Texas' Jaxon Shipley ready to break out?
In 2010, the league's biggest breakout player was easily Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, who raced to a Biletnikoff Award and proved himself as the Big 12's best player over the course of the season.
Who will earn that nod in 2012?
Colleague KC Joyner says among first-year starters, it'll be Texas receiver
Jaxon Shipley. Shipley started a few games as a true freshman last season, but against BCS conference opponents, Shipley was extremely productive in the short passing game (see Joyner's full article for a chart on just how productive he was).
Comparing Shipley's yards per attempt to the 2012 receiver class would have placed him at No. 7, which is even more impressive considering the revolving door of inexperience that was the quarterback position at Texas last season.
That's impressive, and I'd lean toward agreeing with Joyner. The biggest star? Maybe not. There's no question in my mind that Shipley's due for a big year. He's instinctive and to me, stuck out as the best player on Texas' offense last year, even with Malcolm Brown crashing the party.
Will Shipley be the Big 12's biggest breakout star in 2012? Vote in our poll, and if you don't think so, name your pick in the comments.
David Ubben | email
College Football- ESPN.com Big 12 blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010
- Wrote for The Oklahoman
TEAM RESOURCES
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Kirk Herbstreit joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Bob Stoops' recent comments about the SEC and the pending college football playoff, what appears to be an unpredictable Big 12 in 2013, how the Aggies will handle expectations and more.
Play Podcast Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin talks about the improvements being made to Kyle Field, what those improvements will to for the program, the success of last year, Johnny Manziel's offseason and the expectations for the Aggies in 2013.
Play Podcast Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo talk about Texas A&M's decision to expand its stadium and say although the Aggies had a fantastic year, the school must also be careful not to overextend its resources based on a single hot stretch.
Play Podcast Baylor head coach Art Briles joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys are getting in Terrance Williams.
Play Podcast Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad.
Play Podcast Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium.
Play Podcast Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joins Fizsimmons & Durrett to discuss Cowboys Stadium as a venue, the state of Big 12 basketball, the new 2014 college football format, why there's no hurry to have a Big 12 football championship and much more.
Play Podcast Jay Bilas joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, the intrigue surrounding the Northwest Region and the excitement over FGCU, even though a similar story happens every year.
You must be signed in to post a comment