Let's just cut to the chase ...
After nitpicking the hell out of Anwar Richardson's All-Big 12 pre-season first-team this past week, but confessing to not being ready to answer questions about players that I might have opposed who made his list (see Zack Shackelford), it was time to either do my own damn list or shut up.
As most of you know, it's easier for me to make a list than actually shut the hell up, so ... yeah ... I made my list.
Get ready to fall in love with me all over again.
Offense
QB: Sam Ehlinger - Texas (Jr.)
Here's why: It's very possible that Jalen Hurts will put up bigger numbers over 13 games this season than Ehlinger, but that doesn't mean that he'll be a better player than Ehlinger, who was better in head to head match-ups against the best quarterbacks on the Texas schedule last year with the exception of Kyler Murray in the Big 12 Championship game.
RB: Kennedy Brooks - Oklahoma (So.)
Here's why: As a freshman, he averaged 8.9 yards per carry. I mean ... what else needs to be said? That's one of the most ridiculous stats I've ever heard at the running back position in major college football. That's 1.2 yards per carry more than Barry Sanders averaged in his Heisman season.
RB: Darius Anderson - TCU (Senior)
Here's why: I originally picked Kansas' Pooka Williams, but considering he's got some legal issues that may or may not keep him off the field, I'll go with Anderson, who could be poised for a monster season.
WR: Ceedee Lamb - Oklahoma (Junior)
Here's why: When it's all said and done, Lamb might just be the best wide receiver in Oklahoma's storied history. After recording nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, I'm expecting him to hit the stratosphere this season.
WR: Tylan Wallace - Oklahoma State (Junior)
Here's why: The 2018 Biletnikoff Award Finalist had almost 1,500 yards receiving last year. He's arguably the first name on this list.
WR: Collin Johnson - Texas (Senior)
Here's why: In a battle between TCU's Jalen Reagor for the last spot, Johnson's dynamic ability as a deep threat proved to be the deciding factor.
OL: Lucas Niang - TCU (Senior)
Here's why: Didn't allow a single sack all season in 2018 and was the highest-graded pass blocker in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus.
OL: Parker Braun - Texas (Senior)
Here's why: Because he's a bad ************ that mauled people in the ACC for three seasons and emerged as one of its best players, regardless of position. He steps on to the field at Texas as possibly the best lineman in the Big 12
OL: Creed Humphrey - Oklahoma (Sophomore)
Here's why: There were times last season when Humphrey was the best player on the best offensive line in the country ... and he was a freshman. By the time he's done playing in Norman, he's going to be in the discussion of best linemen in the history of the program.
OL: Colton McKivitz - West Virginia
Here's why: A stalwart on the West Virginia line at right tackle for the last three seasons, McKivitz was one of the highest rated players in the Big 12 last season at his position.
OL: Sam Cosmi - Texas (Sophomore)
Here's why: Cosmi was right behind Niang as a graded pass blocker last season and he's still just a puppy. Like Humphrey, we might be talking about a guy that's going to emerge as soon as this season as one of the best linemen in school history.
Defense
DE: Jaquan Bailey - Iowa State (Senior)
Here's why: Bailey ranked second in the Big 12 in stops off the edge a year ago, while also providing the third-most pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He's the best returning two-way edge player in the league.
DE: Ronnie Perkins - Oklahoma (Sophomore)
Here's why: A freshman all-American in 2018, this emerging star is the most likely player in the conference to rack up 10+ sacks this season off the edge, with all due respect to guys like Kansas State's Reggie Walker and Baylor's James Lynch.
DT: Neville Gallimore - Oklahoma (Senior)
Here's why: The highest-graded returning interior lineman in the Big 12 last season, Gallimore has turned into the kind of run stopper that also makes game-changing plays in the process. Was an absolute handful for the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game.
DT: Ray Lima - Iowa State (Senior)
Here's why: He's not much of a playmaker, but there's no doubting that this first-team All-Big 12 selection from a year ago is one of the most consistent defensive linemen in the conference. This is a spot that can be taken by someone else if someone can make a leap this season.
LB: Kenneth Murray - Oklahoma (Junior)
Here's why: His 155 tackles and 20 tackles for loss from a year ago simply jump off the stat sheet in a way that no other Big 12 defensive player coming into this season can claim. He's a monster producer.
LB: Jordyn Brooks - Texas Tech (Senior)
Here's why: Led the Red Raiders in tackles for the second year in a row, while also leading the team in tackles for loss and ranking second in quarterback pressures. I was tempted to go with Jeffery McCulloch in this spot, but Brooks' production is much more of a sure thing going into the year.
DB: Jeff Gladney - TCU (Senior)
Here's why: Here's the best player in the Big 12 that no one seems to talk about.
DB: A.J. Green - Oklahoma State (Senior)
Here's why: According to the school website, Green limited Collin Johnson to five receptions on 13 targets with two passes broken up and against West Virginia, he held David Sills to four receptions on 11 targets with three passes broken up, including a PBU in the end zone on the final play of the game to preserve OSU’s win over the seventh-ranked Mountaineers. He's damn good.
DB - Caden Sterns - Texas (Sophomore)
Here's why: After posting one of the best freshman defensive campaigns in Texas football history in 2018, Sterns is poised to take the next step towards national superstardom.
DB: Greg Eisworth - Iowa State (Junior)
Here's why: The 2018 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year does it all for the Cyclones and only figures to improve in year No. 2 in the Big 12.
DB: BJ Foster - Texas (Sophomore)
Here's why: Just a hunch, but Foster is going to be the biggest game-changing defensive back in the Big 12 ... sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions ... he'll be everywhere.
Special Teams
K: Cameron Dicker - Texas (Sophomore)
Here's why: If you select West Virginia's Evan Staley at this position, I totally understand because it's virtually a coin flip when you compare him with Dicker, but the biggest difference I could find between the two is that Dicker might have a stronger leg than Staley, who has never made a field goal of 50 yards or more, while Dicker was one of two as a true freshman in 2018.
P: Kyle Thompson - Kansas (Junior)
Here's why: Had the highest averaged by far of any punter in the Big 12 last year, while also handling more volume than any punter in the conference. He's not Michael Dickson good, but he's still pretty damn good.
KR/PR: Ceedee Lamb - Oklahoma (Junior)
Here's why: He's the guy I would least want to kick to in the conference.
(Note: I did not include the tight end position or the fullback positions in this assignment because this is the Big 12 we're talking about.)
Big 12 Honors
Newcomer of the Year – Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Offensive Player of the Year – Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Defensive Player of the Year – Jeff Gladney, TCU
Running Back of the Year - Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
Wide Receiver of the Year - Ceedee Lamb, Oklahoma
Offensive Lineman of the Year - Sam Cosmi, Texas
Defensive Lineman of the Year - Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
Linebacker of the Year - Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Defensive Back of the Year - Jeff Gladney, TCU
Big 12 Champion: Texas (I reserve the right to change my mind before September 1st)
No. 2 - So, I just officially picked Texas to win the Big 12 this year ...
Well, that just happened.
I suppose I'm just all-in on Sam Ehlinger. The bottom line is that if I think he's going to be the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year this season, the Longhorns are going to have to win the Big 12 in the process because I can't say for certainty that Ehlinger will have better numbers than a Lincoln Riley quarterback.
However, when the Longhorns and Sooners do battle twice this season, the Longhorns will go into those games with the best player on the field at the quarterback position.
If we're talking about an All-22 across the board, I'd probably favor the Sooners right now.
Yet, the Big 12 is a quarterback conference and for the first time since 2009, the Longhorns will have the best of the bunch in the best quarterback conference in the nation.
Like it mattered in 2005, 2008 and 2009, it'll matter again in 2019.
No. 3 - Hudson Card is the truth ...
There were a lot of double-takes a few months ago when I moved Hudson Card into five-star status in the Lone Star Recruiting Top 100 List, along with North Shore running back Zachary Evans and Tomball wide receiver Demond Demas, and placed Card into the No. 3 overall spot in the rankings.
From my perspective, it was a pretty easy call. Let's not mince words here, he's a young man with a special arm talent, plus-athleticism, tremendous skill on the field as a player and there's moxie there for days.
For all of the difficulty scouting football players can often be, sometimes it's as easy as watching a few plays or a quarter of a single game.
I remember standing on the sidelines of a high school game at Nelson Field back in 1998 alongside a coach from Kentucky when Austin Lanier star Derrick Straight scored on a 60-yard run on the first play of the game and scooped up a fumble and ran it back for a touchdown on the second play of the game.
With more than 11 minutes to go in the first quarter, the Kentucky coach started walking off the field.
"Where are you going?," I asked.
"There's nothing left for me to see," he said with a laugh. "If you can't see what you need to see on those two plays, you don't need to be doing this. I'm going to get some Mexican food."
That was that, which brings me back to Card.
Fellas, this ain't rocket science. Just watch the kid. Not all of the stuff he's capable of is remotely normal, which is why I wasn't at all shocked when he tore it up at the Elite 11 competition this week.
Ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the entire competition all week by those in charge of the event, Card pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table during testing at The Opening when he posted an absolute game-changing shuttle time, which I consider the be the single most important testing number when it comes to quick-twitch explosiveness.
An elite 20-yard shuttle time for a wide receiver or cornerback is generally anything in the 4.0 range. Card posted a 4.06 shuttle time at nearly 6-3, 176 pounds, which might actually be the fastest shuttle time I can ever remember a Texas quarterback prospect recording.
To give you some added perspective, Alabama defensive back commitment Malachi Moore (No.123 on the Rivals250) ran a 4.25 shuttle. Fellow Alabama commit/four-star unning back Javon Baker (No. 102 on the Rivals250) ran a 4.30 shuttle. The third Alabama commit at The Opening was cornerback Jahquez Robinson (No. 188 in the Rivals250), who ran a 4.40 shuttle.
Yes, card smoked every single Alabama commitment at the event, all of whom are highly rated skilled athletes.
The bottom line is that I'm just not sure that Texas fans totally know what they have in Card and there's always going to be hesitation of hype around an Austin-area quarterback commit after the Garrett Gilbert disaster, but I'm telling you that Card is a quarterback prospect that ranks near the top of the list of Texas quarterback prospects in the last 20 years.
No. 4 - Rooting for Tennessee ...
Obviously, Texas isn't playing Texas A&M anytime soon in football, but Longhorns everywhere do not want to see Longview quarterback Haynes King committing to the Aggies, which means that Orangebloods everywhere will be wanting to pull for Tennessee in this head-to-head recruiting battle.
The only guy that the Elite 11 coaches and counselors thought outperformed Card throughout the entirety of the event was King, who apparently ran the same 4.06 shuttle time and an even faster 40 time (4.52).
The more and more I take a gander at King, the more and more impressive he gets.
No. 5 – BUY or SELL …
(Buy) With a year to redshirt and soak up the expectations of Herman within the offense, I fully expect Card to emerge as the starter at the position following Ehlinger's departure following the 2020 season.
(Buy) Yeah, I thought the Longhorns would be white hot all over the map at this point just six months ago with what I thought would be a certain top-five class. The out of state recruiting isn't quite as dominant as it was a year ago and the in-state recruiting has been solid, but not spectacular.
(Buy) I'll take Texas in the 10 spot with a leap of faith.
(Sell) Nah, I don't believe that. There's more nuance to the issues Texas has than that simple light switch would represent.
(Sell) I'll buy that there's still evolving that will absolutely take place, but perhaps not at the expense of a loss on the field this season. Cross your fingers.
(Buy) I've got Ehlinger with 34 touchdown passes this season.
(Sell) I'll take the field in July.
No. 6 - Five things on America's Team ...
a. What a team. All they did was beat the world's No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the world, while outscoring their opponents by a combined 26-3 score. Dominant.
b. Rose Levelle is going to be America's soccer superstar for the next decade. She announced herself on the world's biggest stage.
c. You don't have to like Megan Rapinoe, but my goodness, even her detractors you have to respect the fact that with the weight of the world on her shoulders in the last two weeks, she performed at a level that we crave the world's best athletes to perform. She did the damn thing.
d. There are going to be a lot of people on tilt at the end of the year when Rapinoe is named Sports Illustrated’s 2019 Sportsperson of the Year. Don't yell at me ... I'm just telling you to prepare yourself.
e. Nike knocked this one out of the park.
No. 7 - Let's talk about Kawhi ...
I know Spurs fans don't want to hear this, but the world is pretty much Kawhi's oyster.
With two Finals MVPs with two different teams under his belt, this is a guy that is suddenly putting himself in the all-time greats conversations and with his surprise move to the LA Clippers, along with his baller move to force a Clippers trade for Paul George, the entire narrative of the league suddenly revolves around a guy that many around these parts absolutely detest.
As a neutral to all of this, all I can say is that I'm all kinds of interested in the Clippers/Lakers storylines going into next season.
Whether you liked how it went down or not, everything he did has worked out for him with regards to forcing his way out of San Antonio.
It's his league and the Spurs just reside in it.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... This looks weird.
... I have no ideas what Oklahoma City does with Russell Westbrook, but that contract they HAD to give him to save the franchise feels like a poison pill.
... Might have to check out the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
... Pete Alonso has my attention.
... Simona Halep vs. Coco Gauff on Monday at Wimbledon has my attention.
... Although I considered purchasing this week's UFC pay-per-view, I ended up skipping it because I couldn't stop thinking about what a giant dirtball Jon Jones has been in recent years. I used to be a big "Bones" fan, but I also have to look at myself in the mirror and supporting him would make me want to look away.
... Brazil winning the Copa America without him must have felt like a giant kick in the groin for Neymar.
... My Liverpool Propaganda of the Weekend
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Chicago songs...
In honor of their appearance in Austin on Saturday night, I pay homage to a group that far more of you see to like than I ever realized.
ConfessionL: I love the ballads.
Let's do this.
10. (I've Been) Searchin' So Long
9. Just You n' Me
8. Beginnings
7. Make Me Smile
6. Does Anyone Really Know
5. If You Leave Me Now
4. Hard to Say I'm Sorry
3. You're the Inspiration
2. 25 Or 6 To 4
1. Saturday in the Park
Honorary Mention: Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love" cracks the top five if we include solo projects.
No. 10 – And Finally ...
This dude paid a $10,000 entry fee into the Main Event of the World Series of Poker so that he could do this.
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