The Big 12 Conference is set up to again have powerful offenses across the league. There are plenty of returning skill-position players on almost every team that would be worthy of being on the preseason All-Big 12 offensive team.
Quarterback
Noah Fifita, Arizona
In the 2023 season Fifita made the most of his opportunity when starting QB Jayden de Laura went down with an injury. He completed 72.4 percent of his passes with 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Fifita was named the Pac-12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year and the Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Others to watch: Cam Rising (Utah), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Rocco Becht (Iowa State)
Running Backs
Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
One of the no-brainers to be named to the preseason team. The 2023 season was outstanding for Gordon leading Oklahoma State to the Big 12 Championship and winning the Doak Walker Award for the nation's best running back. He had 285 carries, 1,732 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns on the ground while catching 39 passes for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
Named to the All-Big 12 first team by the coaches and the Associated Press for his 2023 season. He had piled up 1,536 yards on 290 carries and 10 touchdowns rushing. Brooks had finished fourth in the country behind Gordon, Troy's Kamani Videl (1,661 yards) and Missouri's Cody Schrader (1,627) in rushing yards.
Others to watch: DJ Giddens (Kansas State), Devin Neal (Kansas), RJ Harvey (Central Florida)
Wide Receiver
Tetairoa McMillian, Arizona
A real playmaker for the Wildcats in 2023. He had 90 catches, 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns during his sophomore season. Standing at 6-foot-5, he will be a challenge for anyone in the Big 12 to cover him.
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
One of the outstanding wide receivers returning for Iowa State in 2024. He had 53 catches, 983 yards and 6 touchdowns after transferring to Iowa State from Eastern Kentucky in 2023. He has big play potential every time the offense touches the field with 5 catches of more than 40 yards on the season.
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State
Presley had 101 catches for 991 yards and 6 touchdowns in the 2023 season. He had 45 catches of more than 10 yards during the season making him the leader in the Big 12 in that stat. He is a prime target for Alan Bowman and the Oklahoma State offense.
Others to watch: Jaylin Noel (Iowa State), Kobe Hudson (UCF), Josh Kelly (Texas Tech)
Tight End
Drake Dabney, TCU
Dabney is coming off of a 2023 season at Baylor with 33 catches, 552 yards and 5 touchdowns. He is coming to TCU to help out a team that is looking for playmakers and the 6-foot-5 tight end should help fill that role pretty well and should excel in a conference that is looking to replace some major stars from this position.
Others to watch: Brant Kuithe (Utah), Kole Taylor (West Virginia), Garrett Oakley (Kansas State)
All-Purpose
Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR/CB
Hunter is the do-it-all player for Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and Colorado. He had 57 catches for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side, he had 30 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and 3 interceptions. Those numbers were with him missing more than three games but still won the Paul Hornung Award naming him the most versatile player in America.
Offensive Line
Easton Kilty, Kansas State, Tackle
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound transfer from North Dakota is coming to a Kansas State team that is looking to fill some key positions on the offensive line from guys like Cooper Beebe and KT Leveston moving onto the NFL. Kilty was viewed as the fifth-best tackle in the portal according to 247sports.com. In 2023 he started all 12 games for North Dakota.
Tank Jenkins, Houston, Guard
Jenkins started all 12 games for Houston in 2023. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound guard only had one penalty all season and surrendered only 3 sacks.
Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State, Center
Michalski started all 14 games making him and Gordon the only two players on the Oklahoma State offense to start all games. He allowed zero sacks during the season. The 6-foot-5, 303-pound lineman was a part of the offensive line that blocked for Gordon's nation-leading rushing season.
Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech, Guard
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound guard started all 13 games for Texas Tech. He only allowed 3 sacks during the 2023 season. Rogers is returning for his super-senior season to help anchor an offensive line with an outstanding running back behind them.
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, Tackle
Milum, the 6-foot-6 and 317-pound tackle, gave up zero sacks during the 2023 season. The West Virginia offensive line led the nation in rushing yards per game while he started all 13 games.
Others to watch: Dartanyan Tinsley (Cincinnati), Jarrod Hufford (Iowa State), Carver Willis (Kansas State)
Kick Returner
Drae McCray, Texas Tech
McCray had 26 returns for 717 yards and 1 touchdown. He averaged 27.6 yards per return with three returns going for more than 50 yards, which was best in the nation.
Others to watch: Mekhi Mews (Houston), Trevor Wilson (Kansas), Raleek Brown (Arizona State)
Big 12 Game Changers
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech lead with three players on the preseason All-Big 12 offensive team. Arizona has two players listed, while six teams are listed with one player each (Iowa State, TCU, Colorado, Kansas State, Houston, West Virginia).
This preseason team is full of great players with a lot of experience from all across the conference. These players will be game changers for their teams and you can expect to see great plays made by every one of them.
Stay tuned for the All-Big 12 defensive team to be released soon.
Comentarios