Around the Big 12: 2nd Year Players who will Breakthrough in 2020

Every year new recruits arrive on campuses around the country with high hopes and dreams of stardom. Fans are ready for them to take college football by storm and the recruits are ready to be the next superstar. Truth is not many true freshmen become impact players in their first season, and need time in the weight room and experience to have an impact. The next year new recruits arrive and last years class is no longer on fans minds. This feature will focus on recruits from the 2019 recruiting class who will breakthrough and make their mark in 2020. Note: All recruiting rankings are referencing the 247 Sports composite.

Baylor

Gabe Hall was a three star recruit in Baylor’s 2019 recruiting class. He played in eight games as a true freshman recording 3 tackles and 0.5 TFL. Hall is a long, athletic defensive lineman at 6’5″ 305 lbs. He has the frame to add weight and needs to continue to get stronger. Hall has a tendency to play too high but that can be corrected with coaching. Hall is a good athlete with good quickness for a defensive tackle. He plays with hustle and pursues plays from behind regularly. As he refines his technique and adds strength Hall can be an impact player for the Bears.

Baylor loses star nose tackle Bravvion Roy from the 2019 team and he leaves some big shoes to fill. Also gone are defensive ends James Lynch and James Lockhart. New Coach Dave Aranda will have to replace the entire defensive line in his first season at Baylor. While there are a lot of questions to be answered, questions are also opportunities for young players looking to make their mark. Opportunity is knocking for Gabe Hall and with a good camp he will be able to impress his new coach and earn a starting spot on the defensive line. Hall has the tools to become a good defensive lineman in the Big 12, and we believe that will show this season.

Iowa State

It would be easy to list Breece Hall in this spot but we already have him ranked among our top 25 RBs in the country. We decided to go with Isheem Young, who was a three star prospect in the Cyclones 2019 class. Young redshirted in 2019 and did not play at all for Iowa State. He is a 5’10” 200 lb safety from Philadelphia, PA who has good strength. Young is a big hitter who is a bit of a throwback at the safety position, looking to hit people and hit them hard. He has decent speed and covers some ground as a deep safety. Man to man coverage is not a strength for Young so he projects as more of a strong safety. However, Young has the attitude and tools to be an eraser on the back end of the defense as soon as this season.

Iowa State plays three safeties with the star position, a free safety and a strong safety. They return starters at the star and free safety position but have an opening at strong safety. Matt Campbell’s teams play with a certain attitude and edge to them, which Young fits perfectly. He is an aggressive hitter who will not shy away from contact. Young has been in the program for a full year now and should be able to step into the open safety spot this coming season. Young will make some plays in the passing game and will be a big asset in run support. We look for him to make an impact in 2020.

Kansas

Stephen Parker was a four star prospect and the highest rated player in the Jayhawks 2019 recruiting class. The 6’4″ 225 lb Parker saw limited playing time last season but has a bright future ahead of him. He has all the tools to be an excellent pass rusher. Parker has a good frame with room to add more weight with his excellent length and long arms. He actually uses those arms well for a young player, but will need to hone his technique some. He has great athleticism showing an explosive first step at the snap and good agility and closing speed to finish plays off. Parker plays with good effort and pursues the play well. He will need to add size and strength to hold up in the run game, but Parker has the skill set to be a star for the Jayhawks.

Azur Kamara started at the Jack position (LB/DE hybrid) for Kansas last season but he as exhausted his eligibility. Parker was listed as his backup on the depth chart and the smart money is on him to win the job in 2020. Parker is a talented player with a lot to offer a Kansas program in need of a talent boost. Head Coach Les Miles has been trying to find players that can make Kansas competitive in the Big 12 and Parker is clearly one of those players. With his athleticism and motor combined with some added strength and technique look for Parker to have a big year this coming season.

Kansas State

Cooper Beebe was three star recruit and was not one of the top rated players in the Kansas State 2019 class. Ratings are only part of the puzzle and it was evident to anyone listening to the Kansas State coaching staff last year that they thought highly of Beebe. He was thought of as possible defensive tackle but the 6’3″ 342 lb Beebe was moved to offensive line when he arrived in Manhattan. Beebe is a strong and stout player who moves well for a guy who is 342 lbs. He maximizes his strength by playing low and leveraging his opponents out of the play. Beebe may not have been a highly rated recruit but he is on his way to being a quality college football player.

The Wildcats lost their entire 2019 offensive line once the season ended. In 2020 they will have a new starter at every position. The situation is certainly not ideal for the coaching staff, but for a young player it’s a perfect time to make a name for yourself and win a job. Beebe is a hard worker who is not the type to let an opportunity like this pass him by. He has the strength and drive to play on the offensive line for the Wildcats. He may lack ideal length but he makes up for that with the other parts of his game. We are confident Beebe can secure one of the open spots and become a mainstay on the Wildcats offensive line this year.

Oklahoma

Spencer Rattler was a five star recruit and is the obvious pick here for the Sooners, although there were a few options available like WR Theo Wease. Although he redshirted in 2019 he did manage to play in three games completing 7 of his 11 pass attempts for 81 yards and 1 TD while also running for 23 yards on 3 carries. The opportunity to play more was not there but the talent clearly was. Rattler is not a big quarterback standing at 6’0″ 191 lbs but he has all the skills you would look for at the position. Rattler has accuracy, a quick release and some moxie. He is a good athlete who can scramble and make off balance throws. His balance and body control allow him to make plays under fire. Rattler is a young QB who can take unnecessary risks and hits in an effort to make a play, but Lincoln Riley should be able to coach that down some. Rattler has the ability to be Oklahoma’s next great QB, and the best part for Sooner fans is that he will be back in 2021 as well.

Jalen Hurts has moved on to the NFL and there is no transfer QB coming in for Lincoln Riley’s team this year. Rattler will battle Tanner Mordecai for the starting spot but we don’t think it will take long for Rattler to win the job. Mordecai is a solid player but Rattler is on a different level. The Oklahoma offense has been a machine the last few seasons and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue in 2020. Even with Jadon Haselwood out with an injury there is plenty of talent at the skill positions for Oklahoma. Rattler will be able to spread the ball around to his weapons with his accurate passing ability and put up points in bunches. Look for Rattler to have a big year for the Sooners this coming season.

Oklahoma State

Trace Ford was a three star recruit and the fifth ranked player in the state of Oklahoma in the class of 2019. Ford earned his way into the two deep and played well in his true freshman season. The 6’3″ 227 lb defensive end tallied 29 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 5 PBU, 1 FF and 1 INT last season earning more time as the year went on. Ford is a wonderful athlete who played all over the field in high school. He has a wide array of skills that help make him a unique player. Ford has excellent feet and quickness which he uses to create disruption in the backfield. Though he is not the biggest defensive lineman, Ford is very strong for his size and attacks blockers with his strength and quickness. He was a disruptive force last season and should develop into an impact player for the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State returns most of their key players on the defensive line from last season. The Cowboys employ a rotation on the defensive line and take advantage of their strong depth up front. Ford played a larger role in that rotation as the season went on in 2019, and we expect his role to increase in 2020. With a season of experience to add polish to his technique, Ford will be a menace on the defensive line. He will continue to be a disruptive player on the edge which will make it harder and harder to take him off the field. Ford should get more playing time next season and become a star on the defensive line for Oklahoma State

TCU

Max Duggan was four star recruit in the Horned Frog’s 2019 recruiting class. Duggan won the starting job last fall and got valuable experience in 2019. There were definitely struggles as would be expected from a true freshman but there were also flashes of his potential. For the season, Duggan completed 53% of his passes for 2,077 yards 15 TD and 10 INT, while also gaining 555 yards and 6 TD on 130 carries in the running game. Duggan is a phenomenal athlete who recorded impressive testing numbers as a recruit. He uses that athleticism to avoid pass rushers and pick up chunks of yardage in the running game. He has a strong arm and decent accuracy. Duggan needs to clean up his mechanics and work on the fundamentals of the position to get the most out of his tremendous talent. He had a year to grow and learn and will be called on to lead TCU now.

Duggan will no longer be a freshman taking his lumps in 2020. He has a year of experience and a full off season to hone his craft and master the offense. The expectation now is that Duggan will take charge of the offense this season and become a leader on the field. Duggan has the physical tools to make the most of this opportunity. The mistakes should decrease and the big plays should become more common. Quarterback is the most impactful position on the field, making it imperative for TCU’s success that Duggan take a leap forward in his sophomore season. We believe he will make the necessary progress this coming season and become the player TCU thinks he can be.

Texas

Jake Smith was a top 50 recruit in the Longhorns 2019 recruiting class. He saw playing time as a true freshman in 2020 and was able to make an impression on the Texas coaching staff. On the season Smith recorded 25 catches for 274 yards and 6 TD as the fourth receiver in Texas’ rotation. The 6’0″ 200 lb Smith has the ability to play in the slot and on the outside at the college level. He has good quickness and is a good route runner who creates space easily. Smith catches the ball well and has the quickness to make people miss after the catch. Smith is better in space right now, and needs to get stronger to take on physical defensive backs and make plays in traffic. Still, the skill set is strong and Smith will become a reliable player for the Longhorns.

Texas loses their top two receivers from the 2019 season in Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson. Smith was fourth on the team in receiving yards in 2019 and will likely be the second option in the passing game behind Brennan Eagles in 2020. Smith has the ability to take advantage of the increased opportunities and become a playmaker for the Texas offense. With a year to add strength to his frame Smith will be in position to make a major impact. The addition of Bijan Robinson to the backfield will take pressure off the passing game and create more space for Smith and the receivers to operate. We look for Smith to have a big year for the Longhorns in 2020.

Texas Tech

Tyrique Matthews was a three star recruit for the Red Raiders in the 2019 class. When the depth chart was released for 2019 Matthews was listed as an “or” for a starting spot. In practice Riko Jeffers saw a majority of the playing time but Matthews was able to collect 10 tackles in 12 games last season. He does not have ideal size at 5’11” 220 lbs but he is a stocky, strong player who plays with good instincts. He reads the play well and reacts quickly making it difficult for blockers to key on him. Matthews has good speed and quickness and pursues well from sideline to sideline. He has the mobility to to be effective against the passing game as well. Matthews is not shaped like a big time prospect, but he makes big plays on the field.

Texas Tech loses a big time player in Jordyn Brooks to the NFL Draft and an experienced player in Evan Rambo to retirement. Jeffers will likely have to replace Brooks leaving the opportunity for Matthews to become a regular for the Red Raiders this fall. There will be competition from incoming transfer linebackers Brandon Randle, Christian LaValle and Jacob Morganstern but Matthews has a leg up with a year in the program. There’s no word on which transfer linebackers will be eligible this fall either, so Matthews needs to prepare as if he is going to play. Given the opportunity, Matthews effort and instincts will result in a lot of plays for the Red Raiders.

West Virginia

Tykee Smith was a three star recruit and the second highest ranked player in the Mountaineers 2019 recruiting class. Smith saw immediate playing time in 2019 and impressed with his play. He is a 5’10” 184 lb safety who made 51 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 4 PBU and 2 INT in 2019. Smith has some athleticism but is not a burner. He is explosive in short areas though, which helps him to close on the ball. He is a strong tackler who plays more physical than you would expect from a player his size. Smith fits well at the Spear position for West Virginia, which is a defensive back who can play close to the line of scrimmage. With more experience and some added strength he should really excel in 2020.

Smith played well in 2019 but we believe he will be a leader on the Mountaineers defense this coming season. Smith arrives the favorite to be the starter at the spear position and there is no reason to think anyone will supplant him there. With some added strength and experience Smith will be able to live up to the high expectations this season. Versatile defenders are critical in the track meet like Big 12 where many games become shootouts between high tempo offenses. Smith fits perfectly and will be able to steady the West Virginia defensive backfield in 2020.

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November 10: OU v Baylor image taken by AllsionMeier is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.