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2012 record: 8-5
2012 Big 12 record: 4-5
Returning starters: Offense: 5; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners: WR Eric Ward, RB Kenny Williams, TE Jace Amaro, DE Kerry Hyder, DE Branden Jackson, LB Will Smith, CB Tre Porter, DE Dartwan Bush

Key losses: QB Seth Doege, S Cody Davis, S D.J. Johnson, WR Darrin Moore, OL La'Adrian Waddle, RB Eric Stephens

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Passing: Seth Doege (4,205 yards)
Rushing: Kenny Williams* (824 yards)
Receiving: Eric Ward* (1,053 yards)
Tackles: Cody Davis (101)
Sacks: Dartwan Bush*, Kerry Hyder* (5.5)
Interceptions: Cody Davis (3)

Spring answers

1. Springing to safety. Replacing Johnson and Davis at safety was a huge concern since that kind of experience and talent isn't easy to find. But J.J. Gaines and Tre Porter, had a strong spring and that position looks to be in good hands. There may be some trouble with inexperience, but defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt has to feel pretty good about the group.

2. More depth at quarterback. I don't buy that there's competition between Michael Brewer and Davis Webb. Brewer was consistently praised all spring, and coach Kliff Kingsbury remarked at how quickly he picked up the schemes and how well he kept the up-tempo pace. Webb, a true freshman, adds comfort as a backup, but this is Brewer's job.

3. A spring miracle in Lubbock. Injuries have just been a constant for the last few years. Every spring and fall, it's been surgery after surgery, injury after injury. Not this year. Apparently the Red Raiders' practice fields are not, in fact, cursed. Getting through the spring without any serious losses is a huge deal considering the school's recent bad luck.

Fall questions

1. Can they weather the storm? I've written about this in the past, but I'm curious to see how the young coaching staff handles the inevitable crises and issues that will come with a season of college football. Kingsbury's a first-time head coach in a big job and stocked Tech's staff with a ton of Red Raider alums. It's an interesting approach, but adjusting on the go in a season full of learning experiences will be interesting to watch.

2. Is there an identity crisis? Tech will air it out plenty, but the full identity on both sides of the ball is still forming and Kingsbury is still getting to know his team. The defense will play some three and four-man fronts and has a lot of strength on the defensive line, but both sides of the ball will adjust on the go to what works and what doesn't next season. Both sides could look different in December than it does in August.

3. Where will the running game factor in? Tech has a ton of strength at running back in Kenny Williams and SaDale Foster, along with DeAndre Washington and Quinton White adding some additional depth. The big question for any post-Mike Leach coach in Lubbock is how much they plan to run the ball. Kingsbury will throw it plenty, but can Tech break its streak of well over a decade without a 1,000-yard rusher? And how much will Brewer be asked/allowed to run? He's no Johnny Football, but he's got wheels and can keep Big 12 defenses on their toes.

Texas Tech played the first spring game of the Kliff Kingsbury era on Saturday. Here's a closer look:

What happened:

• Michael Brewer completed 26-of-43 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Davis Webb completed 17-of-30 passes for 224 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Brewer took two sacks but had 15 yards rushing on five carries.
• Kenny Williams and Quinton White rushed a combined 30 times for 130 yards.
• Jace Amaro led all receivers with 11 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.
• The defense topped the offense, 34-28.
• For all you recruitniks out there, hyped receiver K.D. Cannon was in attendance, and called the experience "outstanding. He's the nation's No. 58 player and No. 5 receiver.

What we learned:

• It's still Brewer's job to lose. Kingsbury has been slowplaying who his starting quarterback will be in the fall, but the long-held assumption by most is that Brewer would easily win the job on a roster with not much competition. Davis Webb has made things interesting, but Brewer's performance on Saturday -- just the third open practice of the entire spring -- made it look like it's hard to believe he won't be the guy come fall. Kingsbury, though, says the competition is "close." "It’s good competition and I think that’s good for everybody,” Kingsbury told reporters. “We’ll go through the summer, go into fall camp and get a starter named." I do think it's closer than most people realized, but I don't buy the prospect of Brewer legitimately not winning this job just yet. It might be "close," but there's a clear frontrunner. Webb did have a huge play on an 83-yard score to Dereck Edwards, but also threw an ugly interception after being flushed from the pocket.
• The defensive progress looked like it's continuing. I expect Texas Tech's offense to still be stellar next fall, but the defense opened up a 23-0 lead early on. That's got to be encouraging, even though it's still just one practice. There's a lot of firepower on Tech's offense, but this is the same team who was -13 in turnover margin last season, the worst mark of any Big 12 team in the last three years. The defense forced three turnovers on Saturday, and Kingsbury's been continually encouraged. It did all of that despite playing a pretty vanilla defense. "We addressed that going into this game," DC Matt Wallerstedt told reporters. "We just wanted to see guys run and hit, play your assignment, be aggressive, play with emotion and take the football away. I think we accomplished those things." Will Smith led the defense with 10 tackles and Branden Jackson made three tackles for loss, with a sack. Pete Robertson also had six tackles and a sack.
• The receivers are who we thought they were. Eric Ward sat out for good reason (he's got nothing to prove), but Amaro showed up big and Tech got some nice showings from unheralded receivers like Brent Mitcham (8 rec. 98 yards, TD) and Brad Pearson (six rec, 60 yards), while Jakeem Grant had a somewhat quiet day. He hauled in a short touchdown pass and a 22-yard grab.
• Tech is serious about The King. Only about 16,000 fans showed up on Saturday, but no autograph line in the Red Raiders' postgame meet-and-greet was longer than Kingsbury's. You don't have to look long for more evidence that he's got the people's vote in Lubbock these days. That was just another reminder.

Four Big 12 teams will kick off their spring games this weekend. We'll be offering up a preview of each throughout the day.

Texas Tech

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET

What you need to know:

• It will be televised live by Texas Tech TV on Fox and around the region on Fox Sports Southwest.
• Admission is free.
• Excitement surrounding Kliff Kingsbury's arrival means Tech is expecting record crowds.
• The scoring system will be offense-defense based. There won't be two separate teams.

What to watch:

• The design of the offense. Kingsbury isn't laying out exactly what Tech's offense will look like, but his plan was to get more acquainted with his personnel and what it can do early on in spring and shape his offense around that. He's not handing the QB job to Michael Brewer yet, and Davis Webb is making the competition a little interesting, but what exactly the offense looks like will be even more interesting. You can expect it to be spread out and likely pass-heavy, but how many opportunities will Brewer have to run it and how quickly will the offense move? Kingsbury will be calling plays for the offense.
• The design of the defense. Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt had a similar plan for the defense. Assess the personnel and design the defense around what it does best. The frequencies of four-man fronts and three-man fronts is still up for discussion and may change throughout next season, too, depending on how well it works. Tech has solid talent on both sides of the ball, but how the defense plays and what it looks like will be intriguing.
• The young receivers. Dominique Wheeler and Reginald Davis were both ESPN 150 signees a year ago and redshirted. Tech's receiving corps is deep and solid, but Wheeler and Davis have been turning heads all spring, and I'm psyched to see them in action. This year, they'll likely just be providing depth barring injury with Eric Ward and Jace Amaro being featured in the passing game, but Saturday might change those expectations in a big way.

Turnover at the quarterback position is the story of the Big 12 this spring, but some schools have made decisions, some are close, and some haven't gotten far in replacing their passers. Here's an update on where each race sits.

Note: Because they have clear, incumbent starters, Iowa State and Texas have been omitted from this update.

Baylor: Bryce Petty entered the spring as the likely successor to Nick Florence and cemented his status as the starter with a strong 15 practices. Petty was officially designated as the starting quarterback on Baylor's post-spring depth chart, besting Seth Russell.

Kansas: Jake Heaps transferred from BYU and looks to have easily surpassed Michael Cummings, as expected, with a strong spring, working mostly with the first team. Kansas held its spring game on Saturday and Heaps far outperformed Cummings, tossing four touchdown passes and completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards. Not much competition here.

Kansas State: K-State is about halfway through spring, but there's been almost no development (publicly, at least) in the quarterback race. Last year's backup, the speedy Daniel Sams, is helping juco transfer Jake Waters get acquainted, but they're still splitting reps with the first team and I'd be surprised if we see an announcement until fall.

Oklahoma: Bob Stoops doesn't care about establishing a starter heading into summer 7-on-7 drills, but Blake Bell might have taken that out of his hands with a strong performance in the spring game. An endorsement from Landry Jones can't hurt. Bell showed this spring he's more than a BellDozer and made plays with his arm on Saturday, completing 14 of 23 passes for 214 yards and two scores. Stoops hasn't made an official designation, but Bell looks like he's distanced himself from his competition in Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson.

Oklahoma State: You can find folks anywhere making a case for Clint Chelf, J.W. Walsh or Wes Lunt, but Mike Gundy's opinion is the only one that matters. He says Oklahoma State's starter is Chelf, and Chelf is receiving most of the first-team reps this spring. It's not hard to see that changing, but for now, the job is Chelf's. The rising senior may have to do something to lose it.

TCU: Most assumed Casey Pachall's return to the team meant he'd step back in and reclaim his job. This spring, it hasn't been that easy. He may do exactly that this fall, but Gary Patterson says he's looked rusty after not throwing or lifting from October to January while receiving in-patient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Meanwhile, sophomore Trevone Boykin has looked much improved. Patterson says it's still an open competition, the duo is splitting first-team reps and there may not be a decision until fall.

Texas Tech: It doesn't seem like Michael Brewer has a ton of competition on the roster, but Kliff Kingsbury turned some heads when he trotted out Davis Webb to start a recent scrimmage. Brewer still has to earn the job and it's hard to see that not being the case, but for now, this job is still up for grabs.

West Virginia: This one's still wide open. Texas natives Paul Millard and Ford Childress are still splitting first-team reps and there doesn't appear to be much separation just yet. Expect this competition to heat up in the fall. The coaching staff has already said they don't expect to name a starter by the end of spring or even by the beginning of fall camp.

Texas Tech is the latest Big 12 team to kick off spring practice later today. Let's take a closer look.

Schedule: The first of Texas Tech's 15 NCAA-allowed spring practices begins today. They will conclude with a spring game on April 20. Between now and then, just two practices will be open: April 6 (in Midland, Texas) and April 12.

What's new: Pretty much everything. Tech does return 13 starters from last season's eight-win team, tied for fourth-most in the Big 12. Beyond that, though, it's a whole new ballgame on the sidelines. More on that later.

New faces: Besides the coaches, Texas Tech is welcoming a new quarterback to the practice field this spring: Davis Webb. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder is the nation's No. 24 pocket passer.

All eyes on: Kliff Kingsbury and his new staff. He's added six alums to the Red Raiders' sidelines. Kingsbury will be calling the plays for the Red Raiders. He handed the keys to his defense over to Matt Wallerstedt, who followed him over from Texas A&M. How will the 33-year-old Kingsbury run the program? As a program legend, he has the support of the city, and he'll have to learn on the job as a first-time head coach, the youngest among AQ conference teams. He inherited a talented team capable of making some noise immediately, but he'll have to take them there. That journey begins today.

Breaking out: Big 12 blog readers voted quarterback Michael Brewer the breakout player of the spring across the league. He's my pick, too. Kingsbury's not handing the sophomore the job right out of the gate, but it doesn't look like he has a ton of competition. The 6-foot-1, 183-pound native of Austin, Texas, hails from the same powerhouse Lake Travis program as Garrett Gilbert. Brewer lost just one game in high school, helping his coach, Chad Morris, take his first steps to being a major conference offensive coordinator. He's now at Clemson.

Question marks: I've written about the safeties a lot this spring, but the Red Raiders have a lot of work to do in replacing starters Cody Davis and D.J. Johnson. New position coach Trey Haverty has his work cut out for him, and any weakness in this area come fall will be exposed quickly.

On the mend: Tight end Jace Amaro. He became something of an afterthought during Big 12 play last season sue to a rib injury, but he's the cure for what has ailed the Big 12's tight ends these past couple of seasons. The position has been really, really weak, but if he's healthy, Amaro is the league's best at the spot. He had a forgettable night in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, catching two passes for 15 yards and getting ejected after throwing a punch. But shortly after taking the job, Kingsbury was already talking about how Amaro pops off game tape.

Don't forget about: Wide receiver Eric Ward. He's one of the Big 12's most underrated players, and all he's done in his career is lead Tech in receiving in each of the past two seasons and became the first Tech receiver to top 1,000 yards receiving and return to campus since Michael Crabtree in 2007. Ward's a big-time player in the passing game who doesn't get enough respect across the conference. Among returning players, only Oklahoma State's Josh Stewart had more receiving yards.

I hope you guys enjoyed our look at new Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury on Wednesday as part of our week-long look at first-year coaches. You can see my column here, as well as another look from colleague Travis Haney.

There was plenty of interesting stuff Kingsbury and I covered that didn't make the piece. Here are a few nuggets that had to be cut from Wednesday's post.

What can Michael Brewer provide?

It's been awhile since Texas Tech's had a truly mobile quarterback, with the exception of Steven Sheffield, whose legs were hardly used in the Red Raiders' offense under Mike Leach and in Tommy Tuberville's first season.

Texas Tech's offensive identity is still being pieced together, but you can bet there will be a whole lot of spread concepts in Kingsbury's playbook. How much will the Red Raiders use Brewer's legs, though? He used them a decent amount in limited duty behind Seth Doege a year ago after running for more than 1,200 yards in his final two seasons of high school football.

"I don’t know if he can run like the one we had last year, but I don’t know anybody else in the world who can," Kingsbury said of Texas A&M Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel. "We’ll play to the quarterbacks’ strengths in this offense just like we did then, so we’ll see who becomes the starter this spring and how it shakes out."

I don't really buy Kingsbury's assertion that there's a real quarterback competition in Lubbock this spring, but there's something to be said for not handing him the job immediately when he hasn't truly proven anything on the field. However, there's little potential for real competition for Brewer on the roster.

Either way, that's one thing I really can't wait to see in Texas Tech's offense. Oklahoma had a decent defense that struggled late in the season, but you saw how much trouble Manziel gave them in the Cotton Bowl. The rest of the Big 12 wouldn't have had much more success, and if Brewer can do anything similar, Tech's going to have big success in Year 1.

Kingsbury's hand in Tech fashion

Kingsbury's contract is public record as an employee of a public university, and within that contract was a clause that allowed him to have "creative license" in the Red Raiders' uniforms.

"I just like to have a hand in things of that nature," Kingsbury said. "It’s a big part of today’s game, kids with the social media and like the style and fashion aspect of college football, so I wanted to make sure I had a hand in that."

For coaches, the uniforms arms race is all about one thing: Recruiting. It doesn't much matter what boosters, alumni or media think. Players love them, and even staunch traditionalists like Nebraska have given in to the trend in recent seasons. Don't be surprised if Tech, which has always had a few alternate looks (I loved the white helmet returning under Tuberville), gets a makeover soon.

"Some traditionalists keep their jerseys. Some are willing to change and have a fresher, hipper look," Kingsbury said, "so it’s kind of a case by case deal."

It's safe to say Tech is in the latter group, and absolutely should stay there.

It's hard not to wake up with a smile on your face on a day like today. Sure, I cover football, but the first two days of the NCAA tournament are two of the best of the year. In just a few hours, 16 college basketball games will tip off and we'll do the same thing again on Friday.

To celebrate, we'll have a little theoretical bracket competition in the Big 12 with next season's teams.

Here's how I'm seeding the league's 10 teams:

1. Oklahoma State
2. TCU
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Baylor
6. Texas Tech
7. Kansas State
8. West Virginia
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas

So, how would a 10-team bracket play out? Here's how I slot it. Feel free to provide your own conclusions in the comments. The Big 12, like this year's NCAA tournament, is wide open. Anything could happen, but assume that these games are played during this week. (Note: Players injured this spring will be included, as will early enrolling freshmen. Freshmen not on campus are not eligible for these games).

Play-in games (at Hutchinson Junior College in Hutchinson, Kansas):

No. 7 Kansas State vs. No. 10 Kansas: KU's got a bit more experience on its side, but experience doesn't mean much in this latest iteration of the Sunflower Showdown. Bill Snyder gets the best of the Jayhawks on the kind of field he knows very, very well. Kansas State 38, Kansas 20

No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 Iowa State: This game was too close for comfort in November, but Iowa State's Sam Richardson makes enough plays to outgun an inexperienced WVU offense and a still-learning defense. West Virginia goes with experience at quarterback in Paul Millard, but the timing is still a bit off. Iowa State 31, West Virginia 30

FIRST ROUND (in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas)

No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Kansas State: These two have had some classic battles over the past two years, but OSU quarterback Clint Chelf finishes without a turnover, and that gets the job done. If OSU hadn't thrown an interception against Kansas State in Manhattan last year, the Pokes might have pulled the upset. Cowboys running back Jeremy Smith goes off against Kansas State's new defensive line. Oklahoma State 47, Kansas State 31

No. 2 TCU vs. No. 9 Iowa State: Iowa State beat the heck out of TCU in Fort Worth last year, but that was just days after the Frogs lost quarterback Casey Pachall. Pachall is back, and so is running back Waymon James. Iowa State's green linebackers get bowled over by James' power. TCU 21, Iowa State 13

No. 3 Texas vs. No. 6 Texas Tech: Texas Tech is still searching for its offensive identity, and Texas defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat isn't all about giving the Red Raiders time to do it. The Red Raiders get off to a nice start, though Texas' running game seizes control in the second half. Tech's Michael Brewer hits Jace Amaro for a pair of long gains and finds Eric Ward for the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. Sounds oddly familiar, no? Texas Tech 31, Texas 27

No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Baylor: Oklahoma's quarterback gets off to a decent start, but Baylor's defense is still red-hot and Baylor's Bryce Petty outguns Oklahoma's Blake Bell in the debut for both quarterbacks. It's a breakout game for redshirt freshman Baylor receiver Jay Lee, too. The Sooners' young defense is caught off guard. Baylor 41, Oklahoma 31

SEMIFINALS (at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas)

No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 5 Baylor: Baylor sprung the upset late in the season, and leads by double digits early in this one before Chelf rallies with a pair of touchdown passes to Charlie Moore and a third to Blake Jackson. The senior is trying to prove he deserves the job permanently, but OSU seals the game with a late score on the ground from J.W. Walsh in the short-yardage formation, overcoming 185 rushing yards from Baylor's Lache Seastrunk. Oklahoma State 44, Baylor 31

No. 2 TCU vs. No. 6 Texas Tech: Texas Tech's offense gets completely suffocated by TCU's defense, and defensive end Devonte Fields makes life tough for Tech's Brewer. Tech can't establish the running game to offset the rush, and TCU's cornerbacks lock down the Red Raiders' screen game, too. Ugly, ugly game to watch. For anyone but TCU fans, anyway. TCU 20, Texas Tech 10

CHAMPIONSHIP (at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas)

No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 2 TCU: Are we allowed to have a Big 12 title game (and semifinals) without Texas or Oklahoma involved? The league's top two squads in my book survived a pair of games to reach the finals, and both teams are solid on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma State's offense is better. TCU's defense is better. Both teams' weaker units are still solid, though. At the end of the game, it's exactly what we wanted to see. Chelf, Smith and Tracy Moore going head to head with Fields and Jason Verrett for the Frogs. OSU has been there before and drives the length of the field before kicker Bobby Stonebraker proves Oklahoma State's edge in the special teams is the difference with a 45-yard, game-winning field goal. Oklahoma State 31, TCU 28

Cue up One Shining Moment!

I've been saying it plenty this spring, but apparently the readers are on board, too.

If you want to see a breakout player in the Big 12 this spring, look no further than Lubbock, Texas, where new coach Kliff Kingsbury has a talented signal-caller to build his program around in Year 1.

I'm buying sophomore quarterback Michael Brewer as a breakout star this season, and the fans weighed in with a rousing 44 percent of the vote as the biggest spring star in the league. That was 25 percent more than the second-place finisher.

I buy Baylor's Bryce Petty as another breakout star at quarterback, but he received just 19 percent of the vote to come in a distant second. There's a lot of possible breakout guys at quarterback this year, but those are the two I buy most. I like the combination of experience within the program, good pedigree and solid physical skills. We'll see what they have between the ears once they take the field, but those two will have plenty of eyes on them this spring.

Oklahoma defensive end D.J. Ward is still waiting to be officially cleared to practice this spring, but the Oklahoma high school star checked in with 13 percent of the vote.

TCU running back Aaron Green grabbed 12 percent of the vote along with Oklahoma State defensive end Sam Wren. No respect for the lesser-known guys, but they'll get their chance on the field this spring.

Spring has sprung across the Big 12, but every spring, we see names emerge we haven't necessarily heard much about before. Who are you betting on this spring as the Big 12's signature breakout star? Unknowns a year ago, these guys could be bona fide stars this time next year.

Vote in our poll.

Michael Brewer, QB, Texas Tech: Brewer earned some spot duty last season and looked good when he got it. We saw what Kliff Kingsbury did with redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M. Manziel is clearly special, but Brewer is more experienced and was more highly recruited. Could this spring be the start of something special for the Austin native?

D.J. Ward, DE, Oklahoma: Ward was the best prospect in Oklahoma last season, and is the nation's No. 137 overall player and No. 12 defensive end. Oklahoma needs a ton of help at defensive end after losing David King from last year's set of DEs, which struggled and ranked just 104th nationally in tackles for loss. Can Ward, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, help change that this spring?

Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor: Petty's got a lot of experience in the system and measurables that NFL scouts could be drooling over very soon. Can he grip the starting spot this spring and become the next in a long line of passers for the Quarterback Whisperer, Art Briles? The third-year sophomore checks in at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds and has a huge arm. I've loved what I've seen from him in my Waco visits, and he'll have to prove he can be a good decision-maker and productive this spring.

Sam Wren, DE, Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State needs help on the defensive line, too, after losing three seniors at end from last year's team. Wren is a Texas native from junior college in Arizona who ranks as the nation's No. 16 overall juco prospect. He could offer an immediate solution at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds for the Cowboys, who find themselves in a similar spot as the Sooners in terms of pass-rushers this spring.

Aaron Green, RB, TCU: Everybody wants to see the shifty Green take the field after transferring from Nebraska. TCU's offensive backfield is crowded with Waymon James and B.J. Catalon, but the same was true of Baylor's backfield this time last year, and we saw the kind of impact that Lache Seastrunk had. Could Green, who signed with the Huskers as the nation's No. 3 running back and No. 11 overall prospect, have a similar impact? He ran for 105 yards and two scores on his 24 carries back in 2011 for Nebraska.

For years the torch has been passed from Big 12 quarterback to Big 12 quarterback. When received, it's been held high, allowing the remarkable play of those players to be illuminated and seen across college football.

From 2008 to 2011, the Big 12 produced at least one quarterback taken in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. In fact, in those four drafts the Big 12 has had five first-round quarterbacks selected and one in the third round. The 2012 crop of Big 12 quarterbacks -- Collin Klein, Landry Jones, Geno Smith, Nick Florence, heck even Seth Doege -- may not be locks to be first-round picks, but they were prolific in college.

Heading into 2013 it is not that the Big 12’s brightly burning quarterback flame has been extinguished so much as it has been reduced to the size of a pocket lighter. There still might be some talent. But the Big 12, long a passing league, has been left with a collection of quarterbacks who have yet to fully prove their ability or even make it to their senior years. (Well, TCU’s Casey Pachall has but not without a significant interruption that very well could have him sitting on the bench watching Trevone Boykin in 2013.)

With all that in mind here are the top five quarterbacks to who could reignite the flame and carry the torch into 2013.

David Ash, Texas. Yeah, we get it. Flame. Ash. Ha, ha. But on the serious side of things Ash is poised to have a breakout year for Texas. He has started 18 games in his career and finally, after yo-yoing back and forth with Case McCoy, has the full support of the coaching staff. Ash finished 21st nationally in passing efficiency last season and was the highest-rated underclassman in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh. (Walsh, who is in a quarterback battle, finished fourth in passing efficiency.)

With Texas making the move to a tempo/spread offense, Ash will have more of an opportunity to pile up stats. He is also leading an offense that has nine starters returning.

Wes Lunt or J.W, Walsh, Oklahoma State: Lunt won the starting job last season and proved to be the right selection until he was hurt. Walsh proved to be a very solid starter until he was hurt. Even Clint Chelf proved to be a solid starter and finished with 15 touchdowns versus six interceptions.

Coach Mike Gundy will likely go with either Lunt or Walsh. Walsh brings more of a dual threat to the backfield. Lunt has a bigger arm but he had seven touchdowns and six interceptions in his five starts. Whoever fits into the Oklahoma State system will undoubtedly be one of the top passers in the Big 12 because the offense is constructed to pile up stats.

Bryce Petty, Baylor: OK, he drew a Tim Tebow comparison. Yes, already. Yes, it is only spring. No, they have not started to chisel away at the statue for the Baylor campus just yet. But the materials might have been ordered.

“Bryce is a freak of nature,” running back Lache Seastrunk told the San Antonio Express-News. “His frame, his build and how he throws the ball looks just like Tebow. And when he gets the ball (and runs), he's not going to try to surprise you. He's going to go right at you like a true running back.’’

Petty has only made it into 11 games over the past two seasons, completing 10 of 14 passes for 140 yards. But given what Art Briles has been able to do with quarterbacks there is little doubt his numbers will explode this season. He probably will not be able to keep with the stats posted by RG3 and Florence. But Briles is optimistic about what Petty brings to the game.

"He has everything you're looking for -- size, strength, passion, energy, a great arm and great intelligence,’’ Briles told the Express-News.

Michael Brewer, Texas Tech: Brewer knows the spread and ran it successfully in high school under current Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. He comes from a family that has a strong football background with his grandfather and dad played quarterback at Texas. Plus he is working with a coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who turned Johnny Manziel into Johnny Football in one season. While Tech doesn’t have near the talent that Texas A&M and Manziel had in 2012 -- the Red Raiders also lost receiver Darrin Moore -- it will have some of the same looks that tend to confuse plodding defenses.

Casey Pachall, TCU: Pachall is not guaranteed the starting spot. After he was removed from the program due to a drug and alcohol problem in 2012, Boykin was able to steer TCU to upset wins over Baylor, West Virginia and Texas. He also kept the Horned Frogs close against Oklahoma and Michigan State. But Pachall, who rejoined the team in January, was prolific in his time under center for TCU. In the first four games of 2012 he passed for 948 yards, 10 touchdowns and an interception. He threw for 2,921 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2011.

Others to watch:

Blake Bell, Oklahoma. He has only thrown 20 career passes but has been around the offense for several years.

Paul Millard, West Virginia. WVU coach Dana Holgorsen has not had to break in a new quarterback since his first year at Houston in 2008. So this could get interesting.

Jake Heaps, Kansas. Last year’s heralded transfer, Dayne Crist, was a bust. Heaps was able to sit and learn for a year. It could help him understand the genius that is Charlie Weis.

Jake Walters, Kansas State. He was the top player in junior college in 2012 but might split time with sophomore Daniel Sams.

Signing day has come and gone, but we'll have plenty of coverage looking more closely at each Big 12 team's class. This morning, we're looking at how each team filled its needs. We ran down the top of the Big 12 alphabet earlier today. Here's the second half:

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Needs filled: The Cowboys once again lost both starters at defensive end, and junior-college transfer Sam Wren could have an immediate impact. ESPN 300 member Vincent Taylor is a big presence and might contribute early, too. In all, OSU signed six defensive linemen. In this offense, you can never have too many receivers, especially gifted ones. Marcell Ateman and Ra'Shaad Samples will have some fun in Stillwater.

Holes remaining: The Pokes lost one starter at linebacker and will have two seniors on next season's team, but didn't sign a linebacker in this class. We'll see if they can make up for that with development and recruiting in 2014.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

Needs filled: Texas is getting some big upgrades on the offensive line, headlined by the nation's No. 1 center, Darius James. Kent Perkins and Jake Raulerson are also top-10 tackles nationally and guard Rami Hammad and juco tackle Desmond Harrison fill out the class, which was one-third offensive linemen.

Holes remaining: Texas kept striking out with defensive linemen and ended up signing zero, despite losing Alex Okafor and Brandon Moore, and with Jackson Jeffcoat a rising senior. That could be a problem soon, but the Longhorns lost Daeshon Hall and missed out on Andrew Billings, who went to Baylor.

TCU HORNED FROGS

Needs filled: The running backs were drained after last season, but the Frogs had one of the league's best hauls at the position, grabbing ESPN 300 member Kyle Hicks and Trevorris Johnson, two of the best backs in Texas. The Frogs are also loading up on 6-foot, 200-pound linebackers who'll be able to cover in the open field. Paul Whitmill headlines that group, but the Frogs signed three linebackers with that profile.

Holes remaining: Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson are gone, and though LaDarius Brown and Brandon Carter will be there for 2013, you need a lot more big-time receivers than that to win in the Big 12. TCU signed four athletes, but no pure receivers in this class.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Needs filled: Receivers are always a must in this offense, and Tech got a pair of good ones in Dylan Cantrell and Justis Nelson. After Seth Doege graduated and Scotty Young transferred, Tech needed a quarterback to follow Michael Brewer and Davis Webb, the nation's No. 24 pro-style passer, could be that guy.

Holes remaining: The Red Raiders might be a little thin at defensive tackle after signing just one in this class. Kerry Hyder will be a senior and Leon Mackey graduated. Tech will have to develop that position and maybe put some weight on some defensive ends -- a position where Texas Tech is well-stocked.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

Needs filled: Defense, defense, defense. West Virginia needs some talent upgrades all over the field, and landed linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton and ESPN 300 member Darrien Howard. Hodari Christian is another talented linebacking prospect and Dontrill Hyman will try to have an immediate impact as a pass-rusher out of junior college. WVU signed four outside linebackers and two defensive ends.

Holes remaining: Where are the cover guys? WVU needs help in the secondary and got it in safeties Malik Greaves and Jeremy Tyler, but didn't sign a pure cornerback in this class.

Every year, there's lots of turnover and change for every college program. What do the Big 12 teams need to do before next fall? Let's continue our look with Texas Tech.

1. Get used to new faces, terminology and schemes. Texas Tech's offense hasn't changed much since Mike Leach's exit, and new coach Kliff Kingsbury will throw it around, too, just as offensive coordinator Neal Brown did in three seasons in Lubbock. Still, the Red Raiders are preparing for their fifth defensive coordinator in five years in Matt Wallerstedt, who came over with Kingsbury after coaching linebackers at Texas A&M. Tech won't look markedly different, but it's still going to be an adjustment for everybody involved. Different coaches do things different ways and use different terms and approaches. Getting those relationships off to the right start is imperative.

2. Develop Michael Brewer. There doesn't appear to be much competition at quarterback next season in Lubbock. Brewer looked solid in spot duty and his potential is sky-high. Still, in this offense, he needs to be great for Texas Tech to succeed. As a first-year starter, Brewer will be a redshirt sophomore in his third year in the program, but he'll have to weather that transition, and a new offense, too. The basic principles will be similar, but expect Brewer to get a lot of opportunities to use his impressive wheels, too.

3. Fill out the secondary. Tech's secondary finally figured it out last season and made some huge strides, but now it's back to being gutted. Safeties D.J. Johnson and Cody Davis, the team's leading tacklers in 2012, are gone. Cornelius Douglas and Eugene Neboh are gone, too. I'd expect Wallerstedt and secondary assistants Kevin Curtis (cornerbacks) and Trey Haverty (safeties) to go into spring with an open mind. If unheralded players are going to emerge, those 15 practices will be the time to do it. All bets are off with that group.

More offseason to-do lists:

• West Virginia

Before the season began, I released my picks for the Big 12's 1,000-yard receivers in 2012. The Big 12 had four 1,000-yard rushers in 2011, but I picked the league to have five in 2012.

There were 35 1,000-yard receivers this season across college football, but six came from the Big 12. Here's how I picked them from the Big 12 this year.

1. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: Austin did what we all thought he would do: Had a huge senior season. He validated his status as one of the Big 12's most dangerous players and was third in the league with 1,289 yards and 12 scores.

2. Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia: Bailey was a touchdown machine this year, hauling in 25 touchdowns, seven more than any other player in the country. He was a nominee for the Biletnikoff Award and racked up 1,622 yards on his league-high 114 catches. Both WVU receivers were anything but overrated this year. Studs, the both of them.

3. Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor: I said there was a good shot Williams could crack 1,000 yards easily, but I never thought he'd make it look this easy. I had high hopes for Williams, but he far exceeded them, leading the nation with 1,832 yards on 97 catches with 12 scores. What a year.

4. Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma: I picked Stills to crack his first-ever 1,000-yard season, but he came up short in a year he even admitted was a bit disappointing. He finished seventh in the league with 959 yards, just 41 short of a 1,000-yard season. He'd have cleared 1,000 yards if he had 50 yards receiving against TCU's stingy defense. He did have 11 scores, including four against West Virginia.

5. Josh Boyce, WR, TCU: Boyce likely would have cleared 1,000 yards if Casey Pachall stayed on the team. He took a bit of a step back this year, though, with only two 100-yard games this season and finishing with 891 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 998 yards and nine scores last season in the MWC.

Sadly, though, I missed three of the Big 12's 1,000-yard receivers this season. I did give Darrin Moore and Josh Stewart my apologies in the preseason post, but I predicted the touches would be too spread out for either player to top 1,000 yards. Shows what I know.

Here are the guys I didn't get:

Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State: Stewart was the biggest breakout star in the Big 12 this year and will be the Big 12's leading returning receiver in 2012. He caught 101 passes for 1,210 yards this season, with seven touchdowns. Heck of a year, and high hopes for his junior campaign, especially considering he racked up those numbers with three different quarterbacks playing about a third of the season each.

Darrin Moore, WR, Texas Tech: Tech hadn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Michael Crabtree won his second Biletnikoff Award back in 2008. The Red Raiders had two this year, and Moore led the team in receptions (92) and touchdowns (13).

Eric Ward, WR, Texas Tech: Ward took home the Red Raiders' receiving title and elected to stay in Lubbock for his senior season, too. He caught 82 balls for 12 touchdowns and 1,053 yards. Great season, and he'll be a huge help for Michael Brewer next year.

As we finish wrapping up the 2012 season, it's time to look forward today. Here's a look at a few players you need to keep an eye on in 2013:

Casey Pachall, QB, TCU: If Pachall returns to form, you can bet on TCU as the Big 12 favorite in 2013, especially after Joseph Randle left Oklahoma State. He's officially back on the team after spending last fall in a treatment facility for drug and alcohol addiction, and we'll see what reports are out of spring in Fort Worth. He'll have to prove he's the same player and earn his job back, but if he is and he does, and TCU's defense does what it did in 2012 ... look out. Pachall was completing 66 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and a pick before his season ended following a DUI arrest in early October. The entire Big 12 race could very well shift on Pachall's return and subsequent development.

Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas: Gray emerged as the most consistent back for the Longhorns this past season, becoming the second consecutive true freshman to lead the Longhorns in rushing. Gray rushed for more touchdowns than any back in high school football history, and if he can build on his 700 yards on fewer than 150 carries from 2012, he'll look more and more like the player Texas hopes he can be. He also might help Texas look like a real Big 12 title contender.

Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor: No player in the Big 12 was hotter at the end of 2012, and Seastrunk already made a well-publicized statement that he's planning on winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013. We'll see about that, but Seastrunk began November with fewer than 200 yards rushing. He ended the season as one of three Big 12 backs with at least 1,000 rushing yards. Craziness.

Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia: West Virginia's defense got all kinds of heat from critics and opposing offenses last year, but Joseph was the bright spot and a piece to build around for the future. He and fellow true freshman Isaiah Bruce showed real promise, but Joseph was sixth in the Big 12 with 102 tackles, forced three fumbles and had a pair of picks and seven tackles for loss. He's a stud.

Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State: Stewart takes my title as the Big 12's most underrated player entering 2013. He doesn't have the same reputation as an elite receiver, but he has put up the numbers to support the idea that he's exactly that. He caught 101 balls for 1,210 yards and will be the Big 12's leading returning receiver in 2013 by more than 150 yards. Only three Big 12 receivers hit triple-digit receptions last season, too. No returning receiver had more than 82.

Jake Heaps, QB, Kansas: Heaps is a wild card, but if KU is truly going to get out of the Big 12 basement (or win a game in Big 12 play), it needs Heaps' transition after transferring to go better than Dayne Crist's. The BYU transfer, who signed on with the Jayhawks and Charlie Weis after Weis' hiring, threw 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in almost two seasons as the Cougars' starter. He very nearly quarterbacked BYU to a win at Texas in 2011, too.

Aaron Green, RB, TCU: Green is another high-impact transfer this year, or at least could be. The San Antonio native sat out last year after transferring in from Nebraska. He was the No. 3 running back in the 2011 recruiting class and No. 11 on the ESPN 150. We saw this year the kind of impact a super recruit like Seastrunk can have, and TCU needs a big hitter in the backfield. We'll see what Green can do after rushing for 105 yards and two scores on 24 touches at Nebraska in 2011.

Michael Brewer, QB, Texas Tech: Brewer followed in Garrett Gilbert's footsteps in high school with a huge career at Lake Travis in Austin, but here's guessing his college career will be much more impressive. Brewer earned a little time this year behind Seth Doege, but I love what I saw from him in spot duty, and he'll be responsible for what kind of a start the Kliff Kingsbury Era gets off to in Lubbock. Here's guessing it'll be a good one.

As we continue our season wrap, we'll be looking to 2013 today. Let's take a look with some bold predictions in 2013.

1. The Big 12 will not expand or institute a championship game. I get the questions every day, but I simply don't believe the Big 12 will seriously consider expansion before the new college football playoff is in place, and the Big 12 gets an idea for where it stands in the college football landscape. Bob Bowlsby turned heads when a report surfaced that he'd inquired to the NCAA about bringing back the championship game, but that's a long way from actually doing so. Bringing back a No. 1 vs. No. 2 league title game unless the Big 12 is a 12-team league with divisions is the surest way for the Big 12 to find it difficult to crack the four-team playoff.

2. Neither Texas nor Oklahoma will win the Big 12's automatic BCS bid. Simply put, TCU and Oklahoma State are likely better teams. One of those two will win the league and represent the Big 12 in the Fiesta Bowl as its BCS representative. Texas is good, but not quite good enough and will have a difficult decision to make about Mack Brown's future after falling short. Oklahoma is just losing too much on defense and trying to live without Landry Jones, which fans will find more difficult than they imagined.

3. The Big 12 will have a Davey O'Brien Trophy finalist. The Big 12 is reloading at quarterback, and will likely have only one starting quarterback in 2013 (barring what happens at TCU) who started at least half of his team's games in 2012: Texas' David Ash. It won't necessarily be him at the awards ceremony, but I believe in the Big 12's quarterback development, and we'll see a breakout star next year. Will it be Michael Brewer at Tech? Bryce Petty at Baylor? Ford Childress/Paul Millard in Morgantown or Blake Bell in Norman? What about Daniel Sams or Jake Waters at K-State?

4. Three Big 12 teams will finish in the national top 35 in total defense. This year, the Big 12 only had one team (TCU) crack the top 35. There will be great defenses coming back. Look for Texas, TCU and Oklahoma State to grab this accomplishment, and Texas Tech might not be far off, too. Offenses as a whole will be down from their crazy pace next year, and that's an opportunity for some experienced defenses.

5. The Big 12 will not play for a national title ... again. It's getting old for the league these days. Texas and Oklahoma both played a part in the SEC capturing seven consecutive national titles, but the Big 12's sat on the sidelines on that Monday night in January for each of the past three seasons. Make it four next year.

6. Texas Tech will be the Big 12's biggest overachiever. They'll do it on the back of Brewer, who I buy as the most likely breakout star for the Big 12 next year. He's got great running backs, a great system and great, experienced receivers. Having Eric Ward back will be huge, and Jace Amaro and Jakeem Grant will continue to grow. I'm a little cautious on picking them in the top half of the league in the preseason, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Red Raiders finish in the top three or four next year.

7. Baylor will win at least eight games again. The Bears' offense will be back, and the defense will be a little bit improved. It'll be enough to win eight games in three consecutive seasons with three different quarterbacks. That's crazy, and yet another testament to what Art Briles has done in Waco.

8. Kansas will win a Big 12 game. It has to happen eventually, doesn't it? The Big 12 losing streak now stands at 21 games. It won't reach 30 this time last year.