Preview 2021: Previewing and looking ahead to the Big 12 season with the College Football News Preseason All-Big 12 Team & Top 30 players.
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2021 Big 12 Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
Baylor | Kansas | Kansas St | Iowa St | Oklahoma
Oklahoma St | TCU | Texas | Texas Tech | West Va
2021 CFN All-Big 12 Team | 2021 Big 12 Top 30 Players
2021 Preseason CFN Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
QB Spencer Rattler, RFr. Oklahoma
Iowa State RB Breece Hall, a slew of quarterbacks – Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough could end up being one of the top passers in the 2023 NFL Draft – and Texas RB Bijan Robinson could and should be right there in the mix for the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
But the Oklahoma quarterback will be the league’s biggest star if he progresses as expected.
Rattler is technically a redshirt freshman – he only played in three games as a freshman and gets an extra year of eligibility after the COVID season – but he’s been around for a few years and comes off a terrific 68% passing season with over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns and seven picks with six rushing scores. If all goes according to plan, he cranks up a Kyler Murray/Baker Mayfield/Jalen Hurts type of campaign.
2021 Preseason CFN Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
LB Mike Rose, Sr. Iowa State
Iowa State is loaded with experienced, talented players on both sides of the ball, and RB Breece Hall and QB Brock Purdy will get all of the attention, but the 6-4, 245-pound Rose might just be the team’s best player.
He started his career with 75 tackles and a knack for coming up with a slew of big plays, followed it up with 77 tackles and more pressure into the backfield, and then came 2020.
The Cyclone star took his game to a whole other level with 96 tackles with seven interceptions and 10.5 tackles for loss, and now the do-it-all star will get to show off as the main man for another great D.
