Big 12 Football Preview 2016
#1 TCU Horned Frogs
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Coach: Gary Patterson
Offensive Coordinator: Sonny Cumbie, Doug Meacham Defensive Coordinator: Chad Glasgow Stadium: Amon G. Carter Stadium (45,000) 2015 Record: 11-2 The Breakdown Offense: TCU enters the new season with a lot of new faces on the offensive side. Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson are the biggest players that departed from a season ago. The Horned Frogs return only a couple of starters but have a cupboard full of talent. Texas A&M transfer QB Kenny Hill seems to be the perfect guy to run the offense. Kenny Hill will have to win the spot over sophomore QB Foster Sawyer. Junior running back Kyle Hicks looks like the starter going into the season. Hicks would be more effective with a dual threat QB. Hicks averaged 4.7 yards per carry and had 3 scores in 2015. TCU has some very talented individuals at the WR position. Shaun Nixon is the top returning pass catcher for TCU, Nixon finished with 47 catches. KaVontae Turpin is an electric weapon for Kenny Hill. Turpin hauled in 45 catches, for an average of 14.4 and 8 TD’s as a freshman. Isaiah Graham is a true freshman that could see a ton of targets. The offensive line only returns one starter. Defense: TCU returns 8 starters from a defense that finished in the top half of every major category in the Big 12. The defensive line is full of veteran players, including the explosive Josh Carraway. Carraway was a force rushing the edge a season ago. Carraway led the Horned Frogs with 9 sacks and QB hurries. Aaron Curry is another big veteran run stuffer. Curry finished with 41 tackles and 3 sacks. Leading tackler Travin Howard is back for his junior season. Howard finished 2015 with 105 tackles, 7 for loss. Montrel Wilson and Ty Summers are two very solid LB’s, with plenty of experience. Summers ended the season with 86 tackles and Wilson with 61. The secondary may be the best in the Big 12. Ranthony Texada returns to start at corner. Freshman Jeff Gladney and sophomore Markell Simmons are two young exciting players. Denzel Johnson and Nick Orr are shutdown players in the pass game. Orr led the Frogs with 9 PBU’s. Johnson finished with 79 tackles with a staggering 11.5 for loss. Special Teams: TCU loses both kicker and punter this season. Sophomore kicker Jonathan Song and freshman punter Adam Nunez take over. The return game is strong with KaVontae Turpin. Overview: TCU enters this season with high hopes of winning a Big 12 title and reaching the playoffs. Gary Patterson and company have a chance to reach that goal. The defense is probably the best in the Big 12 and one of the better defenses in the country. Having a good defense will help in those Big 12 shootouts. Kenny Hill is certain to fit well in this system and his playmakers are dynamic. Questions on the offensive line could derail their chances at a title. TCU has a very winnable schedule. A week 2 date with Arkansas at home could give the Frogs an early scare. TCU gets Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas State at home. Road trips to West Virginia, Texas and Baylor could potentially be the nail in the Big 12 coffin. TCU is poised to bring a Big 12 title to Fort Worth in 2016. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Kenny Hill, JR, QB N/A Rushing Kyle Hicks, JR, RB 55 ATT, 262 YARDS, 3 TD Receiving KaVontae Turpin, SO, WR 45 REC, 649 YARDS, 8 TD Defense: Interceptions: Denzel Johnson, SR, DB 1 INT Sacks: Josh Carraway, SR, DE 9 Sacks Tackles: Travin Howard, JR, LB 63 Solo, 42 Assists, 105 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 11-2 2014 12-1 2013 4-8 2012 7-6 2011 11-2 TCU Scheudle
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#2 Oklahoma Sooners
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Coach: Bob Stoops
Offensive Coordinator: Lincoln Riley Defensive Coordinator: Mike Stoops Stadium: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (82,112) 2015 Record: 11-2 The Breakdown Offense: Baker Mayfield emerged as one of the best dual threat QB’s in the country in 2015. The former Texas Tech transfer threw for 3,700 yards and 43 total TD’s while leading the Sooners to the CFB playoffs. Mayfield benefits from the return of both Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. Perine got off to a slow start in 2015 before getting it going in the second half. Perine finished with 1,349 rush yards and 16 TD’s. Joe Mixon is used as a combo back in the passing game. Mixon has big play potential anytime he touches the ball. Mixon caught 28 balls, 4 for scores and had 7 TD’s in the rushing game. The departure of Sterling Shepard is a potentially huge blow to the Sooners. Mark Andrews will need to step up and fill the big play potential of Shepard. Andrews finished with 7 receiving TD’s and led the Sooners in yards per catch. Senior Dede Westbrook is the leading receiver back, after a 46 catch season. Michiah Quick has a chance to shine this season as the #3 option. The offensive line will need to replace both starting guards in 2016. Orlando Brown is a huge LT and maybe one the best in the Big 12. Fellow sophomore RT Dru Samia is a gifted big man and solidified the line last season. Jonathan Alvarez shifts to center from the guard positon. Defense: Oklahoma returns 6 starters on the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma loses a ton of key players from the CFB playoff team a year ago. DE Charles Walker leads returning Sooners with 6 sacks from 2015. Senior Matt Dimon is a true run stopper, recording 4.5 tackles for loss. The losses of Dominique Alexander and Eric Striker will be evident early in the season. Jordan Evans is the top returning tackler for Oklahoma. Evans finished with 83 tackles and has good hands with 4 PBU’s. Sophomore Tay Evans and junior Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will fill out the starting lineup. This unit may be the biggest concern heading into the season for Bob Stoops. The secondary returns 3 starters from last season. Oklahoma will miss the play of Zack Sanchez but still have a talented group. CB Jordan Thomas led the Sooners with 5 INT’s and recorded 46 tackles. Steven Parker finished with 60 tackles and FS Ahmad Thomas had 75 tackles with 3 INT’s. Special Teams: Do-it all kicker and punter Austin Seibert returns for his sophomore season. Seibert hit 18-23 FG’s and averaged 42 yards per punt, 23 inside the 20. Durron Neal and Joe Mixon look to be the return men. Overview: Oklahoma ran through the Big 12 in route to a spot in the playoffs a year ago. Oklahoma should be in the same position this season. The offense will need a couple of receivers to step up to fill the absence of Sterling Shepard. Depth and experience at the linebacker position is a major concern of the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma has a much tougher schedule than a year ago. Oklahoma opens with a neutral site game in Houston against the Houston Cougars. Week 3 brings a visit from a top 5 Ohio State Buckeyes squad. After a bye week, the Sooners travel to face the Horned Frogs. After a showdown with Texas at the Texas State Fair, Oklahoma has 4 should-be wins on the schedule. Oklahoma hosts Baylor, then visits chilly West Virginia, before returning home for Bedlam with the Cowboys. Oklahoma gets most of its tough games at home, but can Oklahoma handle the expectations to return to the CFB playoffs. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Baker Mayfield, SR, QB 395 ATT, 269 COMP, 68.1 PCT, 3700 YARDS, 36 TD, 7 INT, 173.3 RATING Rushing Samaje Perine, JR, RB 226 ATT, 1349 YARDS, 16 TD Receiving Dede Westbrook, SR, WR 46 REC, 743 YARDS, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Jordan Thomas, JR, CB 5 INT Sacks: Charles Walker, JR, DE 6 Sacks Tackles: Jordan Evans, SR, LB 49 Solo, 34 Assists, 83 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 11-2 2014 8-5 2013 11-2 2012 10-3 2011 10-3 Oklahoma Schedule
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#3 Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Coach: Mike Gundy
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Yurcich Defensive Coordinator: Glenn Spencer Stadium: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218) 2015 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense: Oklahoma State enters 2016 coming off a 10 win season and returns 9 starters on offense from that team. Mason Rudolph returns for his junior season. Rudolph threw for 3,770 yards and 21 TD’s for the Cowboys in 2015. Rudolph will be the main guy as JW Walsh is no longer backing him up. Barry Sanders Jr. joins the Cowboys this season, trying to fill his father’s shoes. Chris Carson led the Cowboys in rushing with 517 yards. The receiving core is tops in the Big 12. James Washington had a breakout sophomore season. Washington led the Cowboys with 1,087 receiving yards on 53 catches for an average over 20 yards per catch! Washington also found the end zone 10 times. Marcel Ateman is a solid #2 option for Rudolph. Ateman hauled in 45 catches and 5 TD’s. Jalen McCleskey is a receiver to watch for after a solid freshman season. The offensive line returns 4 starters from last season’s team. However the line struggled all season and has to be better for the Cowboys to win the Big 12. The addition of Larry Williams is a huge get for this unit. Defense: The Cowboys return 7 starters from a middle of the road type defense. Oklahoma State finished 100th nationally in total defense and surrendered over 30 points per game, including 45 or more in the final 3. The bad news gets worse as one of the starters that is gone is Emmanuel Ogbah. Vincent Taylor is best player up front, coming off a 5 sack season. Jordan Burton returns for his senior season at LB. Burton finished last season with 98 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Chad Whitener has similar statistics with 93 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. The secondary returns 3 starters, including leading tackler from 2015, Jordan Sterns. Tre Flowers finished with 83 tackles and 7 PBU’s. Ashton Lampkin has to do a better job at the corner position. Special Teams: Ben Grogan converted on 16-20 FG’s as a junior. Punter Zach Sinor averaged 40.1 yards per punt and downed 31 inside the 20. Jeff Carr and Jalen McCleskey will handle the return duties. Overview: Oklahoma State began the season 10-0 in 2015 before losing their final 3 games. The schedule sets up very similar, as they could reach 10-0 once again. The offense may be the best in the entire Big 12. The combination of Rudolph and Washington could be the best QB/WR duo in the league. Mike Gundy and his offense would benefit greatly if the defense could improve just slightly from last season. Oklahoma State opens with 3 homes games, including Central Michigan and a big matchup with Pittsburgh. Oklahoma State opens the Big 12 at Baylor, a win in this game and the Cowboys should be favored to get to 10-0. If Oklahoma State continues its winning ways a date at TCU will be huge in late November. Oklahoma State then finishes the season looking for revenge at Oklahoma. Oklahoma State is definitely one of the better teams in the Big 12 and could have another special season in 2016. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Mason Rudolph, JR, QB 424 ATT, 264 COMP, 62.3 PCT, 3770 YARDS, 21 TD, 9 INT, 149.1 RATING Rushing Chris Carson, SR, RB 131 ATT, 517 YARDS, 4 TD Receiving James Washington, JR, WR 53 REC, 1087 YARDS, 10 TD Defense: Interceptions: Jordan Sterns, SR, DB 2 INT Sacks: Vincent Taylor, JR, DT 5 Sacks Tackles: Jordan Sterns, SR, DB 71 Solo, 37 Assists, 108 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-3 2014 7-6 2013 10-3 2012 8-5 2011 12-1 Oklahoma State Schedule
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#4T Baylor Bears
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Coach: Jim Grobe
Offensive Coordinator: Kendal Briles Defensive Coordinator: Phil Bennett Stadium: McLane Stadium (45,140) 2015 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense: With all the distractions and the departure of Art Briles in the offseason, Baylor may be slipping this season. The good news for the Bears is that QB Seth Russell is back from injury. Russell had his name on Heisman lists’ everywhere until an unfortunate neck injury. Russell had thrown for over 2,000 yards and had 29 passing TD’s and 6 rushing TD’s before his injury. Shock Linwood returns off an amazing junior season. Linwood rushed for over 1,300 yards on an average of 6.8 yards per carry. Fellow RB Johnny Jefferson rushed for 1,000 yards as well and 8 TD’s. The loss of Corey Coleman is huge for this Baylor offense. KD Cannon has a chance to put up Coleman type numbers as he is sure to be the go-to guy. Cannon finished 2015 with 50 receptions and 6 TD’s. He has big play potential at 17.4 yards per catch. Ishmael Zamora has a chance to have a breakout sophomore campaign. The offensive line will need a lot of work with only one returning starter. Center Kyle Fuller is the lone starter and is an all Big 12 talent. Baylor may have a hard time leading the nation with 48 points per game again this season. Defense: The defensive line has to replace all four starters from 2015. DE KJ Smith coming off the edge is a plus. KJ Smith got in opposing backfields plenty last season. Brian Nance Jr. Byron Bonds should see more playing time as a result some top players leaving. Travon Blanchard is back for his junior season. Blanchard is the top returning tackler for the Bears with 84 tackles. Taylor Young is also back, Young finished with 9.5 tackles for loss. The secondary should get a big lift with 3 starters returning. Baylor finished 4th in passing defense in 2015 and CB Ryan Reid was one of the reasons. Reid finished with 3 INT’s and 8 PBU’s. Orion Stewart finished with 64 tackles and fellow safety Chance Waz finished with 70. Special Teams: Chris Callahan returns as kicker for the Bears. Callahan, a junior, hit only 8 of 13 FG’s last season with none coming over 40 yards. Drew Galitz averaged 39.4 yards per punt as a freshman. Chris Platt and KD Cannon will handle kick-off returns and Lynx Hawthorne is the punt returner. Overview: Jim Grobe stepped in after Art Briles was fired during the offseason and it will be interesting to see the difference in coaching styles. This Baylor team had high expectations coming into the 2016 season but those may have changed. Seth Russell healthy is a huge boost for an offense that lost Corey Coleman. The defense is a huge question mark on the front line. Baylor does get a decent home Big 12 schedule to stay in the hunt for a Big 12 title. Baylor opens the season with its 3 traditional cupcakes. Baylor opens the Big 12 slate at home against Oklahoma State. A win in this game should propel the Bears to a 6-0 start. A road game at Texas comes before a big showdown with TCU at home. A trip Norman follows the TCU game. Baylor ends the season in Morgantown in December. A crucial 3-game stretch is the highlight of the schedule and it really determines if Baylor wins the Big 12 or not. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing: Seth Russell, SR, QB 200 ATT, 119 COMP, 59.5 PCT, 2104 YARDS, 29 TD, 6 INT, 189.7 RATING Rushing Shock Linwood, SR, RB 196 ATT, 1329 YARDS, 10 TD Receiving KD Cannon, JR, WR 50 REC, 868 YARDS, 6 TD Defense: Interceptions: Ryan Reid, SR, CB 3 INT Sacks: Taylor Young, JR, LB 4 Sacks Tackles: Travon Blanchard, JR, LB 66 Solo, 18 Assist, 84 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-3 2014 11-2 2013 11-2 2012 8-5 2011 10-3 Baylor Schedule
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#4T Texas Longhorns
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Coach: Charlie Strong
Offensive Coordinator: Sterlin Gilbert Defensive Coordinator: Vance Bedford Stadium: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119) 2015 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: It’s no surprise that Texas fans are ready to be back at the top of the Big 12 and playing for national championships. It’s been a rough couple seasons of the Charlie Strong era, but this year will finally show if he has righted the ship. The Longhorns return 6 starters from 2015, a team that was 17th nationally in rushing. Freshman Shane Buechele gives the Longhorns an instant upgrade in the passing game. Texas ranked 118th nationally in passing yards per game. If Buechele can get this passing attack moving, it will open the rushing game even more. D’Onta Foreman led the Longhorns in rushing with 681 yards and 5 TD’s. Foreman averaged 7.2 yards per carry, which is one of the best in the country. QB Tyrone Swoopes will certainly get some packages to take advantage of his running ability. Swoopes finished with 12 rushing TD’s. John Burt led the Longhorns in reception yards with 457 and averaged over 16.3 yards per catch. Colin Johnson is a tall freshman out of San Jose, CA who could see some early playing time. Sophomore Armanti Foreman Jr. tied for the team lead with 2 receiving TD’s. Defense: As bad as the offense was last season, the defense was just as bad. The Longhorns ranked 107th in total defense, not exactly a recipe for success. Texas returns plenty of players from last season’s team and should be better. Naashon Hughes is the leader up front for the defense. Hughes finished with 57 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Paul Boyette added 5 tackles for loss playing at DT. Charles Omenihu could be the next star at DE for the Longhorns. This group of linebackers for Texas may be the best in the Big 12. Starting with Malik Jefferson who was defensive freshman player of the year in 2015. Jefferson was disruptive to the opposing QB’s finishing with 61 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 6 hurries on the QB. MLB Anthony Wheeler was another freshman who had a productive 2015 season. The secondary was one of the better units in the Big 12 last season and that trend should continue. Sophomore Davante Davis is going to be a special talent. Davis led the Longhorns in PBU’s as a freshman. Holton Hill is another young corner who finished with 49 tackles as a true freshman. Brandon Jones was the top recruit for the Longhorns and could be thrust into the starting role as a true freshman. Special Teams: Jon Coppens replaces Nick Rose as kicker. Coppens is a redshirt freshman. Michael Dickson averaged 41.3 yards per punt as a true freshman. Overview: On paper this Longhorn team is extremely young but super talented. Relying on a freshman QB may be the biggest concern coming into the season. The defense looks to be one of the best in the Big 12 all around. The offensive line is built to be successful and the running backs are explosive. This could very well be a make it or break it season for Charlie Strong. Texas opens the season by hosting Notre Dame in primetime. A win by the Longhorns would be a huge momentum boost to such a young team. A week 3 showdown at Cal should be tough. Texas opens Big 12 play at Oklahoma State before facing Oklahoma in Dallas. Texas draws home games against Baylor, West Virginia and TCU in its final 5 games. Texas has a roster that could reach double digits wins or falter to another mediocre season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jerrod Heard, SO, QB 159 ATT, 92 COMP, 57.9 PCT, 1214 YARDS, 5 TD, 5 INT, 126.1 RATING Rushing D’Onta Foreman, JR, RB 95 ATT, 681 YARDS, 5 TD Receiving John Burt, SO, WR 28 REC, 457 YARDS, 2 TD Defense: Interceptions: Dylan Haines, SR, DB, 5 INT Sacks: Naashon Hughes, JR, DE 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Malik Jefferson, SO, LB 37 Solo, 24 Assists, 61 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 5-7 2014 6-7 2013 8-5 2012 9-4 2011 8-5 Texas Schedule
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#6 West Virginia Mountaineers
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Coach: Dana Holgorsen
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Wickline Defensive Coordinator: Tony Gibson Stadium: Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: West Virginia enters the season with 8 returning starters from an explosive offense in 2015. The Mountaineers were 16th nationally in rushing and 23rd in total offense. QB Skyler Howard is the man that makes everything work for Coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense. Skyler Howard finished 2015 with 3,145 yards passing and 26 TD’s. His 14 INT’s and poor decisions really cost WVU some games. Howard is also good on his legs, rushing for over 500 yards. The Mountaineers lose 1,500 yard back Wendell Smallwood but return his backup Rushel Shell. Shell wasn’t as explosive as Smallwood but still accounted for 708 rushing yards and 8 TD’s. Shell also caught 16 passes out of the back field. West Virginia returns both of its top receivers. Shelton Gibson is a home-run threat every time he catches the ball. Gibson averaged 24 yards per catch and 9 TD’s. Daikiel Shorts led the Mountaineers with 45 receptions for 528 yards. Jovon Durante hauled in 24 passes for 5 TD’s. The offensive line returns 4 starters including All Big 12 Center Tyler Orlosky. Defense: West Virginia had one of the best defenses in the Big 12 last season. The Mountaineers return on 4 starters from that squad. Noble Nwachukwu was the most dominant Mountaineer last season. The big DE finished with 8.5 sacks and 47 tackles. Christian Brown is the other DE returning. Brown finished with 33 tackles and 2 sacks. West Virginia has to replace all 4 linebackers this season. Back-up and now starter Xavier Preston had 3 tackles for loss in 2015, Al-Rasheed Benton finished with 21 tackles and 4 for loss. The secondary has to find 3 new starters. Dravon Askew-Henry is the top tackler returning from last season. Askew-Henry finished with 59 tackles with 4 PBU’s. Jarrod Harper is a senior with a nice amount of playing time. The defense is full of upperclassman with some playing time, just not meaningful minutes. Special Teams: Josh Lambert converted on 21-28 FG’s with a long of 51, in his junior season. West Virginia will break in new punter Billy Kinney. Shelton Gibson and Jovon Durante are dangerous kick returners, Gibson took one to the house last season. Overview: West Virginia comes into the new season having to rely on an unproven defense. What was a strength a year ago is now their weakness. The secondary has to be able to make stops in a league like the Big 12. On the offensive ball, the Mountaineers could be on the best in the Big 12. If Skyler Howard cuts down on the mistakes, this will be an explosive offense, capable of putting up huge numbers. West Virginia takes on Missouri out of the SEC in the home opener. A week 3 neutral matchup with BYU should be exciting. West Virginia opens the Big 12 slate with Kansas State at home before a road trip to Lubbock. West Virginia gets lucky with hosting TCU, Oklahoma and Baylor this season. Road games at Texas and Oklahoma State will be tough tasks. West Virginia has an offense and schedule capable of winning a Big 12 title. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Skyler Howard, SR, QB 403 ATT, 221 COMP, 54.8 PCT, 3145 YARDS, 26 TD, 14 INT, 134.7 RATING Rushing Rushel Shell, SR, RB 161 ATT, 708 YARDS, 8 TD Receiving Shelton Gibson, JR, WR 37 REC, 887 YARDS, 9 TD Defense: Interceptions: Dravon Askew-Henry, JR, DB 1 INT Sacks: Noble Nwachukwu, SR, DE 8.5 Sacks Tackles: Dravon Askew-Henry, JR, DB 47 Solo, 12 Assists, 59 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 7-6 2013 4-8 2012 7-6 2011 10-3 West Virginia Schedule
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#7 Texas Tech Red Raiders
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Coach: Kliff Kingsbury
Offensive Coordinator: Eric Morris Defensive Coordinator: David Gibbs Stadium: Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454) 2015 Record: 7-6 The Breakdown Offense: The Red Raiders continue to unleash the air raid attack on the Big 12. An air raid offense is eary to run with a legitimate Heisman Trophy QB in junior Pat Mahomes. Pat Mahomes finished the 2015 season with video game type numbers. Mahomes while completing 64% of his passes threw for 4,653 yards and 36 TD’s. Add in his nearly 500 rushing yards and 10 rushing TD’s and you have a kid with over 5,000 total yards and 46 TD’s. Mahomes does lose his top RB and top WR this season. Justin Stockton will look to replace DeAndre Washington and his nearly 1,500 yards rushing. Stockton was a big threat in the passing attack, finishing with 6 receiving TD’s. Even with the departure of Jakeem Grant, the Red Raiders have plenty of dynamic pass catchers. Devin Lauderdale was Mahomes’ second favorite target in 2015. Ian Sadler and Reginald Davis both averaged over 14 yards per catch. Davis finished with 8 receiving TD’s. An inexperienced offensive line could plague the potential of this offense. Defense: Texas Tech continues to rank around dead last every season in defense. As good as the offense is, the defense is just flat out terrible. If the defense could improve just slightly the Red Raiders could see a 2-3 win increase. The defensive line returns only one starter up front. Breiden Fehoko made 19 tackles as a freshman starter. LB D’Vonta Hinton made 53 tackles, 3.5 for loss as a true freshman. Malik Jenkins recorded 52 tackles and 4 tackles for loss. The secondary returns most of the experience on the defensive side. Jah’Shawn Johnson had 85 tackles and 2 INT’s as a true freshman, earning conference honors. Justus Nelson and Paul Banks are experienced corners. Keenon Ward made 60 tackles in his junior season. Special Teams: Clayton Hatfield had a solid freshman season for the Red Raiders. Hatfield converted on 14-16 FG’s with a long of 51. Punter Michael Barden averaged 44.8 yards per punt. Cameron Batson needs to improve on punt returns and the loss of Jakeem Grant in the return game is huge. Overview: If Texas Tech wants to compete in the Big 12 it has to start on the defensive side of the ball. The Red Raiders are one of the worst defenses year in and year out. This season looks to be no different with a lack of quality players on the line. Pat Mahomes should have himself a special season yet again, the loss of Jakeem Grant may hurt his overall numbers. Texas Tech has to travel to Tempe in week 2 for a showdown with Arizona State. Back-to-back home games with La Tech and Kansas should be wins. The Red Raiders have to travel to the Little Apple to face the Wildcats. 3 of their next 4 games are at home against WVU, Oklahoma and Texas. A road game at TCU is sandwiched between those three before finishing at Oklahoma State, at Iowa State and a finale in Arlington with Baylor. There is hopes for yet another bowl game, but there is no Big 12 title in the cards this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Patrick Mahomes, JR, QB 573 ATT, 364 COMP, 63.5 PCT, 4653 YARDS, 36 TD, 15 INT, 147.2 RATING Rushing Patrick Mahomes, JR, QB 131 ATT, 456 YARDS, 10 TD Receiving Devin Lauderdale, SR, WR 43 REC, 639 YARDS, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Justis Nelson, SR, DB 2 INT Sacks: Gary Moore, JR, DE 3 Sacks Tackles: Jah’Shawn Johnson, SO, DB 45 Solo, 40 Assists, 85 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 4-8 2013 8-5 2012 8-5 2011 5-7 Texas Tech Schedule
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#8T Kansas State Wildcats
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Coach: Bill Snyder
Offensive Coordinator: Dana Dimel, Del Miller Defensive Coordinator: Tom Hayes Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,300) 2015 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: Kansas State struggled offensively during the 2015 season. The Wildcats were ranked near the bottom in every major statistical category, in the Big 12. Kansas State will look for junior Jesse Ertz to right the ship this season. Ertz will be coming back from a season ending injury a year ago. Backup QB Joe Hubener accounted for 23 TD’s rushing and passing last season. Charles Jones led the Wildcats in rushing last season with 696 yards and added 12 receptions. FB Winston Dimel added 6 rushing TD’s and caught 2 TD’s. Leading receiver Deante Burton returns for his senior season. Burton hauled in 38 catches for 510 yards and 4 scores. Sophomores Dominque Heath and JUCO transfer Byron Pringle should emerge as solid options after Burton. The offensive line returns only one starter. Defense: Kansas State was really bad on defense in 2015. The Wildcats allowed 452.2 yards per game, good for 106th in the nation. Kansas State enters 2016 with 7 returning starters from last season. Senior DE Jordan Willis is a bright spot on a mediocre Wildcats defense. Willis led the Wildcats with 9.5 sacks in 2015. DT Will Geary is a major run stopper at almost 300lbs. Geary finished with 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Tanner Wood played well on the opposite side of Willis last season, finishing with 34 tackles. The linebackers are full of experience. Elijah Lee led Kansas State with 80 tackles last season, also adding 5 sacks and led the team with 3 interceptions. Senior Will Davis finished with 54 tackles and Charmeachealle Moore finished with 55 tackles and 3 sacks. The passing defense ranked 121st in the nation in 2015. Kansas State will rely on better play from corners Donnie Starks and Duke Shelley. Kendall Adams played well at FS as a freshman, he should continue to improve this season. Special Teams: Kansas State brings back both kicker and punter this season. Matthew McCrane was a perfect 7-7 on FG’s last season. Punter Nick Walsh averaged 41.6 yards per punt. Dominque Heath should continue to return punts and replace the dangerous Morgan Burns on kickoffs. Overview: Kansas State had one of their worst seasons in quite some time in 2015. However, the Wildcats still made a bowl game and played well against some top teams. The Wildcats need to improve dramatically on the defensive side of the ball, mainly the passing defense. On offense, the Wildcats need to find some balance. The passing attack was non-existent for most of the season. Kansas State opens the 2016 season with a tough road game at Stanford. The Wildcats have a grueling Big 12 road schedule this season. Kansas State opens Big 12 play at West Virginia, but also plays at Oklahoma, at Baylor and at TCU. Home games against Texas Tech, Texas, and Oklahoma State will almost need to be wins for the Wildcats to reach a bowl game again. This is far from one of the better teams Bill Snyder has had in the past. It’s hard to doubt a Snyder coached team, but this does not look like it will be a good season for the Wildcats. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Joe Hubener, SR, QB 275 ATT, 131 COMP, 47.6 PCT, 1837 YARDS, 9 TD, 10 INT, 107.3 RATING Rushing Charles Jones, SR, RB 142 ATT, 696 YARDS, 5 TD Receiving Deante Burton, SR, WR 38 REC, 510 YARDS, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Elijah Lee, JR, LB 3 INT Sacks: Jordan Willis, SR, DE 9.5 Sacks Tackles: Elijah Lee, JR, LB 67 Solo, 13 Assist, 80 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 6-7 2014 9-4 2013 8-5 2012 11-2 2011 10-3 Kansas State Schedule
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#8T Iowa State Cyclones
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Coach: Matt Campbell
Offensive Coordinator: Tom Manning Defensive Coordinator: Jon Heacock Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: Iowa State enters the 2016 season with some hope as to where this season may go. Iowa State hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2012 but the Cyclones have some very good players on the offensive side. It all starts with QB Joel Lanning who can run and throw. Lanning completed 55% of his passes for 1,247 yards. Lanning has potential to do damage on his feet with better line play. Mike Warren was the Big 12’s freshman offensive player of the year in 2015. Warren ran for 1,339 yards but only 5 TD’s. Warren averaging 5.9 yards per carry is impressive for Iowa State. Alan Lazard had a breakout sophomore campaign. Lazard hauled in 56 balls for 808 yards and 6 scores. Dondre Daley added 24 catches and Jauan Wesley finished with 30 catches. The offensive line will be an issue yet again with only one returning starter. Defense: The Cyclones defense ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 last season but they return 8 starters. The defensive line is full of experience, but they lack the explosiveness to get to the QB. Demond Tucker is a force at DT, Tucker finished with a returning team high 6 sacks in 2015. Willie Harvey produced a solid freshman season with 59 tackles. Kane Seeley has some starting experience and can be a big contributor this season. D’Andre Payne is a bright young player with nice upside. The secondary is the most experienced group on this side of the ball. LB Jordan Harris finished with 70 tackles and 4 for loss. Corner Brian Peavy led the Cyclones with 10 PBU’s and 82 tackles as a freshman. Jarnor Jones had 5 tackles for loss to go with 6 PBU’s. Jomal Wiltz finished with 8 PBU’s. Special Teams: Cole Netten returns as the Cyclones starting kicker after an up and down 2015. Netten hit 14-19 FG’s with a long of 51. Colin Downing averaged 40.9 yards per punt as a sophomore. Allan Lazard was great on punt returns averaged nearly 20 yards per return. Overview: Iowa State enters the season with a new head coach in Mike Campbell. Campbell comes over from Toledo and has a fairly talented Cyclones squad. Lanning and Warren kept the Cyclones in some tough games last season. The defense should improve dramatically, this is a defense that shut out the Longhorns in 2015. Iowa State will have to ride the legs of Mike Warren if they want to reach a bowl. Iowa State opens with familiar foes Northern Iowa and a trip to Iowa. The Big 12 opener comes in week 3 at TCU. Baylor comes to visit the Cyclones in the Big 12 home opener. Back-to-back road games at Oklahoma State and Texas will be daunting tasks. The Cyclones could get 3-4 wins to finish the season with home games vs Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and West Virginia. A road trip to Kansas breaks up those 4 home games. If Iowa State can continue to improve the end of the season has some winnable games. 6 wins would be hard to reach but it’s certainly possible this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Joel Lanning, JR, QB 193 ATT, 107 COMP, 55.4 PCT, 1247 YARDS, 10 TD, 4 INT, 122.7 RATING Rushing Mike Warren, SO, RB 227 ATT, 1339 YARDS, 5 TD Receiving Allen Lazard, JR, WR 56 REC, 808 YARDS, 6 TD Defense: Interceptions: Brian Peavy, SO, CB 2 INT Sacks: Demond Tucker, SR, DT 6 Sacks Tackles: Brian Peavy, SO, CB 54 Solo, 28 Assist, 82 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 2-10 2013 3-9 2012 6-7 2011 6-7 Iowa State Schedule
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#10 Kansas Jayhawks
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Coach: David Beaty
Offensive Coordinator: David Beaty Defensive Coordinator: Clint Bowen, Kenny Perry Stadium: Memorial Stadium (50,071) 2015 Record: 0-12 The Breakdown Offense: The Kansas Jayhawks finished winless in 2015. Kansas struggled offensively, averaged only 15.3 points per game. Sophomore Ryan Willis should get the first snaps at the QB position. Willis struggled with accuracy, completing only 52% and poor decisions, 9 TD’s/10INT’s. Montell Cozart played better than Willis and could find his way into the rotation. Ke’aun Kinner led the Jayhawks in rushing with 566 yards for 5 TD’s. Kinner pulled down 16 receptions out of the backfield. Kansas loses its top receiver from a year ago. Steven Sims and Tyler Patrick are both sophomore receivers looking to improve on good freshman seasons. Jeremiah Booker is another young receiver looking to have a breakout year. The offensive line will bring in 3 new starters. Defense: The Kansas defense ranked last in scoring defense and total defense. Kansas gave up an amazing 46.1 points per game. Dorance Armstrong has the potential to be a really good DE in the league. Armstrong finished with 3.5 sacks as a freshman. Daniel Wise is another young player on the defensive line, Wise finished with 3.5 sacks as well. The linebacker core returns all 3 starters from last season’s team. Joe Dineen finished with 86 tackles. Marcquis Roberts added 71 tackles and Tevin Shaw ended with 65 tackles. The secondary is led by safety Fish Smithson. Smithson led the Jayhawks in tackles with 111 tackles and 2 INT’s. Tyrone Miller finished his freshman season with 56 tackles. Special Teams: Kansas returns kicker Nick Bartolotta who converted on 4-7 FG’s last season with a long 40. Quinton Conaway will handle the punting duties as a freshman. Ryan Schadler was a bright spot in the return game for the Jayhawks. Overview: Kansas continues to be one the worst FBS football schools in the country. After a winless 2015 season it doesn’t appear that this team will be much better. Kansas will have more experience this season but they play in the Big 12. Kansas appears to only have 1 winnable game on the schedule. A home opener against Rhode Island provides Kansas with an early win opportunity. Kansas then hosts MAC-favorite Ohio and then travels to Memphis. Kansas travels to Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Kansas State in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks host TCU, Oklahoma State, Iowa St and Texas. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Ryan Willis, SO, QB 315 ATT, 164 COMP, 52.1 PCT, 1719 YARDS, 9 TD, 10 INT, 101.0 RATING Rushing Ke’Aun Kinner, SR, RB 134 ATT, 566 YARDS, 5 TD Receiving Steven Sims, SO, WR 30 REC, 349 YARDS, 2 TD Defense: Interceptions: Fish Smithson, SR, DB 2 INT Sacks: Daniel Wise, SO, DT 3.5 Sacks Tackles: Fish Smithson, SR, DB 87 Solo, 24 Assists, 111 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 0-12 2014 3-9 2013 3-9 2012 1-11 2011 2-10 Kansas Schedule
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