The Big 12 Conference has announced its 2015 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team and individual awards, chosen by media representatives who cover the league.
The preseason team was dominated by upperclassmen with 19 seniors and 10 juniors among the 30 honorees. Eleven players were named to the 2014 All-Big 12 First Team while eight were on the second team.
Individual selections include quarterback Trevone Boykin (TCU) as Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, lineman Shawn Oakman (Baylor) as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and running back Chris Carson (Oklahoma State) as Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
Boykin led TCU to a share of the 2014 Big 12 championship and a win over Mississippi in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year set TCU single-season records for passing yards (3,901), touchdown passes (33), touchdowns responsible for (42) and total offense (4,608). He ranked third in the nation in total offensive yards per game (354.5) and became just the third quarterback since 2009 to average at least 300 yards per game passing (300.1) and 50 rushing (54.4). Boykin was a consensus second-team All-American as well as the recipient of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club Quarterback of the Year Award. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Oakman is a two-time All-Big 12 selection at defensive end and helped lead Baylor to consecutive Big 12 titles. Entering the 2015 season, he has 13 career sacks through 26 games to rank tied for sixth on the school all-time chart (two shy of school record of 15), and 32 career tackles for loss to rank eighth. He set the BU single-season sack record in 2014 with 11 while totaling 51 tackles (38 solo), 19.5 tackles for loss, nine QB hurries, three PBUs, three forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered. Oakman was named third-team All-America by Associated Press, Lindy’s and Phil Steele, and honorable mention by Sports Illustrated.
Carson joins the Cowboys after spending two seasons at Butler Community College (Kan.), where he rushed for 994 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. In addition to hauling in 12 catches for two scores, Carson also led the Grizzlies in all-purpose yards, producing an average of 117.4 per contest.
The media Preseason Big 12 Poll will be released on Thursday, followed by the annual Big 12 Football Media Days to be conducted in Dallas on July 20-21. Both days will be televised live from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CT nationally on FOX Sports 2 and on FOX Sports Regional Networks, including FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Oklahoma, FOX Sports Midwest and FOX Sports Kansas City. Exclusive, live coverage from the event will also be available on the Big 12’s social media platforms, including Twitter and Instagram (@Big12Conference) with #Big12FB serving as the official hashtag of the event.
Offensive Player of the Year: | Trevone Boykin, TCU, QB, Sr. |
Defensive Player of the Year: | Shawn Oakman, Baylor, DE, Sr. |
Newcomer of the Year: | Chris Carson, Oklahoma State, RB, Jr. |
Offense | ||||||
Pos | Name | School | Ht | Wt | Cl/Exp | Hometown |
QB | Trevone Boykin # | TCU | 6-2 | 205 | Sr./3L | Dallas, Texas |
RB | Shock Linwood #^ | Baylor | 5-9 | 195 | Jr./2L | Linden, Texas |
RB | Samaje Perine # | Oklahoma | 5-11 | 237 | So./1L | Pflugerville, Texas |
FB | Glenn Gronkowski # | K-State | 6-3 | 234 | Jr./2L | Amherst, N.Y. |
WR | Corey Coleman * | Baylor | 5-11 | 190 | Jr./2L | Richardson, Texas |
WR | Sterling Shepard # | Oklahoma | 5-10 | 191 | Sr./3L | Oklahoma City, Okla. |
WR | Josh Doctson * | TCU | 6-3 | 195 | Sr./2L | Mansfield, Texas |
TE | Tre’Von Armstead | Baylor | 6-6 | 270 | Jr./2L | Port Arthur, Texas |
OL | Spencer Drango #^ | Baylor | 6-6 | 310 | Sr./3L | Cedar Park, Texas |
OL | Cody Whitehair #^ | K-State | 6-4 | 305 | Sr./3L | Abilene, Kan. |
OL | Joey Hunt * | TCU | 6-3 | 295 | Sr./3L | El Campo, Texas |
OL | Halapoulivaati Vaitai * | TCU | 6-6 | 308 | Sr./3L | Haltom, Texas |
OL | Le’Raven Clark #^ | Texas Tech | 6-6 | 307 | Sr./3L | Rockdale, Texas |
PK | Josh Lambert * | West Virginia | 5-11 | 215 | Jr./2L | Garland, Texas |
KR/PR | Alex Ross | Oklahoma | 6-1 | 220 | Jr./2L | Jenks, Okla. |
Defense | ||||||
Pos | Name | School | Ht | Wt | Cl/Exp | Hometown |
DL | Andrew Billings # | Baylor | 6-2 | 300 | Jr./2L | Waco, Texas |
DL | Shawn Oakman # | Baylor | 6-9 | 280 | Sr./2L | Philadelphia, Pa. |
DL | Emmanuel Ogbah # | Oklahoma State | 6-4 | 275 | Jr./2L | Houston, Texas |
DL | Davion Pierson | TCU | 6-2 | 305 | Sr./3L | Oklahoma City, Okla. |
DL | Pete Robertson * | Texas Tech | 6-3 | 243 | Sr.3L | Longview, Texas |
LB | Eric Striker #^ | Oklahoma | 6-0 | 223 | Sr./3L | Seffner, Fla. |
LB | Ryan Simmons | Oklahoma State | 6-0 | 240 | Sr./3L | Cibolo, Texas |
LB | Nick Kwiatkoski | West Virginia | 6-2 | 235 | Sr./3L | Bethel Park, Pa. |
DB | Orion Stewart | Baylor | 6-2 | 200 | Jr./2L | Waco, Texas |
DB | Dante Barnett * | K-State | 6-1 | 193 | Sr./3L | Tulsa, Okla. |
DB | Zack Sanchez #^ | Oklahoma | 5-11 | 175 | Jr./2L | Fort Worth, Texas |
DB | Kevin Peterson | Oklahoma State | 5-11 | 190 | Sr./3L | Wagoner, Okla. |
DB | Duke Thomas | Texas | 5-10 | 178 | Sr./3L | Killeen, Texas |
DB | Karl Joseph #^ | West Virginia | 5-11 | 197 | Sr./3L | Orlando, Fla. |
P | Taylor Symmank | Texas Tech | 6-3 | 194 | Sr./2L | McKinney, Texas |
A tie in voting at DB created an additional spot.
^ 2014 Preseason Team
# 2014 All-Big 12 First Team selection
* 2014 All-Big 12 Second Team selection
(Press Release Provided by the Big 12 Conference)