ESPN College Football

2009 overall record: 7-6

2009 conference record: 3-5

Returning starters: Offense (8), Defense (4) P/K (1)

Top returners: RB Alexander Robinson, QB Austen Arnaud, DB David Sims, DB Leonard Johnson, WR Darius Darks, WR Darius Reynolds

Key losses: OL Reggie Stephens, LB Jesse Smith, DB James Smith, LB Fred Garrin, DE Christopher Lyle, WR Marquis Hamilton

2009 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Alexander Robinson* (1,193 yards)

Passing: Austen Arnaud* (2,017 yards)

Receiving: Marquis Hamilton (606 yards)

Tackles: Jesse Smith (135)

Sacks: Christopher Lyle (5)

Interceptions: David Sims (5)

Three spring answers

1. All about the linebackers. Iowa State lost five linebackers to graduation from last year’s team. A.J. Klein, Jake Knott and juco transfer Matt Tau’fo’ou are the likely replacements. Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads says they’re still thinking and playing short of full speed, but their development pleased him in the spring.

2. Arnaud takes hold. Quarterback Austen Arnaud struggled for much of 2009, but Rhoads says the senior was the most improved player on the team in the spring. Sophomore Jerome Tiller played well enough in spot duty last season to push for playing time this season, but Arnaud’s performance in the spring likely postponed Tiller’s chances until next year.

3. Year Two. Last spring, Iowa State was on its third coach in four years. This year, the team has been able to more firmly grasp the concepts of Rhoads’ systems and try to build on the team’s 7-6 finish last season.

Three fall questions

1. Scheduled for a rough landing? Iowa State has one of the conference’s toughest schedules, and Rhoads believes his 2010 team could be better than last year’s and finish with a worse record. The Cyclones play Northern Illinois, Iowa and Utah in the non-conference, and have to play at Texas and Oklahoma in consecutive weeks later in the season.

2. Who’s catching the ball? The Cyclones lost Marquis Hamilton to graduation, and have a talented group of receivers, but how they’ll shake out remains to be seen. Darius Reynolds got off to a hot start in 2009, but a broken leg ended his season. Jake Williams, Darius Darks and Sedrick Johnson will also be options for Arnaud.

3. Sustainable defense? Iowa State ranked in the top half of the conference in scoring defense in 2009, but lost seven starters from the bowl-winning team. Iowa State could be improved in the passing game, but it won’t matter much if the defense can’t be at least almost as good as they were last season.

The Big 12 had 30 players drafted over the weekend, fifth most among the major six conferences.


Here's a look at who went where when:

First round (9):

1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (St. Louis)

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska (Detroit)

3. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma (Tampa Bay)

4. Trent Williams, OL, Oklahoma (Washington)

6. Russell Okung, OL, Oklahoma State (Seattle)

14. Earl Thomas, DB, Texas (Seattle)

19. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri (Atlanta)

21. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma (Cincinnati)

24. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State (Dallas)

Second round (2):

43. Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas (Baltimore)

44. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas (Oakland)

Third round (3):

80. J.D. Walton, C, Baylor (Denver)

84. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas (Cincinnati)

85. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (Cleveland)

Fourth round (4):

110. Darrell Stuckey, FS, Kansas (San Diego)

115. Phillip Dillard, LB, Nebraska (New York Giants)

121. Keenan Clayton, LB, Oklahoma (Philadelphia)

131. Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas (Cincinnati)

Fifth round (6):

135. Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma (Atlanta)

137. Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State (Denver)

141. Joshua Moore, DB, Kansas State (Chicago)

160. Larry Asante, SS, Nebraska (Cleveland)

162. Brody Eldridge, TE, Oklahoma (Indianapolis)

165. Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas (Atlanta)

Sixth round (4):

191. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas (Cincinnati)

196. Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech (Dallas)

198. David Gettis, WR, Baylor (Carolina)

202. Jordan Pugh, DB, Texas A&M (Carolina)

Seventh round (2):

228. Reggie Stephens, OL, Iowa State (Cincinnati)

250. Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State (New England)

When you arrange those by team, Oklahoma comes out on top, with seven selections.

1. Oklahoma (7)

2. Texas (6)

3. Oklahoma State (4)

T-4. Nebraska (3)

T-4. Kansas (3)

6. Baylor (2)

T-7. Iowa State (1)

T-7. Kansas State (1)

T-7. Missouri (1)

T-7. Texas Tech (1)

T-7. Texas A&M (1)

12. Colorado (0)

• Super Bowl champion and Husker alum Carl Nicks stopped by Nebraska's practice on Wednesday to make amends with Bo Pelini after Pelini banned him from Nebraska's pro day in 2007.
• Barry Switzer, Brian Bosworth, Joe Washington and Mark Clayton will be among the Sooners legends taking part in a flag football game before the spring game on Saturday.
• Kansas coach Turner Gill is impressing local high school coaches who have been given access to the Jayhawks' practices, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Nebraska's young defenders used excellent special-teams play last season as a lead-in to success on defense this spring, writes Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Oklahoma 2011 commit Chris Barnett is having a few issues and withdrew from his current school, writes Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News.
• Bobby La Gesse of the Ames Tribune looks at Cyclones center Reggie Stephens' road to the NFL.
• Texas Tech receiver Detron Lewis isn't happy with how his injured hamstring was handled last season.
• Oklahoma State is content with the progression of its defense, writes Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman.
• Colorado's assistants are back on the road recruiting, writes Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera.
• Russ Lande at The Sporting News breaks down former Texas star Sergio Kindle.
• Texas A&M defensive lineman Adren Dorsey was arrested on assault charges Tuesday morning after an incident with an ex-girlfriend.

Monday is here.

Look on the bright side. It means a healthy dose of Big 12 lunch links to help you get through the drag of the first day of the work week.

Here's what I've got.

• The Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff does a nice job of tying up all the details about Missouri's possible move into the Big Ten Conference.
• Todd Reesing and Reggie Stephens didn’t help themselves with their performances at the East-West Shrine Game, the Sporting News’ Russ Lande reports. Lande also notes that Danario Alexander will be in the crosshairs for NFL scouts during practices this week at the Senior Bowl.
• The Austin American-Statesman’s Kirk Bohls is surprised that Texas Tech agreed to such a small contract buyout for Tommy Tuberville, among his delightful “nine things and one crazy prediction” for this week.
• Five incoming freshmen have joined Oklahoma’s team with a goal of immediately joining the Sooners’ playing rotation, the Tulsa World’s John Hoover reports.
• The Denver Post’s Woody Paige writes about a booster-initiated plan to raise $50 million for the Colorado football program.
• Colorado’s early struggles in attracting top recruits are detailed by the Denver Post’s Natalie Meisler.
• The Columbia Daily Tribune’s Dave Matter analyzes staff changes across the Big 12 North.
• Nebraska’s strength and conditioning program with James Dobson in charge is analyzed by the Omaha World-Herald’s Rich Kaipust.
• Tim DeRuyter tells the Bryan Eagle’s Richard Croome that he’s confident in his ability to turn around Texas A&M’s defense.
• Sam McKewon of the Nebraska State Paper.com opines that Bo Pelini has to do a better job of recruiting Nebraska's border states.
• Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier tells Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman that the Broncos’ proposed game with Nebraska for 2011 is off, although he is open to playing the Cornhuskers in the future.
• Denny O’Brien of Bonesville.net expects Ruffin McNeill to be a hit at East Carolina.

Iowa State struggled after Dan McCarney was let go and before Paul Rhoads took the team to a bowl victory this season.

McCarney led the Cyclones to five bowl trips in the first six seasons of the decade. That record was as good as any team's in the North Division to that point.

Things didn't go as swimmingly for the Cyclones for the second half of the decade, although Rhoads' gutty underachievers were one of the biggest surprises in college football in 2009.

Here's a look at my all-decade team for Iowa State.

OFFENSE

QB: Seneca Wallace

RB: Alexander Robinson

RB: Ennis Haywood

WR: Todd Blythe

WR: Lane Danielson

TE: Mike Banks

OL: Reggie Stephens

OL: Cale Stubbe

OL: Bob Montgomery

OL: Aaron Brant

C: Ben Bruns

DEFENSE

DL: Nick Leaders

DL: Brent Curvey

DL: Jordan Carstens

DL: Reggie Haywood

LB: Alvin Bowen

LB: Tim Dobbins

LB: Jesse Smith

DB: LaMarcus Hicks

DB: Ellis Hobbs

DB: JaMaine Billups

DB: Leonard Johnson

P: Tony Yelk

K: Adam Benike

KR: J.J.Moses

Offensive player of the decade: QB Seneca Wallace. Fans remember his serpentine touchdown run against Texas Tech in 2002, but he also led the Cyclones to back-to-back bowl trips while setting the single-season school records for passing and total offense.

Defensive player of the decade: LB Alvin Bowen. A two-time team most valuable player, Bowen produced 155 tackles as a senior in 2006 to become All-Big 12 linebacker and one of the most productive players in ISU history.

Coach of the decade: Dan McCarney. When he was fired after the 2006 season, he had more wins, more bowl trips and more bowl victories than any coach in the school's history. And if he had a more consistent field goal kicker, McCarney might have won that elusive North Division championship that the Cyclones are still looking for.

Moment of the decade: Iowa State’s 37-29 victory over Pittsburgh in the 2000 Insight.com Bowl. Sage Rosenfels passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cyclones to their first bowl victory in school history. It capped a 9-3 season that was the most victories by a Cyclone team since 1906.

Sixteen Big 12 players hoping to better their draft status will be participating in the East-West Shrine Game Jan. 23 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, Iowa State offensive lineman Reggie Stephens, Kansas State defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston, Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall, Texas Tech guard Brandon Carter, Colorado tight end Riar Geer, Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier, Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, Kansas safety Darrell Stuckey, Missouri defensive tackle Jaron Baston, Nebraska safety Larry Asante, Oklahoma running back Chris Brown, Oklahoma cornerback Brian Jackson, Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence are on the West team's roster.

Every Big 12 program except Texas A&M will be represented in the annual all-star game, which will be played for the 85th time.

It will be particularly critical for players like Pawelek, Fitzgerald, Reesing and Toston as they perform before professional scouts in practices next week leading up to the game.

And keep an eye out for Stephens, who plans to work at guard after serving as a center for the Cyclones this season.

One of the neat things about following college football each season is watching players provide unexpected contributions to their teams.

The Big 12 was full of these contributors in 2009, with some emerging to become some of the best players in the country.

Here's a look at 15 of those under-the-radar players, in no particular order, who achieved much more than their coaches ever would have expected coming into the season.

Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander: Beset by injuries much of his career, Alexander never fulfilled much of the promise expected for him. The departure of Jeremy Maclin provided a chance for him to become Missouri’s featured receiver and Alexander took advantage. In the process, he produced conference-best totals of 107 receptions, 1,644 yards and 13 touchdowns. Alexander finished with a flourish with three 200-yard receiving games in his final four contests.

Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara: Amukamara was a nickel back for the Cornhuskers last season who notched 34 tackles, but only five in his final four games. From those struggles, he emerged as a prime playmaker in 2009, tying for the team lead with five interceptions and leading the Blackshirts with 11 pass deflections.

Oklahoma State linebacker Donald Booker: A season-ending knee injury sustained by Orie Lemon a week before the season started was expected to ground the Cowboys’ defense. Booker took advantage of the opportunity by leading the team with 86 tackles, eight tackles for losses and five sacks.

Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick: After producing only two tackles in nine games as a freshman in 2008, Crick won the starting job next to Ndamukong Suh in fall camp. Crick responded by setting the school record with five sacks and seven tackles for losses against Baylor en route to a season with 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 70 tackles.

Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard: After struggling with injuries last season, Dillard was as low as No. 4 on Nebraska’s depth chart during spring practice. The senior earned a starting position early this season and nabbed 76 tackles to tie for second on the team.

Colorado tight end Riar Geer: His earlier career had been marked by injuries and legal woes. But Geer rebounded to lead all Big 12 tight ends with 37 receptions and 426 yards.

Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson: During a streaky sophomore season, Johnson struggled with his consistency in running the Aggies offense. But Johnson took advantage of the offseason, leading the conference and setting a school record with 28 touchdown passes. He also smashed school records with 3,217 passing yards, 3,672 yards of total offense and five 300-yard passing games.

Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight: Josh Smith’s abrupt departure this spring left the Buffaloes needing a breakaway receiver. McKnight had led the team in receiving in each of the last two seasons, but responded with a huge season of 76 receptions to tie for second-most in school history for 893 yards.

Texas A&M defensive end/linebacker Von Miller: Defensive coordinator Joe Kines knew that Miller could develop into a prime playmaker if he could find a spot for him. Kines developed the hybrid “jack” position that combined elements of linebacker and defensive end. Miller took advantage by leading the nation with 17 sacks and ranking fifth nationally with 21 tackles for losses.

Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Sharpe: The former Fresno City College player posted only four tackles last season. But he blossomed this season into the top pass-rushing threat in the league’s top sack-producing defense with 15 sacks, ranking second nationally.

Iowa State linebacker Jesse Smith: The former walk-on linebacker was a strong producer last season, but wasn’t expected to have the monster season he had in 2009. The undersized Smith had a conference-leading 128 tackles, becoming the only Big 12 player to average more than 10 tackles (10.67) this season.

Iowa State center Reggie Stephens: Even after enduring a mid-season appendectomy, Stephens emerged as the foundation of an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks to rank tied for 21st nationally. He earned All-Big 12 honors by the Associated Press and had a string of 36 consecutive starts before he missed the Texas A&M game.

Kansas State tailback Daniel Thomas: When he was recruited from Northwest Mississippi Junior College, Thomas was expected to contend at quarterback. Instead, he developed as the Wildcats’ top offensive threat at tailback, rushing for a league-best 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Texas Tech wide receiver Alex Torres: The transfer from the Air Force Academy returned home to El Paso where he worked as a server at Red Lobster as he awaited another opportunity. Texas Tech provided it to him and he produced team-leading totals of 65 receptions and 791 yards in his first season.

Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston, Oklahoma State: His early career had been marked by struggles as he labored in the shadows of Kendall Hunter. But after the 2008 Big 12 rushing leader went down with a foot injury, Toston rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns to serve as the Cowboys’ top offensive threat.

Here's a look at my All-Big 12 team. There were couple of late selections that were affected by the Big 12 championship game. If you look closely enough, you probably will see where I made my switches.

Oklahoma leads the team with five selections, Texas had four and Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Missouri three picks apiece.

Offense:

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas

TE: Riar Geer, Colorado

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas

C: Reggie Stephens, Iowa State

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri

KR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Defense:

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas

DB: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

P: Alex Henery, Nebraska

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are some trends I'll be watching for in Big 12 games on Saturday:

1. Kansas State’s continuing turnover-producing binge: The Wildcats have been proficient turning the ball over in Big 12 games, providing one of the biggest reasons KSU is unexpectedly in first place in the North Division. The Wildcats have produced 13 turnovers with a plus-7 turnover margin and six interceptions in five Big 12 games. Their opportunism will test Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who has contributed seven turnovers in his last three games directly leading to five opposing touchdowns. If the Wildcats can keep up that pressure, they have a great chance of stealing an upset on Saturday.

2. How Kansas handles the Reesing benching circus: Reesing arguably has accomplished more than any Jayhawk quarterback in history, taking his team to a BCS bowl game and leading them to the brink of the team’s first Big 12 North title in 2007. He’s also made the Kansas record book his own personal playground while he’s been at the school. That’s what makes his benching last week even more curious. It will be interesting to see if the Jayhawks pick up their performance around him against Kansas State. Reesing has never lost to the Wildcats in three previous starts. He needs another victory on Saturday to keep the Jayhawks’ North Division title hopes alive -- and provide some personal redemption.

3. Missouri’s surging pass rush against Baylor: The Tigers really picked up the defensive pressure against Colorado, notching eight sacks last week to spark an impressive victory. Aldon Smith had three sacks and five other Missouri defenders totaled one sack apiece. It was a big turnaround as the Tigers had produced only eight sacks in the previous five games. And they should be able to capitalize on a struggling Baylor offensive line that allowed seven sacks to Nebraska last week -- including five to Jared Crick. Baylor has to do a better job protecting its quarterback if it has any hopes of winning its first conference game.

4. Will Bo Pelini and Shawn Watson chance starting Cody Green against Oklahoma’s blitz-heavy defense? Brent Venables is one of the savviest defensive coordinators in the conference with a vast collection of defenses he likes to employ. His unit might be like sharks smelling fresh blood as it faces Green in his second career start. Consider that Colt McCoy said that he saw blitzes when playing against Oklahoma earlier this season he had never seen before. And that was in his 45th career college start, when he was knocked to the ground 14 times in the first half of that game and struggled through his most troublesome game of the season against the Sooners. Imagine the challenge facing that defense will provide for the inexperienced Green.

5. Landry Jones against the Nebraska defense: The Oklahoma redshirt freshman quarterback has been effective since taking over the starting job after Sam Bradford’s injury. But he will be facing a huge challenge against a Nebraska defense that has allowed only eight touchdowns all season. The Cornhuskers have held their last seven opponents to 280 yards or less. And the Cornhuskers have allowed only three touchdown passes all season, tied with Air Force and Penn State for the nation’s best. It will be a tough test for Jones, the nation's leader among all freshman quarterbacks in the with 17 touchdown passes, to attack the Blackshirts.

6. Will Cody Johnson emerge as Texas’ featured running back? Texas coaches have been pleased with Johnson’s development after he lost about 20 pounds since the start of the season. They believe his tough inside running provides the most consistent running presence the Longhorns have. Will he edge past Fozzy Whittaker in the starting lineup, or will Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis prefer to use them in a two-pronged attack? Whoever emerges will be challenged by an underrated UCF defense that ranks ninth nationally in run defense, eighth in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss, and has allowed its last four opponents to rush for an average of only 74.3 yards per game.

7. What will the Texas defense will do for an encore after Oklahoma State? Four different members of the Longhorns’ secondary produced interceptions last week. Two of them were returned for touchdowns. Earl Thomas is playing at the level of a Thorpe Award winner. The Longhorns are allowing opponents a nation-best average of 52.9 rushing yards per game and 1.76 yards per carry. Can they continue that intensity with a schedule that will provide few challenges between now and the Big 12 championship game?

8. Oklahoma State’s performance after its blowout loss to Texas: The Cowboys’ loss to Texas likely ended their hopes of playing in their first Big 12 title game or making the school’s first BCS trip. The Cowboys were their own worst enemy against the Longhorns with five turnovers, including four interceptions thrown by Zac Robinson. It will be a challenge for them to rebound against a gritty Iowa State team that is only a blown extra point against Kansas State and an overthrown pass against Kansas from leading the Big 12 North. The Cowboys have developed some confidence on the road in recent games, winning six of their last nine games away from Stillwater after going 2-11 earlier in Mike Gundy’s tenure. His team still has a lot to play for, even though their title hopes are gone.

9. The return of Iowa State’s offensive weapons: For the first time since the Baylor game on Oct. 17, the Cyclones will have starting quarterback Austen Arnaud and tailback Alexander Robinson back in the starting lineup together. And starting center Reggie Stephens will be back after missing 10 days following an appendectomy. The return of offensive standouts will give the Cyclones a better chance of competing against Oklahoma State in a game that Iowa State desperately needs to keep its Big 12 North title hopes alive. A victory would secure eligibility for its first bowl game since 2005.

10. Meet Jerrod Johnson, the nation’s most underrated and productive starting quarterback: The Texas A&M quarterback leads the conference in touchdowns passes (20) while throwing the fewest interceptions (three) of any Big 12 starting quarterback. How will the surging Aggie offense fare against a struggling Colorado team that ranks last in the conference in pass efficiency defense and 11th in scoring defense? The Aggies, however, will be battling some long history as they’ve won in Colorado only once in the history of the conference. That came in 1997 when R.C. Slocum was coaching A&M and Rick Neuheisel was directing the Buffaloes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

IRVING, Texas -- Welcome to the Big 12 media days, the annual gathering of all the teams, coaches and major players over the next three days. We'll be kicking things off at about 2 p.m. ET Monday at the Westin Hotel.

Nebraska, Texas A&M, Iowa State and Oklahoma State will appear today. All of the coaches' press conferences will be available on ESPNews and at Big12sports.com. Nebraska's Bo Pelini will be the first at the dais at 2 p.m.

Here's a look at what I'm interested in learning from the coaches today. All times are Eastern.

Nebraska (2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.) I'll be curious what Pelini thinks about Zac Lee and his quarterbacking situation heading into fall practice. I'm also curious what Pelini's opinion is on the growing groundswell for his team as the potential North Division favorite. And I'm also looking forward to talking to Ndamukong Suh, the conference's best defensive player coming into the season.

Oklahoma State (2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.) There's more preseason buzz around the Cowboys than at any time in perhaps the history of the school. OSU is a fashionable top-10 preseason pick because of its explosive offense. But I'm more interested in what coach Mike Gundy and linebacker Andre Sexton have to say about the Cowboys' retooled defense under new coordinator Bill Young. Because that ultimately will determine whether the Cowboys are legitimate BCS contenders or not.

Iowa State (3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.) New ISU coach Paul Rhoads will make his first appearance at a large media gathering when he visits today. I've been very impressed with Rhoads in the brief encounters I've had with him. It will be interesting to see how he plays to the crowd. And it will also be interesting to see what ISU players Austen Arnaud, Nate Frere and Reggie Stephens have to say about climbing out of the Big 12 North cellar.

Texas A&M (4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.) Expectations are down at Texas A&M more than at any time in recent memory. Does coach Mike Sherman have a plan to return the Aggies to respectability? He's brought quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who will be questioned about a looming battle for his starting job with Ryan Tannehill. And safety Trent Hunter and defensive tackle Lucas Patterson will talk about the challenge of returning the "Wrecking Crew" to Texas A&M's offense.

It should be interesting. Stay tuned to the blog for updates throughout the afternoon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 announced most of the players who will be attending the conference's annual media days, beginning next Monday in Arlington, Texas.

One interesting trend this season is that several coaches are planning to bring assistant coaches with them. Baylor coach Art Briles will be joined by defensive coordinator Brian Norwood, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will be assisted at the proceedings by veteran linebackers coach Brian Cabral and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy will be joined by cornerbacks coach Jason Jones.

Here's a look at the daily breakdown of teams and who will be attending to represent each school.

Monday July 27

• Nebraska: Coach Bo Pelini, RB Roy Helu Jr., C Jacob Hickman, DT Ndamukong Suh.
• Oklahoma State: Coach Mike Gundy, cornerbacks coach Jason Jones, QB Zac Robinson, LB Andre Sexton, WR Dez Bryant.
• Iowa State: Coach Paul Rhoads; QB Austen Arnaud, G Reggie Stephens, NG Nate Frere.
• Texas A&M: Coach Mike Sherman, players to be announced.

Tuesday July 28

• Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel, LB Sean Weatherspoon, NT Jaron Baston, G Kurtis Gregory.
• Baylor: Coach Art Briles, defensive coordinator Brian Norwood, QB Robert Griffin, S Jordan Lake, LB Joe Pawelek, C J.D. Walton.
• Kansas: Coach Mark Mangino, QB Todd Reesing, WR Kerry Meier, DE Max Onyegbule.
• Oklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops, QB Sam Bradford; DT Gerald McCoy, TE Jermaine Gresham.

Wednesday July 29

• Kansas State: Coach Bill Snyder, players to be announced.
• Texas Tech: Coach Mike Leach, T Brandon Carter, CB Jamar Wall, DT Colby Whitlock.
• Colorado: Coach Dan Hawkins, linebackers coach Brian Cabral, TE Riar Geer, LB Marcus Burton, LB Jeff Smart.
• Texas: Coach Mack Brown, players to be announced.

It looks like we were able to get most of the players with compelling story lines. I expect Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson both to make appearances for their respective schools, as well.

Just curious if any of you have any specific questions you'd like me to ask the players.