Big 12 Football News

Oklahoma’s Trent Williams talks about his performance during the school’s pro day.

Gerald McCoy discusses his performance at Oklahoma’s pro day.

The 2009 season marked the end of incredible college careers for a lot of Big 12 quarterbacks, including Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson, and Todd Reesing; this means it's time for younger guys to step up. While spring football hasn't quite started, I've put a list together of the top five Big 12 quarterbacks who will be a pleasant surprise in 2010. All of them have seen the field earlier in their careers, but 2010 should be when they make their true marks on the conference.

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Okay, maybe not On Broadway. But hey, it's a start.

In the world of bright lights and big cities, Major League Baseball's biggest fish is opening up its own bowl for the world to peer into. This time, however, it'll take place under a different set of lights.

And its actor's lines won't take place between them. Instead, the play will recall galloping ghosts of yore; summoning up memories of leather heads chasing down gridiron greatness.

The Yankees announced today that a new college football bowl game will be played at Yankee Stadium beginning with the 2010 season.

Called the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the Dec. 30th game will pit the Big East's No. 3 team against the No. 6 team from the Big 12.

While it won't be confused with any of the grandaddy bowls, I think it's sort of cool.

The idea of playing a bowl game in Yankee Stadium is an exciting chance for a Big East school to align themselves with the No. 1 brand in all of sports, i.e., the New York Yankees.

It'll give the New York college football fan, which I believe is a larger number than most would assume, a chance to go to a bowl game without much travel. Also, because of its Big 12 tie in, it will bring in teams that we normally don't get the opportunity to see.

Many will chide the organizers for adding just another game to the already bloated ranks of post season games. Claiming that the game is meaningless, they'll probably renew their cries for a college football playoff. You know, "to settle this once and for all."

Even for an old schooler like me, I'm "down" with trying new things. It's supposed to be fun, isn't it? Playing a game in Yankee Stadium would be a thrill for even the coldest of hearts.

And it's just the sort of script a Broadway playwright would love.

What do you think?

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I’ve heard some recent complaints about Ivan Maisel’s breakout player picks for action in the Big XII next season. I can understand your frustrations, but I didn’t think those picks were too bad, outside of Ahmad Dixon possibly never making it to campus. Here are a couple of guys from each South team that I’ve got my eye on headed into the season:

Texas Longhorns

Offense: OL Tray Allen

I’m not sure if he’s an inside or outside guy this year, but in the limited tape I saw of him, the Longhorns got a lot more athletic up front with Allen in the lineup. He’ll be too good to keep off the field this year, and adds some legitimate run blocking ability.

Defense: DE Eddie Jones

Jones is a player that would have been a three-year starter by now at 11 other Big XII programs. He’s just been stuck behind first round draft picks on the depth chart.  I think he’s got elite closing speed and will prove to be trouble to a new crop of Big XII tackles.

Texas A&M Aggies

Offense: OT Luke Joeckel

He’s already on campus at 280 pounds, and in all likelihood, the best athlete of Stephen Barrera, Danny Baker, Garrett Gramling, or Shep Klinke. Jake Matthews and Cedric Ogbuehi will need to gain weight via redshirt. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think this Joeckel kid is legit enough to crack the Aggie starting lineup. 

Defense: OLB Garrick Williams

At 6′2″, 230 pounds with decent athleticism, he’s the only other guy on the Aggie defense right now, outside of Von Miller, from whom I see glimpses of quality potential.  He’s a little bit of a mess at times like the rest of the unit, but Coach DeRuyter might be able to do something with an athlete of his level. At a minimum, Williams intrigues me.

Baylor Bears

Offense: WR Kendall Wright

I’ll just pick Wright like everyone else. Robert Griffin is no secret. WR Willie Jefferson is an interesting physical specimen at 6′6″.

Defense: OLB Antonio Johnson

He’s one of the more underrated players in the Big XII, especially in coverage. Everyone assumes Johnson is terrible because he plays on the Baylor defense, but he’s a good enough athlete to be starting for just about any program in this league.

Oklahoma Sooners

Offense: OG Bronson Irwin

When Bob Stoops signed Tyler Evans last Feb., I don’t think he felt Evans would actually be starting. Like Joeckel, Irwin is another reach pick. Adam Shead is a nice inside prospect for the Sooners, and I expect one of them to be injected for a running game boost by mid-season. Irwin is on campus already, has size, and I liked his film.

Defense: MLB Tom Wort

I was going to use Austin Box here and reference the upgrade in athleticism to Ryan Reynolds. However, Wort is apparently atop the depth chart heading into spring after an injury sidelined him last fall.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Offense: TE Tracy Moore

In past Cowboys' offenses, Justin Horton and his blocking ability might have been my choice. However, look for new OC Dana Holgerson to take advantage of Moore’s 240 pound size and athletic ability as a flex tight end to attack the deep middle.

Defense: S Markelle Martin

I think Martin is potentially an NFL player. He has a good combo of speed and size with ball skills.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Offense: LT Terry McDaniel

He’s a potential star in this league, given he returns from an Oct. knee injury. McDaniel, if healthy, can do things that historically can't be done by Tech tackles. 

Defense: OLB/DE Aundrey Barr 

He’ll most likely be the best option on the Tech roster this spring for perimeter pressure on the QB. Coach Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis will find a way to get the fastest player in their front-four on the field.

 

 

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NORMAN, Okla. -- Gerald McCoy was measured at 6-foot-4 and 298 pounds, but participated only in brief position-specific drills. He said on Tuesday he'll wait to improve his underwhelming 23 reps on the 225-pound bench press until March 25, when former teammate Sam Bradford will show off his surgically reconstructed throwing shoulder for NFL scouts.

McCoy added that the low number surprised him because he began at 25 reps, before he started working out specifically for the combine.

"Everybody said it was just nerves," McCoy said. "Because you don't start training and then go down. You don't do that. Especially when you're seeing yourself increase every week."

McCoy said he'll take some time off from training before returning to Norman for pro day, part deux.

Also of note, cornerback Dominique Franks improved his 40-yard dash time to 4.47, significantly faster than his disappointing time at the combine. Fellow cornerback Brian Jackson showed off a 38-inch vertical jump, the best of the day.

Former teammates and likely first-round picks offensive lineman Trent Williams and tight end Jermaine Greshamn opted out of most of the drills on Tuesday. Williams improved his 20-yard shuttle time to 4.40, but neither tried to improve his 40 time. Gresham measured at 6-foot-5 3/8 and 259 pounds. Williams measured 6-foot-4 1/2 and 314 pounds.

A few other notes:

• St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose team holds the No. 1 pick in next month's draft, was in attendance. He had a lengthy conversation with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Plenty of the conversation likely revolved around McCoy and Bradford, two players St. Louis could draft with the first pick.
• Lots of current and former Sooners came to Oklahoma's indoor facility for pro day. The Baltimore Ravens' Mark Clayton showed, as did fullback J.D. Runnels, who most last saw as a Bengal on the last season of the HBO show "Hard Knocks," which chronicles one NFL team's training camp each August. Current Sooners who were in attendance included quarterback Landry Jones, receiver Ryan Broyles and defensive end Jeremy Beal.

• Former Baylor coach Guy Morriss apologized for his facetious comments last week commending his players for stealing copies of the campus newspaper at Texas A&M-Commerce.
• Russ Lande of The Sporting News has a Big 12-heavy mock draft. The top four picks and seven of the top 10 come from the conference.
• Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said Monday the Big 12 isn't ready to declare any venues the permanent homes for any Big 12 championships.
• Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal takes a closer look at the next Texas Tech quarterback, recent 2011 commit Michael Brewer.
• Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tries to answer two big questions for Missouri as the Tigers begin their spring workouts today.
• If you want tickets to Kansas State football, you've got a few more options this year.
• Colorado's offensive line says its worst problems in 2009 were self-inflicted. The Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo reports that the Buffs hope that changes in 2010.
• Oklahoma kicked off its spring practices on Monday, and Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman says all eyes are on quarterback Landry Jones.
• Also, the Sooners picked up their sixth commitment for 2011 on Monday, running back Danzell Williams from Arlington, Texas.

Long rumored and discussed, the Pinstripe Bowl became official today, hosted by the new Yankee Stadium in New York and sponsored by New Era.

The game will pit the Big 12's No. 6 team against the Big East's No. 3 team on Dec. 30, excluding Bowl Championship Series participants. Previously, the game had been rumored as the "Yankee Bowl."

The new Yankee Stadium will host several games in the coming years, including Notre Dame-Army on Nov. 20.

ESPN agreed to broadcast the game, which will be held no earlier than Christmas and no later than New Year's Day,  for six years.

New York in December is slightly colder than Phoenix or Miami, but Christmas or New Year's in the Big Apple shouldn't be a tough sell for Big 12 fans, whose opportunities to see college football in New York have been non-existent until now.

Just arrived at pro day in Norman at Oklahoma's Everest Indoor Center.

Plenty of NFL scouts in attendance, but quarterback Sam Bradford, who will wait until March 25 to throw and work out, isn't.

Possible No. 1 pick Gerald McCoy is, though, and he'll be showing off for scouts alongside his teammates. McCoy put up a disappointing 23 reps on the 225-pound bench press at the combine, and could look to improve that today.

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, by comparison, posted 32 reps on the bench. I'll have more throughout the day.

For all the talent in states like Florida and California, it's tough to top Texas in terms of sheer passion for college football. The Lone Star State boasts a total 10 D-I programs (assuming North Texas still counts). And with top programs taking up residence, we're not talking quantity over quality, either. So, how do Texas' teams stack up against one another? Despite the rise of TCU and Texas Tech and more, the Longhorns are still on top.

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