2/6/2015 football Edit

Conference Breakdown: Big 12

Jason Howell

Recruiting Analyst

For the first time since 00, Texas finished with the top-ranked

recruiting class in the Big . Oklahoma signed a star-studded class,

especially on the offensive line, and West Virginia made waves as well. Here is a look at how the 0-member conference stacked up after National Signing Day.

ACC

BIG TEN

PAC-

SEC

OTHER BIG PROGRAMS

BIG

TexasClick 1Here to view this Link.

Malik Jefferson was the only five-star prospect to ink with

a Big 1 program in 01.

Headliners: Linebacker Malik Jefferson is the lone five-star in the Texas class

and, as an early enrollee, he will have a chance to find early playing time.

Sleeper: Texas was able to flip three-star safety James Locke on Signing Day and

the former Oregon Duck commit has shown he has tremendous ball instincts.

Overview: There were some hits and there were some misses, but overall it was a

solid day for the Longhorns. The big fish who got away was five-star running

back Soso Jamabo who chose UCLA instead. However, Charlie Strong and his staff

did add Rivals0 running back Chris Warren and then the Longhorns stole two three-stars away from the Pac-1 with the

additions of James Locke and Ryan Newsome. Jefferson

leads a stout group of linebackers which also includes Rivals0 Anthony Wheeler, four-star Cecil Cherry and three-star Cameron Townsend. The defensive

back unit was also stout with Rivals0 standouts Kris Boyd and Holton Hill

leading the way. The Longhorns hit paydirt in Texas and Florida, and grabbed

some immediate help from the JUCO ranks. Quarterback remains a question, but in

the end it is a solid class and No. 1 in the Big 1.

OklahomaClick 2Here to view this Link.

Headliners: The Sooners went up to Canada and were rewarded with the services of

Rivals0 defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who could make an instant impact

in Norman.

Sleeper: Dalton Wood is a jumbo athlete who spent most of his high school days

playing quarterback. It appears tight end is in his future and defensive line

could also be a possibility.

Overview: The Sooners were able to close with a few late additions. Four-star

safety Prentice McKinney flipped from North Carolina on Signing Day, and

four-star linebacker Arthur McGinnis chose Oklahoma over Arizona and

Texas Tech

on Monday. The Sooners also secured the services of three-star receivers A.D. Miller and Dahu Green in the final days leading up to Signing Day.

Bob Stoops

and staff did miss out on Josh Wariboko, who chose UCLA over Oklahoma in the end,

but overall the Sooners have plenty to like in the 201 class. Four-stars

McKinney, P.J. Mbanasor, Kahlil Haughton and Will Sunderland headline a

strong secondary class, while the offensive line received a boost from

four-stars Jamal Danley, Bobby Evans, Cody Ford and

Dru Samia.

West VirginiaClick 3Here to view this Link.

Headliners: Rivals20 wide receiver Jovon Durante is fast and quick and has size

to match. He was also highly coveted coming out of Florida before choosing the

Mountaineers.

Sleeper: If Florida defensive end Adam Shuler can stay healthy, he is the kind of

athlete we could be talking about developing into a coveted NFL prospect.

Overview: The Mountaineers strung together a respectable class, shored up some

needs, and came in just ahead of TCU in the Rivals.com team rankings at No. 33

in the country. Durante headlines the class alongside fellow Floridian

Tyrek Cole. West Virginia added depth at receiver, defensive back, and along the

defensive front. The quarterback position also added a few quality competitors

who have both enrolled early and they are the only Big 12 team without a signee

from west of the Mississippi River. It was not all fun and high fives on Signing

Day for the Mountaineers, who saw a few guys decide to head in other directions

on decision day. However, it was solid day and they addressed some needs.

TCUClick 4Here to view this Link.

Headliners: TCU went into Louisiana and grabbed big cornerback

DeShawn Raymond. He's long, he's rangy, he likes to hit, and he can

go with the best of them.

Sleeper: Kavontae Turpin is small but he is quick and

he can make the best, most disciplined defender miss in tight spaces.

Overview: The Horned Frogs finish in the top half of the conference, but Signing

Day was a day of could-have-beens. Four-star wide receiver J.F. Thomas decommitted from TCU in favor of

Texas Tech and then Rivals0 Daylon Mack chose

to re-commit to Texas A&M over the Horned Frogs. Holding out for Mack may have

also prevented TCU from grabbing three-star Bryce English, who opted for

Kansas State. Still there was plenty to celebrate for Gary Patterson and his staff.

Sam Awolope was a big win on the offensive line and Cordel Iwuagwu and

Dave Bolisomi could also make their presence felt early. Raymond was the

biggest grab in the class and Niko Small has been a standout at one of the

Dallas area's top high school programs. TCU may have missed on a few, but it's

the kind of class Patterson has turned into gold for years.

Oklahoma StateClick 5Here to view this Link.

Headliners: Darrion Daniels gives the Cowboys an athletic, big-bodied prospect

for the middle of their defense. He also has a bit of a mean streak.

Sleeper: Oklahoma State grabbed Jeff Carr late in the process. The Temple (Texas) standout runs hard and has breakaway

speed.

Overview: There was not a lot of drama for the Cowboys leading up to Signing

Day. Mike Gundy did add Rivals250 defensive tackle Darrion Daniels in the final

week leading up to Signing Day, but Wednesday was not a crazy day for the

Cowboys. Oklahoma State did go looking for some defensive linemen and came away

with a solid group. Louis Brown also gives the Cowboys a defensive end with a

big frame and potential. Quarterback John Kolar is remarkably the only prospect in

the class from

Oklahoma and has the tools to come in and compete. Oklahoma State found plenty

of success in Texas and Louisiana, and also added depth from the junior college

ranks.

Texas TechClick 6Here to view this Link.

Headliners: Rivals250 defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko plays with passion and

has a non-stop motor. He brings a lot of energy and

will be someone that teammates hold in high regard.

Sleeper: Lonzell Gilmore may be a bit of a tweener, but he is also young,

athletic, and has a frame Tech's strength and conditioning staff is going to

love.

Overview: The Red Raiders finished with a flurry, but there were definitely some

missed opportunities. Losing Rivals0 quarterback Jarrett Stidham to Baylor

right before he was to enroll stung. Rivals250 wide receiver Carlos Strickland re-opened his

recruitment shortly after the Stidham news, and the Red Raiders came close but

could not seal the deal with five-star wide receiver Tyron Johnson and four-star

linebacker Arthur McGinnis. There was some good news. The Red Raiders reeled in four-star wide

receiver J.F. Thomas on Signing Day, flipping him from TCU, and also added

former Texas commitment Jamile Johnson. Tech was also able to hold onto Fehoko.

Joining Fehoko in the Rivals250 is offensive lineman Conner Dyer who committed

in July and never looked back. Three-star offensive lineman Madison Akamnonu brings a

lot of potential to the table and running back Corey Dauphine also has the

ability to provide some excitement.

BaylorClick 7Here to view this Link.

Headliners: Rivals0 quarterback

Jarrett Stidham

gives Baylor another stud quarterback to work with in Waco.

Sleeper: Riley Daniel has a big frame, he is flexible, and he has a nasty

streak in the trenches. All of those are very good attributes for an offensive

lineman.

Overview: Most of the fireworks in the class came before Signing Day. The Bears

had their eyes on a few guys but in the end there were no surprises either

positive or negative. The biggest news of the class came in December when

Stidham flipped from Texas Tech to Baylor and

Rivals250 quarterback Chad President flipped from Baylor to Tulsa. The Bears

added some linebacker depth in January with two-stars Lenoy Jones, Eric Ogor

and Jordan Williams committing in the span of about two days. The Bears added big-play threats in JaMycal Hasty, Blake Lynch and

Devontre Stricklin,

and J.W. Ketchum is the kind of guy who can contribute on either

offense or defense. The Bears added some solid pieces to the puzzle, but

Art Briles and

his staff also grabbed a few guys who were a little bit off the radar.

Kansas StateClick 8Here to view this Link.

Headliners: Rivals250 cornerback Duke Shelley gives the Wildcats an explosive

guy with playmaking ability on defense and special teams.

Sleeper: Linebacker Chase Johnston has a big frame, a large wingspan and is the

kind of player Bill Snyder has regularly

turned into a big-time playmaker during his career in Manhattan.

Overview: The biggest surprise is the Wildcats did not load up on

junior college

prospects. Snyder has made a killing off of sleepers and JUCOs over the

years, and the 2015 class does not have much JUCO punch. It is no surprise to

see the Wildcats down the list in the recruiting ranks. As a matter of fact, it

would be news if they were higher. Kansas State did not have much Signing Day

drama either, but they were able to grab three-star defensive tackle Bryce English. The Wildcats added an intriguing athletic quarterback in Alex Delton

and loaded up on the offensive line. The class may not grab headlines, but you

can bet there will be a few guys who come from off the radar to make a name for

themselves.