Big 12 Championship Game: Five key players for TCU, Oklahoma
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
With the Power Five title games approaching, we’re taking a look at five key players from each team. Today we finish with the Big 12.
OKLAHOMA
The skinny: Mayfield actually walked on at Texas Tech despite earning offers from Washington State, Rice and Florida Atlantic. Surprisingly, he immediately became the starter for the Red Raiders as a walk-on and earned Big 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors. However, after the season he decided to transfer to Oklahoma. After sitting out the 2014 season, Mayfield was a Heisman finalist in both 2015 and 2016, and is now the favorite to win the prestigious award in 2017 after passing for 4,097 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Farrell’s Take: With a gunslinger’s mentality, Mayfield had a great high school career, but many felt he was a system kid and he didn’t get a ton of offers. That looks crazy now. He’s a lock for the Heisman this season and I’m happy with his three-star ranking since we saw something none of the local schools did at least (he was a walk-on after all). He has clearly outplayed his ranking and his leadership skills are off the charts as long as he can add some maturity.
The skinny: Anderson originally committed to Texas A&M during the summer prior to his junior season, but after re-opening his process Oklahoma immediately became a serious player. A three-day visit during an Oklahoma summer camp sealed the deal for Anderson and resulted in his early June commitment. Anderson received minimal playing time as a true freshman and then missed the 2016 season after sustaining a neck injury during summer camp. This season he split carries with both Trey Sermon and Abdul Adams, but earned the bulk of the work as the season progressed. Currently with 867 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, plus 283 yards and five touchdowns through the air, Anderson has become a very dangerous weapon for the Sooners.
Farrell’s Take: Anderson was a four-star prospect and well thought of coming out of high school. He had a very good senior season and was a leader on a winning team, although we questioned his quickness and burst, which led to a drop late in the rankings. We liked the way he could catch the ball and he had good vision and was elusive, but that lack of speed kept him out of our Rivals100. After overcoming a few different injuries, he broke out this season despite a crowded backfield.
The skinny: Andrews committed to Oklahoma during the summer before his senior season during a trip to Norman. Several Pac-12 schools, along with Alabama and Ohio State, were involved at the time of his decision. With the Sooners, Andrews' performance on the field has improved from season-to-season. Now one of the top tight ends in the country, he currently has 51 receptions for 848 yards and six touchdowns, as he has become one of Mayfield’s favorite and most reliable targets this season.
Farrell’s Take: Andrews is a massive target and has shown more athleticism than he did last year and better footwork. A tight end with size but wide receiver skills, he was always right up there when it comes to athleticism at the position and he’s taken his game to the next level this year. He slid in the final rankings because he was a bit underwhelming at the U.S. Army Bowl week and didn’t use his size properly, but he has clearly learned to do that as he transitioned from wide receiver to tight end in college. He’s a big target and can get downfield and is a key to this potent offense.
The skinny: Okoronkwo was an early commitment to Oklahoma State, but flipped to the Sooners in mid-December. He also took an official visit to Missouri during his senior season. After redshirting in 2013 and then totaling only 16 tackles and three sacks in 2014 and 2015, Okoronkwo developed into one of the most important players on the Sooners' defense over the last two seasons. This fall he has totaled 64 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and three forced fumbles, as his play has stabilized the Oklahoma defense.
Farrell’s Take: Okoronkwo didn't have great size, but he could get around the edge, was sneaky strong and powerful. He ran track, was a weight room warrior and, as a flip from Oklahoma State, he was an important get in the 2013 class. He has played above his ranking this season and has the athleticism to convert from end to linebacker in the NFL. His non-stop motor and energy make him a leader on the defense.
The skinny: Brown was an early commit to Tennessee and stayed that way until a flip to Oklahoma on National Signing Day when the Vols couldn’t fit him into their class. After redshirting in 2014, Brown has started every game at left tackle since the start of the 2015 season. He only gave up one sack last season and has continued his dominant play this fall, while anchoring the offensive line of the most explosive offenses in the country.
Farrell’s Take: Brown was a massive kid out of high school with great bloodlines (dad was Orlando “Zeus” Brown, who played 11 seasons in the NFL) but lacked the footwork and discipline to be rated higher than a high three-star. If you told me back then that he’d become an All-American offensive lineman and one of the best in the country, I would have told you that you’re crazy. He’s done a great job putting in the work and making himself better, and deserves all the accolades he’s receiving. Simply put, he was overweight and out of shape as a high school prospect, and has changed his approach and body so impressively.
TCU
The skinny: Hill committed to Texas A&M during the spring of his junior year, where he ended up starting eight games in 2014. He eventually lost the starting job and was suspended by the Aggies, which led to his transfer to TCU. In his second season as a starter for the Horned Frogs, Hill has cut down on his interceptions and become more comfortable in the offense. With 2,604 yards and 19 touchdowns through the air and 215 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this season, a great deal will be expected out of Hill on Saturday night.
Farrell’s Take: Hill was the No. 4 dual-threat out of high school and a top 150 prospect. I loved his combination of arm strength and ability to run through tackles. Hill was more of a runner than an accomplished passer in high school but he put good spin on the ball and showed impressive touch in camp situations. His start at Texas A&M was a great one but trademarking his name Kenny Trill was a joke. However, he has rebounded well at TCU and has become a very dangerous quarterback and the leader of the offense.
The skinny: Hicks initially committed to Texas in February, but then flipped to TCU in December. With leading rusher Darius Anderson down with an injury, it will be Hicks who will be called to carry the ground attack for TCU. He has already proven himself after rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2016, and is also a receiving threat out of the backfield, so look for the Frogs to get the ball in his hands.
Farrell’s Take: We had Hicks listed as an athlete at one time because he could do so much with the ball. We eventually switched him to running back because of his ability to pound the ball inside as well as bounce it outside and make opponents miss. Hicks was a huge flip for TCU and he was at the forefront of the movement of some prospects choosing programs such as TCU and Baylor over an offer from Texas. His development in college was delayed due to a knee injury he sustained in high school, but he has broken out now.
The skinny: Banogu committed and signed with Louisiana-Monroe, where he had an impressive redshirt freshman season in 2015. However, soon after the season he decided to transfer to TCU. After sitting out 2016 due to the transfer, Banogu became TCU’s top defensive playmaker on the line in this fall. With 46 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, Banogu quickly developed a reputation for making big plays.
Farrell’s Take: Talk about an unknown out of high school, we barely charted Banogu because he wasn’t considered a D-I prospect, or at least a mid- or high-level one. Since the transfer he has blossomed and took his raw skills to the next level. He’s been in the backfield quite a bit, and his athleticism and versatility reached the potential he flashed at times in high school. Despite solid stats in high school, we missed on him.
The skinny: Howard initially committed to Texas-San Antonio, but flipped to TCU soon after a late January official visit to Fort Work. After picking up 100+ tackles in each of the last two seasons, Howard returned in 2017 as one of the leaders of the Horned Frogs' defense. Currently with 83 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, one sack and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown, Howard will be a name that is heard frequently if TCU hopes to slow down the Oklahoma offense.
Farrell’s Take: Another two-star who wasn’t heavily recruited, Howard was another miss as he had eight picks and eight pass breakups as a senior, and was the District 12-5A Defensive MVP that year. We liked his size but worried about his speed and quickness at the next level. It was one of the reasons he wasn’t pursued heavily. Now he’s the leader of the defense and has had a great career.
The skinny: Issahuku initially committed to Georgia State, but that only lasted a few days after he took an official visit to TCU the following weekend. He was definitely considered a hidden gem at the time of his commitment. Issahuka has been productive since he stepped onto the field in Fort Worth, but enjoyed his best collegiate season to date in 2017 with 59 tackles, six tackles for a loss, two sacks and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown.
Farrell’s Take: And yet another two-star prospect, Issahaku was another prospect not heavily recruited. However, in this case is was because he sat out his junior season due to transfer rules and didn’t have enough film to gain a ton of interest by the time classes had filled up. Kudos to TCU for finding him and he’s rewarded it with a great season.
