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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.

As spring camps begin, we'll offer up a preview and let you know what to watch for in each team's 15 practices over the next couple of months. Texas will start spring practice first, so today we start with the Longhorns.

Schedule: The Longhorns begin spring practice on Thursday and will host a spring game on March 30.

What's new: Offensive playcalling duties have fallen to co-coordinator Major Applewhite now, who was promoted when partner Bryan Harsin left to become Arkansas State's head coach. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz mulled a move after the season, but ultimately stuck around to help revive a defense that struggled in 2012.

On the mend: Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat will likely be limited after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral, but linebacker Jordan Hicks should return following a hip injury that cost him his 2012 season and a sexual assault charge that was eventually dropped stemming from an incident during the Longhorns' bowl trip.

Stepping up: Kenny Vaccaro's versatility will be tough to replace, but figuring out who will try and fill his role at safety will be huge for Texas' defense during the spring. My money is on Mykkele Thompson, but don't rule out junior Josh Turner or even a position move for physical junior cornerback Quandre Diggs.

New faces: Texas is welcoming a handful of early enrollees this spring, headlined by quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Offensive lineman Jake Raulerson, the 2013 class' first commit, is also enrolled along with linebacker Deoundrei Davis and tight end Geoff Swaim, the nation's No. 4 junior college player at the position.

Breaking out: Linebacker Peter Jinkens already made an impact as a true freshman, but don't be surprised if he leaves spring practice with a starting gig, beating out a few older players like Steve Edmond and Kendall Thompson. Jinkens earned a start against Iowa State and snagged an interception in Texas' Alamo Bowl win over Oregon State, but the 6-foot-1, 213-pounder from Dallas could be a budding star in a linebacking corps that needs help after a disappointing 2012.

Under the radar: Texas struggled in the kicking game throughout 2012, making just 11 of 19 attempts, the lowest percentage of any Big 12 team. Nick Jordan had to carry the load as a freshman while Penn State transfer Anthony Fera battled a groin injury. They'll be back to battle this spring, and though it won't get much attention in a camp loaded with intrigue, its importance can't be overstated for a team that doesn't hang points by the buckets and played in six games decided by one possession a year ago.

All eyes on: Quarterback David Ash. Being just OK is no longer acceptable. He was reasonably efficient last season with a passer rating of over 153, but faltered late in the season and struggled with inconsistency. If Texas is going to be great, he has to be great, and most importantly, consistent. No more well-deserved benchings in favor of Case McCoy. Ash limited his interceptions and was fifth in the league in passer rating, but he's got to be even better as a junior.

We're grading each Big 12 team's season right now, and we'll move on to the next team on the list: The Oklahoma State Cowboys.

OFFENSE: It was obvious from the start that this offense would only go as far as David Ash would take them, and the offense looked really, really strong in the first four games, including wins on the road against Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. He played well against West Virginia, but the wheels came off for everything in a blowout loss to Oklahoma. Ash was benched against KU and Case McCoy rescued a win, and McCoy got some run against TCU and K-State when Ash suffered a rib injury. Ash was OK this year, but has to eliminate the rough outings. The receivers were solid, but the running game still has yet to become the force that the raw talent at running back suggests it should be. It's been good, but the Longhorns still keep their backs healthy. The offense was better this year and earned Bryan Harsin a head-coaching job at Arkansas State, but there's a lot of room for improvement for this unit. GRADE: B-

DEFENSE: This is where it could get ugly, considering we generally grade these units on a curve relative to the talent present. Texas looked like a runaway candidate for the Big 12's best defense. The defensive line was beastly and deep at defensive tackle, and the linebackers were young, albeit promising. The secondary returned all of its best talents and Kenny Vaccaro and cornerbacks Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs could arguably be considered the Big 12's No. 1 and No. 2 corners. That was in the preseason, though. Texas never found much ability to slow the run, and Diggs and Byndom were disappointments compared to their 2011 seasons. The linebackers had to deal with the loss of leader Jordan Hicks for most of the season, so they get somewhat of a pass, and the defensive line recovered well from the loss of Jackson Jeffcoat. Alex Okafor was one of the Big 12's best defenders, but that inability to stop the run cost the Longhorns. GRADE: C-

OVERALL: That 4-0 start had plenty of folks, myself included, thinking Texas was back. The loss the following week to a top-10 West Virginia team (back then, anyway) was nothing to be ashamed of. That Red River loss, though, cast a huge shadow over the season and even a late four-game winning streak and a big win on the road at Texas Tech couldn't erase that. A Thanksgiving night disastrous loss to TCU might have repercussions on the recruiting trail in the future, and the Longhorns weren't ready to play 60 minutes with Kansas State, who ran away in the second half. The bowl win over Oregon State was Texas' best win of the season, but in a season in which Texas hoped to be back, it simply wasn't enough. Nine wins doesn't cut it at Texas. GRADE: C+

More Big 12 report cards:

• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State

Damien Williams took the handoff from Landry Jones as his two teammates in the backfield rushed to find white jerseys to block. Williams cut once through the line as a diving Kenny Vaccaro missed Williams' ankles. Williams slowed to let his blockers create a lane before cutting outside and finding himself in the middle of three Longhorns defenders.

His cut put them off balance and as he hit the left sideline, he had one player to outrun -- for a while, anyway. Receiver Kenny Stills erased Quandre Diggs and set Williams free as the Cotton Bowl -- well, half of it -- exploded.

"That's something that any football player wants to be a part of. The fans were so crazy," Williams told ESPN.com this week. "Going into that game I was confident and excited."

No player had ever broken a longer run in the history of the Red River Rivalry than that 95-yarder, and any debate over who should be Oklahoma's starting running back ended.

The 6-foot, 208-pound junior-college transfer grabbed 22 carries, 14 more than any Sooner. A week earlier, his 14 carries in a blowout win over Texas Tech were 12 more than any other Oklahoma back. For now, this job is Williams'. He was expecting to help out the unit and "do his part," whatever that meant.

For now, it means being the Sooners' No. 1 back.

"He’s played consistently all year. He’s made big plays. He’s an incredibly physical, tough runner. He’s got great speed and he’s taking care of the ball," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "He’s been reliable. He’s got great hands. He’s got everything you look for. Power and again, has incredible hands to go with his ability to run."

With Dominique Whaley returning from a fractured ankle and Roy Finch breaking highlight-reel runs, Williams ascending to win the job seemed unlikely in the preseason. Even Brennan Clay had more experience.

Through just five games, though, there's no doubt. Even in the season opener, Williams' potential was there. He broke a 65-yard touchdown run to ice a 24-7 road win over UTEP. A week later, he scored four times in a 69-13 victory over Florida A&M, turning 10 carries into 156 yards.

"I can't make any plays without my team around me," Williams said. "What the line is doing, what the coaches are calling and everything. All I can do is go out there and try to make plays."

He's got 66 carries for 508 yards and six touchdowns in just five games, one of just three Big 12 backs averaging at least 100 yards a game.

Against Texas Tech, he caught six passes for 82 yards, too.

"He’s been a huge spark, just with his physical running and ability to catch the ball," Stoops said.

Williams already has three runs longer than 60 yards this season. No other Big 12 back has one, and the rest of the Big 12 has just five combined. Only three players in all of college football have three runs longer than 60 yards, and all three players have suited up in seven games, compared to just five for Williams and the Sooners.

Another great set of games this weekend, headlined by West Virginia's first road trip in the Big 12. No pressure, guys, just your everyday, routine matchup of top-10 teams against the league's biggest brand-name team.

• Holy cow, I don't know about you, but I absolutely can't wait for West Virginia and Texas to tangle. There still seems to be more skepticism about the Longhorns than there is about WVU, but there's no doubt that West Virginia will have the best player on the field. He'll be facing one of the best defenses he'll see all year in Texas. Or will he? The Longhorns' tackling issues haven't gone away, but their form seems to have gone missing. Can Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs figure out how to cover Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin? I'm not sure it's possible. Help from the rest of the secondary will be needed. This is more than a one-man job.
• Oklahoma: How good is this team? There's plenty of reason to doubt the Sooners, who have looked poor in two of their three outings this season. What about Texas Tech? The offense sputtered in the first half against Iowa State, but it has been impressive in three games against patsies. We'll learn a lot about both of these teams this week, but you'll be hearing plenty about the Sooners' troubles in Lubbock. They haven't won there in almost a decade.
• Geno Smith is the Heisman front-runner, but this is one game in which he can really win this thing. A good enough performance on Saturday might give Smith enough slack to even suffer a loss and still maintain his lead in the race, as long as he plays decent in the loss.
• Iowa State couldn't get the win against Texas Tech, but TCU has left doors open all season long, and nobody's taken advantage. Other than K-State, is any team in the Big 12 more liable to take advantage of anything a team gives it? ISU is very dangerous heading down to Fort Worth. TCU gets somewhat of a pass for the mistakes against SMU because of the rain, but this is still becoming a trend.
• Will the bye week matter for Kansas? KU has gotten absolutely steamrolled against rival K-State the past two years, as the Wildcats have turned in some of their best performances. K-State has pretty much nothing to prove in this game, but can KU at least make this thing competitive? For the sake of those of us who have to watch these games (ahem), I hope so.
• Oklahoma State gets a week off to think about last week's heartbreaking loss to Texas. Baylor's also off this week after losing to West Virginia on Saturday, despite scoring 63 points.

Want the full Big 12 schedule? Here you go (all times ET):

• Kansas at No. 7 Kansas State, noon, FX
• No. 17 Oklahoma at Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 (reverse mirror)
• No. 15 TCU at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m., Fox Sports Network
• No. 8 West Virginia at No. 11 Texas, 7 p.m., FOX

Here's what you need to know about the week that was in the Big 12.

Best offensive performance: J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State. Cowboys fans weren't sure what to expect when Wes Lunt went down in a heap clutching his knee. Walsh was ready, and proved why the OSU QB race this spring was so close. He also proved why you don't immediately transfer if you lose a position battle. He threw for 347 yards on 21-of-30 passing and ran for 73 yards and a score on just six carries, helping Oklahoma State roll over Louisiana-Lafayette, 65-24.

Best defensive performance: Joel Hasley, LB, TCU. The first-year starter made a big impact in TCU's first Big 12 game. He was all over the place for the Frogs, making 12 tackles and notching two sacks in the Frogs' 20-6 win over Kansas. Honorable mention: Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas; Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State

Best team performance: Texas. It's not easy to go on the road against anyone and assert dominance, but Texas did it in a game that was never very close against Ole Miss. The Longhorns had 350 yards rushing and 326 yards passing. The defense didn't have a good night tackling, but the Longhorns haven't put up that kind of offensive balance since the national title year of 2005. Honorable mention: Oklahoma State

Best play: Kye Staley, FB, Oklahoma State. Staley's story will never stop being incredible, but the rumbler's comeback tour had another big moment on Saturday, when he took a short pass and turned it into a 52-yard score. A major knee injury had Staley out of the game, but he's back, and he's a fan favorite in Stillwater. His story got more front-page treatment in a quiet week across the Big 12. Honorable mention: Marquise Goodwin, Texas

Worst play: Take your pick, TCU. The Frogs had a snap go between Casey Pachall's legs in the red zone early, leading to a loss of possession and a 30-plus yard loss. Late in the game, Pachall fumbled for a touchback at the 1-yard line, too. Waymon James coughed up a fumble inside the KU 10 and Pachall was sacked for another fumble just outside the KU 20-yard line. That's quite a lowlight reel, and I didn't even get to the Frogs' missed 27-yard field goal yet.

Worst moment: Lunt's knee injury. Injuries are probably the worst part of this game, and Lunt's future looks bright. To see him go down and immediately clutch his knee? Nothing short of sickening. It doesn't sound like a major injury, but here's hoping the 18-year-old gets back to health soon.

Best moment: Late Saturday night, when this terrible week of Big 12 football ended. No marquee matchups. No games decided by fewer than 14 points. Can we move to next week yet?

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.

Everything seemed fine on the 40 Acres this time two years ago.

The defensive cupboard was well-stocked and Mack Brown was talking up the squad, openly inviting high expectations for his defense and claiming they might be the best in his time in Austin.

With the Acho brothers up front and three future NFL draft picks in the secondary, who could blame him?

"It didn’t turn out that way," Brown said this week.

The Longhorns defense was good, but not good enough. It led the Big 12 in total defense, but forced just 18 turnovers for 11th in the Big 12.

Oh, and Texas went 5-7.

The Longhorns bounced back with eight wins in 2011, and in 2012 the hype is back for a defense loaded with NFL talent once again. There is talk that it might be among the nation's best, if not the nation's best.

"I want our defense to live up to those expectations," Brown said. "All of us sitting here in preseason have expectations, especially at a school like the University of Texas. But, until you produce on the field, and we’ll have a better idea of how they look on Saturday, then we’re not sure how good they will be."

Brown's tempering the expectations a bit this time around, but he knows what he has.

The league's No. 1 and No. 2 defensive ends are anything but an unknown commodity. Both Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor could hear their names called in the first round of next April's NFL draft, though Jeffcoat said this week he wants to stay and get his degree from Texas.

Cornerbacks Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom morphed a question mark at cornerback into one of the team's strengths late in the season, and safety Kenny Vaccaro might be the best overall defender in the Big 12.

The one thing most closely resembling a question mark? The middle of the defense.

"I’ve consistently talked about the loss of the four seniors down the middle," Brown said, "and that we’ve got new, young guys in their places."

Linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson were the vocal leaders of the defense last season, but have been replaced by super recruits Steve Edmond and Jordan Hicks, joining a speedster on the outside in linebacker Demarco Cobbs, who played quarterback, receiver, safety and returned kicks and punts in high school.

Tackle Kheeston Randall is gone, too, but the Longhorns look well suited to replace him by plugging juco transfer Brandon Moore and reformed running back Chris Whaley at the top of a rotation of five capable contributors in the middle of the defense.

Adrian Phillips moves up to replace four-year starter Blake Gideon at strong safety opposite Vaccaro.

"Until they prove it on Saturday that they’re ready to show that leadership and show that ability to handle Big 12 football at a fast pace, then we have to wait until they prove it before we can anoint them as a great defense," Brown said.

Here's guessing we won't wait long.

The season is only a few days away, and it's time to unveil our official All-Big 12 team.

The criteria for this is pretty simple: I picked the best players at every position in the game, but made room for deserving players. For this league, that meant eliminating the tight end spot and sliding a more deserving Collin Klein onto the team via an all-purpose position.

The quarterbacks are solid in this league, but I'd call the cornerbacks the best and deepest position in the league. The worst? Defensive tackle. I didn't put a single one on the All-Big 12 team, electing to name four defensive ends along the defensive line. I hate doing that, but this year, it's necessary.

Without further ado, here's our team:

OFFENSE

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
RB: Waymon James, TCU
All-Purpose: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State
WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
WR: Kenny Stills, Oklahoma
WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
C: Joe Madsen, West Virginia
OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OL: Mason Walters, Texas

DEFENSE

DL: Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
DL: Stansly Maponga, TCU
DL: Alex Okafor, Texas
DL: Meshak Williams, Kansas State
LB: A.J. Klein, Iowa State
LB: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
CB: Carrington Byndom, Texas
CB: Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State
S: Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S: Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS:

K: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
PR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Honorable mention/regrettable snubs: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma; Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas; Ivory Wade, C, Baylor; LaAdrian Waddle, OL, Texas Tech; Blaize Foltz, OL, TCU; Kenny Cain, LB, TCU; Shaun Lewis, LB, Oklahoma State; Jamarkus McFarland, DL, Oklahoma; Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas; Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State; Demontre Hurst, CB, Oklahoma; Tyler Lockett, KR, Kansas State

Our official list of the Big 12's top 25 players entering the 2012 season marches on. Here's more on my criteria for who makes it, who doesn't and who lands where.

The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day leading up to the season.

Next up on the list:

No. 11: Carrington Byndom, CB, Texas

2011 numbers: Made 58 tackles, eight tackles for loss. Broke up 15 passes, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

Most recent ranking: Byndom was unranked in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Byndom: Byndom's the Big 12's best corner and grabs the No. 11 spot on our list for his big 2011 season. Texas started 2011 with a big question mark at cornerback after the losses of Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams, but by the end of the season, it became a strength.

Never doubt Texas' status as the nation's resident DB U. Byndom and teammate Quandre Diggs, along with hard-hitting, versatile Kenny Vaccaro are carrying on that tradition. Byndom will absolutely erase receivers, and did so against Oklahoma State when he held the Pokes' Justin Blackmon, a two-time Biletnikoff winner, to just 48 yards on four catches. He won the team's Defensive Player of the Week award four times last year, and made one of the biggest plays of Texas' season when he intercepted Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill early in the second half, returning the pick 58 yards for a touchdown to swing the momentum of the eventual comeback win.

He broke up three passes that game, had seven tackles and added a tackle for loss. Expect more games like that in Byndom's future, and a possible spot in the top 10 of our postseason list. His upside is enormous after just one year of being a permanent starter.

The rest of the list:

• No. 25: Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State
• No. 24: Ben Habern, C, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
• No. 22: Josh Boyce, WR, TCU
• No. 21: Cyril Richardson, OL, Baylor
• No. 20: Trey Millard, FB/TE, Oklahoma
• No. 19: Quandre Diggs, CB/KR, Texas
• No. 18: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
• No. 17: Brodrick Brown, CB, Oklahoma State
• No. 16: Stansly Maponga, DE, TCU
• No. 15: Gabe Ikard, OL, Oklahoma
• No. 14: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
• No. 13: Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia

Our official list of the Big 12's top 25 players entering the 2012 season marches on. Here's more on my criteria for who makes it, who doesn't, and who lands where.

The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day leading up to the season.

Next up on the list:

No. 19: Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas

2011 numbers: Made 49 tackles (32 solo), three tackles for loss, broke up 19 passes and intercepted four passes. Also forced two fumbles. He returned 19 kicks for 371 yards (avg. 19.53 yards) and returned nine punts for 181 yards (avg. 20.11 yards).

Most recent ranking: Diggs was unranked in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Diggs: Diggs showed up early last spring and displayed a ton of potential. By fall, he made good on those hopes he could one day blossom into an All-American. Diggs, the younger brother of San Diego Charger and former Longhorn Quentin Jammer (a unanimous All-American in his day), stepped in as a true freshman and started 11 games, unheard of for the Longhorns.

Along the way, he nabbed four picks to lead the team and finish in a tie for fourth place in the league. That included interceptions in comeback wins over BYU and Texas A&M, and another in a shutout win over California to close the season in the Holiday Bowl. His 19 PBUs were third-most in college football. And this guy's supposed to be a true freshman? Unbelievable.

He'll return as a sophomore as one of the Big 12's best defensive backs, and the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Angleton, Texas native plays much bigger than his size, more than willing to challenge the bigger receivers across the Big 12.

The rest of the list:

• No. 25: Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State
• No. 24: Ben Habern, C, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
• No. 22: Josh Boyce, WR, TCU
• No. 21: Cyril Richardson, OL, Baylor
• No. 20: Trey Millard, FB/TE, Oklahoma

The Paul Hornung Award, given annually to college football's "most versatile" player, has named its 49-man watch list.

Six from the Big 12 made the cut.

• Tavon Austin, West Virginia
• D.J. Beshears, Kansas
• Brandon Carter, TCU
• Quandre Diggs, Texas
• Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
• Josh Lenz, Iowa State

The Hornung Award is only 3 years old, but it's a pretty cool designation. Gotta love Austin's chances here. He personifies versatile. He's a great receiver, but they love to give him the ball on jet sweeps, too. He's also great in the return game.

Look out for Gilbert, a cornerback/kick returner, to make some noise in the award race, too.

Georgia's Brandon Boykin, a CB/KR, won the award last year. Stanford's Owen Marecic won the inaugural award in 2010 for his work at linebacker and fullback.

If you've missed our look back at the projections from 2011, here's what you've missed.

Predicting interceptions is near impossible, so we don't even try. Don't believe me?

Of the Big 12's seven leading returning ball hawks in 2011, only Iowa State LB Jake Knott (No. 1) and Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman (No. 7) had more than one interception that season.

Sometimes players disappoint or suffer injuries. Sometimes quarterbacks refuse to throw their way.

Want a fun stat from 2011 that'll give you hope for Big 12 defenses? Of the league's top 10 interception leaders, nine return. We'll break down the top six right here. Each of the players have at least four interceptions. Newcomers TCU and West Virginia don't have a single player with more than two picks.

So what do we know from this list? We'll find out soon. Either way, here are the Big 12's best returning ball hawks in 2012.

1. Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State: Don't act like you're not impressed. Malone walked in last spring as a junior college transfer and earned a starting spot. Try to restrain your shock, but he had a huge year under Bill Snyder, who's got as good of a nose for jucos as anyone in college football. Malone's seven interceptions were two more than any other player in the Big 12 and ranked third nationally.

2. Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State: Gilbert was already a physical freak, one of the fastest players in the league and a lethal kick returner. Like Malone, Gilbert was a first-year starter and finished his first year in huge fashion. Gilbert picked off five passes and returns as a junior with sky-high expectations and NFL scouts peering in his direction.

3. Brodrick Brown, CB, Oklahoma State: They call him the Bulldog around Stillwater, and for good reason. While the speedy, 6-foot, 194-pound Gilbert has all the measurables, Brown is all heart at 5-foot-8, 183 pounds. Every week, he goes up against bigger, physical receivers and he still ended the season with five picks, just like Gilbert. OSU and Texas both have arguments as the league's best set of corners, and Brown, who will be a senior, is half the reason why.

4. K.J. Morton, CB, Baylor: Morton is one of four Big 12 talents with four picks in 2011. The juco transfer came on late in 2011, picking off all four of his passes in Baylor's final three regular-season games. There's plenty of excitement for what he could do in 2012, too.

5. Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma: Jefferson's four picks feel a bit unfair, considering that he picked off three of them in three consecutive possessions in a 62-6 shellacking of Ball State. His fourth came a week later. Jefferson was quiet late in the season on the interception front, but made plenty of plays elsewhere for the defense. Look for him to pick off passes with more consistency as a traditional safety in 2012 in Mike Stoops' defense, as opposed to playing linebacker last season in Brent Venables' defense.

6. Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas: Diggs is the only freshman on this list, and that says a whole lot. Diggs showed big promise as an early enrollee this time last spring and validated it in the fall, earning a starting job and leading the team in interceptions. Diggs picked off passes in comeback wins over BYU and Texas A&M, and grabbed his fourth in the bowl win over Cal. I'd venture to say Diggs has more upside than any player on this list. His sophomore season should be really fun to watch.

Texas

2011 overall record: 8-4

2011 conference record: 4-5 (6th)

Returning starters:

Offense: 9; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 0
Top returners

RB: Malcolm Brown, C Dominic Espinosa, WR Jaxon Shipley, QB David Ash, LB Jordan Hicks, S Kenny Vaccaro, DE Alex Okafor, CB Carrington Byndom

Key losses

LB Emmanuel Acho, LB Keenan Robinson, K/P Justin Tucker

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Malcolm Brown* (742 yards)

Passing: David Ash* (1,068 yards)

Receiving: Mike Davis* (609 yards)

Tackles: Emmanuel Acho (131)

Sacks: Jackson Jeffcoat (8)

Interceptions: Quandre Diggs* (4)

Spring answers

Quarterbacks maturing: While Texas refuses to name an outright starter before the season, it is clear that both Case McCoy and David Ash have taken strides toward becoming more complete quarterbacks. Ash, who was plagued by indecision and interceptions, matured throughout the spring and has started to become the leader Texas needs him to be. McCoy is still having problems with picks, but has increased the velocity on his throws and, as a result, can make more down the field throws.

Replacements fit: Texas did not have to replace much on the defensive side of the ball -- only three players. But two of those three were the leading tacklers from 2011, linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson. Still, it appears as if the Longhorns have upgraded at the linebacker with Steve Edmond and Demarco Cobbs. Edmond is bigger and faster than Robinson. Cobbs is faster and more agile than Acho. What neither has is experience and that will be tested early in the 2012 season.

Bergeron pushes Brown: Backup running back Joe Bergeron made his case for more carries in the spring. Despite playing in 11 of 13 games, the sophomore only received consistent snaps in two games as a freshman. During those two games, Bergeron rushed for 327 yards. An injury hampered him the rest of the season, but he was healthy over the spring and showed the coaching staff that he is ready to challenge Malcolm Brown for the starting spot at running back.

Fall questions

Who is going wild? Texas deployed the wild formation to great success under first year co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin in 2011. But headed into 2012, the Longhorns have yet to figure out who will be running that formation. There are several candidates, many of which are freshmen. Johnathan Gray, the most heralded recruit of the 2012 class, should get the first shot. The running back has great speed and instincts but has to prove he can read the linebackers and make the right decisions. Texas also will try two other freshmen, Daje Johnson and Jalen Overstreet. Overstreet was a high school quarterback so he could bring the option of throwing out of the wild as well.

Rotating quarterbacks: Texas could not make up its mind until the last game of the season last year when it came to quarterbacks. In that game Ash took every snap. Whether or not he continues to take the significant snaps for Texas is the largest question surrounding this team. If Ash is at all shaky under center, the Longhorns have no qualms about going with McCoy. But if both finally prove inadequate, Texas might have to make a decision on freshman Connor Brewer. Texas would prefer to redshirt Brewer, but the Longhorns have suffered through two years of poor quarterback play and a third may not be tolerated by fans.

Wide receiver: Mike Davis, Jaxon Shipley and Marquise Goodwin are all back at wide receiver, but beyond those three players, Teas is severely lacking experienced depth. D.J. Monroe has been converted from running back to wide receiver to take advantage of his speed and shiftiness on bubble screens. But Monroe has had problems catching the ball consistently. DeSean Hales showed up in the spring. But the senior has shown up in the spring before and disappeared in the fall. He had two catches in 2011.

That means freshmen Cayleb Jones, Daje Johnson, Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson are all going to get a shot. Additionally, Texas will be working with a redshirt freshman M.J. McFarland at tight end.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has a well-earned reputation as the nation's "DBU," a proverbial factory of NFL defensive backs.

Even so, when three NFL-caliber corners leave a team, like they did at Texas before the 2011 season, doubts will surface.

Can you replace Aaron Williams' versatility? What about Curtis Brown's cover skills and Chykie Brown's knack for being in the right place for the big play at the right time?

New defensive coordinator Manny Diaz looked down his depth chart and saw a true freshman, Quandre Diggs, and a little-used sophomore in Carrington Byndom.

By season's end, though, the duo transformed one of the Longhorns' biggest question marks -- and after a 5-7 season in 2010, they had plenty -- into arguably its biggest strength.

"Both of them are both very bright," coach Mack Brown said. "They made an easy transition to the field. Both of them were in very good high school programs."

Diggs showcased his fearlessness early in the spring. He went head-to-head with -- and held his own against -- the team's top and more experienced receivers while he should have been in high school. The contact did not faze the former high school running back.

"Quandre was tough," Brown said. "He got knocked around a lot."

Meanwhile, Brown pointed to Byndom's outstanding athletic ability for his early success. Byndom had the option to play college baseball, but elected to stick to football.

"Carrington has gotten tougher every minute he's been here," Brown said, adding that he was a "very good athlete."

By fall, both were entrenched as starters.

Diggs finished the season with four interceptions, more than all but one freshman in college football (Bryce Callahan of Rice). The league's coaches named him the Big 12's top defensive freshman and Diggs was named a freshman All-American. He landed a spot on the All-Big 12 second team, too.

Byndom, a first-year starter, landed a nod as a first-team All-Big 12 talent and a key cog in a defense that topped the conference in total defense for a fifth consecutive season. He picked off two passes and tied Diggs with a team-high 15, earning the team's defensive player of the week honors on four occasions.

Notes KC Joyner of Football Outsiders:

His 6.2 yards per attempt (YPA) allowed total was better than the YPA marks posted by Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (6.6) and LSU Tigers cornerback Morris Claiborne (7.5), two coverage specialists who will likely end up selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

DBU, indeed.

The Longhorns also were the only team in college football to not allow a touchdown pass for 20 yards or longer before the season finale against Heisman winner Robert Griffin III and receiving champ Kendall Wright.

"They were very responsible," Brown said. "That was one of our biggest question marks sitting there in the spring and in the fall. And I thought you have to give a lot of credit to Manny and to [defensive backs coach] Duane [Akina] for devising a scheme that took pressure off of them as well.

"We didn't play near as much man and didn't put them in as many one-on-one situations, and then because of their confidence you see the play that Carrington made at A&M probably changed that game."

Byndom swung the momentum for the burnt orange in the final chapter of a heated rivalry with the in-state Aggies before they left for the SEC.

Trailing 16-7 at halftime, Byndom stepped in front of a Ryan Tannehill pass early in the third quarter, returning it 58 yards for a touchdown, silencing a rabid Kyle Field crowd and igniting a second-half comeback for the ages.

Brown saw plenty out of both corners in 2011, but they were young and inexperienced. What happens now?

Big 12 receivers, beware.