25. Dante Barnett, S, Kansas State: Barnett was poised for a big senior season and was No. 15 on our preseason Top 25 player rankings last year. But a shoulder injury in the first half of K-State's season opener shut him down for the 2015 season. Now he's back and one of the Big 12's most experienced veterans, with 29 career starts. Barnett boosts a Wildcats defense -- in coverage, as a hitter and as a leader -- that sorely missed him last fall.
24. Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State: A tough matchup for any defensive back at 6-foot-5 and 223 pounds, Lazard has hauled in 101 passes for 1,401 yards and nine touchdowns over his first two seasons in Ames. He keeps getting better and will benefit from a full season of playing with Joel Lanning, who completed 66 percent of his passes and averaged 17.4 yards per completion when he targeted Lazard last season.
23. Noble Nwachukwu, DE, West Virginia: The fifth-year senior has steadily developed into one of the conference's finest pass-rushers. He stepped up in October and November last season, racking up 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in conference play. Among Big 12 linemen, only Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah topped that production. Nwachukwu has started 26 straight games and will be a playmaker for a Mountaineers defense that is replacing a lot of senior leadership.
22. Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma: Mixon would be the feature back for a lot of other programs, but you can argue that teaming up withSamaje Perine made him even more effective in his debut season with the Sooners. Mixon averaged 7.9 yards per touch on offense last season -- best among all returning Big 12 backs -- on the way to 1,109 total yards (including 356 yards receiving) and 11 touchdowns. He logged four scores of 55-plus yards and will be one of the league's best big-play threats again this fall.
21. Denzel Johnson, S, TCU: The strong safety made a living causing problems at the line of scrimmage last season. He spent a lot of time in the backfield too, with a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss. Johnson made big plays, including the pass breakup to clinch the Alamo Bowl comeback win over Oregon, and a ton of stops (79 tackles) in run support and in the open field. All that was in his first season as a starter. In Gary Patterson's defense, he's an ideal hybrid weapon for stopping Big 12 offenses.
20. Jordan Sterns, S, Oklahoma State
In 2014, he was the first OSU underclassmen in 18 years to post more than 100 tackles. He followed that breakout season with another 108 last year. Sterns earned the Leslie O'Neal Award as the outstanding defensive player at Oklahoma State while starting every game for a second consecutive season. A standout on special teams and in the secondary, he contributed a season-high 16 tackles in the Cowboys' November loss to Baylor. A season like the last two would rank Sterns among the top 10 tacklers in program history.
19. Elijah Lee, LB, Kansas State: The former defensive end flashed his potential in 2014 as a true freshman, recording 4.5 sacks. Last year, Lee started every game and led the Wildcats with 80 tackles to earn second-team all-league honors from the Big 12 coaches -- making Lee the first K-State freshman or sophomore to earn first- or second-team all-conference recognition since Mark Simoneau in 1998. Lee's three interceptions in 2015 were the most by a Kansas State linebacker since 2002.
18. Steven Parker, S, Oklahoma: A second-team All-Big 12 pick by ESPN.com last season as a sophomore, Parker is a versatile player in the secondary, starting eight games at strong safety, three at free safety and two at nickelback. His 60 tackles, including four behind the line of scrimmage with 1.5 sacks, improved on his numbers in 2014, when Parker was named the Big 12 defensive freshman of the year by league coaches. A former four-star recruit out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he turned down Alabama and Ohio State, among others. With 10 career pass breakups, he's looking for his first interception as a Sooner.
17. KaVontae Turpin, WR, TCU: An electrifying piece of the Horned Frogs' high-powered offense as a true freshman last year, he earned five starts and ranked second to All-American Josh Doctsonwith 649 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 45 catches. Turpin was a threat on kickoff returns and scored from 49 yards against Kansas on a punt return. He also completed one of two passes. Against Texas, he caught four touchdowns, the most by a freshman in league history, to earn co-Big 12 offensive player of the week and also topped 100 receiving yards in TCU's first loss of the year in Week 10 at Oklahoma State.
16. Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma: The son of "Zeus," a former 10-year NFL tackle by the same name, the younger Brown followed a redshirt season to step into the Sooners' lineup in 2015. One of 10 freshmen in OU history to start a game at tackle, he started all 13 on the left side for a College Football Playoff qualifier. At 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds, he is the perfect protector for Oklahoma's most valuable asset -- Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield. Brown was named second-team All-Big 12 and will be needed as a sophomore to anchor a young offensive line.
15. Shock Linwood, RB, Baylor: No Big 12 player has rushed for more yards than Linwood's 3,462 during the past three years. The senior enters his final season averaging 6.02 yards per carry on 575 career rushes. Linwood makes up for his lack of height (5-foot-9) with terrific strength and a shifty running style, which has helped him average 3.48 yards per carry after contact during his career, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. He's one of the Big 12's best, and most overshadowed, offensive stars.
14. Charles Walker, DL, Oklahoma: Fresh off a breakout sophomore season, Walker could replace the star power at defensive line in the Big 12 if he continues to improve during his third season. A second-team All-Big 12 honoree by the league's coaches, Walker finished 2015 with 36 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and six sacks. Despite entering his junior season with zero career starts, Walker flashed his huge upside with supreme strength and athleticism in a complimentary role a year ago. If increased opportunities results in increased production, Walker could skyrocket up this list.
13. Connor Williams, T, Texas: Williams walked into the Longhorns' starting lineup and earned All-American honors after starting 12 games at left tackle as a true freshman. The sophomore helped Texas average 263 rushing yards per game during the final seven games of the season. Williams should be even better as a sophomore as he provides a terrific foundation for new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert to build around.
12. Tyler Orlosky, C, West Virginia: A major contributor toWendell Smallwood's 2015 Big 12 rushing title, Orlosky provides a centerpiece for coach Dana Holgorsen to build his offense around after West Virginia averaged 228.2 rushing yards per game a year ago. The senior enters his final season with 29 career starts and participated in 2,178 total snaps during the past two seasons. A 2015 captain for the Mountaineers, Orlosky is one of the leaders and core members of West Virginia's squad heading into 2016.
11. Kyle Fuller, C, Baylor: The anchor of the Bears' offensive line, Fuller plays a huge role in Baylor's explosive offense. With Fuller manning the middle, the Bears led the Big 12 in points per drive (3.29), yards per play (7.26) and yards per carry (5.95). Fuller enters his final season with 26 career starts and 39 career games played as he prepares to form the foundation of a revamped offensive front.
10. KD Cannon, WR, Baylor: The Bears’ home run hitter already has pulled down 108 catches for 1,898 yards over his first two seasons in Waco, Texas, and he will take the torch from Corey Coleman as the next leader of “WRU.” Eight of his 14 touchdown receptions have gone for 50-plus yards, but explosive speed isn’t all that he brings to the table. Cannon did have arthroscopic knee surgery last month, but he’s expected to be ready for fall camp and should get right back to burning defenses.
9. Mike Warren, RB, Iowa State: Nobody outside of Ames was talking about Warren last summer, but his days of anonymity are definitely over. The top freshman running back in college football last fall rushed for 1,339 yards and averaged 130 yards per game in Big 12 play. He surpassed 100 yards six times in his debut season and, as the focal point of new coach Matt Campbell’s offense, should produce a lot more than the five rushing touchdowns he finished with in 2015.
8. Jordan Thomas, CB, Oklahoma: Thomas should be the Big 12’s best cover corner this fall after breaking out in a big way in 2015. He grabbed five interceptions as a sophomore and had a knack for turning them into big plays, amassing 153 return yards off of them, including a 32-yard touchdown against Oklahoma State. Thomas’ off-field issues (most recently he was arrested in June) are concerning, but he still belongs in our preseason top 10.
7. Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State: All he’s done since taking over as Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback is win. Rudolph is 12-3 as a starter and has thrown for 4,623 yards since his November 2014 debut, fifth most among all active FBS quarterbacks. He’s everything you’d want in a prototypical future NFL quarterback and one of the game’s best deep-ball passers. Rudolph’s 40 completions of 20-plus air yards last season were second only to Jared Goff among Power 5 quarterbacks. The Cowboys are loaded with talented skill players, and Rudolph makes them better.
6. Seth Russell, QB, Baylor: Russell was playing at a ridiculous level through seven games before his season-ending neck injury. He was No. 1 nationally in QBR (89.9) and would’ve been No. 1 in passing efficiency. Russell was the only player in college football averaging five total touchdowns per game. And on top of all that, he was picking up 9 yards per carry when he ran the ball. Now 100 percent healthy, Russell should put up monster numbers again and will be in the Heisman Trophy conversation this fall.
5. Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas: How special is the Texas true sophomore? He was named the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, despite having played only nine games in his career. Jefferson, who has already become the vocal and emotional leader of the Longhorns, has all the tools to be a dynamic defender, and is one of the biggest reasons why Texas could finally get back over the hump in Charlie Strong's third year.
4. James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State: Alongside Rashaun Woods, Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon, Washington has emerged as the next in a recent line of All-American-caliber Cowboys receivers. With terrific ball skills and tremendous agility, Washington is a nightmare matchup for opposing defensive backs downfield. The league's only returning 1,000-yard receiver, Washington is a true contender for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to college football's top wideout.
3. Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma: Among a group that includes Heisman winners Steve Owens and Billy Sims, NFL all-pros DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson and college all-time greats Greg Pruitt and Joe Washington, Perine is primed to become Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher this season. In two seasons, he has already amassed 3,062 yards, putting him less than a 1,000 away from breaking Peterson's school record. Between the tackles, Perine is about as good as it gets in college football when rushing the ball.
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech: Maybe the best-kept secret in college football, Mahomes is on the precipice of becoming the game's next big star. Quietly, since November of 2014, when he took over as Tech’s starting quarterback, Mahomes has tossed 50 touchdowns. No returning quarterback in college football has thrown for more over the same span. One Big 12 coach kidded that Mahomes might throw for 6,000 yards this season. That is no joke.
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: Mayfield's relentless attitude and brash leadership helped turn around the Sooners, who went from a moribund 8-5 team to a national championship contender with him behind center. No quarterback in the country ad libs better outside the pocket than Mayfield, who obliterates opposing defenses that try to blitz him. Mayfield also seemingly always brings his best with the game on the line, completing a smoking 71.2 percent of his passes last season after halftimes. He is one of the four or five true stars in the game.
24. Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State: A tough matchup for any defensive back at 6-foot-5 and 223 pounds, Lazard has hauled in 101 passes for 1,401 yards and nine touchdowns over his first two seasons in Ames. He keeps getting better and will benefit from a full season of playing with Joel Lanning, who completed 66 percent of his passes and averaged 17.4 yards per completion when he targeted Lazard last season.
23. Noble Nwachukwu, DE, West Virginia: The fifth-year senior has steadily developed into one of the conference's finest pass-rushers. He stepped up in October and November last season, racking up 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in conference play. Among Big 12 linemen, only Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah topped that production. Nwachukwu has started 26 straight games and will be a playmaker for a Mountaineers defense that is replacing a lot of senior leadership.
20. Jordan Sterns, S, Oklahoma State
In 2014, he was the first OSU underclassmen in 18 years to post more than 100 tackles. He followed that breakout season with another 108 last year. Sterns earned the Leslie O'Neal Award as the outstanding defensive player at Oklahoma State while starting every game for a second consecutive season. A standout on special teams and in the secondary, he contributed a season-high 16 tackles in the Cowboys' November loss to Baylor. A season like the last two would rank Sterns among the top 10 tacklers in program history.
19. Elijah Lee, LB, Kansas State: The former defensive end flashed his potential in 2014 as a true freshman, recording 4.5 sacks. Last year, Lee started every game and led the Wildcats with 80 tackles to earn second-team all-league honors from the Big 12 coaches -- making Lee the first K-State freshman or sophomore to earn first- or second-team all-conference recognition since Mark Simoneau in 1998. Lee's three interceptions in 2015 were the most by a Kansas State linebacker since 2002.
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