For a conference that’s made a name for itself with quarterback play in recent years, 2014 was a step back somewhat for the Big 12. While there were a few bright spots and emerging talents, many signal-callers struggled when conference play began, and a league that is used to putting up massive offensive numbers was instead turned into much more of a defensive show than we’ve grown accustomed to.
2015 sees the entrance of some new faces, as well as some 2014 starters who are looking to take big steps in re-establishing a quarterback dominated league.
The five players below are primed to lead the way in such an effort.
1. Trevone Boykin – Senior – TCU
After two seasons of mediocre quarterback play that eventually saw him moved to receiver, Boykin excelled behind center in 2014 under new offensive co-coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham, throwing for 3,901 yards and 33 scores while also running for 707 yards and eight touchdowns, emerging as the top Big 12 quarterback by season’s end.
The Horned Frogs’ offense, once considered their weak point, averaged 46.5 points per game last year, up over 20 points from 2013’s average of the 25.1. With four of last season’s offensive line starters returning, and plenty of depth at all the skill positions, Boykin enters 2015 as a serious Heisman contender on a top five team.
2. Mason Rudolph – Sophomore – Oklahoma State
2014 was a rough season for an inexperienced Oklahoma State team that was plagued with injuries and youth. Originally designated to redshirt last season, Cowboys coach Mike Gundy was forced to burn Rudolph’s redshirt with just two regular season games remaining after losing both J.W. Walsh and Daxx Garman to injuries. Rudolph provided an immediate spark for the previously-lifeless Cowboys, putting up a tough fight to eventual Big 12 champion Baylor in his first start before going on to beat Oklahoma to close the regular season, followed by a win over Washington in the Cactus Bowl, where he threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns against one of the nation’s top defensive front lines.
Rudolph ended the year with 853 yards and six touchdowns. Oklahoma State enters 2015 with a much-improved offensive line, and one of the league’s deepest receiver corps — every receiver that caught a pass last season is back. The Cowboys could very well challenge for top conference honors behind Rudolph this season.
3. Seth Russell – Junior – Baylor
With Bryce Petty off to the NFL, Seth Russell now gets his full-time turn in Bears coach Art Briles’ prolific offense, which hasn’t seen a starting quarterback pass for under 3,500 yards since 2010. Although he wasn’t needed much in 2014, Russell threw for 804 yards and eight touchdowns, which included a start against Northwestern State while Petty was nursing an injury.
Baylor returns in 2015 with the Big 12’s best offensive line (that returns all five starters from 2014,) two conference top-five receivers in Corey Coleman and K.D. Cannon, and one of the league’s best running backs in Shock Linwood. It’s safe to say that the 3,500 yards streak is very likely to continue behind Russell, whose arm is every bit as good as those who have preceded him in Waco.
4. Patrick Mahomes – Sophomore – Texas Tech
Mahomes replaced a turnover-prone Davis Webb after a disastrous 82-27 loss to TCU last season, and although Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury still hasn’t officially named Mahomes the starter yet for 2015, all signs are pointing towards just that. As a true freshman last season, Mahomes threw for 1,457 yards and 16 touchdowns, with nine percent of his passes being touchdowns — tops among all Big 12 quarterbacks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgH0EehRGQ
Although Mahomes ran for only 104 yards last season, he still possess running ability that gives him another dimension to his game as well. Mahomes suffers a bit from missing spring practice reps due to his baseball commitments, but many expect him to be behind center by the time August rolls around. Texas Tech is likely to be at least somewhat improved in 2015, and if Mahomes can avoid the turnovers that plauged Davis Webb in his sophomore season, they should find themselves back in a bowl.
5. Baker Mayfield – Junior – Oklahoma
Mayfield sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules after leaving Texas Tech following a 2013 season that saw him pass for 2,315 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games while rushing for 186 yards and three scores. The Sooners’ struggles at quarterback last season were well-documented, and many were left wondering what the season would have been like had Mayfield been behind center.
While he did throw for the most yards out of all the quarterbacks in OU’s recent spring game, his two interceptions were concerning somewhat, especially when considering his turnover struggles during his time in Lubbock. Still, one has to assume that Mayfield should be much improved since his 2013 season after spending a full year in the Sooners’ program, where he will be joined by the Big 12’s top running back and receiver in 2015. The fate of Oklahoma’s 2015 season rest solely in the hands of whoever is behind center, and there is every reason to believe that Mayfield is the guy.
