ESPN College Football

ESPN's Brock Huard named his five quarterbacks in the "next wave" of stars, and topping the list?

None other than Missouri's James Franklin.

Writes Huard:

Sturdy, strong and athletic, Franklin is the most powerfully built of the quarterbacks mentioned here. He's been thrown right into the fire this season with road tests against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Oklahoma Sooners, Kansas State Wildcats and Texas A&M Aggies in his first eight games as a starter.

Franklin had his first signature win in College Station last weekend, and the early adversity he has faced in his career will pay dividends for him and the program in the future. Franklin has weathered the brutal schedule with 13 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 61 percent completion percentage, plus an additional 542 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He is calm, oblivious at times in the pocket, and his unwavering poise has won over head coach Gary Pinkel.

"This guy has a chance to be special," Pinkel said. "He is further ahead at this time in his career than the three quarterbacks who preceded him."

In case you didn't know, Pinkel's last three quarterbacks (Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert) are all making a nice living in the NFL.

I'd agree with Huard. Franklin's been outstanding, one of a handful of great young quarterbacks in the league. Franklin's unorthodox passing mechanics present obvious questions, but he's hung tough in some really difficult situations. The 20-yard touchdown run against Texas A&M last week was arguably his best highlight of the seasons, with apologies to a clutch touchdown pass to Marcus Lucas against Arizona State.

Consider, also, that Franklin lacks an elite target at receiver or tight end like Danario Alexander in Gabbert's first year as starter or Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman or Martin Rucker in Daniel's first season.

Franklin's unusual calm in the pocket can look uncomfortably serene at times, but I see it working to his advantage in the future as his experience and accuracy grows.

His future looks promising, but he's not the only one in the Big 12. Which first-year starter has impressed you most this season? Vote in our poll.

Thanks for the all the emails.

B. Stautzenberger (@coachrock4) in OKC asked: I hear so much that the a&m will struggle in the sec but at there worst they r better than both miss schools and vandy Kentucky. They are on par with auburn and Arkansas. And that's just football. I don't see why the sec wouldn't love to have the aggies.

David Ubben: Yeah, I don't really get it. The folks that know what they're talking about know that the SEC is crazy not to want the Aggies, which they clearly do. The only problem could be the 14th team.

The fans are kind of another story. As an Arkansas native, I know a pretty large group of Arkansas fans, and the majority of them are not excited about bringing in A&M at all. I spent last weekend in Kansas City with a few of them, and the lack of big-time accomplishments on the résumé and a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach has them and lots of other Hog fans pretty lukewarm to the idea.

The program, facilities and fans make it a good fit from the SEC perspective, though I disagree with the move from the A&M perspective.

I think you'll see all three of those get at least a temporary boost with the move to the SEC. The atmosphere for games will be amped up a bit the first couple of years, but I think the Aggies will have to win over a reasonable percentage of the fans.

Fortunately for them, the same doesn't appear to be true for decision-makers.

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Ryan in Tulsa, Okla., asked: David,Im an OSU fan. I just don't think new OC Todd Monken will have the same impact as Dana Holgerson did last year. Dana just had that knack to stay patient and not ever get overwhelmed when it came to crunch time in big games. I feel Todd might get flustered and nervous in those big game situations when he has to call the right play at the right time. He already has to be feeling pressure about it. How do you think he will do? Also, do you think Brandon Weeden will get to be like Peyton Manning and have the ability to make his own play calls at times?

DU: Well, the facts add up to this: We have no idea. There's not a lot to draw on regarding Monken's play-calling prowess. We have Gundy's endorsement. That's about it. Monken might be great. He might be a significant downgrade. He might be OK. We'll find out pretty quick. There's not a lot of evidence pointing to any of those options just yet.

What we do know is this: He's going to have a heck of a lot of talent running his plays. That makes everyone look better.

As for Weeden calling plays, I don't see that happening, but he'll no doubt have a lot of input and impact on what's called. And besides, even after a play is called or even snapped, he still has a lot of effect on what's going on during the play.

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Chris in San Jose, Calif., asked: Dubbs, I think you did a great job on the top 25 list, but you missed the mark badly on Michael Egnew from Missouri. I'll be the first to admit that he's no Chase Coffman, but he was a All American and voted MVP of the Missouri team by his teammates (over the others you chose for the list). Your point about how average per catch being 44th among receivers is less spectacular when you figure that the highest TE on that stat is at 37th. That's just not a position that lends itself to high avg per reception. He's the only BCS conference TE in the top 100 in yards per game, and he's top 10 in receptions per game, so even though other teams know it's coming to him, they can't stop him.But more to the point, I just don't see how you can leave a returning consensus All American off your top 25 list. There are only 4 returning consensus All Americans in the entire country.

DU: You make some valid points. And it was close. He was probably the first player just outside the top 25. I may be wrong on this, but I just don't see the physical talents that Martin Rucker and Coffman had. And the facts are also this: The crop of tight ends in college football is weak.

There's no Jermaine Gresham or Martellus Bennett in this group.

Here's the core my general thought process: If Andrew Jones was the only tight end on Missouri's roster, and he was given the exact same opportunities Egnew was given, would he be able to have a similar output?

In my opinion, yes. I don't believe you could say that about the players behind guys like Gresham, Bennett, Rucker or Coffman.

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JG in Enid, Okla., asked: This is just awesome. Quinn sharp booting a 62 yard field goal in practice. Not only that the whole team cheering against him and special team coach Joe Defo calling timeout to ice him. Backup QB Clint Chelf taunting him in a manner that makes you think of the Karate Kid. Plus, you have to love Jonathan Rush holding back Grant Garner as he barks like a dog earlier in the video.

DU: Outstanding. Had to get that on the blog somehow.

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Andrew in College Station, Texas, asked: Have you noticed that Pac 12 blogger continually picks teams to "whip" A&M in _____ bowl in the Pac 12 Best/ Worst case scenarios? Seriously, I know I've seen it at least three times.

DU: No worries. It's all simple reverse psychology. I hear A&M is shopping a new conference, but not one in particular. Ted's trying to talk them into coming out west and proving him wrong. He's a fiend, but never forget: Those West-Coast types are much, much smarter than the rest of us in the heartland.

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Jared in Portland, Ore., asked: Dubbs, what's up with this years bowl schedule? No games on New Years Day? Did the BCS forget about tradition? Am I supposed watch parades when I'm hung over?

DU: No worries, fans. It happened a few years ago, and it's happening again. Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday, so the NFL will be playing that day. The good news: College football will be well-sandwiched around those games.

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John Thomas in LeBary, Fla., asked: Not a single Red Raider in the top 25? From the team that has the longest string of bowl appearances in the Big 12? David, Southwest Airlines has several flights a day between Dallas and Lubbock. Book a flight. Spend some time there.

DU: Oh, I've made that flight quite a few times. I was out in Lubbock this spring. This isn't the Red Raiders' year, but who, exactly, would you suggest I put in the top 25 or near it?

Someone from the defense that ranked 118th nationally in stopping the pass and 114th nationally in total defense? Or someone from an offense that lost its top two quarterbacks, a three-year starter at running back and the two top receivers?

The Red Raiders have a lot of potential, but not a lot of proven players. Lonnie Edwards or Cody Davis was probably the closest to making the top 25, but they're going to have be a lot better this year.

Here's betting a few of them make the postseason top 25, but they'll only be there once they earn it.

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Daniel in St. Louis, Mo., asked: I hear Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown are doing pretty well in the preseason. Is there any other school who produces more potential nfl starters at defensive back?

DU: No doubt about it. Texas is absolutely DBU. Credit Duane Akina for that, though. He's one of the league's best position coaches, and his secondary proves it every season.

Guys like Quandre Diggs have a lot of potential. Akina grooms them into stars.

Heading into the season, I see five teams in the Big 12 with a realistic chance to win the league. I'll be breaking them down in order (which won't be the same as my post-spring power rankings) of their chances to leave the season with the Big 12 title.

No. 1 on the list was the favorite: Oklahoma.

No. 2 was Texas A&M.

Oklahoma State came in at No. 3.

Why the Tigers will win the Big 12

1. Experience. Missouri returns 105 starts on the offensive line, losing only center Tim Barnes. That's the most in the Big 12 and 11th most in the nation on an offensive line that was fantastic in 2010. Just less than 80 percent of its total lettermen return, eighth-most in college football. That's a lot of guys who have been around, and the Tigers knocked over a big wall last year when they toppled the Sooners. Eliminate Mizzou's curious road hiccup at Texas Tech, and the Tigers would have been back in the Big 12 title game instead of sharing the Big 12 North with Nebraska after a third 10-win season in four years.

2. Dave Steckel. The Tigers' defense has steadily improved under Steckel, who previously coached linebackers under Matt Eberflus. Missouri had its best defense under Gary Pinkel last year, and that could continue this year with a great mix of experience and upside at linebacker, with Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden set to knock around a few folks. Missouri's defense is noticeably tougher under Steckel, and though the Tigers must replace Aldon Smith and both starting corners, don't expect it to take a big jump back. Though Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines lack the experience of Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, they may prove to be better corners very soon.

3. The defensive line. And what's the best way to negate inexperience at corner? How about the Big 12's best defensive line. Brad Madison is arguably the Big 12's best returning pass-rusher, and his counterpart at defensive end, Jacquies Smith, is one of the better ends in the Big 12, too. Missouri also has the best depth of any defensive line, with Michael Sam and Kony Ealy itching to spell Madison and Smith. At defensive tackle, Terrell Resonno could be poised for a breakout year, and blue-chip recruit Sheldon Richardson, if/when he actually makes it to campus, should join Dominique Hamilton at the opposite tackle spot, making sure Missouri's front four are not to be trifled.

Why the Tigers won't win the Big 12

1. The quarterback has never started a game. Sometimes, it's just this simple. James Franklin may blossom into a star at Missouri, but as a first-year starter, he's bound to have a few bad nights. Can Missouri survive them? Its Big 12 title hopes depend on it. If Blaine Gabbert had stayed, Missouri would likely be a top-15 or top-10 team and join Texas A&M and OSU as the chief contenders to knock off Oklahoma. Instead, the Tigers are relegated to a dark horse/wild-card role that depends heavily on how Franklin performs in his first year. The one advantage he has is after Tyler Gabbert's post-spring transfer, fall camp will be more about cementing his role as starter than winning it. Franklin walked in as a true freshman last spring and eventually won the No. 2 job behind Blaine Gabbert. That says a lot, and he earned some playing time last year, but his sophomore season won't be anything like 2010, when he threw all of 14 passes.

2. The passing game is limited. NFL teams knew Blaine Gabbert had a cannon, but he didn't get very many chances to showcase it to college fans last year, and Franklin may be forced to do the same. T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew are a great duo with some of the best hands in the league and a great sense of space, but without a deep threat to keep defenses honest, their production declined late in the season. Danario Alexander and Jeremy Maclin were able to stretch the field for guys like Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker in the past, but Moe and Egnew won't come close to 2010's production if the Tigers can't find someone to haul in a few passes over the top of the secondary.

3. Trips to Norman and College Station are on the schedule. I hear you, Missouri fans. I was there for the destruction of Texas A&M at Kyle Field last year. But that was a very different Texas A&M team than you'll be facing this time around. And the return trip may not be quite as enjoyable. Jerrod Johnson struggled against the Tigers, but the 30-9 loss was his penultimate start and Ryan Tannehill is driving the bus now. Also, don't count on this one being an 11 a.m. kickoff. I'd plan for prime time, and Kyle Field is a very different place at 8 p.m. than at lunch time. Ask Nebraska. Missouri knocked off Oklahoma last year, too, but don't think the Sooners have forgotten the fourth-quarter meltdown in Columbia. Oklahoma gets both of its losses in 2010 -- Missouri and Texas A&M -- in Norman this year, where it carries a 36-game home winning streak, the nation's longest, into 2011.

We've taken a few passing glances at some 2012 mock drafts, but NFL.com's Gil Brandt ran down his top 100 draft-eligible prospects for 2012. Here's a look with some thoughts on my end.

From the list:

• No. 5: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
• No. 7: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

Lewis could be this year's version of Von Miller, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Lewis is a three-year starter at Oklahoma and had 109 tackles in 2010 and 362 in his college career. Lewis, who was a high school running back has the speed and athletic ability to play at the next level.

• No. 10: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Named after former Dallas Cowboys coach and Hall of Famer Tom Landry, Jones has the size and arm strength teams look for in quarterbacks but is not a good runner. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 38 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions in 2010. Oklahoma does a great job of coaching quarterbacks; former Sooner Sam Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010.

• No. 20: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

He has the speed and quickness to be explosive, much like the Eagles' DeSean Jackson. Broyles had 131 receptions last season for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns

• No. 21: Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State

He's a left tackle for the Cyclones who will likely play guard or right tackle in the NFL. Teams will make the trip to Ames to check this kid out.

• No. 25: Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
• No. 42: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 44: Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas
• No. 49: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
• No. 57: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• No. 71: Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State
• No. 84: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
• No. 88: Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
• No. 93: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

A few thoughts:

• All in all, it's a solid list. That's as high as I've seen Kendall Wright on any list, but he's a solid player with a whole lot of experience and even more speed. Brandt has him as the 14th-best receiver.
• I won't dwell on it, but my thoughts on Michael Egnew remain the same. If he goes that high, I'd be shocked. If somebody wants to tell me what separates him from Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman at the next level, I'm all ears.
• I was pretty surprised to see Travis Lewis that high. He's obviously got great toughness and even better football IQ, but I've never been very impressed with his speed in coverage. The comparison to Von Miller is one I haven't seen before. Clearly, he doesn't have that kind of speed, but if he proves himself a solid coverage linebacker as a senior, I could see him making a jump into the top half of the first round.
• Osemele is the only player NFL teams will be watching from ISU, but I also wonder if anyone from the Cyclones will catch NFL teams' eyes when they're in Ames getting a look at Iowa State's solid bookend.
• Cyrus Gray seems to be a little polarizing among NFL analysts, just like Landry Jones. I'd expect his production to suffer this year with Christine Michael back on the field, but there's no denying what he did at the end of last season. I always pegged Gray as a balanced guy that leaned toward speed as the lesser half of that duo, but he showed some nice power during his late-season tear. There's no such thing as easy yards against Nebraska and LSU.

Missouri tight end Michael Egnew was named one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, given annually to college football's top tight end.

Lance Kendricks of Wisconsin and D.J. Williams of Arkansas join him on the list.

Egnew leads all tight ends with 78 receptions and 663 receiving yards and caught a game-high seven passes for 77 yards in Missouri's 14-0 win over Iowa State on Saturday. That included a first-quarter touchdown catch.

Egnew is Missouri's third Mackey Award finalist in four years, after Martin Rucker was a finalist in 2007 and Chase Coffman won the award in 2008.

Michael Egnew made the cut as a Mackey Award semifinalist earlier this week, and showed why with an impressive touchdown catch to put Missouri up 7-0 late in the first quarter against Iowa State.

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert tossed it over the head of the defensive back, where the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder hauled it in for the score.

Egnew doesn't have blazing speed, but he's a tough matchup for any defender in the Big 12. He's got excellent hands and he's tough to bring down in the open field, just like the Missouri tight ends that came before him and contended for the Mackey Award, Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker.

His 73 catches this year and over 600 yards are by far the best of any tight end in the Big 12, but when he makes catches like that, it's obvious why Missouri uses players like him more as a receiver than as a traditional tight end.

Missouri tight end Michael Egnew is one of eight semifinalists for the Mackey Award, given to the nation's most outstanding tight end. Egnew is the only Big 12 representative on the list.

Egnew leads all tight ends with 71 catches for 586 yards. He ranks 10th nationally in receptions.

Three finalists for the award will be named on Nov. 22.

Egnew continues a tradition of receiving tight ends at Missouri. The Tigers' Chase Coffman won the award in 2008 and Martin Rucker was a finalist for the award in 2007. Both were also All-Americans at the position.

Schedule: Practice starts today

What’s new: Not much, and that's a good thing. Missouri's coaching staff is intact and the team lost just three starters from a season ago. Two of those starters were leaders on last year's team (receiver Danario Alexander and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon), and replacing them will be key for Missouri to make a run at its third North title in four years.

Key battle: The secondary returns all four starters, but junior Kenji Jackson enters camp as the strong safety over last year's starter, senior Jarrell Harrison, who had two minor run-ins with the law this summer for shoplifting and trespassing. Missouri doesn't have a lot of battles for starting positions, but Jackson and Harrison should be the most exciting and impactful. Missouri gave up the second-most passing yards of any team in the Big 12 in 2009, and the back line has to improve for Missouri to improve on its eight-win season in 2009.

New on the scene: Blaine Gabbert's top target. Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp both have experience and could share the job pretty equally of catching balls from Gabbert, one of the conference's best quarterbacks. Alexander's 1,781 yards last season were more than any receiver in college football, but Kemp and Jackson could both realistically top 1,000 yards.

Breaking out: Receiver T.J. Moe or tight end Michael Egnew. Moe will be working the slot and had one of the best springs of any Missouri player. Egnew caught just three passes a season ago, but should be featured more prominently in the screen game like past tight ends at Missouri like Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.

Don’t forget about: Kicker Grant Ressel. He missed just one kick (26-of-27) last season -- a 43-yarder in a downpour against Nebraska -- and eases the pressure on the offense to put the ball in the end zone deep in opponent's territory. If it doesn't, Ressel's pretty close to a sure thing in making sure three points get on the board.

All eyes on: Quarterback Blaine Gabbert. He's got an argument as the conference's best quarterback, but he'll try to prove it this season. Former Missouri star Chase Daniel established himself as a star and Heisman finalist his junior year. Gabbert will try to do the same.

Quoting: "When you look at our program, and I constantly evaluate everything we're doing, I think we've made a lot of progress. There's a consistency of winning that we have. There's a lot of things we have to accomplish, and I want to win at a higher level on a more consistent basis. So I think we look back to evaluate, and then you look forward. You know, I just want to continue to build our program and raise the standards of the winning." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel

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   K_Rutland Fall camp is finally here. I can smell the practice grass in the air! Time to work... 04 Aug 2010 from Twitter for iPhone

Miss your team's mailbag? Here's who we've covered so far:

• Texas Tech
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Jeremy in Fort Smith, Ark., asks: Could Blaine Gabbert end up being a better QB in Mizzou history than Chase Daniel? I don't even think Chase Daniel was that great. Gabbert seems like he could be a good one

David Ubben: Well, Chase Daniel was pretty good, first of all. You can’t short the guy who led Missouri to one of the best seasons in school history in 2007. But it’s hard to make a direct comparison between Gabbert and Daniel. Gabbert is obviously the better pro prospect and clearly built to play the position at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. The biggest difference between the two is that while Gabbert has much better arm strength, he lacks not only Daniel's absurd accuracy, but also Daniel’s deep knowledge of the system. Daniel ran the system during his entire football career from high school through his time at Missouri.

But they were in different situations. In Daniel’s junior year, he had three future NFL draft picks to throw to, along with a couple of other good ones behind them. Gabbert has some talented guys on his team, but he doesn’t have anyone even close to the level of Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman or Martin Rucker. Danario Alexander, who always had the tools to be a good receiver, surprised everyone with just how much he could produce last season. But if Maclin, Coffman or Rucker had been depended upon as heavily as Alexander, they might have produced plenty more than they already did.

Circling back to your main point, it depends on how you want to measure them. If Gabbert had the same skill players around him that Daniel had, he might be able to do what Daniel did as a junior. But Gabbert will be playing against better defenses and against a much tougher Northern division -- specifically Nebraska -- than any Daniel played against. So total wins might not even be a fair comparison.

Generally, I think Gabbert is a better “quarterback” than Daniel. But for the system and what Missouri needed -- someone who was accurate and could make plays -- Daniel might have been better. But like I said earlier, because of all the variables -- better defenses, more talent around Daniel -- it’s tough to make a definite comparison.

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Mike in southern Illinois writes: If Aldon Smith has a great season, what are your feelings on him leaving Missouri for the NFL after this season and by-passing his final two years?

DU: It’s possible, but we’ll see how he does this year. He probably needs to add some weight on his lanky frame to be a force in the NFL, and he needs to become a more well-rounded defensive end to help his stock. The coaches may not want him to put on much weight and have it slow him down because he had so much success with his current size, but I have trouble thinking he’d be as successful against NFL offensive lines at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds. He’s got plenty more potential to live up to, and we’ll get to see him do it this season.

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Steve in Kansas City, Mo. writes: David, Missouri has been waiting for College Gameday to come to Columbia for some time now. What are the chances of the show broadcasting the homecoming game against Oklahoma on 10/23/2010?

DU: I touched on this earlier this month, but it’s looking like a possibility. It is easily the best game in the Big 12 that week, but other national matchups include LSU at Auburn, Washington at Arizona and North Carolina at Miami. If both those ACC teams live up to the hype, that's going to be a fantastic game. But of course, there's a lot of football to be played between now and then.

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Ty in CoMo writes: Why is there no pre hesiman hype for Gabbert??? the dude only put 3,400 yards and 24tds and won 8 games... I get tired of hearing about the Lucks, Locker, Mallets. Gabberts is every bit the NFL prototype any of those are. I am willing to bet mizzou has a better year than all those teams and we will hear whispers of a top 5 pick coming out CoMo! MIZ-

DU: I assume the intent of your second sentence is sarcasm, but you’ve inadvertently hit on the biggest reason why: The dude only won eight games. I’d probably agree that Missouri will win more games than Stanford, Arkansas and Washington, but let’s separate NFL draft status from Heisman hype.

I look at Missouri’s schedule and I see nine or 10 wins. They’ll probably win one or two games out of Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, at Nebraska and at Texas Tech. They should be clearly favored in the rest. Then you add a bowl game, which is probably a toss-up by nature. That’s not going to be enough for him to win the Heisman. If Missouri strings together three wins from that group of games and has 11 wins after the Big 12 Championship week -- North title or otherwise -- then he might push himself into the conversation.

As for the NFL, Gabbert’s probably a toss-up to leave after this season. His performance over the next six months will obviously have a lot of influence over that. I don’t pretend to be an NFL scout, but I know he has the size, arm strength, brain and pedigree to be a top-tier NFL pick. He’s not a first-rounder right now in what looks like a pretty deep 2011 class, but if he has a year with the numbers and wins like Chase Daniel had in his junior year, that might change.

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Mark J in Jefferson City, Mo., writes: Which newcomer (be it first time starter or incoming frosh) do you think will have the biggest impact on the field this year?

DU: After his performance over all of spring practice, it’s tough to think you’ll hear any newcomer’s name more than sophomore T.J. Moe at receiver. He was catching everything this spring, and Gary Pinkel kept bringing his name up during my visit to Columbia this spring. But here’s a few other guys to look out for.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri has had a 1,000-yard receiver in each of the past three seasons. Jeremy Maclin -- a redshirt freshman coming back from a serious knee injury the previous season -- did it in 2007 and 2008, parlaying his efforts into a first-round selection in the 2009 NFL draft.

Last year, Danario Alexander, who previously topped out at 417 yards in a season, made good on his potential and blew away Maclin’s production with over 1,700 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns, almost 300 yards more than any other receiver in college football. Only four receivers surpassed 1,000 yards last season, and Alexander did it after undergoing two knee surgeries before his junior season and another before his final year.

No serious knee injuries have forced this year’s crop of receivers out of spring practice, but there is certainly talent waiting to take hold of new opportunities.

“Somebody always steps up, and before the season, it always seems like, ‘Who’s next?’ We’ll always come up with a guy,” said receiver Wes Kemp. “Somebody will always step up.”

Kemp and fellow junior Jerrell Jackson look like the most likely candidates, entering the season with a 23 and 37 catches a season ago, respectively, playing behind seniors Jared Perry and Alexander.

“I just know our offense needs playmakers this year,” Jackson said. “Knowing I get to take this role is a big privilege to me.”

Less-experienced sophomore Rolandis Woodland is rumored to have Maclinesque speed, but he has just five career catches and no scores. This spring, sophomore T.J. Moe (Kemp insisted it be said that “T.J.” is short for Taylor Jacob) has emerged as a possible contributor as well, leading the team in receptions during spring scrimmages and grabbing 12 passes in Saturday’s spring game.

“He was a QB in high school, but now his hands look like some of the best out there and he runs really good, crisp routes,” Kemp said of Moe. “Being a quarterback really helps his understanding of the game, and I think he’s seen the most improvement out of all of us.”

Tight end Michael Egnew could also help carry on the recent Missouri tradition of outstanding play at the position, following NFL draft picks Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.

Whoever emerges will do so because of those increased opportunities. Missouri threw the ball 467 times last season, a drop from four consecutive seasons in the top three in the conference in pass attempts.

Though Missouri has a solid set of running backs, that number could balloon back over 500 next season.

“Coming here gives you a lot of opportunity. We play in a spread offense and the ball goes multiple ways,” Jackson said.

Players like Alexander and Maclin proved they should get it more.

So, who’s next?

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Gary Pinkel wants Michael Jordan as his quarterback.

"The good ones [do] what Michael Jordan did. He never played his best game," Pinkel said. "He says, 'I can do better.'"

Never in 15 seasons did Jordan put together that perfect game, and neither did Blaine Gabbert in his first. He won't in his second, and if there's a third, he won't then, either. At least, that's the idea.

"The good ones are never good enough. I tell our great players here that. I said that to [Martin] Rucker or [Chase] Coffman or Chase Daniel or Ziggy Hood or any of those guys," Pinkel said. "Those guys, they drive. They don’t ever get caught up in anything they’ve done well. They just keep driving forward and that’s why they do it. That’s what you tell Blaine."

There was plenty of good for Gabbert in 2009. He can count his three touchdowns and 319 yards in the season-opening 38-9 win over Illinois, his first career start, on that list. The same goes for a dominating performance (20-27, 298 yards, 3 TD) aided by the acrobatics of Danario Alexander in a 38-12 win over Kansas State. But those are the games Pinkel would prefer Gabbert forget. The spring was a step toward making sure sub-50 percent completion games like Nebraska and Navy never happen again. That's less about stats and more about the score, which favored the Tigers opponent on both occasions.

"We’ve just got to win football games," Gabbert said. "The individual stats and accolades are nice, but in the end, you’re judged on winning football games."

Pinkel made it clear early this spring what he thought his quarterback could achieve next season.

"The thing he has to do is come out here and practice like he wants to be the best quarterback in the country," Pinkel said earlier this month. "That's the bar he's looking for, to be the best quarterback in the country. And he has the ability to do that. He's driven. He works hard."

Statements like Pinkel's don't add to the pressure for the All-Big 12 honorable mention quarterback likely to ascend the ranks of the conference's passers next season. And it sounds like Pinkel's pushes and mindset have gotten inside Gabbert's head.

"There’s always things you can work on, it doesn’t matter if you’re Tom Brady or still in high school," Gabbert said. "When people label you, you’ve just got to work harder. There’s expectations you’ve got to live up to and that’s what our team is about right now. We want to win football games and the teams that are remembered win championships."

If Jordan isn't available, Pinkel could probably deal with Brady as his quarterback.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Mouth is gone. That was obvious the moment Missouri lined up to stretch before its first spring practice of the post-Sean Weatherspoon era. He won’t be back, and a mouth of Weatherspoon’s volume can’t be duplicated.

But while draftniks discuss whether or not it’s good for an NFL locker room, Missouri is doing it’s best to replace all the good that came from Weatherspoon’s daily demeanor and leadership.

Plenty of candidates abound for the Missouri defense that lost Weatherspoon and fellow outspoken leader and defensive tackle Jaron Baston from last year’s team that finished 8-5. Leading the way is senior cornerback Kevin Rutland.

“I’m trying to help on my own, but he definitely came in here and took that spot,” said senior cornerback Carl Gettis.

Rutland has led the way with his play, too. Production is a necessity for his words to have impact. In five scrimmages this spring, Rutland came away with four interceptions. No other Tiger defender had more than one.

“I’ve watched older players. I’ve been here the longest and I’ve seen what great leaders have done here, as far as Sean Weatherspoon, Lorenzo Williams, Tommy Saunders, Martin Rucker,” Rutland said. “”I watched those guys and I just felt them all my years here and now feel like it’s my time to pilot this team.”

Rutland’s ballhawking antics would be much appreciated this fall. Last season, Missouri defenders intercepted just eight passes in 13 games, second-fewest in the Big 12.

“We’ve had constantly good linebacker play. We’ve had constantly good D-line play. But it seems at times our secondary would fall apart,” Rutland said. “We’ve got to eliminate that completely and we’ll be a great defense.”

Rutland and three other seniors in the Missouri secondary (Gettis and safeties Jasper Simmons and Jarrell Harrison) are ready to make fans and critics forget about their 2009 shortcomings. Rutland has no plans to contribute to a secondary that gave up over 250 yards per game and 20 touchdowns last season.

“Every year we have something to prove,” Rutland said. “You come into a new season, you have goals set to reach every time. If you fall short of that, then it’s an incomplete season.”

After sputtering in the early part of the decade, the Tigers became consistent winners in the latter part of the decade, soaring as high as No. 1 nationally in the week before the 2007 Big 12 title game.

The Tigers are still looking for their first Big 12 title, but they've had many memorable players dot their rosters over the decade.

Here's a look at the best of them. The toughest decision was to leave Justin Gage off the team at wide receiver, although I opted to go with an alignment much like offensive coordinator David Yost preferred, with one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends. My team is reflected with that strategy.

OFFENSE

QB: Chase Daniel

RB: Zack Abron

WR: Jeremy Maclin

WR: Danario Alexander

TE: Chase Coffman

TE: Martin Rucker

OL: Joel Clinger

OL: Tony Palmer

OL: Kurtis Gregory

OL: Rob Droege

C: Adam Spieker

DEFENSE

DL: Justin Smith

DL: Atiyyah Ellison

DL: Lorenzo Williams

DL: Ziggy Hood

LB: Sean Weatherspoon

LB: Marcus Bacon

LB: Brock Christopher

DB: William Moore

DB: Pig Brown

DB: David Overstreet

DB: Shirdonya Mitchell

K: Jeff Wolfert

P: Jake Harry

KR: Jeremy Maclin

Offensive player of the decade: QB Chase Daniel. Orchestrated the Tigers’ back-to-back North Division championship teams in 2007-08, finishing fourth in the Heisman race in 2007 and setting the school’s career total offense and passing records as a senior.

Defensive player of the decade: LB Sean Weatherspoon. Lightly recruited player who emerged to become the dominant defensive player for the Tigers during his three-season career as a starter, leading the team in tackles each season.

Coach of the decade: Gary Pinkel. After struggling in his first two seasons, has taken the Tigers to a bowl game in every season except one, including two Big 12 title games and a No. 4 finish in the 2007 season.

Memory of the decade: Missouri’s 36-28 victory over Kansas in a 2007 showdown for the Big 12 North title pushed the Tigers to their first Big 12 championship game appearance. Daniel completed 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but the game wasn’t settled until Lorenzo Williams sacked Todd Reesing for a safety to ice the victory.

The Big 12 had two national championship teams and five others that played in the BCS title game in the decade.

The two championship teams were the best of the conference's last 10 years. Some of the other BCS title participants were good, but not necessarily among the very best teams during the conference's recent history.

Here's how I rank the Big 12's top 10 teams over the last decade.

1. 2005 Texas: A star-studded team paced by All-Americans Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright and Vince Young ran off 13 straight victories, capping the season with a BCS title-game victory over USC. The team averaged 50.2 points per game en route to a then-NCAA record 652 total points, earning Texas’ first undisputed national championship since 1969. It was the greatest team that Mack Brown ever coached and arguably the best team in the rich football history of Texas.

2. 2000 Oklahoma: Bob Stoops claimed a national championship in his second season coaching the Trojans behind Josh Heupel, who finished second in the Heisman race that season. All-Americans Heupel, linebacker Rocky Calmus and J.T. Thatcher helped the Sooners notch the first undefeated season and national championship in Big 12 history. After winning three of their final four regular-season games by less than five points, the Sooners dominated Florida State in a 13-2 triumph in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.

3. 2008 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy with this team, which overcame a midseason loss to Texas and still claimed the Big 12 title in a 12-2 season that was marred by a 24-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game. The Sooners rolled-up a record 702 points as Bradford passed for 50 touchdowns, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for 1,000 yards and Juaquin Iglesias topped 1,000 yards receiving. The Sooners scored 35 points in each regular-season game and finished the regular season with five straight games of at least 60 points before the BCS title-game loss.

4. 2004 Oklahoma: The Sooners charged to 12 straight victories before a dropping a 55-19 decision to USC in the Orange Bowl for the national title. Freshman running back Adrian Peterson rushed for an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards to finish second in the Heisman. Jason White claimed the Heisman the previous season and his numbers were down with Peterson's arrival, but he still passed for 3,205 yards and 35 touchdowns. This group had strength in the trenches with All-Americans like Vince Carter, Dan Cody, Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton as it claimed Bob Stoops’ third Big 12 title.

5. 2009 Texas: After streaking to a school-record 13-0 mark through the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns dropped a 37-21 decision to Alabama in the national title game in a contest that changed when Colt McCoy was hurt on the fifth play of the game. McCoy became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history during this season, repeatedly hooking up with favorite target Jordan Shipley, who snagged a school-record 116 receptions, 1,485 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Longhorns led the nation in rush defense, and All-American safety Earl Thomas tied a school record with eight interceptions. Lamarr Houston and Sergio Kindle also added playmaking abilities to the defense.

6. 2004 Texas: The Longhorns overcame a midseason 12-0 loss to Oklahoma to finish the season with seven straight victories in a season capped by a dramatic 38-37 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns ranked second nationally in rushing offense and seventh in total offense as Young gradually found his confidence as a passer late in the season. Cedric Benson rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Young chipped in with 1,079 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. This team showed a knack for comebacks, overcoming an early 35-7 deficit against Oklahoma State and also coming from behind in an early-season victory at Arkansas.

7. 2007 Oklahoma: Bradford led the first of two consecutive Big 12 championships on a team that enabled the Sooners to become the first Big 12 school to win back-to-back titles. The Sooners dropped road games to Colorado and Texas Tech but still overcame Missouri in the Big 12 title game behind a huge defensive effort keyed by Big 12 defensive player of the year Rufus Alexander. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency, but the Sooners' bowl struggles continued in an embarrassing 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

8. 2003 Kansas State: Don’t let the Wildcats’ 11-4 record fool you. After an early three-game losing streak to Marshall, Texas and Oklahoma State (by a combined margin of 15 points), Bill Snyder’s team won its final seven regular-season games by a combined margin of 271-66. That streak was culminated by a stunning 35-7 upset victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game -- the last victory by a North Division team in the title game. The Wildcats ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing, scoring, total defense, scoring defense and pass defense as Darren Sproles rushed for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Wildcats dropped a 35-28 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State in a game they fell into an early 21-0 deficit and had a chance to tie on the final play of the game after a frantic comeback directed by Ell Roberson.

9. 2007 Missouri: Chase Daniel led Missouri into the Big 12 title game for the first time in school history, taking the team to No. 1 nationally heading into the conference championship game. The Tigers lost twice to Oklahoma during a 12-2 season that was capped by 38-7 beatdown over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Tony Temple made that game memorable by rushing for a record 281 yards and four TDs that pushed Missouri to No. 4 nationally at the end of the season. A star-studded collection of talent including Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Sean Weatherspoon helped the Tigers rank among the top-10 teams nationally in passing, total offense and scoring and 11th in turnover margin.

10. 2007 Kansas: The Jayhawks earned Mark Mangino the national coach of the year award by running to an 11-0 start before losing to Missouri in the regular-season finale. The Jayhawks rebounded for a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in their first BCS bowl appearance in school history, finishing a 12-1 season that set a school record for victories. Todd Reesing passed for 33 touchdowns to highlight a high-powered offense that scored 76 points against Nebraska and scored at least 43 points in eight games. The Jayhawks were a balanced team that ranked second nationally in scoring offense, fourth in scoring defense and in the top 10 nationally in eight different team statistics. Anthony Collins and Aqib Talib earned consensus All-America honors.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a gift-giving binge around these parts.

As such, here are a few of my holidays presents tucked under the tree for each Big 12 team.

Baylor: Good health in 2010. The Bears' bowl hopes were doomed as soon as Robert Griffin went down with a season-ending knee injury that required surgery. His return to health will be pivotal in their hopes to end the conference's longest bowl drought.

Colorado: A little less bravado -- both on the field and in scheduling. Considering the Buffaloes have made one bowl trip in four seasons with Dan Hawkins, it might be wise to tone down some of their nonconference demands. Of course, Hawkins thought his team would be winning 10 games "with no excuses" this year. So much for that. But the Buffaloes could learn something and scale back on the 2010 nonconference schedule that will feature home games against Hawaii and Georgia and road contest at California and the annual rivalry game against Colorado State in Denver. The North Division will be tough enough, much less adding three other bowl teams.

Iowa State: Talent to match coach Paul Rhoads' enthusiasm. Rhoads clearly has his team playing above expected levels, or else the Cyclones wouldn't be beating Nebraska in Lincoln. But a key for turning a consistent bowl team will be if the ISU staff can upgrade the talent levels on their roster to compete with the Big 12's best teams on a regular basis.

Kansas: More "Kumbaya" sessions with Turner Gill. After the allegations against Mark Mangino for his tough disciplinary demands, Gill would be advised to do a 180 on what was asked before. More juice boxes and an occasional group hug or two would be a start.

Kansas State: Limit themselves to one gooey nonconference treat on the shelf. Victories over Tennessee Tech and Massachusetts provided a lot of empty calories for the Wildcats and one victory too many against FCS teams. If the Wildcats had traded one of those games against a manageable victory over a low FBS team, they would be practicing for a bowl game right now. And for Bill Snyder, that extra work with his team would have been important in its growth.

Missouri: Find another receiver to snag passes for Blaine Gabbert. In the last three years, the Tigers have turned out tight ends Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker and wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander. Gary Pinkel's program has turned out the Big 12's best assortment of receivers. Getting a player to develop from a group including Jerrell Jackson, Brandon Gerau, Rolandis Woodland, T.J. Moe, Wes Kemp or Michael Egnew will be critical in the Tigers' title hopes in 2010.

Nebraska: Developing an offense that isn't so offensive. The Cornhuskers' defense might go down in history as one of the best in Big 12 history. But it still couldn't mask an offense that produced only field goals in losses to Texas and Virginia Tech and one touchdown in a loss to Iowa State. Bo Pelini needs Zac Lee or Cody Green to take the quarterback job and develop a productive identity that is missing.

Oklahoma: Return of the Stoops swagger. It's hard to believe that only a year ago, the Sooners were playing for the national championship and an unprecedented three-peat of conference titles. That seems a long time ago after all of the injuries that led to a 7-5 record that is the worst regular-season mark in Coach Bob Stoops' tenure. The Sooners just need some luck in avoiding injuries and development in Landry Jones to get back in the hunt next season.

Oklahoma State: A big-time offensive playmaker. The loss of Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter for most of the season made the Cowboys seem like a station-to-station team with little breakaway pop on offense. In order to challenge teams like Texas and Oklahoma on a regular basis, Mike Gundy has got to find those kind of players.

Texas: Two more weeks of pundits telling Mack Brown's team that his team doesn't belong in the BCS title game. The Longhorns are already heading to California with a chip on their shoulder after their narrow escape over Nebraska and their offensive struggles in the title. Just wait until they start talking to reporters doubting their legitimacy when they get there. Brown couldn't ask for a better motivational ploy.

Texas A&M: Somebody should give Von Miller the gift set of Ndamukong Suh's videos from this season. Miller's return is critical defensively if the Aggies have any hopes of duplicating their offense. If Miller returned for a senior season, it would give the Aggies a big boost towards becoming a potential darkhorse challenger in the Big 12 South. But he's got to be there to help them.

Texas Tech: A little political correctness for Mike Leach. Even though his team seemed to respond after he blasted the size of his players' girlfriends, he still needs to think through his comments sometimes. But don't we all?