ESPN College Football

NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. broke down his top-five prospects at each position among juniors and seniors entering the 2013 draft.

You'll need ESPN Insider to see both (here are the juniors) (and here are the seniors), but here's a taste of what you can find among the seniors.

Quarterbacks

• No. 3: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
• No. 5: Geno Smith, West Virginia

Fullbacks

• No. 1: Braden Wilson, Kansas State

Receivers

• No. 2: Terrance Williams, Baylor
• No. 4: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Offensive tackles

• No. 5: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

Centers

• No. 5: Ben Habern, Oklahoma

Inside linebackers

• No. 3: Arthur Brown, Kansas State

Cornerbacks

• No. 5: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma

Punters

• No. 2: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State

Kansas conclude its spring session on Saturday, but coach Charlie Weis has seen enough.

He opened up a vote to his new team, which elected three captains: Quarterback Dayne Crist, offensive lineman Tanner Hawkinson and defensive lineman Toben Opurum.

A fourth, special-teams captain will be named before each game in the fall.

"I don’t think it’s fair for a guy coming in, in June to be able to be picked a captain. They have not paid the price that these guys have paid since (Scott) Holsopple started the weight program in January," Weis told reporters Tuesday. "Now is the time that I need the leadership. I don’t need it in June, I need it now, when the coaches are on the road recruiting and when I am flying from place to place to speak at luncheons and dinners. I need veteran guidance for these players to make sure there is somebody there saying, ‘Hey, don’t do that’, or ‘Why would you do this?’"

There's no surprise in any of the three being named, but Crist's and Opurum's stories are unique. Hawkinson has been one of the team's best and most consistent linemen for each of his three seasons on campus.

Opurum led the team in rushing in 2009 before coach Turner Gill moved him to the defensive line. He picked up his new position late in the season and was named a captain for 2011.

Crist spent four seasons at Notre Dame but was benched early in 2011. He transferred at the end of the season and rejoined his former coach, Weis. Teammates have already labeled Crist as a go-to guy for questions about Weis' system and coaching style.

This week's Senior Bowl and next month's NFL scouting combine will help decide who will hear their names called, and when, in April's NFL draft, but what about next year?

Mel Kiper unleashed his top five returning players for 2012, the top prospects at their positions in next year's draft.

Lots of interesting names. Here's where the Big 12 talents sit.

Quarterbacks

• No. 2: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
• No. 4: Geno Smith, West Virginia

Fullbacks

• No. 1: Braden Wilson, Kansas State
• No. 5: Ryan Clarke, West Virginia

My take: Good to see Wilson's name on this list. He's impressed coach Bill Snyder from the start, and Wilson was an underrated reason for K-State's success running the ball the past two seasons with Daniel Thomas in 2010 and Collin Klein/John Hubert in 2011. One of the Big 12's toughest players.

Receivers

• No. 1: Terrance Williams, Baylor
• No. 3: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

My take: Both of those names made me do a double take. Williams was a great player this season, and you perhaps best know him as the player who caught the game-winning touchdown to beat Oklahoma, but he's never looked to me like a player who could be the first receiver drafted. We'll see how he does in 2012 as Baylor's No. 1 receiver, with Nick Florence throwing him the ball instead of Robert Griffin III. Williams could become a star.

Austin always struck me as an undersized player, but there's no denying his playmaking ability. Few can match his game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands.

Offensive tackles

• No. 5: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

Centers

• No. 4: Ben Habern, Oklahoma

Defensive ends

• No. 1: Alex Okafor, Texas

My take: No surprise there. Okafor burst on the scene this season, and has that combination of size and speed you rarely see outside of players who become first-round picks.

Inside linebackers

• No. 4: Arthur Brown, Kansas State

Outside linebackers

• No. 4: Sean Porter, Texas A&M
• No. 5: Zaviar Gooden, Missouri

Cornerbacks

• No. 4: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma

Punters

• No. 2: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State

Kansas coach Charlie Weis wasn't looking to make friends the first time he addressed his new football team.

Christmas break is approaching after a week of finals tests, and Weis warned his Jayhawks. They'd better enjoy it. When they returned to campus, the mood wouldn't be quite so jolly.

"It’s not going to be pleasant," he told them. "I can’t promise you much, but I can promise you that."

If he was going to rebuild a program, he was going to start it with a grueling offseason conditioning program, and the least he could do was offer his new team a fair warning.

"Honestly, some guys, their ears perked up when they heard him say that," said senior offensive lineman Tanner Hawkinson. "But hey, I’m all for working hard. That’s what builds a team, ultimately. Knowing you’re playing with guys to your right and left that went through those grueling workouts with you in the offseason."

Hawkinson has been through coaching changes before. He signed with Mark Mangino in 2008 and stuck around for the transition to Turner Gill after earning All-Big 12 and Freshman All-American honors in 2009.

Players like Hawkinson will be charged with the oft-mentioned "senior leadership" in smoothing over the transition this time around.

"There’s just a lot of excitement and anxiousness. Some guys are ready to get other coaches in place so we can get the ball rolling. Everyone’s excited," he said. "There was quite a bit of surprise on the team when he was named head coach because, following the search this past week and a half or so, his name never really came in the conversation."

Hawkinson followed the search closely like many of his teammates, waiting to hear who would coach his final season of college football.

Weis brought with him a reputation and respect earned in the NFL and at Notre Dame and Florida, where other candidates with less experience may have had to build up.

"He’s really easy-going, really personable," Hawkinson said. "He’s cracking jokes every now and then, but he’s also getting his point across about how he’s wanting to build this program back on top."

He added: "You hear him, but never would I have thought he’d be the coach at Kansas while I was here."

The Jayhawks have a long, long way to go to reach the top after a 2-10 season that features six losses by 30 points or more. Weis' focus for now is taking down the "other program in the state" that finished the year 10-2 and worrying about the rest of college football once that score is settled.

Kansas State has beaten Kansas in all three seasons since coach Bill Snyder took over, including 52 and 38-point losses in each of the last two meetings.

"He told us as well, from what he’s seen, it all goes back to those little things, making sure you do the little things right, even making it to class on time. All that kind of starts in the weight room," Hawkinson said.

The hard part is waiting to hear who the new man would be, but the hardest part will arrive next month.

"You worry about the future and who’s coming in, but we’ve got coach Weis in place. We don’t have to worry about that anymore. We’ve just got to worry about these workouts coming up."

Texas says, "Sorry, our schedule's booked up."

Turner Gill says the rivalry belongs in the Big 12.

Thursday night, Texas and Texas A&M will play for the 118th time. Only two rivalries have been played more.

It might be the last time. It will be the last time for the foreseeable future.

On Saturday, Missouri and Kansas will meet for the 119th time. Minnesota and Wisconsin are the only teams that have met on more occasions.

Realignment will claim two more victims upon Missouri and Texas A&M's exits to the SEC: Two of the nation's best rivalries.

"It’ll be difficult to ignore. Everybody knows what’s out there," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "It’s all part of it. I think there’s enough things on the table to motivate them. It’s certainly something everybody’s aware of."

That includes players. Here's thoughts from a few that grew up around the rivalry think about the rivalries' existence and ending.

Additional reporting by Carter Strickland of HornsNation.

What's your best memory in this rivalry, whether you played in the game or watched it?

Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M: Growing up as a Longhorn, I just remember how intense these games were. It didn't matter, the rankings didn't play a factor. Every game was just a battle. It was hard-nosed football. So much tradition involved in the game, and that's the main thing.

Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas: Most recently, the one in '08 when Todd Reesing hit Kerry Meier at the end to win the game. I was redshirting, but I was at the game and it was just a crazy, crazy game. One of the better games I've witnessed.

There's quite a bit of hatred between the two schools going back to the Civil War and the battles between the Jayhawkers and Missouri. There's just a lot of hatred between the two schools.

T.J. Moe, WR, Missouri: The one in '07, the big one, was when I started watching because (former MU corner) Carl Gettis was playing and he was my high school teammate. Everybody knows what kind of game that was. That was kind of the start of, when both teams had great seasons, they started calling it the Border Showdown. That was a big game and a fight for No. 1. We got that safety in the end zone on Todd Reesing, and in 2008 they came back and got us, and thats how rivalry's supposed to be, back and forth like that. The '09 game was great, too. We had to win on a last-second field goal.

Are you for or against Texas A&M leaving for the SEC?

Blake Gideon, S, Texas: Against.

Does it matter that they're leaving?

Gideon: It doesn’t matter to me. This is my last year playing them anyway. It’s definitely one of those deals kind of like Nebraska last year that we want to send them off the right way. At Missouri we failed to do that this year.

What did you think when you heard it was probably ending?

Hawkinson: It's something that's gone on for a ton of years now, I'm not even sure how many. Obviously, it's disappointing. I wish it could go on, but we wish them well. It's something I feel like should stay in the Big 12, and they're going to the SEC, so, it's something they're going to just have to deal with if they're not in the Big 12 anymore.

Moe: I don't have any control over that. As far as players go, I think both sides would love to play each other. I can't speak for the administration. I think the administration over there keeps saying it's done if you're not going to be in the Big 12 anymore, but I'm sure players on both sides would love to continue the rivalry and we hope to do that.

Swope: There's so much tradition and history involved, it's going to be tough not to see Texas on the schedule, but it's a fun game. We're going to enjoy this one and we want to go out the right way.

Where you're from [Gilmer, Texas], are there a lot of Aggies?

David Snow, OL, Texas: Let’s just be honest — I’m the only one in my top 10 percent that came here. Everybody else is at A&M. Once they went to the dark side, I haven’t really stayed in that much contact with them. Changing my phone number and stuff.

Is there more pressure to win because it is the last one?

Snow: We have a lot of pressure every week to win, hell we’re Texas. You don’t expect to lose and you don’t want to lose.

Would you call it a nasty rivalry?

Snow: Yeah. I mean certain things happen there. When you hate two people certain cheap shots go on, especially on the other side. Never by us.



What's this rivalry mean to you?

Swope: It's a very personal game for me. I've got a lot of friends that are graduated from Texas or at Texas right now. Growing up in Austin, growing up a Longhorns fan, it's going to be real personal. My dad graduated from Texas. I have friends that go to school there and friends that are players for the other team.

Hawkinson: It's a great sense of pride for not only the university, but for the state of Kansas. It'd be a huge win not only for the university, but for the people that live in Kansas.

Moe: I didn't watch a whole lot of college football growing up, but when I did, it was Missouri-Kansas. It's a pretty special thing. It's been so close. It's almost tied up for the 100-something years we've been playing. It's just fun and something you look forward to. It doesn't matter if either team is bowl-eligible. We might have both gone winless and this game would still be special. It goes back to the Civil War days when it was a lot more serious than it is now.



What will you miss most about it?

Hawkinson: Getting prepared. The week leading up to it, this week, guys come in to practice and they're already excited. It's kind of an easy week to get pumped up for and practice hard for. Especially going up and playing at Arrowhead, it's a great environment, especially with two teams playing against each other with all the hatred toward each other. All that leading up to the game and one you get to the game, just playing in that atmosphere.

Swope: All the tradition and the history in this game. It goes back to the Bonfire and how big this game is and how much history it holds. It's one of those things. Everyone pulls tickets for this game. It's on Thanksgiving. It's a very traditional game being played and they've been doing it for so long, I think I'm just going to miss almost everything about the game.

Moe: If I miss a year of it, that's pretty sad. It's your rival. We had Nebraska, we lost them and we had Kansas. Those were our two big rivals. Now, of course, we'll move to the SEC and we'll kind of have A&M maybe as our new rival or whatever, but I don't know if it's ever going to be the same without Kansas because it has such deep roots, especially the guys on the team from Kansas City. They live in the war zone over there and it's pretty special to them.

I did my best to answer your questions. I've been more or less banned from speaking about Kansas this year, so I couldn't have a whole lot of fun.

I'm just saying: The guy's a judge. He could put a shirt on.

• This year's Bedlam is so big it needs a new name, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. Readers: What ya got?
• Is Missouri a financial fit in the SEC? Its spending in sports pales in comparison to the best in the SEC, writes Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Here's how Missouri stacks up in total athletic department spending.
• If the Tigers leave, there are no winners, and both sides could have done a lot to maintain the relationship, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. He's got a little more to say about the column in his blog, too.
• Former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer talks about Missouri's possible future membership in the league with Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News. Interesting stuff here.
• Less practice and more fun have meant big success at Oklahoma State, writes Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com.
• Will it mean a Heisman for Justin Blackmon? OSU's receiver knows his position puts him at a disadvantage, but Jeff Miller of ESPN Dallas checks out his chances.
• Cedric Golden and Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman grade the first half of the season for Texas.
• Do the right thing, Kansas: Fire Turner Gill and re-hire Mark Mangino, writes Bill Reiter of Fox Sports.
• Iowa State receiver Darius Reynolds is nicknamed "Money" and he's finally living up to the moniker, writes Mark Emmert of the Des Moines Register.
• Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram looks back on the highlights and lowlights of the first half of the season.
• Oklahoma State's Wilson Youman is one of the last two-way players, but he's excelling for the Cowboys, writes John Helsley of The Oklahoman.
• A piece of history at Oklahoma nearly ended up in the trash can.
• The rivalry in Kansas has a special effect on Kansas OL Tanner Hawkinson's household, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Get ready for a fast game in Norman on Saturday, writes David Just of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

KANSAS

2010 overall record: 3-9

2010 conference record: 1-7

Returning starters: Offense (8), Defense (6) P/K (0)

Top returners: RB James Sims, WR Daymond Patterson, QB Jordan Webb, LB Steven Johnson, OL Tanner Hawkinson, DB Isiah Barfield, LB Huldon Tharp

Key losses: CB Chris Harris, LB Justin Springer, DL Jake Laptad, LB Drew Dudley, S Olaitan Oguntodu, WR Johnathan Wilson

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: James Sims* (742 yards)

Passing: Jordan Webb (1,195 yards)

Receiving: Daymond Patterson* (487 yards)

Tackles: Steven Johnson (95)

Sacks: Jake Laptad (4.5)

Interceptions: Tyler Patmon*, Isiah Barfield* (2)

Three spring answers

1. Sudden strength up front. Pat Lewandowski redshirted last season, and former running back Toben Opurum tried to learn the intricacies of the defensive line. This spring though? Both were standouts and could be impact players up front for a Jayhawks defense that needs it badly. Kansas may have a couple solid athletes who underwent position changes at the back of the defense, too. Former receivers Keeston Terry and Bradley McDougald look like the Jayhawks' starting safeties.

2. Lightning to Sims' thunder. Leading rusher Sims returns and figures to log plenty of carries, but freshman Darrian Miller showed a burst that no other Jayhawks running back had previously. He enrolled early and started making plays immediately, which should land him on the field next season.

3. Add another receiver to the mix. Kale Pick is another Jayhawks player who dealt with a position change last year. He had little impact as a receiver after making the switch from quarterback, but he showed great hands all spring and led the team in receptions at the spring game. He looks like he’s got a natural understanding of the position and is following in the footsteps of another Jayhawks great: Kerry Meier.

Three fall questions

1. Can they be competitive? No amount of scrimmaging will give Kansas the answer to this question. The Jayhawks were blown out often last year, losing five games by more than 20 points. Is the program back to being one that can at least flirt with more than three wins in 2011? Kansas must show progress.

2. Who’s the QB? Webb has the edge ahead of Quinn Mecham after the spring, but the wild card shows up to campus this fall. Brock Berglund, the top prospect in Colorado, enrolled early before heading back home before practice began. He plans to be back this fall and could throw a wrench into the quarterback competition if he grasps the offense quickly.

3. Is Tharp back to 100 percent? Linebacker Tharp showed the makings of an All-Big 12 talent as a freshman in 2009. A leg injury kept him off the field in 2010, and he was limited this spring. Once he’s back on the field next fall, can he continue his development and look at least like his old self?

Oh, yes. It's that time again.

I made my first go-around this summer, and it was definitely a fun experience that inspired tons of discussion. Perhaps my favorite moment: The group of you (much, much larger than I ever expected) who felt the need to fill my inbox with angry e-mails after I jokingly teased in July that Garrett Gilbert would be No. 1 on my list that was "heavily weighted toward players' actual accomplishments in their college careers." Oh, you readers.

Now, it's time to do the whole project all over again, starting Monday.

We're ranking the top 25 players in the Big 12. This list, however, is based solely on their performances during the 2010 season. I composed my preliminary list on Thursday, but it's nowhere near finished.

One quick note: This is one of the last cases in which Nebraska and Colorado will remain on the Big 12 blog. Since their players did play in the Big 12 in 2010, they're going to be included on this list.

Here's what my top 25 looked like before the season:

• No. 1: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
• No. 2: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
• No. 3: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 4: Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
• No. 5: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
• No. 6: Nate Solder, LT, Colorado
• No. 7: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
• No. 8: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 9: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
• No. 10: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 11: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• No. 13: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
• No. 14: Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State
• No. 15: Sam Acho, DE, Texas
• No. 16: Roy Helu, Jr., RB, Nebraska
• No. 17: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
• No. 18: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
• No. 19: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 20: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 21: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
• No. 22: Brian Duncan, LB, Texas Tech
• No. 23: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 24: Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas
• No. 25: Blake Gideon, S, Texas

As I'm sure you can tell, plenty of guys dropped off the early draft of the postseason list. Plenty of others will be crashing the party pretty high on the list.

Others made big moves up or down. I'm interested to hear your input before we get this thing kicked off.

So, who deserves to go where?

Kansas Jayhawks

Record: 2-3 (0-1 Big 12)

The loss to North Dakota State prompted an "Oh, no" reaction from fans, which was quickly replaced by "But wait!" after the Jayhawks upset the defending ACC champions, Georgia Tech, in Lawrence. Those have since been replaced by "Nevermind" after convincing losses to Southern Miss and Baylor -- the Bears won by a school-record in conference play 48 points -- and Georgia Tech's fall out of the top 25. It's going to be a long season in Lawrence, but Turner Gill's rebuilding effort begins here, as the only team in the Big 12 with a losing record. Kansas was in the Orange Bowl and won three years ago. Winning big isn't impossible there. Gill has been decisive, moving top recruits and past contributors like Toben Opurum and Keeston Terry to defense, while handing his offense to a pair of freshmen and a converted cornerback in quarterback Jordan Webb, running back James Sims and receiver Daymond Patterson. The good news for Kansas is that most of its top talent is young, along with players like left tackle Tanner Hawkinson, injured linebacker Huldon Tharp. If Gill can recruit well and surround those guys with more talent, the rebuilding job might get off the ground fast.

Offensive MVP: WR Daymond Patterson – Patterson provided the defining play of Kansas' season, a short pass he turned into a 32-yard touchdown that put Kansas up by 11 in the fourth quarter by breaking a handful of Georgia Tech tackles. He's also provided Kansas with its most consistent target and playmaker in the passing game, recording 28 receptions for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns. You could make a strong case here for James Sims as well, who topped 100 yards against Georgia Tech and added 115 more with a pair of scores in Kansas' other win against New Mexico State.

Defensive MVP: LB Justin Springer – Springer had his best game of the year in the win over Georgia Tech, making 15 stops with three tackles for loss and a sack, one of just three for the Jayhawks this season. He's second on the team with 38 tackles, but leads with five tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 242-pounder has helped the Jayhawks with some senior leadership as well.

The Lombardi Award features my favorite trophy in sports. It's uncluttered, unique, and symbolic of what the award is about, being an immovable object or unstoppable force in the trenches.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a photo. The Heisman is undoubtedly more iconic, but give me the Lombardi as a sweeter trophy. There's not another one like it. Anybody can sculpt a bronze man with a leather helmet in a variety of football stances.

This year, the Big 12 will host 10 candidates for the award, given annually to the best player who essentially lines up in what's referred to as "the box," or down linemen on offense or players on defense who line up closer than 10 yards to the line of scrimmage and within five yards wide of where the ball is spotted.

In short, offensive linemen, linebackers and defensive linemen.

Here are some players to watch:

• Sam Acho, DE/DT, Texas
• Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska
• Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State
• Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
• Kyle Hix, OT, Texas
• Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• Von Miller, LB/DE, Texas A&M
• Nate Solder, LT, Colorado
• Danny Watkins, LT, Baylor

Pretty good list filled with the usual suspects for these sorts of things, minus Missouri's Aldon Smith, who finished fourth in the conference with 11.5 sacks last season. He absolutely deserved to be on this list. Fellow sophomore offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson of Kansas might have found a spot on here, too. The same goes for Jayhawks defensive end Jake Laptad. But again, it's just a watch list. Not being on the preseason list won't keep them from winning the award if they prove dominant during the season.

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh won the 2009 award to give the Huskers their fifth winner, second-most nationally, behind Ohio State. Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy was also a finalist.

The Big 12 has taken home two consecutive Lombardi Awards; Brian Orakpo preceded Suh as 2008's winner.

Oklahoma and Texas have three winners each.

Texas A&M is the only other school in the Big 12 with a winner. Dat Nguyen, currently the Aggies linebackers coach, won the trophy in 1998.

Time to answer some Jayhawks questions. Here's the team-themed mailbags we've already gotten around to:

• Texas Tech
• Texas A&M
• Texas
• Oklahoma State
• Oklahoma
• Nebraska
• Missouri
• Kansas State

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Austin in Houston asks: Unlike last year, Kansas is lacking in the star power this season. With the departures of Reesing, Meier, Briscoe and Stuckey, who has the potential to be a household name by the end of the season?

DU: Keep an eye out for cornerback Chris Harris or tight end Tim Biere. The talent level at the tight end position across the Big 12 is pretty weak, but Biere is going to get a lot of looks with a young quarteback. If he takes advantage of them, he could become one of the league's best by season's end.

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Marcus in Topeka, Kan., asks: Since you are not so high on the Jayhawks this year, but Mangino left a good foundation, how long will it take for Coach Gill to have the Hawks competitive in conference?

DU: It's tough to say one certain year, but it's all going to depend on recruiting and development. We have no idea how good Gill will be at those things just yet. This isn't basketball, where one transcendent player can carry you to the Sweet 16 for a year. They've got some nice building blocks in Toben Opurum and offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson. Huldon Tharp looked like another before the injury that will cost him the 2010 season. But starting next season, it's going to depend on who they surround them with.

Kansas has 15 commitments for its 2011 class, which is a nice number, but none of those guys look like game changers. They're going to need at least a few to be a major threat in the Big 12 by 2012 or 2013.

Gill did a great job rebuilding the Buffalo program, so he's faced steeper odds than he faces now, bringing up a program that won the Orange Bowl after the 2007 season. But it's not going to be easy, especially with a tougher, nine-game round-robin schedule that's probably going to kick in before the 2011 season.

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Shawn in Muskogee, Okla., asks: What do you think of the Jayhawks running game, and do you think Rell Lewis will get an chance to produce this season?

DU: It sounds like a mess. When your top runner is a sixth-year senior who played linebacker last year, that's not a good sign. Not to discount Angus Quigley, but they've got to figure out who they can count on during camp. Surely, Lewis will get his chances, but so will last year's leading rusher, Opurum, and incoming freshman Brandon Bourbon. The same goes for redshirt freshman DeShaun Sands. Kansas has some guys -- the ones I just listed -- who look like they might have some talent, but one or more of them has to produce for me to really feel good about the Jayhawks moving into conference play.

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Brennan in GC, Kan., asks: Now with Huldon Tharp injured and out for the season who do you see stepping in and filling his role?

DU: Good question, and I'm not sure it has an answer just yet. Freshman Josh Richardson was listed behind Tharp on the depth chart, but it's probably more likely that Drew Dudley retakes his spot in the middle, and the Jayhawks move senior Justin Springer to the weak side, opposite junior Steven Johnson. That's really just a hunch, and practice will decide exactly what they do, but they've got too much depth at the other linebacking spots not to move guys around.

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Buddha in OP, Kan., asks: Would the Jayhawks look better in the Big East if things deteriorate with the B12?

DU: Well, it'd be easier for them. That obviously won't happen for awhile, but the Big East was discussing bringing in the four North teams that would have been left behind had a 16-team Pac-10 become a reality. There would definitely be an upside to replacing Texas and Oklahoma with Pitt and Cincinnati. The biggest beneficiary would probably be Turner Gill's career record. But for now, they're in the soon-to-be-10-team Big 12, so they better figure out a way to beat Texas, OU and all the other teams they've got to go up against every year.

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

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

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

Newcomer of the Year: Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado

Offense

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

TE: Mike McNeill, Nebraska

OL: Ryan Miller, Colorado

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado

OL: Tim Barnes, Missouri

OL: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

OL: Stephen Good, Oklahoma

OL: Kyle Hix, Texas

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DL: Aldon Smith, Missouri

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Sam Acho, Texas

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas

LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

DB: Aaron Williams, Texas

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

DB: Blake Gideon, Texas

DB: Curtis Brown, Texas

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

A few notes/thoughts from the team:

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

Here's the list breakdown by team:

1. Oklahoma - 7

2. Texas - 6

3. Nebraska - 4

3. Texas A&M - 4

5. Missouri - 2

5. Colorado - 2

7. Baylor - 1

7. Kansas - 1

7. Kansas State - 1

7. Texas Tech - 1

11. Oklahoma State - 0

11. Iowa State - 0

There weren't a lot of complaints about the list -- at least not as many as I expected. They really centered on a few guys, and I'll discuss them all in this mailbag.

Dennis in Airville, Pa. asks: David: I wonder how close Rex Burkhead came to making your top 25 list. You had Roy Helu and of course that made Burkhead less viable. But both are good receivers, can run the Wildcat, excellent runners, etc. In the end, if Nebraska's OL is as much improved as it seems it might be, couldn't both be top 25 players?

DU: Burkhead wasn’t very close, just because he was only a factor in three games last season. Blame injuries all you want, but there’s no way he could have made the list. He wasn’t close this year, but I put him on my list of guys who could be on the 2010 postseason Top 25. As I said in that post, Burkhead and Helu both making the list is a real possibility. They should both get a ton of carries and could even both flirt with 1,000 yards thanks to the offensive line, which should be very, very good.

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Brandon Welch in San Diego writes: Kendall Hunter is way better than Demarco murray

DU: No, he’s not.

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Jason Lewis in Kansas City, Mo. asks: David,I enjoyed reading your ranking of the Big XII's best players. I do believe one player was missed and should have at least been mentioned on your special teams snubs. That player is Niles Paul. Former NFL scout Gil Brandt from NFL.com just rated him the best receiver in next years draft. With a conservative offense and bad quarterback play he still put up some decent numbers last year. Plus he is a very dangerous kick returner. What are your thoughts on Niles Paul?

Todd Erskine in Albion, Neb. writes: Niles Paul is stronger, faster, had more yards on one fewer reception than Jeff Fuller with a far inferior quarterback and yet Fuller is on your list and Paul is not.

DU: I made it clear that this list isn’t about future NFL prospects, and check Brandt’s list again. It’s all seniors, and Jeff Fuller and Ryan Broyles, the only two receivers on my list, are juniors. And both are significantly better than Niles Paul. Fuller is bigger, Broyles is faster, and both put up better numbers than Paul. The only other Big 12 receiver on Brandt’s list is Texas Tech's Detron Lewis, who joined Paul on my list of guys who just missed the cut.

Broyles missed almost two full games with a fractured shoulder blade and vastly outperformed Paul. Fuller missed all of four with a broken leg and was limited in a couple others , and had similar production.

As for saying the talent around him limits his production, that’s a poor excuse. I’m not saying they have similar talent levels or making a direct comparison, but in Calvin Johnson’s final year, his offense at Georgia Tech was terrible, but he still had 1,202 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Poor overall offense (Georgia Tech had the No. 67 offense nationally in 2006, Johnson’s final year) doesn’t mean individual talent can’t still shine. Zac Lee was actually a better quarterback than Georgia Tech’s Reggie Ball. Ball completed 44 percent of his passes in Johnson’s big final season and never completed more than 50 percent of his passes in a season over his career. Despite Ball's struggles, Johnson still had over 800 yards receiving in all three years he played.

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Kevin in Temple, Texas writes: I love reading the Big 12 Blog! I have to wonder if you even do any research on your picks? or do you shoot from the hip? With that said: You have Jerrod Johnson as the #1 best player in the Big 12. The NFL has Prince Amukamara as there #1 preseason draft choice. You have him at 13! Like I said maybe you should do some research before you write things out for us to read next time.

DU: I linked the article you’re referencing last week, and like the Niles Paul answer earlier, this isn’t a list of NFL Draft potential. That said, your terminology is a bit skewed. Amukamara graded out as the No. 1 overall prospect by scouts, but look at last year’s top 3 from those same scouts: Ndamukong Suh, Greg Hardy and Brandon Lafell. Suh was obviously everything people thought he was, but Hardy fell to the third round and LaFell was drafted in the sixth. On-field performance this year trumps these lists.

Additionally, that list is limited to seniors, and Texas cornerback Aaron Williams -- the only cornerback I ranked higher than Amukamara -- is a junior. It’s early, but Williams being drafted above Amukamara is still very possible if he comes out in the same year.

Part of my approach in putting these lists together is drafting players as if I'm building a dream Big 12 team from scratch. Would you really draft a cornerback in the top 5? Quarterbacks, running backs and linebackers are more important to their teams. I barely decided to keep Williams in the top 10 for that reason.

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Tanner Fields in Seguin, Texas writes: How in the world could you have not included Baron Batch on the Top 25 Player list? He tied for second in TDs and was 5th in rushing last year, plus over 300 rec yards. I was also interested in hearing what consideration you gave to Detron Lewis and Steven Sheffield. Both should put up huge numbers next year.

DU: Batch is a great back, and he’s probably at the top of my list of guys who got snubbed from the Top 25. But what running back would you take off my list and replace with Batch?

Batch put up big overall numbers, but my thought process was this: If you put Batch into the system of the other five running backs above him, he wouldn't perform as well. The five above him in Batch's position -- catching a lot of balls in the open field and running against five and six defensive back defenses -- would outperform him. That's obviously a subjective way of viewing it, but you can't just take numbers and rank players at face value.

All five of those guys I included are better backs and when it comes to taking guys like Tanner Hawkinson or Blake Gideon off the list, you circle back to the arbitrary nature of this whole process. What exactly makes a running back better than a safety or offensive lineman?

Today is Day 2 of our countdown of the Big 12's 25 best players entering the 2010 season. The full results are locked in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player per day until we reach the top of the list.

Remember, this isn't a list of the top 25 NFL prospects in the league. It's heavily weighted toward actual accomplishment in players' college careers, as well as the likely impact for their teams in the 2010 season.

No. 24: Tanner Hawkinson, OT, So., Kansas

2009 numbers: Named Freshman All-American, All-Big 12 honorable mention. Started 12 games at left tackle.

Most recent ranking: Hawkinson was not ranked in last offseason's ranking of the conference's top 40 players.

Making the case for Hawkinson: After redshirting in 2008, Hawkinson gave the Jayhawks what looks like a long-term answer at the offensive line's most valuable position: left tackle. His rise to starter is made more remarkable with the knowledge that he began his college career as a tight end before moving to defensive end. Now, the 6-foot-6, 293-pounder has found a permanent home, and one that could earn him a sizeable paycheck later in his career. Two left tackles from the Big 12 were selected in the first six picks of this year's NFL draft, and Hawkinson could eventually do the same.

The rest so far:

• No. 25: Blake Gideon, S, Texas

Three Big 12 players were named to the 2009 AON Insurance/Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America team.

Big 12 honorees included Kansas tackle Tanner Hawkinson, Missouri defensive end Aldon Smith and Oklahoma punter Tress Way.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly was named as the freshman coach of the year.

Here's a look at the complete team.