Three-Point Stance: Big 12; Sweet 16; hoops players in football pads

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with a Big 12 recruiting look, ranking the Sweet 16 teams by their football programs and some hoops players who would make excellent football players.

MORE ASK FARRELL: Pac-12 recruiting update | ACC check-in

It’s the start of spring (sort of) so it’s time to break down the 2020 recruiting so far in each conference. We finish with the Big 12.

Biggest commitment: RB Jase McClellan, Oklahoma – In a year loaded with top running backs, McClellan is right up near the top when it comes to agility, feet and field vision. He can also catch the ball, so he’s a great fit for Oklahoma’s offense for check downs.

Best Out-of-State Grab: ATH Drew Sanders, Oklahoma – Sanders is a can’t-miss because he could end up as a tight end, defensive end, linebacker or hybrid and he can do it all. It was huge to go into Texas and pull him away.

In-State Keep: QB Hudson Card, Texas – Card doesn’t have a ton of quarterback experience, but trust me he can sling the rock and he has excellent accuracy. He’s just starting to reach his peak and could end up as one of the top quarterbacks in the country in a few years.

Positional Fit: QB Aidan Bouman, Iowa State – Bouman has good size, a strong arm and he handles himself well in the pocket, learning under his father Todd Bouman, a former NFL quarterback, among others. The Cyclones do a good job of identifying quarterbacks who can fit in their system and go after them early, and Bouman was one of their early targets.

Top Class: Oklahoma – It’s either Oklahoma or Texas and it will be that way for the foreseeable future, but I’ll give Oklahoma the early edge here as its class is a bit more balanced. Texas also has a very strong class, but three of them are offensive linemen, while OU has hit more positions.

Underrated Class: Iowa State – In addition to Bouman, Iowa State has added talent at defensive back, offensive line and linebacker and all are rated as three stars. This is a result of an improved product on the field over the last couple of seasons.

Long-Haul Commit: QB Garrett Greene, West Virginia – Florida isn’t that far from West Virginia, but there aren’t many long-haul commits in the Big 12 and Greene is a good one. He isn’t the biggest quarterback around but he has all the intangibles to be a very good one.

Sleeper To Watch: OL Eli Russ, Oklahoma State – Russ is an early commitment for the Cowboys and doesn’t get a ton of attention, but he has good size, a frame to build on and a lot of upside. He could be a three-year starter for Oklahoma State if he develops properly.

Must Keep: RB Zachary Evans – Texas has the best shot of keeping Evans, a special running back, in the Big 12 and many think the Longhorns are the team to beat. This type of talent can’t get out of the conference and Texas can’t allow him to get out of the state.

Under Pressure: Oklahoma State – Mike Gundy isn’t under any pressure when it comes to losing his job, but with Oklahoma having so much success, the Cowboys need to step it up in recruiting and win some key battles. Being third in the Big 12 wouldn’t be so bad each and every year in recruiting.

Getting Into the Groove: Texas – The recruiting at Texas continues to improve under Tom Herman and the Longhorns seem to be doing better in the state already in 2020. With Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU and many others hitting Texas strong, the Longhorns are in a nice groove in the talent-rich state.

The NCAA tournament is down to 16 teams. Here's how those schools rank on the football field.

Michigan –This was a tough call at the top, but with Shea Patterson back and a new, up-tempo offense, the Wolverines will be more dangerous on offense this year and we all know the defense will be solid.

LSU – The talent is there at LSU to make a run at Nick Saban if the Tigers can solve their offensive problems. Maybe the hoops team's run can inspire them.

Auburn – Up-and-down Gus Malzahn is still in charge, and the team has some questions to answer, but I think they’ll be in the mix in the SEC next season.

Oregon – Mario Cristobal is recruiting very well, he has a great quarterback returning in Justin Herbert and the Pac-12 is wide open.

Kentucky – Mark Stoops has the program rolling in the right direction and if he keeps it going, it won’t be known just as a basketball school for long. Sorry, it had to be said.

Florida State – There are many questions surrounding Willie Taggart and his ability to lead the Seminoles, but they have a much-improved year and get back to seven or eight wins next season in a weak ACC. Of course, I could be the only one who thinks that.

Michigan State – Often overlooked in the Big Ten East, Michigan State is a solid program that will be a tough out for anyone if they can get an offense rolling.

Purdue – Rondale Moore and Purdue could be ready to take that next step in the Big Ten if the Boilermakers can continue to add talent around him.

Tennessee – Will the Vols make a bowl game next season? I think they will, although I also think they are a couple of years from making any serious run in the SEC.

Virginia Tech – The Hokies struggled last season and lost a lot of players to the transfer portal, but Justin Fuente is a good coach and should have them back in a couple years.

Virginia – The Cavaliers are much improved from a year ago and could continue to progress next season, although I don’t think they will sneak up on anyone this time.

Duke – Duke football has been very solid under David Cutcliffe and that should continue, but I don’t see anything happening for them anytime soon to outshine the basketball team.

Texas Tech – A new coach and a new direction are in place, but it will take a little bit for things to turn around.

Houston – Houston isn’t a Power Five program, but it has had some recent success and the AAC isn’t murderer’s row when it comes to the schedule. That being said, it needs many improvements.

North Carolina – UNC football being this low on the list is an embarrassment, but it’s also reality as the program has hit some serious lows. Can Mack Brown bring them back? Time will tell.

Gonzaga – Does Gonzaga have a football team? I don’t know and don’t care.

We’ve all wondered it: How would LeBron James have been if he decided to be a tight end or wide receiver in college and the NFL instead of a basketball legend? Here are five players in the Sweet 16 who would be awesome football players, and the position at which they would dominate.

Zion Williamson, Duke – Think of Williamson, and his hops, at tight end at some college football power and how well he’d translate to the NFL. No, he wouldn’t be as special and dominant as he is as a basketball player, but he’d still dominate.

Nassir Little, UNC – Little is a great athlete and would be a terror as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker at the college level and beyond. Imagine him chasing down passers or stretching out the run.

Admiral Schofield, Tennessee – Schofield is a powerful kid and would make a great defensive end at the college level and beyond with his willingness to create contact and work off big bodies.

Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech – Culver is a superb athlete with hops and a great frame to be a tall wide receiver at the college and NFL level. Imagine the matchup problems he’d create.

Xavier Simpson, Michigan – Can you picture Simpson as anything less than a running back at the college and NFL level? He’s tough as nails, bounces off defenders with ease and is as intense as they come.