Jake Trotter’s All-Big 12 team
By Jake Trotter
My All-Big 12 first and second team ballot:
OFFENSE
Position: Name, School
First-team Center: Jon Cooper, Oklahoma
Second-team Center: David Washington, Oklahoma State
First-team Guard-Tackle: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
First-team Guard-Tackle: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
First-team Guard-Tackle: Rylan Reed, Texas Tech
First-team Guard-Tackle: Jason Smith, Baylor
Second-team Guard-Tackle: Trent Williams, Oklahoma
Second-team Guard-Tackle: Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma
Second-team Guard-Tackle: Adam Ulatoski, Texas
Second-team Guard-Tackle: Cedric Dockery, Texas
First-team Tight end: Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
Second-team Tight end: Chase Coffman, Missouri
First-team Receiver: Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
First-team Receiver: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
First-team Receiver: Jordan Shipley, Texas
Second-team Receiver: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
Second-team Receiver: Nate Swift, Nebraska
Second-team Receiver: Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
First-team Running back: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
Second-team Running back: Chris Brown, Oklahoma
First-team Quarterback: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Second-team Quarterback: Colt McCoy, Texas
First-team All-purpose: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
Second-team All-purpose: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
First-team Kicker: Jeff Wolfert, Missouri
Second-team Kicker: Alex Henery, Nebraska
Offensive player of the year: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Offensive newcomer of the year: Robert Griffin, Baylor
DEFENSE
Position: Name, School
First-team Lineman: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
First-team Lineman: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
First-team Lineman: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
First-team Lineman: Brian Orapko, Texas
Second-team Lineman: Roy Miller, Texas
Second-team Lineman: George Hypolite, Colorado
Second-team Lineman: Brandon Williams, Texas Tech
Second-team Lineman: Ian Campbell, Kansas State
First-team Linebacker: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
First-team Linebacker: Andre Sexton, Oklahoma State
First-team Linebacker: Sergio Kindle, Texas
First-team Linebacker: James Holt, Kansas
Second-team Linebacker: Keenan Clayton, Oklahoma
Second-team Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
Second-team Linebacker: Joe Pawelek, Baylor
Second-team Linebacker: Stryker Sulak, Missouri
First-team Def. Back: Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
First-team Def. Back: Jordan Lake, Baylor
First-team Def. Back: Ryan Walters, Colorado
First-team Def. Back: Darcel McBath, Texas Tech
Second-team Def. Back: Nic Harris, Oklahoma
Second-team Def. Back: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma
Second-team Def. Back: Darrell Stuckey, Kansas
Second-team Def. Back: Cha’pelle Brown, Colorado
First-team Punter: Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State
Second-team Punter: Justin Brantly, Texas A&M
Defensive player of the year: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
Defensive newcomer of the year: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
Coach of the year: Mike Leach, Texas Tech
Bradford, Brown in this week’s Sports Illustrated:
Former boss Snyder back
Monday, Kansas State announced Bill Snyder, 69, was returning to coach the Wildcats.
Stoops and OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables both coached under Snyder at K-State in the 1990s.
“I’m excited for coach Snyder,” Stoops said. “You’d expect him to do an excellent job like he always has.”
Said Venables, “The (Big 12) North just got a lot tougher.”
By Jake Trotter
Sooners get another kicker?
Josh McCuistion at Rivals.com is reporting that Norman North kicker Bryce Easley plans to walk-on at OU, with the hope of earning a scholarship the following year.
The Sooners have had an inconsistent kicking game with Jimmy Stevens and Matt Moreland.
Easley, who is one of the top kickers in the state, would add much-needed competition to the position if he indeed choose to become a Sooner.
TT QBs confident
Two former Texas Tech are confident, picking the Red Raiders to win in Norman. Their predictions:
Cody Hodges, 2005
Tech 49, OU 45: History repeats itself. Graham Harrell throws a TD at the end to win.
B.J. Symons, 2003
Tech 45, OU 30: Tech defense is underestimated even though they’ve played well, shutting down Texas, Oklahoma State. And Tech will score at OU.
By Jake Trotter
More on Harrell…
Don Williams, who has covered Texas Tech football for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal for more than 20 years, gave me his take on why Graham Harrell is outperforming Tech QBs of the past:
“Part of what’s allowed Graham Harrell to shine this year is he has 36 career starts, so nearly everything – about his own offense, and the Big 12 defenses he sees – is second nature to him. Certainly, he’s benefited the last two years from having Crabtree to throw to and, this year in particular, probably the best offensive line Mike Leach has had at Tech. But Graham deserves plenty of credit, too. Even when protection breaks down, he’s really hard to sack, because he reads defenses well and knows where to go with the ball. His experience makes him different from most of Leach’s quarterbacks considering that B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and Cody Hodges didn’t start until they were fifth-year seniors. I’d say Harrell, outwardly at least, is the most fiery competitor Leach has had at quarterback since B.J. Symons. He might not have a cannon arm, but he showed on the winning touchdown pass against Texas that it’s good enough to make the long, deep throw to the far sideline that you need to be able to make in the NFL. Add in the fact that he’s the son of a successful coach, and he had a good head for the game even before this year.’’
By Jake Trotter
OU loses commit, for now
Four-star DB Steve Williams out of Dallas Skyline High School has reportedly de-committed from Oklahoma this week. Williams is still considering the Sooners, but he is also looking at California, where he visited last month.
The Sooners still have commitments from DBs Kevin Brent (4 stars), Marcus Trice (4 stars) and Javon Harris (3 stars) and are still in on 4-star DB Gabe Lynn out of Jenks High School.
OU currently has 19 commitments.
By Jake Trotter
Bradford numbers
Check out these stats from QB Sam Bradford:
• No. 1 nationally with 38 touchdown passes despite ranking No. 15 in pass attempts.
• No. 2 nationally in passing yards despite throwing 133 fewer passes than the national leader.
• No. 2 nationally (No. 1 in FBS) in passing efficiency.
• Ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense despite playing on a team that also averages 42.4 rushing plays and 194.3 rushing yards per game.
• Has thrown five touchdowns in four games this season.
By Jake Trotter
