After grading and analyzing every player on every play of every game during the 2018 college football season, it’s time we unveil the 2019 Preseason PFF All-Big 12 first team, second team and honorable mention for every position on offense and defense as well as for the first time ever, specialists.
The Preseason All-Big 12 list may differ a bit from any year-end look back at the previous season as we project to the 2019 season ahead of us. Find out which of these athletes made the PFF All-American team as well.
First-Team Offense
QB
Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Second-Team: Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Honorable Mention: Jalen Hurts, Alabama
RB
Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
Brooks is the cream of the crop when it comes to yards per attempt, averaging a ridiculous 8.8 yards per carry a season ago.
Second-Team: Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention: Pooka Williams, Kansas
RB
Trey Sermon, Oklahoma
Making people miss comes easy to Sermon as he forced 57 missed tackles a year ago, ranking third among Power-5 running backs. The two guys above him each had 300 or more carries compared to Sermon's 162.
Second-Team: Keontay Ingram, Texas
Honorable Mention: Leddie Brown, West Virginia
WR
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
No receiver hauled in more contested catches a season ago than Wallace, as his 22 dominated college football. His 37 explosive plays of at least 15 yards also leads active receivers.
Second-Team: Collin Johnson, Texas
Honorable Mention: Devin Duvernay, Texas
WR
Ceedee Lamb, Oklahoma
Despite a heavy target share, Lamb only dropped nine of the 120 catchable passes thrown his way while averaging a ridiculous 12.7 yards per target.
Second-Team: T.J. Vasher, Texas Tech
Honorable Mention: McLane Mannix, Texas Tech
WR
Jalen Reagor, TCU
A true deep threat, Reagor is expected to breakout with more plus-grades from his quarterback this season. He's a threat with the ball in his hands, just needs it more.
Second-Team: Denzel Mims, Baylor
Honorable Mention: Lee Morris, Oklahoma
TE
Grant Calcaterra, Oklahoma
Of his 26 receptions a season ago, 19 of them moved the chains or scored a touchdown as Calcaterra is a conversion machine in the Sooners offense.
Second-Team: Jovani Haskins, West Virginia
Honorable Mention: Charlie Kolar, Iowa State
OT
Lucas Niang, TCU
Niang did not allow a sack all season and holds the Power-5's fourth-highest pass-blocking grade among active tackles.
Second-Team: Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention: Terence Steele, Texas Tech
OG
Parker Braun, Texas
Coming from Georgia Tech, it's no shock that Braun is a staunch run blocker. His run-blocking grade will carry him as he adjusts to the Longhorns gameplan but he's got all the tools to succeed in their offense.
Second-Team: Jack Anderson, Texas Tech
Honorable Mention: Josh Knipfel, Iowa State
C
Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
Owner of the Power-5's second-highest overall grade and third-highest pass-blocking grade, Humphrey is as NFL ready as they come at center.
Second-Team: Matt Jones, West Virginia
Honorable Mention: Zach Shackelford, Texas
OG
Josh Sills, West Virginia
Sills holds top-third marks in both pass protection and run blocking among all Power-5 guards entering the 2019 season.
Second-Team: Marcus Keyes, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention: Collin Olson, Iowa State
OT
Samuel Cosmi, Texas
Playing more snaps than any returning Power-5 tackle, Cosmi was terrific a year ago, both in pass protection and with his run blocking. He'll be a dominant force for years to come in Austin.
Second-Team: Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
Honorable Mention: Anthony McKinney, TCU
First-Team Defense
Edge
Dante Stills, West Virginia
Stills was as staunch a run defender along the edge as they came last year, finishing with the third-highest run-defense grade among active Power-5 edge defenders.
Second-Team: Kenneth Mann, Oklahoma
Honorable Mention: Reggie Walker, Kansas State
Edge
James Lynch, Baylor
With double-digit hit totals to his name, Lynch is ready to take that next step as a pass-rusher while he's a great run defender already, that pass-rush is trending in the right direction.
Second-Team: JaQuan Bailey, Iowa State
Honorable Mention: Mark Jackson Jr., Oklahoma
DI
Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
Gallimore returns with 24 total QB pressures from last season and 46 total for his career as he's improved his pass-rush and overall grades in each of the past three seasons.
Second-Team: Bravvion Roy, Baylor
Honorable Mention: Trey Dishon, Kansas State
DI
Ray Lima, Iowa State
A stout run defender, Lima has now made 29 defensive stops and 27 total pressures while improving all of his grades in each facet the past two seasons.
Second-Team: Broderick Washington Jr., Texas Tech
Honorable Mention: Corey Bethley, TCU
LB
Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
His strength is his tackling as he brought down 81 total tackles and just four missed attempts. Brooks' tackling grade ranks fifth among Power-5 linebackers.
Second-Team: Marcel Spears Jr., Iowa State
Honorable Mention: Justin Hughes, Kansas State
LB
Mike Rose, Iowa State
Rose ended the 2018 season with 22 QB pressures to rank inside the top 10 among Power-5 linebackers returning to action this fall.
Second-Team: Clay Johnston, Baylor
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
CB
Jeff Gladney, TCU
As stout a Big 12 cornerback as anyone will find this season, Gladney was targeted a whopping 71 times a year ago. He allowed just 27 of those to be caught in a breakout year last season.
Second-Team: Raleigh Texada, Baylor
Honorable Mention: Derrek Pitts Jr., West Virginia
CB
Innis Gaines, TCU
The other half of perhaps the nation's best 1-2 CB combination, Gaines didn't allow a touchdown and recorded five total plays on the ball to see a lowly 37.7 passer rating when targeted.
Second-Team: A.J. Green, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention: Tre Brown, Oklahoma
S
Mike Lee, Kansas
Lee made 18 defensive stops and allowed just 43 yards after the catch in his primary coverage, seeing plus grades all over the field.
Second-Team: Vernon Scott, TCU
Honorable Mention: Greg Eisworth, Iowa State
S
Bryce Torneden, Kansas
While his coverage and run defense were both strong, Torneden's pass-rush sets him apart among Power-5 safeties. He recorded nine total pressures, fourth-most among P5 safeties, and did so on just 22 blitz attempts.
Second-Team: Kolby Peel, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention: Kenny Robinson Jr., West Virginia
Flex
Caden Sterns, Texas
Sterns was terrific in coverage as the primary defender. He was targeted 28 times, allowed 15 receptions while intercepting three and breaking up another four.
Second-Team: Anthony Johnson, Iowa State
Honorable Mention: Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State
First-Team Specialists
K
Cameron Dicker, Texas
Dicker the Kicker has already made Texas folklore in his lone season with the Longhorns, nailing home the game-winner against Oklahoma last year and he's a finalist for the Groze for a reason.
P
Corey Dunn, Iowa State
Of his 53 punts last year, 25 of them were downed inside the opponent's 20-yardline as he averaged a healthy 38.2 net yards per punt.