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2012 record: 9-4
2012 conference record: 5-4 (third in the Big 12)
Returning starters: Offense: 10; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners: QB David Ash, RB Johnathan Gray, WR Mike Davis, WR Jaxon Shipley, LT Donald Hawkins, RT Josh Cochran, G Mason Walters, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, LB Jordan Hicks, CB Quandre Diggs, CB Carrington Byndom

Key losses: P Alex King, S Kenny Vaccaro, DE Alex Okafor, WR Marquise Goodwin

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Johnathan Gray* (701 yards)
Passing: David Ash* (2,699 yards)
Receiving: Mike Davis* (939 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Vaccaro (107)
Sacks: Alex Okafor (12.5)
Interceptions: Quandre Diggs* (4)

Spring answers:

1. Under center: Texas has finally ended all the debate about its quarterback situation and settled on David Ash. While Ash has yet to be stellar in his first two years at Texas, the junior has steadily improved -- he was top 25 in pass efficiency rating in 2012 -- and has won the trust of new quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite. Applewhite believes Ash is the quarterback best suited to run the new up-tempo, spread attack.

2. Loaded at linebacker: One year after being the worst tackling team in the Big 12, Texas went into the spring looking to shore up its linebacker position. And it had plenty of options. Texas has seven linebackers who have started at least one game. Included in that group is Jordan Hicks, who is back after missing 10 games last year because of a hip injury. Hicks will team with true sophomores, Dalton Santos and Peter Jinkens for what should be a much faster and aggressive unit in 2013.

3. Along the lines: While there were a sprinkling of injuries along the offensive line this spring (Josh Cochran and Trey Hopkins), Texas appears to have finally solved the depth riddle at that position. Tackle Kennedy Estelle was able to get quality snaps and should prove to be a solid backup and Sedrick Flowers finally emerged as an option at guard. While Texas returns all five starter from a year ago along the line, the Longhorns know that in the new up-tempo offense it will have to lean heavily on these backups.

Fall questions

1. Speed thrills: Texas wants to move the ball fast. So fast that the offensive players were even taught how to quickly get the ball back to the official so that they could put it down and Texas could line up and run the next play. But Texas only decided it wanted to play this way in mid-December when there was a change in playcallers from Bryan Harsin to Applewhite. So Texas has only had a handful of practices to get up to speed. With a schedule that has Texas at BYU for the second game of the season there doesn’t appear to be much time to get things perfected.

2. Safety dance: Texas’ defense was the worst in school history and that was largely due to the play of the back seven on defense. And now the best player in that back seven, Kenny Vaccaro, is gone. He was a first-round draft pick. That has left Texas wondering who will step up and make some stop at the safety position. Adrian Phillips takes over for Vaccaro, but he was inconsistent last season. The coaches blamed a shoulder injury and the fact he missed the spring. Mykkele Thompson and Josh Turner also missed their share of tackles but both are being called on to be possible starters.

3. Receiving praise: Texas has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Jordan Shipley in 2009. Mike Davis had 939 yards last year and appears poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this season. But to do that he will need help. And right now there are some questions as to where that help will come from. Texas wants to go with four wide receivers but two of the four players expected to fill those roles -- Cayleb Jones and Kendall Sanders -- are currently suspended because of legal issues. Both will probably be back. But even then, Texas is very thin at wide receiver and needs some other players to step up to help take the double teams away from Davis.

The ESPN 150 are the best of the best when it comes to recruits, but how do they really stack up on the field? We check in each season with the freshmen who made an impact and those who didn't in Year 1.

You can look back on the ESPN 150 in 2012 right here, but how did the guys who landed in the Big 12 do? So glad you asked.

Also, here's how the last few years of Big 12 ESPN 150 recruits shaped up:

• Big 12 signees in the 2006 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2007 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2008 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2009 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2010 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2011 ESPN 150

No. 2: Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas: Took over in midseason as the team's featured running back and led the team with 701 yards and three touchdowns. Had 22 more carries than any other Texas back.

No. 12: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas: Contributed as a reserve on Texas' strong defensive line. Made 19 tackles and two tackles for loss.

No. 54: Dominique Wheeler, WR, Texas Tech: Redshirted his first season for Texas Tech's deep receiving corps.

No. 57: Peter Jinkens, OLB, Texas: Started two games and played in every game this season. Made 27 tackles and three tackles for loss with a sack and an interception.

No. 58: Kennedy Estelle, OL, Texas: Missed five games with a shoulder injury but contributed as a reserve offensive lineman in three games.

No. 60: Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma: Was one of the league's most promising freshmen in Year 1. Emerged with a breakout game against Kansas State with seven catches for 108 yards and a score. He finished with 41 catches for 578 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 64: Durron Neal, WR, Oklahoma: Played sparingly and contributed in nine games. Caught four passes for 62 yards.

No. 70: Alex Ross, RB, Oklahoma: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 77: Torshiro Davis, LB, Texas: Goes by "Shiro" now and moved to defensive end. Played in the final six games of Texas' season and made three tackles, one tackle for loss and broke up a pass.

No. 78: Curtis Riser, OG, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 79: Bryson Echols, CB, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 87: Reginald Davis, WR, Texas Tech: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 92: Dalton Santos, LB, Texas: Played in 12 games and made 24 tackles, mostly contributing on special teams. Added 2.5 tackles for loss.

No. 97: Alex Norman, DT, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 120: Michael Starts, OT, Texas Tech: Moved to defensive tackle but played in just three games. Made three tackles with a sack against New Mexico. Missed time because of a blood pressure issue.

No. 126: Dominic Ramacher, LB, Oklahoma State: Moved to fullback and redshirted in 2012.

No. 130: Connor Brewer, QB, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 137: Derrick Woods, WR, Oklahoma: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 141: Daje Johnson, ATH, Texas: Speedster made an impact as a big-play threat at running back for Texas. Carried the ball 27 times for 203 yards and a touchdown and caught 19 passes for 287 yards and a score.

No. 147: Cayleb Jones, WR, Texas: Played in 12 games but caught two passes for 35 yards and carried the ball once for 10 yards.

No. 148: Ty Darlington, OL, Oklahoma: Earned starts late in the season at center and proved to be a valuable piece of the Sooners' offensive line that provided an opportunity for versatility and ability to move Gabe Ikard to guard.

We took a look at our All-Big 12 Freshman team earlier today, but let's hand out a few superlatives from the young guys around the league.

Before we begin, a quick word: Devonte Fields was my defensive player of the year in the entire league. He is ridiculous. He would also dominate this post if we included him. As such, I'm excluding him from all of these awards so we can talk about a few other outstanding freshmen. We love Fields here at the Big 12 Blog. We also like talking about people other than Fields. So, no worries Frogs. He will continue to dominate Big 12 offensive lines. He just won't dominate this post.

Best offensive performance: J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State. Walsh lost the QB derby, but stepped up when Wes Lunt was hurt to lead Oklahoma State to a near-win over Texas, but did beat Iowa State and Kansas. After returning from a leg injury, he played a major role in a short-yardage package and accounted for five touchdowns in Oklahoma State's final three games. He finished with 11 touchdown passes to just three interceptions and completed 66.7 percent of his passes, the fourth-highest percentage in the Big 12. Walsh's passer rating of 165.67 led the Big 12.

Best non-Devonte Fields defense performance: Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia. Joseph was probably the single best player on a struggling West Virginia defense all season long. The freshman stepped in and made 95 tackles to lead the team, but his ballhawking ability is what earns him this award. He forced three fumbles, broke up six passes and intercepted two more, adding a sack and seven tackles for loss. Quite the debut for Joseph.

Biggest upside: Dalton Santos, LB, Texas. Santos' teammate, Kenny Vaccaro, has the current title of the Big 12's biggest hitter, but Santos reminds us of a young Ronnell Lewis in the special teams. He made one start at linebacker this year, but had his biggest impact in the special teams, looking like a cruise missile at times. He had just 18 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, but hopes are high for him when he earns a bigger role on the defense. Honorable mention: Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma.

Biggest impact: Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas. Texas needed help with Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown banged up, and Gray was there to pick up the slack. He racked up 100-yard rushing games in wins against Texas Tech and Kansas, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that if he's not out there logging those carries, Texas doesn't win those games. The Longhorns were 8-4, but could they be 6-6 without Gray? He led the Longhorns in rushing as a true freshman.

Best offensive lineman: Spencer Drango, Baylor. He was on our watch list for fresh faces to begin the season, and showed why with a huge year after beefing up during his redshirt season. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder seized a starting position at tackle and helped block for the nation's No. 1 offense. Honorable mention: Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech.

The Longhorns struggled to put points on the scoreboard early but eventually were able to take control as they shut out New Mexico -- their first shutout since a 43-0 win over Kansas in 2011. It's the third time these two teams have met and the third time Texas has shut out the Lobos.

It was over when: Texas wide receiver Mike Davis used the block of Marquise Goodwin to slip past the New Mexico defense for a touchdown late in the first half. That score put Texas up 17-0. And while the Longhorns were having trouble moving the ball, New Mexico was having trouble scoring on the Texas defense.

Game ball goes to: Cornerback Quandre Diggs clearly was a player New Mexico wanted to avoid. The Lobos refused to throw to his side for most of the game. In fact, they threw the first nine passes away from his side of the field. On the 10th, they did go at Diggs and he made them pay with an interception. Diggs also returned a put 35 yards to the New Mexico 27 to set up Mike Davis' 22-yard touchdown catch and run in the second quarter.

Stat of the game: Texas quarterback David Ash threw for a personal-record 221 yards. But he only had one completion that traveled 20 yards in the air. This comes one week after Ash's 27 attempts against Wyoming averaged 3.7 air yards. Ash did have a touchdown pass of 45 yards but it came via a two-foot shovel pass to Daje Johnson. His 22-yard touchdown pass was a catch and run by Mike Davis.

Unsung hero: Texas true freshman Dalton Santos has become a force for the Longhorns on special teams. The linebacker had three tackles on kickoff coverage and was largely responsible for New Mexico being forced to start inside the 25 on every kickoff that was not downed for a touchback.

Second guessing: After saying it wanted to get freshman Johnathan Gray involved in the game, Texas failed to give the nation's top running back recruit from a year ago the ball in the first half. This is the second week in a row Texas has not given Gray the ball when the game's outcome was not locked away. Similarly, Malcolm Brown, who had 104 rushing yards in the opener, had one first-half carry.

What we learned about this team: Texas is far from a finished product on either side of the ball. The Longhorns once again started too slow. On defense, the tackling was suspect as New Mexico had 11 first downs in the first half. On offense, quarterback David Ash was able to connect on comeback routes, screens and crossing routes. But he continued to have problems going down the field with the ball.

Texas already had the nation's No. 2 recruiting class. Could they overtake Alabama at No. 1?

The Longhorns grabbed one more ESPNU 150 signee in defensive end Torshiro Davis, who had been committed to LSU since Feb. 3, 2011.

Davis (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) is the No. 12 defensive end and No. 77 prospect overall in the ESPNU 150.

From William Wilkerson at HornsNation:

The Longhorns have long been on Davis' radar because of the relationship he has with Texas defensive tackles coach Bo Davis. The two met at an Alabama summer camp the summer going into Torshiro's sophomore year when Bo Davis was the Crimson Tide's defensive ends coach.

The two have maintained a close bond since then, as Torshiro has always appreciated the straightforward approach Bo Davis has given him.

However, this decision comes as a surprise if you consider that Bo Davis called former Woodlawn coach DeCarlos Holmes to cancel a scheduled in-home visit on Jan. 23.

"He's going to LSU," Holmes told HornsNation. "The coach said they're not going to waste any more time and they're going to let him honor his commitment and basically they're not going to keep trying to beat a dead horse."

So much for that.

A huge pickup for yet another huge class for Texas.

Davis became the fourth player since Saturday to switch his non-binding verbal pledge to Texas. Dalton Santos (Van, Texas/Van) switched over from Tennessee. Daje Johnson (Pflugerville, Texas/Hendrickson) flipped from TCU and Bryce Cottrell (Plano, Texas/West) switched over from Oregon.

The Longhorns now have 12 of the nation's top 150 prospects in their class.

The big day is so, so close. National signing day will get started bright and early Wednesday morning, but it's time to take a look at where the Big 12 teams sit with one day left before players can officially sign.

This will change quickly in the next couple days, but here's how they look before things get real crazy. Here's how the rankings looked two weeks ago, when we last updated the Big 12 scorecard.

This scorecard is written in pencil. Tomorrow, players will sign in ink.

1. Texas Longhorns

National ranking: No. 3
Total commits: 27
ESPNU 150 commits: 11
Key commits: RB Johnathan Gray, DT Malcom Brown, WR Cayleb Jones, QB Connor Brewer
Latest news: Texas recently added the nation's No. 1 inside linebacker, former Tennessee commit Dalton Santos. That may help its national ranking, which fell from No. 2 to No. 3 since our last update. The Longhorns also added No. 14 ATH Daje Johnson, a former TCU commit. Both were ESPNU 150 prospects. Texas also added defensive end Bryce Cottrell, who had previously been committed to Oregon.

2. Oklahoma Sooners

National ranking: No. 10
Total commits: 20
ESPNU 150 commits: 5
Key commits: RB Alex Ross, WR Sterling Shepard, WR Durron Neal, OL Ty Darlington, WR Trey Metoyer
Latest news: Oklahoma surpassed Texas A&M since our last update, and added Sam Grant, the nation's No. 18 TE. David Smith, the nation's No. 124 ATH, also joined the fold for the Sooners. One of the nation's top juco offensive tackles, Will Latu also pledged to Oklahoma and could make an immediate impact. Oklahoma swiped Zack Sanchez on Monday, a cornerback who had been committed to Baylor since July.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

National ranking: No. 12
Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 5
Key commits: OLB Jordan Richmond, RB Trey Williams, ATH Bralon Addison, QB Matt Davis
Latest news: The nation's No. 33 defensive end, Polo Manukainiu, became a late addition to the Aggies' class, and the nation's No. 30 safety, Edward Pope, also gave new coach Kevin Sumlin a commitment.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders

National ranking: No. 17
Total commits: 26
ESPNU 150 commits: 3
Key commits: WR Reginald Davis, WR Dominique Wheeler, OT Michael Starts, QB Clayton Nicholas
Latest news: The Red Raiders added juco cornerback Ola Falemi to their class, but look out for Tuberville on signing day. Switches on the big day are no surprises with him at Tech.

5. Baylor Bears

Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: ATH Corey Coleman, OT Kyle Fuller, DT Javonte Magee, OLB Brian Nance
Latest news: Baylor swiped Kansas QB commit Seth Russell, No. 47 nationally at the position, to make a big wave across the Big 12. It also grabbed cornerback Patrick Levels out of Dallas. Nance and Magee both pledged to Baylor after the new year.

6. Missouri Tigers

Total commits: 18
ESPNU 150 commits: 1
Key commits: OG Evan Boehm, QB Maty Mauk, ILB Donavin Newsom, OLB Torey Boozer
Latest news: Missouri may be in the lead in the DGB sweepstakes after hosting the nation's No. 1 receiver on a visit on the final weekend of the recruiting season. The nation's No. 105 ATH John Gibson and No. 151 DT, Harold Brantley, are the latest additions to Mizzou's class.

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Total commits: 21
ESPNU 150 commits: 1
Key commits: TE Dominic Ramacher, OLB Jeremiah Tshimanga, OT Michael Wilson, QB Wes Lunt
Latest news: OSU has added five commits since our last update, including Wilson, the nation's No. 22 offensive tackle. Receiver Chance Allen (No. 141) joins the squad as well. CB Kevin Peterson came to OSU after originally committing to Oklahoma. OSU also added receiver Jhajuan Seales. Juco offensive tackle Chris Grishby committed on Jan. 22.

8. Iowa State Cyclones

Total commits: 21
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: OT Daniel Burton, WR P.J. Harris, WR Quan West, ATH Damien Lawry
Latest news: The Cyclones have two fewer commits than the last time we checked in, but added Devlyn Cousin, the nation's No. 154 defensive tackle.

9. Kansas State Wildcats

Total commits: 18
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: WR Vernon Vaughn, DT Travis Britz, RB Jarvis Leverett, QB Tavarius Bender
Latest news: Kansas State added five commitments in the last two weeks, highlighted by Demonte Hood, the nation's No. 111 DT. RB Charles Jones is headed to Manhattan via Louisiana, too. S Donovan Starks is coming from Crosby, Texas, and receiver Judah Jones is a Wildcat after wrapping his high school career at power Evangel Christian in Louisiana. OT Ellwood Clement gave K-State five juco players in this class, low by Bill Snyder's standards.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

Total commits: 18
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: TE Jordan Smith, OG Brian Beckmann, S Gregg Allen, DT Tyler Holmes
Latest news: New coach Charlie Weis has added four commits since our last update. QB Seth Russell, the team's top commit, is gone, but the Jayhawks have the QB spot settled for the next three years with transfers Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps. Greg Allen (No. 89 safety) is the top new addition, and Charles Brooks gives the class a second tight end. The Jayhawks also added a pair of juco defensive tackles that figure to have immediate impacts, Chaquil Reed and Jordan Tavai.

On Friday, Dalton Santos held a news conference at his high school in Van, Texas to announce his college decision. His pick? Tennessee.

The linebacker is ranked by our ESPNU recruiting team as the nation's No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2012 class, thought by many to be leaning toward nearby Texas A&M after decommitting from Oklahoma State back in June.

I've said numerous times that Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC won't provide them with substantial recruiting advantage over Texas, and any recruiting advantage that did surface would be snuffed out by increased losses in a tougher league that hasn't lost to Texas A&M in six meetings since 1995.

Santos' decision to leave Big 12 country unsurprisingly prompted a handful of e-mails like this one over the weekend:

Paul Kumar in Hudson Oaks, Texas was the first, and wrote:

2012 recruit Dalton Santos to Volquest.com on why he chose Tennessee over Texas A&M: "The conference really put them over the top... being able to do things in the SEC will show that i can play anywhere..."

Still think switching conferences wouldn't give them a plausible leg up on Texas h.s. talent that would choose the best best of both worlds (location and competition level) if given the opportunity?

Short term might be rough, but long term could produce greatness.

Nope. I'm not buying it. I still don't buy the idea that playing in the SEC -- Texas A&M's presence in it or otherwise -- would be a huge factor in the recruiting game.

Santos is one player, and a 245-pound linebacker who runs a 4.65 40, with this scouting report, via our staff.

Santos is a dominant run stopper from inside to the edge; his excellent instincts and immediate reactions allow him to create havoc in the backfield. Has the size and athleticism for the inside linebacker position at the major level of competition. ...

We detect some lower body stiffness when dropping into short/medium zone coverage his overall balance and agility get him to the football consistently; does a very good job with key and diagnosis skills against the run and pass. ....

This guy is a factor to recon with when attempting to run the ball inside or off the edge. We see a very smart football player in coverage although one who will need to be carefully game planned when given man coverage assignments;

Now, if you're Santos, what league do you think better suits your style of play? The sling-it-around Big 12 driven by quarterbacks with offenses that require linebackers to excel in coverage and showcase their speed?

Or the SEC, where Santos can use his already gifted talents in the run game, and develop his skills in coverage as he matures later in his career?

Citing a desire to play in that league sounds great when people ask about it and a team like Tennessee steals a player from Texas, a rare occurrence. (The Vols 2011 roster, featuring 100-plus players, has exactly zero players from Texas.)

But it's nothing to draw a huge conclusion about. Santos isn't indicative of a cultural change, a sign that players growing up in Texas suddenly want to play in the best league in college football, where the SEC has solidifed itself with five consecutive national championships by four different teams.

Santos is one player whose strengths would better suit him in the SEC.