the team's leading receiver in 2009) is hoping to return to form after being slowed by an ankle injury in 2010. Isaiah Anderson is a shifty speedster, while Michael Harrison and Tracy Moore offer a more aerial approach to receiving.

3. Texas A&M

The Aggies have the Big 12's No. 3 receiver, Jeff Fuller, who is arguably one of the top-five in the college game. But they also have the Big 12's most experienced receiving unit, with guys who won't be surprised by anything they see in Big 12 play. Juniors Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu are the team's second and third options, but fellow juniors Kenric McNeal and Brandal Jackson could be bigger pieces of the offense in 2011. Tight end Nehemiah Hicks should see his profile rise in his coming sophomore year.

4. Baylor

Top target Kendall Wright will likely end his career as the Bears' leading receiver for all four of his seasons on the field, and 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior Josh Gordon looks like the new Jeff Fuller. Terrance Williams, Lanear Sampson and Tevin Reese round out the Bears' top five, who all had at least 40 catches last season, and all return.

5. Missouri

Missouri still lacks a proven big-play threat, but has two pass-catchers who have some of the best hands in the game. Receiver T.J. Moe and tight end Michael Egnew won't drop many passes, and combined to catch 182 for 1,807 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wes Kemp and Jerrell Jackson bring a lot of experience and both had at least 39 catches last season. If Marcus Lucas or Rolandis Woodland can become a consistent downfield threat, Missouri will rise up these rankings by season's end.

6. Texas Tech

Tech's top two receivers, Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis, must be replaced, but the Red Raiders have a few solid candidates to do it. Junior Alex Torres will likely lead the group, but fellow junior Austin Zouzalik and seniors Jacoby Franks and Tramain Swindall will be counted on for more production. Dark horse/juco newcomer Marcus Kennard could blossom into a household name across the Big 12 by season's end.

7. Texas

Sophomore Mike Davis and redshirt freshman Darius White are loaded with potential, but two of the team's top three receivers (James Kirkendoll, John Chiles) are gone, and no Texas receiver caught more than two touchdowns last season. Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin are as different as two receivers could be, but both need to break out to help whoever becomes the Longhorns quarterback next fall.

8. Kansas State

Brodrick Smith will be back this season after breaking his leg in a loss to Nebraska. But two of the team's top three receivers are gone, leaving converted quarterback Chris Harper as the leading returner, though Smith might have held that title if he'd stayed healthy. Sophomore speedster Tramaine Thompson can make plays if he gets the ball with some space.

9. Iowa State

The Cyclones will be breaking in a new quarterback this season and they will need a playmaker to step up. Tight end Collin Franklin led team in receiving last season but he is now gone. Darius Reynolds looks like a possible candidate to fill the role, although incoming slot receiver Aaron Horne might rack up a few catches in space. Darius Darks and Josh Lenz should earn some more targets too.

10. Kansas

Converted defensive back Daymond Patterson is the team's top receiver, but the team's No. 3 receiver junior Bradley McDougald, moved to safety in the middle of the season. Tight end Tim Biere is one of the Big 12's best and led the team with four touchdowns last season. Chris Omigie and D.J. Beshears have some potential, and converted quarterback Christian Matthews keeps showing up in spring games. But all three, along with the rest of the group, would benefit from some consistency at the quarterback spot.

• Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden has been eating a bit of humble pie this spring, writes Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman.
• Former blue-chip running back recruit Chris Whaley has moved from H-back to defensive end for the Longhorns, reports Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman. Receiver Malcolm Williams is getting some time at H-back.
• Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville responded directly on Wednesday to a report that he is "miserable" in Lubbock.
• Aaron Colvin made a big move from cornerback to safety, but he's impressed coaches early, writes Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman.
• Iowa State has officially turned the page on the 2010 season.
• Oklahoma linebacker Tom Wort is the Sooners' English bulldog, and he's hoping to pave the way for more football players abroad, writes Simon Clancy of SI.com.
• Iowa transfer Brandon Wegher is no longer with the Oklahoma program.
• Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege got a hot hand in practice on Wednesday, writes Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Jeff Fuller is looking to follow in Von Miller's footsteps, writes Richard Croome of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. He also offers an early review of Christine Michael, who is back on the practice field.

Texas' depth chart is still non-existent, but one of the defensive standouts will miss the rest of the spring.

Linebacker Jordan Hicks broke a bone in his foot and will miss the rest of the spring, Texas announced.

Hicks, a 6-foot-2, 228-pound native of West Chester, Ohio, came to Texas in the 2010 class as the nation's No. 1 linebacker and No. 4 overall prospect in the 2010 class. He played in all 12 games last season and made 23 tackles and a sack. Six of those tackles came on special teams.

This spring, he had reportedly been enough of a standout to be a strong candidate to start as the Longhorns' third linebacker alongside Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson. He's expected to be fully recovered by fall camp.

Receiver Malcolm Williams, however, is back on the field after sitting out the first half of spring drills for unspecified personal reasons. Williams, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior caught 24 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns last season.

He never surpassed his four catches or 77 yards in the season opener against Rice, but Williams had a catch in all 12 games last season.

Texas' spring game is set for April 3 and will be televised on ESPN.

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 eventually get to 2010 and the current class, 2011, around signing day, but here's how the 2007 class breaks down.

• Big 12 commits in the 2006 ESPNU 150

2007

No. 21: Tray Allen, OT, Texas. Forced to redshirt 2010 season after breaking a bone in his foot. Appeared in 31 games over first three seasons. Should be healthy for senior season in 2011.

No. 24: Christian Scott, S, Texas. Became a starter in 2010, starting eight games and playing in nine for the Longhorns. Made 54 tackles and had an interception. Forced to sit out 2009 season due to academic eligibility issues

No. 29: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Caught 147 passes for 2,425 yards and 29 touchdowns in just over two seasons. Named All-American in 2008. Sat out final nine games of 2009 season because of NCAA suspension. Taken No. 24 overall in the 2010 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

No. 39: Austin Box, LB, Oklahoma. Battled knee and back injuries, but has been a periodic starter and consistent contributor for the Sooners. Has 106 tackles in three seasons.

No. 41: John Chiles, WR, Texas. Played quarterback in 2007 and 2008 before switching to receiver. Finished career with 65 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns.

No. 42: Richetti Jones, DE, Oklahoma State. Emerged as one of the Cowboys' top reserves in 2010, when he notched 34 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Will be a senior in 2010.

No. 65: Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas. Started 24 games at outside linebacker in the last two seasons. Should be one of the Longhorns' defensive leaders in 2011 after making 194 tackles (110 solo), 4.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in his career. Earned All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2009.

No. 71: Ryan Miller, OT, Colorado. Became a starter at tackle as a freshman, and became one of the Big 12's best offensive guards in 2009 and 2010 after missing most of the 2008 season with a broken fibula and being granted a medical hardship. He switched from tackle to guard after the injury and has twice earned All-Big 12 honorable mention.

No. 79: Ben Wells, CB, Texas. Had 12 tackles and a sack in 24 games before transferring from Texas last April.

No. 91: Derrick Stephens, LB, Texas A&M. Redshirted in 2007, but doctors forced him to quit football because of multiple concussions.

No. 97: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas. Became a starter late in 2008, finishing his career with 28 starts. Earned All-Big 12 honors in 2009 and 2010. Finished his career with 120 tackles, 32 passes broken up and a pair of interceptions.

No. 102: Malcolm Williams, S, Texas. Moved to receiver. Has 78 receptions for 1,118 yards and six scores in three seasons and 38 games.

No. 104: Conrad Obi, DE, Colorado. Moved to defensive tackle as a sophomore in 2009. Has four career tackles and played just 23 snaps in 2009, but blocked a field goal against Oklahoma State.

No. 109: Michael Keck, DE, Missouri. Quit team after one game in September of 2008, eventually transferring to Missouri State.

No. 114: Sam Acho, DE, Texas. Won Academic Heisman in 2010. Two-time All-Big 12 performer after becoming starter in 2009 and was an All-American selection in 2010. In 50 career games, finished with 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks (10th on UT's career list) and 37 tackles for loss. Projects as middle round pick in 2011 NFL draft.

No. 123: Bradley Stephens, RB, Texas A&M. Aggies reserve running back. Has 328 yards and a touchdown on 74 carries in three seasons.

No. 125: Michael Huey, OG, Texas. Started 20 games over four seasons, missed the final four games of 2010 with a knee injury. Earned All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2009.

No. 126: Kyle Hix, OT, Texas. Moved to left tackle as a senior, but started 39 games in his four-year career, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2009.

No. 136: Cody Johnson, RB, Texas. Featured as a goal-line back with 30 career touchdowns. Will enter his senior season in 2011 with 1,265 career yards on 297 carries.

No. 142: Michael Ebbitt, DE, Texas A&M. Redshirted in 2007, but has seen very little playing time in three seasons.

Every coach preaches competition. It's the lifeblood of any program.

But Texas coach Mack Brown gave reason for pause during an appearance on Thursday's episode of "College Football Live" when asked about the competition at his quarterback position, where Garrett Gilbert started every game last season.

"Garrett's got two great years of experience under his belt and we've got some other great quarterbacks as well," he said. "That competition, like all the other positions on our team, will be wide open this spring."

The facts don't lie. Gilbert didn't get it done in 2010. There's no need to look any further than his 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for proof. Plenty of those were forced passes with the Longhorns trying to come from behind, but that ratio is unacceptable regardless of the situation.

So, is Brown doing anything other than giving lip service when he says his quarterback job is "wide open?"

How about yes and no?

To be clear, I'd be shocked if Gilbert wasn't the starter coming out of spring and entering the 2011 season opener. But with so much turnover in the coaching staff -- Texas will have six new coaches, including new offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin, formerly of Boise State -- statements like Brown's can be an effective motivator.

Harsin likely doesn't know Gilbert from his backups, Case McCoy and Connor Wood. The same goes for the rest of the team. In terms of Harsin's attitude toward his quarterbacks, certainly the job has to be "open."

Gilbert is the most talented of the three, and I have a hard time believing Wood or McCoy would have done much better while trying to complete passes to Texas' struggling receiving corps.

That group should be better this year, spearheaded by an improving and maturing Mike Davis, who was second on the team with 47 receptions as a freshman in 2010. Junior Malcolm Williams and fellow freshman Darius White need to make good on their potential to help the Longhorns re-establish a serviceable passing game.

So sure, for now, the quarterback job is just like the rest of the positions entering spring: open.

But chances are good that Gilbert will change that early on in spring once Harsin gets some time to work with his most talented quarterback, and by far his most experienced.

New Texas receivers coach Darrell Wyatt took the job earlier this week, making his fifth stop in the Big 12. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Longhorns, who still must replace four coaches, he didn't see it as a reason to stay away from Austin.

"When you get an opportunity to come to a place like The University of Texas and work with a guy like Mack Brown and [the] great staff he is putting together and all the resources we have here, it's really tough to say no," Wyatt told reporters this week. "I was on board, my wife was obviously on board, and we're excited to be at The University of Texas."

Wyatt replaces Bobby Kennedy, who left Texas to coach receivers at Colorado.

As a coach at Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Kansas previously, among others, Wyatt has spent plenty of time recruiting in Texas. As such, he'll also be the Longhorns' co-recruiting coordinator.

"I've had experiences in just about every part of the state. I've recruited the Dallas Metroplex area. At one point I recruited Houston as well as East Texas. Obviously, my wife is from San Antonio and me being from Killeen - central Texas, so I've recruited just about every part of the state," Wyatt said. "Recruiting is a people business, and you have to develop relationships with the coaches first then the kids. Making sure there is a trust there and obviously selling them a place like Texas certainly makes it easier. It's still a battle. There are a lot of good things and good places to sell, but again, I like my chances here with all the resources and the great tradition."

The Longhorns receivers struggled in 2010, and Wyatt will be charged with eliminating those issues. Marquise Goodwin and Malcolm Williams' development has been stunted, but the good news for the Longhorns is their leading receiver in 2010 was a freshman, Mike Davis, who finished with 47 catches for 478 yards and two of just 10 touchdown catches on the season for Texas. Fellow freshman Darius White was also a five-star recruit in the 2010 class who had difficulty finding early success.

"I don't want to judge the guys or make any evaluation before I see them," he said. "I'm familiar with some of their names, and I know they're talented. I'm looking forward to the challenge of the spring and bringing those guys along."

He'll get started for real when Texas kicks off spring practice in a few weeks, but the draw of Austin and the Longhorns was too much for Wyatt to resist at Kansas as an assistant under Turner Gill.

"Obviously, it's a special job for me because of its location -- because being in Texas and because of the great history and tradition. You walk down the hallways here and the tradition oozes out at you," he said. "It's a special place, and I'm just glad to be here."

You know what's not good for a conference? Having two national title contenders, with one planning to leave the league at the end of the year.

Thanks to Texas, the number of undefeated Big 12 teams in the top 10 -- for now, anyway -- is trimmed to one: Oklahoma, who kicks off against Iowa State in a few minutes.

Undefeated Missouri and Oklahoma State are looming near the top 20, but Nebraska's national championship run is officially derailed.

Just like this summer, Texas has miraculously saved the Big 12. I kid.

But seriously, the worst-case scenario for the Big 12 was having Nebraska win the league or national title and split for the Big Ten.

Instead, whatever mystique Texas has in games like this has been extended, in one of its most unlikely scenarios.

Now, Texas moves to 13-0 in games after the Red River Rivalry under Mack Brown and Nebraska falls to 1-9 against the Longhorns in Big 12 play, perhaps no loss as painful as this one. Today's 20-13 win is also the third consecutive time and unranked Texas team has beaten a Nebraska team ranked in the top 5.

The Longhorns dodged a pooch punt gone horribly wrong, shut down Taylor Martinez, weathered an impressive drive by his replacement, Zac Lee, to give up just a field goal and beat Nebraska.

The Huskers looked like a team tailor-made to beat Texas, focused on the ground game without a need to throw into the most talented part of the Texas team, the secondary. Today, the Huskers had to throw to come back, but Niles Paul and Brandon Kinnie dropped potential touchdown passes, squandering the opportunities Nebraska did get down the field.

The Longhorns debuted a game plan with a running quarterback in Garrett Gilbert (10 carries, 68 yards, 2 TDs in the first half) and beat Nebraska while Gilbert completed just 4-of-16 passes for 62 yards, including a 41-yard catch-and-run to Fozzy Whittaker and just one completion to a receiver, a five-yarder to Malcolm Williams. The defense that looked so vulnerable against UCLA's zone-read scheme stymied Nebraska's. Credit Will Muschamp's scheme and the pursuit and tackling of Texas' defenders on that one.

This wasn't the Texas we saw in the first five games, both in strategy and execution. When people talk about Brown as one of the best coaches in the Big 12 and college football, games like this provide more big reasons why.

It made sense at the time, and in theory, Texas should have had the offensive line to do it.

"We did a lot of self study and found out that we had more explosive plays when the quarterback was under the center in the running game as well as the tailback being right behind the quarterback," Texas coach Mack Brown said during Big 12 Media Days. "The other reason that we feel like we need to go ahead and run the ball more and better is the last two years in the BCS we played two-back downhill running Ohio State, and this year we played two-back downhill running Alabama. And in both cases, we didn't tackle the great tailbacks very well. We feel like by having downhill runs and working more in the running game and against the running game in practice would help us if we go out in conference and see someone who wants to just line up and run us."

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Texas probably shouldn't expect to run into Alabama or Ohio State this postseason.

Maybe the Longhorns intended approach is best for the long term, especially with superstar recruit Malcolm Brown on the way next fall. Texas wanted balance. Through five games this season, it's clear that the running game Texas hoped to establish won't arrive with any consistency, despite three senior offensive linemen and three experienced running backs.

Texas' best chance to salvage something meaningful from this season rests with putting the ball in the hands of its best offensive player: Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert's big mistakes have been limited and the offense has been most productive when the Longhorns have spread out and let him sling it.

Big deficits forced Texas to do it against UCLA and Oklahoma.

Now, the Longhorns should choose to do it.

Its most explosive play against Oklahoma's suspect rush defense didn't come with power between the tackles. It came from the shotgun, a jet sweep handoff to a streaking D.J. Monroe, Texas' fourth running back, who quickly proved how much faster he was than anyone else on the field with a 60-yard touchdown that brought Texas to within 14-7.

It's been five games, and Texas hasn't had a longer run from scrimmage than Monroe's. So much for explosiveness from under center.

Letting Gilbert, a sophomore who will make his sixth career start in two weeks against Nebraska, determine the result of Texas' season doesn't sound appetizing.

But can Texas really trust a running that is averaging more than four yards a carry? Remember, see that number drop is likely to drop when the Longhorns hit the meat of their conference schedule.

Gilbert taking over could also help speed the development of Texas' second-best offensive player, freshman receiver Mike Davis.

Gilbert hasn't shown a tendency toward game-breaking mental or physical mistakes. In his worst game of the season -- Texas Tech -- two of his three interceptions were tipped at the line of scrimmage. Deep balls to James Kirkendoll and Malcolm Williams against Oklahoma and another to Kirkendoll against Texas Tech showed his potential. The more opportunities he gets to nurture that potential, the better.

DALLAS--Through a quarter and a half, Texas has thrown the ball downfield just once, an long incompletion to Malcolm Williams from Garrett Gilbert.

Down 21-7 midway through the second quarter, Texas will have to scrap the swing passes and draw plays to get back into this game. The Longhorns receivers have been inconsistent for most of 2010, and are playing without freshman Mike Davis, who has more receptions than any other receiver on the team, despite being blanked in the season opener without Rice.

But for Texas to get back in the game, it's going to take handful of plays from the Longhorns receivers who are playing: namely James Kirkendoll, Williams and Marquise Goodwin, who had his only touchdown of last year in this game as a freshman. Maybe they can make them. Maybe they can't. We'll find out pretty quickly.

That doesn't mean Texas has to abandon the running game, and clearly, another run like D.J. Monroe's 60-yarder in the first quarter would help, but Oklahoma won't finish this game with 21 points. To keep up, Texas has to air it out.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- It took Texas until its second drive for the offense to get rolling, but it only needed one sustained drive to take a 14-0 lead over Texas Tech midway through the first quarter.

The Longhorns running game was shut down on the first drive after Texas Tech stopped 251-pound Cody Johnson on a third-and-2 to elicit the loudest cheer of the night.

But Texas Tech is still the underdog, and a snap over the head of Taylor Potts on the Raiders' first play was a terrible start. Texas freshman defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat scooped up the fumble.

Texas Tech has been unable to stop Texas' new-look running game ever since. Fozzy Whittaker scored from 7 yards on the first play, and Texas has 33 yards on six carries, a 5.5 yard average.

If that continues, Texas Tech may get blown out at home. Garrett Gilbert has been fantastic, also. Mike Davis dropped his first pass, but he's completed his next five, including two big throws to Malcolm Williams over the middle and a deep pass down the left side to James Kirkendoll.

Texas 34, Rice 17: Not exactly the blowout Texas fans had in mind, but the Longhorns were in control for most of this game. Plenty of eyes were on Texas' three running backs Saturday, as they ran for 171 yards on 42 carries -- a four-yard average. Against Rice, that's not a very encouraging sign.

What is encouraging is Tre' Newton, who after losing the starting job to Cody Johnson, stated his case to earn it back. He was Texas' featured back in the second half, and got more carries than either Johnson or Fozzy Whittaker, running for 61 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. Deep in Rice territory, Newton got it done. Johnson didn't. The offensive line has a lot of influence on that, but the number of touches in the second half for Newton vs. Johnson is hard to ignore.

An OK, but uninspired, debut for Garrett Gilbert, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 172 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin had four catches each.

One other note: Texas' defensive backs could have made this win much more lopsided if they had hung on to a few interceptions, but they didn't have much trouble doing it last year, when the Longhorns had 25 picks, five more than any other team in the Big 12. Aaron Williams and Chykie Brown both had a pair of catches they could have come down with, and Brown's would have been an easy touchdown. Saturday was out of character for them.

We didn't learn a ton about Texas, other than the running game needs work. We probably won't learn much about them next week against Wyoming. That probably won't be the case when the Longhorns travel to Lubbock in Week 3.

Schedule: Practice started on Sunday

What’s new: The offense. Colt McCoy completing 70 percent of his passes meant a shift away from the Vince Young zone read to a pass-heavy spread offense that served the Longhorns well for McCoy's four seasons as starter. Now, they'll take the offense more under center to try and establish a downhill running game that's been missing since 2007, the last time Texas had a 1,000-yard rusher.

Key battle: Receiver. There might not be a more muddled group in the entire conference. Texas has a handful of receivers that could be capable of becoming the No. 1 target, but that status could fluctuate throughout the season and who ends up on top is anyone's guess. Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll and Marquise Goodwin are probably the safest bets, but there's a reason Texas brought in Darius White and Mike Davis, two of the top three receivers in the 2010 class.

We've looked at the Big 12's top quarterbacks and top running backs. Now it's time for the receivers.

After looking through the list of running backs, it's obvious the talent in the Big 12 is much deeper in the backfield than along the line of scrimmage.

But here's how they stand now, and it could look much different in December. Heads-up for Part 2 this afternoon.

6. Kendall Wright, Baylor

Wright led the Bears in receiving as a freshman, again as a sophomore, and with quarterback Robert Griffin III back and more mature, Wright should do it again with even bigger numbers. He improved (66 rec., 740 yards) by 16 receptions and 91 yards from his freshman to sophomore years and a big year for Griffin should mean a big year for Wright. There's no reason to think he won't duplicate his production from 2009, but if the Bears get rolling and are in bowl contention late in the season, 1,000 yards could be in play for the sticky-handed 5-foot-11, 185-pounder.

7. Scotty McKnight, Colorado

One of the conference's most underrated receivers, McKnight's numbers didn't suffer even with the Buffaloes' unrest under center. He ranked sixth in the Big 12 in receiving yards and receptions, catching 76 balls for 893 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers are second-best among returning Big 12 receivers, behind Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles. He'll get some help at receiver in Michigan transfer Toney Clemons, but we'll have to wait and see how that affects his production. Clemons' presence on the outside could free up some space and allow McKnight to be more productive, or Clemons might mooch on McKnight's total targets. Either way, it'll be good for the Buffaloes.

8. Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

Nwachukwu made the game look "EZ" as a freshman, racking up 40 catches for 708 yards and six touchdowns. His numbers led all Big 12 freshmen, and with the conference's best quarterback, Jerrod Johnson, tossing him the ball, those numbers could grow in Year 2. A shifty, 6-foot, 179-pound slot receiver, defensive backs should be much more adept at spelling his last name after chasing him around the field for 60 minutes. He showed plenty of potential to be a consistent target for an entire game, topping 100 receiving yards in three games, including two in conference play, but his production slowed slightly over the second half of the season.

9. Hubert Anyiam, Oklahoma State

9. Jerrell Jackson, Missouri

9. Malcolm Williams, Texas

I ordered these final three in how they'll finish in the yardage category, but all three are on the list based on potential and all three will be stepping into roles as likely No. 1 targets. None are guarantees with capable talent alongside them on the field, but Anyiam and Jackson should both be in for big years in offenses whose strength is best shown through the air. Williams may not produce the numbers of the other two, but he'll be instrumental in helping first-year starter Garrett Gilbert get acclimated to the college game. Without a solid, consistent receiver, that's going to be difficult. He also has the deepest well of talent to draw from, but at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he'll give Gilbert at the very least a big target. He's also the Longhorns' leading returning receiver and should see his 550 yards on 39 catches grow significantly. Players like Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper at Oklahoma State, Wes Kemp and T.J. Moe at Missouri and James Kirkendoll, Marquise Goodwin, DeSean Hales, John Chiles and incoming freshmen Mike Davis and Darius White could change these three receivers' status as the season progresses.

Just missed: James Kirkendoll, Texas; Tramain Swindall, Texas Tech; Wes Kemp, Missouri; Lyle Leong, Texas Tech; Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M; Johnathan Wilson, Kansas.