Throughout the year, I will be focusing on the teams of the Big 12 and giving potential player match-ups. I think we have a good core of cappers that can offer a beneficial ananlysis of their respective teams using an unbiased approach such as DNOMYAR_5791, dr. freeze, taoist, just to name a few. With that said, I thought I would have some fun with my Big 12 brethren on ranking the elite players in our conference. Chime in boys.
Ranking players is always a difficult and somewhat ridiculous exercise (how can you really compare Seneca Wallace and Kliff Kingsbury within their respective systems?) but here it is. My criteria are shady, variable and inconsistent. Generally though, I'm interested in which player is most dominating at the college level. Their future NFL status may indeed play a role in my decision-making, but it doesn't have primacy. Unlike sportswriters, I actually do watch the linemen so you're likely to see the greatest departure from the magazine rankings there. Ranking this year's OL was challenging since many of them are completely average players with little seperation between them.
In addition to numerical ranking, which has serious problems (how can you seperate the elite DE's and CB's in the Big 12? Is Andre Woolfolk better than Terrence Newman -- hell if I really know). I also added physical seperation between players. This further indicates my tiering of the players. I may only rate Rashaun Woods two spaces above BJ Johnson, but the additional physical space indicates my belief that they're on different levels as players.
OFFENSE
QB
1. Seneca Wallace -- ISU
2. Chris Simms -- UT
3. Kliff Kingsbury -- TT
4. Jason White -- OU
5. Craig Ochs -- CU
6. Mark Farris -- A&M
The ultimate college QB or the pro prototype? Look at it this way: take Wallace off of ISU and they go 2-11 rather than contend for a minor bowl. Take Simms off of Texas, they're still a Top 20 team. 25-28 TD passes is likely for Simms and Kingsbury -- but Simms will do it in 150 fewer passing attempts. Jason White is the QB most likely to make a move up. He needs to choose his times to run judiciously or risk another injury.
HB
1. Cedric Benson -- UT
1. Chris Brown -- CU
1. Dahrran Diedrick -- NU
4. Quentin Griffin -- OU
5. Bobby Purify -- CU
6. Marcus Houston --CU
7. Derek Farmer-- A&M
8. Zack Abron -- Mizzou
The top three runners are seperated by slivers. Common wisdom from the magazines is that Diedrick is the best in the league. I disagree. As DNOMYAR_5791 mentioned in a previous post, he's getting the nod due to seniority but I will keep him in this spot for now. Benson and Diedrick will vie for the Big 12 rushing title while Brown platoons with Purify and Houston. I like Derek Farmer and am eager to see if A&M is capable of getting him the stats he merits.
FB
1. Brandon Drumm -- CU
2. Judd Davies -- NU
3. Matt Trissel -- UT
4. Joe Weber -- A&M
Drumm is the best pure blocking FB in the Big 12. Davies may finally give NU the inside runner and physical presence they haven't had in years to take the pressure off of Lord and compliment Diedrick. Weber (A&M) and Trissel (UT) are solid in their respective roles, but barely worthy of mention.
WR
1. Roy Williams -- UT
2. Rashaun Woods -- OSU
3. Justin Gage -- Mizzou
4. BJ Johnson -- UT
5. Sloan Thomas -- UT
6. Wilson Thomas -- NU
7. Reggie Newhouse -- BU
8. Terrance Murphy -- A&M
9. Lane Danielsen -- ISU
10. Mark Clayton -- OU
11. Derek McCoy -- CU
12. Curtis Fagan -- OU
13. Antwone Savage -- OU
14. Anton Paige -- TT
15. Harrison Hill -- KU
16. Jamaar Taylor -- A&M
Roy Williams over Rashaun Woods was actually a tough choice. Woods is the consummate WR and runs the best routes in the league. BJ Johnson over Sloan Thomas is no easy decision either: Sloan doesn't drop passes. Three Longhorns in the top 5 indicative of Orange Bias? Nope. Put these players into a Big 12 league draft and this is how the coaches would have them shake out. OU's interchangeable parts at WR are tough to rate.
TE
1. Trent Smith -- OU
2. Bo Scaife -- UT
3. Aaron Golliday -- NU
Smith and Scaife are heads and shoulders the best TE's in the league. Golliday deserves some mention as a brutal drive blocker though he'll be lucky to have 100 yards receiving this year.
OT
1. Andre Brooks -- A&M
2. Thomas Barnett-- KSU
3. Justin Bates -- CU
4. Robbie Doane-- UT
5. Justin Sands -- KU
6. Wes Sims -- OU
7. Kyle Eaton -- OSU
8. Richie Incognito -- NU
9. Dan Waldrop -- NU
10. Jon Scott -- UT
The Big 12 graduated some of the most dominating OL in its history last year and it shows. Andre Brooks is a good pass blocker with a future in the League. Thomas Barnett is a four year starter in his sixth year of elgibility. Justin Bates couldn't hold a candle to Victor Rogers, but in this year's denuded OL environment, he's in the top three. Sooner fans claim that Sims has taken siginificant strides from last year. Richie Incognito may be the next great NU OL. By year's end, Scott will be one of the best OT's in the league. Expect early growing pains though.
OG
1. Marwan Hage -- CU
2. Derrick Dockery -- UT
3. Rex Richards -- TT
4. Mike Skinner -- OU
5. Tillman Holloway -- UT
6. Toby Cecil -- TT
7. Bob Montgomery -- ISU
8. Billy Yates -- A&M
The guards are slightly more noteable than the tackles, but the sheer mediocrity of several Big 12 OL's this year will be startling. That Billy Yates, simply by being a multiple year starter, could make this list, is testament to the group's mediocrity.
C
1. Wayne Lucier -- CU
2. AJ Ricker -- Mizzou
3. Vince Carter -- OU
4. John Garrison -- NU
Lucier and Ricker are very, very good. Carter is scrappy and a year away. Garrison is a utility OL who will be a stabilizing force on NU's OL.
DEFENSE
DE
1. Aaron Hunt -- TT
2. Cory Redding -- UT
3. Jimmy Wilkerson -- OU
4. Chris Kelsay -- NU
5. AC Collier -- BU
6. Kalen Thornton -- UT
7. Demoine Adams -- NU
8. Tyler Brayton -- CU
9. Greg Richmond -- OSU
10. Henry Bryant -- KSU
This is the best group of DE's top to bottom in the history of the Big 12. Hunt gets the nod for being the best pure pass rusher in the league. Now that he's healed, expect sick numbers. The top half dozen are all essentially interchangeable and all equally capable of dominating a game. Kalen Thornton stands to make the biggest move upwards if Reese ever lets him loose to rush the passer.
DT
1. Tommie Harris -- OU
2. Marcus Tubbs -- UT
3. Ty Warren -- A&M
4. Kevin Williams -- OSU
5. Jordan Carstens -- ISU
6. Kory Klein -- OU
7. Tank Reese -- KSU
8. LaWaylon Brown -- OSU
Another impressive group. Tommie Harris could have 20+ TFL this year. Marcus Tubbs is the best DT against the run in the Big 12 and will play in the NFL for as long he wants. Ty Warren knows that this year is his contract year and will perform accordingly. Kevin Williams beat OU last year. Carstens, Reese and Klein represent effort guys who make plays.
MLB/ILB
1. Lawrence Flugence -- TT
2. Terry Pierce -- KSU
3. Lance Mitchell -- OU
4. Sean Tufts -- CU
5. Brian Gamble -- A&M
6. Drew Wahlroos -- CU
7. Terrence Robinson -- OSU
Flugence is an active tackler though not dominating. Pierce is a vicious hitter with great size. Though I'm hesitant to rank anyone sight unseen, Mitchell is said to be all that. #4-6 are smart and capable guys of limited physical ability.
OLB
1. Jarrod Penright -- A&M
1. Derrick Johnson -- UT
3. Teddy Lehman -- OU
4. John Garrett -- BU
5. TJ Hollowell -- NU
6. Lee Jackson -- UT
7. Joey Johnson -- CU
It's impossible to seperate the known exellence of Penright with the unlimited potential of DJ. DJ can be the best LB in the whole league; Penright already is. Lee Jackson will remind everyone of his '99 form.
CB
1. Sammy Davis -- A&M
2. Nathan Vasher -- UT
3. Terrence Newman -- KSU
4. Andre Woolfolk -- OU
4. Derrick Strait -- OU
4. Rod Babers -- UT
7. DeJuan Groce -- NU
8. Bobby Hart -- BU
9. Donald Strickland -- CU
10. Ricky Sailor -- TT
Again, like DE, the most dominating group of CB's we've seen in the Big 12. The first half dozen are all equally good and completely interchangeable. I could easily justify ranking Babers or Woolfolk first instead of tied for fourth. I may as well have flipped coins to make the first six choices.
S
1. Brandon Everage -- OU
2. Terrance Kiel -- A&M
3. Dakarai Pearson -- UT
4. Derrick Cash -- BU
5. Anthony Forrest -- ISU
6. Philip Bland -- NU
7. Elbert Craig -- OSU
8. Chris Massey -- OSU
Solid, if unspectacular, group. They certainly don't measure up to the CB's. For comparative purposes, someone like Kiel would rank somewhere around #10 in the group of CB's as an impact player. Kiel is a great run stopper though questionable in coverage. Dakarai is the opposite. Everage probably represents the best marriage of desirable traits, though his ability to cover may also be suspect. Bland is an interesting player I'd like to see more of soon.
SUMMARY
Broadly speaking, the best players in the league this year will be found at CB and DE with DT and OLB also very good. WR & RB looks to be the most promising on offense. OL talent is subpar across the board, which will have interesting implications this Fall.
From a team standpoint, Texas and OU have the league's best talent.
Ranking players is always a difficult and somewhat ridiculous exercise (how can you really compare Seneca Wallace and Kliff Kingsbury within their respective systems?) but here it is. My criteria are shady, variable and inconsistent. Generally though, I'm interested in which player is most dominating at the college level. Their future NFL status may indeed play a role in my decision-making, but it doesn't have primacy. Unlike sportswriters, I actually do watch the linemen so you're likely to see the greatest departure from the magazine rankings there. Ranking this year's OL was challenging since many of them are completely average players with little seperation between them.
In addition to numerical ranking, which has serious problems (how can you seperate the elite DE's and CB's in the Big 12? Is Andre Woolfolk better than Terrence Newman -- hell if I really know). I also added physical seperation between players. This further indicates my tiering of the players. I may only rate Rashaun Woods two spaces above BJ Johnson, but the additional physical space indicates my belief that they're on different levels as players.
OFFENSE
QB
1. Seneca Wallace -- ISU
2. Chris Simms -- UT
3. Kliff Kingsbury -- TT
4. Jason White -- OU
5. Craig Ochs -- CU
6. Mark Farris -- A&M
The ultimate college QB or the pro prototype? Look at it this way: take Wallace off of ISU and they go 2-11 rather than contend for a minor bowl. Take Simms off of Texas, they're still a Top 20 team. 25-28 TD passes is likely for Simms and Kingsbury -- but Simms will do it in 150 fewer passing attempts. Jason White is the QB most likely to make a move up. He needs to choose his times to run judiciously or risk another injury.
HB
1. Cedric Benson -- UT
1. Chris Brown -- CU
1. Dahrran Diedrick -- NU
4. Quentin Griffin -- OU
5. Bobby Purify -- CU
6. Marcus Houston --CU
7. Derek Farmer-- A&M
8. Zack Abron -- Mizzou
The top three runners are seperated by slivers. Common wisdom from the magazines is that Diedrick is the best in the league. I disagree. As DNOMYAR_5791 mentioned in a previous post, he's getting the nod due to seniority but I will keep him in this spot for now. Benson and Diedrick will vie for the Big 12 rushing title while Brown platoons with Purify and Houston. I like Derek Farmer and am eager to see if A&M is capable of getting him the stats he merits.
FB
1. Brandon Drumm -- CU
2. Judd Davies -- NU
3. Matt Trissel -- UT
4. Joe Weber -- A&M
Drumm is the best pure blocking FB in the Big 12. Davies may finally give NU the inside runner and physical presence they haven't had in years to take the pressure off of Lord and compliment Diedrick. Weber (A&M) and Trissel (UT) are solid in their respective roles, but barely worthy of mention.
WR
1. Roy Williams -- UT
2. Rashaun Woods -- OSU
3. Justin Gage -- Mizzou
4. BJ Johnson -- UT
5. Sloan Thomas -- UT
6. Wilson Thomas -- NU
7. Reggie Newhouse -- BU
8. Terrance Murphy -- A&M
9. Lane Danielsen -- ISU
10. Mark Clayton -- OU
11. Derek McCoy -- CU
12. Curtis Fagan -- OU
13. Antwone Savage -- OU
14. Anton Paige -- TT
15. Harrison Hill -- KU
16. Jamaar Taylor -- A&M
Roy Williams over Rashaun Woods was actually a tough choice. Woods is the consummate WR and runs the best routes in the league. BJ Johnson over Sloan Thomas is no easy decision either: Sloan doesn't drop passes. Three Longhorns in the top 5 indicative of Orange Bias? Nope. Put these players into a Big 12 league draft and this is how the coaches would have them shake out. OU's interchangeable parts at WR are tough to rate.
TE
1. Trent Smith -- OU
2. Bo Scaife -- UT
3. Aaron Golliday -- NU
Smith and Scaife are heads and shoulders the best TE's in the league. Golliday deserves some mention as a brutal drive blocker though he'll be lucky to have 100 yards receiving this year.
OT
1. Andre Brooks -- A&M
2. Thomas Barnett-- KSU
3. Justin Bates -- CU
4. Robbie Doane-- UT
5. Justin Sands -- KU
6. Wes Sims -- OU
7. Kyle Eaton -- OSU
8. Richie Incognito -- NU
9. Dan Waldrop -- NU
10. Jon Scott -- UT
The Big 12 graduated some of the most dominating OL in its history last year and it shows. Andre Brooks is a good pass blocker with a future in the League. Thomas Barnett is a four year starter in his sixth year of elgibility. Justin Bates couldn't hold a candle to Victor Rogers, but in this year's denuded OL environment, he's in the top three. Sooner fans claim that Sims has taken siginificant strides from last year. Richie Incognito may be the next great NU OL. By year's end, Scott will be one of the best OT's in the league. Expect early growing pains though.
OG
1. Marwan Hage -- CU
2. Derrick Dockery -- UT
3. Rex Richards -- TT
4. Mike Skinner -- OU
5. Tillman Holloway -- UT
6. Toby Cecil -- TT
7. Bob Montgomery -- ISU
8. Billy Yates -- A&M
The guards are slightly more noteable than the tackles, but the sheer mediocrity of several Big 12 OL's this year will be startling. That Billy Yates, simply by being a multiple year starter, could make this list, is testament to the group's mediocrity.
C
1. Wayne Lucier -- CU
2. AJ Ricker -- Mizzou
3. Vince Carter -- OU
4. John Garrison -- NU
Lucier and Ricker are very, very good. Carter is scrappy and a year away. Garrison is a utility OL who will be a stabilizing force on NU's OL.
DEFENSE
DE
1. Aaron Hunt -- TT
2. Cory Redding -- UT
3. Jimmy Wilkerson -- OU
4. Chris Kelsay -- NU
5. AC Collier -- BU
6. Kalen Thornton -- UT
7. Demoine Adams -- NU
8. Tyler Brayton -- CU
9. Greg Richmond -- OSU
10. Henry Bryant -- KSU
This is the best group of DE's top to bottom in the history of the Big 12. Hunt gets the nod for being the best pure pass rusher in the league. Now that he's healed, expect sick numbers. The top half dozen are all essentially interchangeable and all equally capable of dominating a game. Kalen Thornton stands to make the biggest move upwards if Reese ever lets him loose to rush the passer.
DT
1. Tommie Harris -- OU
2. Marcus Tubbs -- UT
3. Ty Warren -- A&M
4. Kevin Williams -- OSU
5. Jordan Carstens -- ISU
6. Kory Klein -- OU
7. Tank Reese -- KSU
8. LaWaylon Brown -- OSU
Another impressive group. Tommie Harris could have 20+ TFL this year. Marcus Tubbs is the best DT against the run in the Big 12 and will play in the NFL for as long he wants. Ty Warren knows that this year is his contract year and will perform accordingly. Kevin Williams beat OU last year. Carstens, Reese and Klein represent effort guys who make plays.
MLB/ILB
1. Lawrence Flugence -- TT
2. Terry Pierce -- KSU
3. Lance Mitchell -- OU
4. Sean Tufts -- CU
5. Brian Gamble -- A&M
6. Drew Wahlroos -- CU
7. Terrence Robinson -- OSU
Flugence is an active tackler though not dominating. Pierce is a vicious hitter with great size. Though I'm hesitant to rank anyone sight unseen, Mitchell is said to be all that. #4-6 are smart and capable guys of limited physical ability.
OLB
1. Jarrod Penright -- A&M
1. Derrick Johnson -- UT
3. Teddy Lehman -- OU
4. John Garrett -- BU
5. TJ Hollowell -- NU
6. Lee Jackson -- UT
7. Joey Johnson -- CU
It's impossible to seperate the known exellence of Penright with the unlimited potential of DJ. DJ can be the best LB in the whole league; Penright already is. Lee Jackson will remind everyone of his '99 form.
CB
1. Sammy Davis -- A&M
2. Nathan Vasher -- UT
3. Terrence Newman -- KSU
4. Andre Woolfolk -- OU
4. Derrick Strait -- OU
4. Rod Babers -- UT
7. DeJuan Groce -- NU
8. Bobby Hart -- BU
9. Donald Strickland -- CU
10. Ricky Sailor -- TT
Again, like DE, the most dominating group of CB's we've seen in the Big 12. The first half dozen are all equally good and completely interchangeable. I could easily justify ranking Babers or Woolfolk first instead of tied for fourth. I may as well have flipped coins to make the first six choices.
S
1. Brandon Everage -- OU
2. Terrance Kiel -- A&M
3. Dakarai Pearson -- UT
4. Derrick Cash -- BU
5. Anthony Forrest -- ISU
6. Philip Bland -- NU
7. Elbert Craig -- OSU
8. Chris Massey -- OSU
Solid, if unspectacular, group. They certainly don't measure up to the CB's. For comparative purposes, someone like Kiel would rank somewhere around #10 in the group of CB's as an impact player. Kiel is a great run stopper though questionable in coverage. Dakarai is the opposite. Everage probably represents the best marriage of desirable traits, though his ability to cover may also be suspect. Bland is an interesting player I'd like to see more of soon.
SUMMARY
Broadly speaking, the best players in the league this year will be found at CB and DE with DT and OLB also very good. WR & RB looks to be the most promising on offense. OL talent is subpar across the board, which will have interesting implications this Fall.
From a team standpoint, Texas and OU have the league's best talent.
