Top 20 Big 12 Impact Freshman

Written by atlantasooner | 18 February 2010

Pre-Spring Top 20 Impact Freshman

Going into the Spring the following Redshirt Freshman/Early Enrollee Freshman/True Freshman who could impact the Big 12 this season

Johnny Deaton OSU: 6-3, 190, 4.6. Deaton's path to QB just got easier with the news that Alex Cate is transferring. Deaton who is already on campus gets a jump start in competing for the position. Former baseball player Brandon Weeden is really all that stands in his way. Might be the most influential freshman in the conference if he wins the starting the QB position.

Brennan Clay OU- 6-0, 190, 4.45. With the graduation of Chris Brown, the backup RB at OU is wide open. Clay brings a skill set especially in the passing game only matched by Demarco Murray.
Dexter Pratt OSU - 6-1, 225, 4.5. Keith Toston departure leaves a hole at RB next to Kendall Hunter. Hunter has had a hard time keeping healthy, so the backup RB spot at OSU could end up being the feature back. Pratt also could provide a nice PowerBack combination to Kendall Hunter.

Kenny Stills OU- 6-1, 180, 4.35. Already on campus and eligible after the NCAA held up his early enrollment. OU's WR core was a source of issues all last year, so there's definitely room for an impact freshman. Stills could be the outside deep threat that takes advantage of the medium range coverage attention Ryan Broyles garners.
Darius White-UT 6-2, 200, 4.5. UT's already lost two WRs since the bowl game (Phillip Payne, Dan Buckner), and if you saw the BCS Title game you know that UT's other WRs save for Shipley were completely MIA. White has the best physical skill set of the large UT WR class.
Marcus Lucas- MU 6-4, 190, 4.5. Missouri loses both Danario Alexander and Jerad Perry from last year, so there's plenty of room in the Missouri spread offense for a freshman as talented as Lucas. Lucas in several years could be another Alexander/Maclin.
Keeston Terry- KU 6-3, 200, 4.6. Kansas lost both Briscoe and Meier and badly needs an infusion of talent at WR. In a great year for WRs in Texas/Big 12 region, Terry was just barely below Lucas/White/McCay.

Austin Haywood- OU 6-5, 245, 4.7. Best TE signed by any Big 12 team. If you watched OU at all you know that the drop-off at TE after the loss of Gresham was crippling. Haywood is a real threat to start at TE for the Sooners. In particular, OU badly needed a TE presence in the red zone and Haywood has excellent jump ball skills.

Jake Matthews- ATM 6-5, 280, 5. 1. The best OL prospect signed by a Big 12 team. ATM could use a serious upgrade in talent at OL and Matthews might too good to redshirt.
Thomas Ashcraft-UT 6-5, 300, 5.1. UT needs to find 3 new OL and Ashcraft could make a serious move at OG with David Snow probably moving to Center. (MasonWalters would be listed, but he's having injury issues to date).
Brandon Webb- OSU 6-4, 300. 5.1. A lot of Sooner fans were upset when Webb held to his verbal to the OkAggies. OSU needs to replace 4 starters on the OL, and Webb could enter into the picture at OG easily.

Taylor Bible- UT 6-3, 290, 4.9. One of UT's projected starters at DT had 5 tackles and one sack. There's no established depth or competition to stop an in shape Bible from becoming a big factor at DT. Now, of course Bible could eat his way into a redshirt year, he looked heavy and out of shape at the Under Armour game.
Chase Rome- NU 6-3, 290, 4.8. Rome bailed on OSU and with the losses to NU's DL the 2 deep is looking a little thin. Rome has excellent mobility and could find himself play next to Jared Click this fall.

Jackson Jeffcoat - UT 6-3, 230. The gem of UT's signing class. Now on the surface UT appears to have enough depth at DE that Jeffcoat should be redshirted (Acho, Okafor,Eddie Jones). But UT needs pass rushers and Jeffcoat could easily see time as a situational pass rusher.

Tevin Jackson- UT. UT graduated their leading tackler and MLB in Rod Muckelroy and while Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho look ready to be more of a factor from their OLB spots, UT really needs a physical presence at MLB. The depth and talent are MLB is not great in Austin right now (unsure where UT will end up playing Tariq Allen). Jackson at 6-3, 230 is bigger than most incoming freshman and could easily see playing time at one of the backer spots.
Tom Wort-OU. Wort redshirted last year after hurting his knee in August. If not for that knee injury Wort would have played a lot last year at LB. OU needs to replace Ryan Reynolds and Keenan Clayton. Wort along with Sophomores Ronnell Lewis and Joseph Ibiloye looks like the most likely candidates.

Tony Jefferson-OU. Jefferson like fellow San Diego area player Kenny Stills is already on campus. Jefferson is the best safety signed by the Sooners since Tony Cade and OU has an open spot at SS next to Quinton Carter with Jonathan Nelson moving to CB. Jefferson gets a huge jump on this position by enrolling early. His biggest competition might be redshirt freshman Kevin Brent (who just missed this list).
Ahmad Dixon-BU. Dixon signed with Navarro Junior College as well, so this prediction only matters if he makes grades. Baylor has huge holes in their secondary and Dixon is the most talented signee since Gary Baxter (Former Baltimore Raven) was in Waco.
Corey Cooper- NU. Talented safety stolen from Big Ten country could fit into the Huskers rebuilt defense. The Huskers like OU and UT have a hole at safety.
Daytawion Lowe- OSU. Redshirted last year. OSU lost their entire secondary to graduation, and Lowe is as good a DB as OSU has signed in the last two years. OSU really needs Lowe.