Big 12 Conference Review: Week One

Rob Willette Posted On September 8, 2016

Here at Dynasty Scouts, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed about the latest happenings in college football. We watch all of the games so you don’t have to. Here’s some of what we noticed this past weekend.

The big storyline from week one in the Big 12 was Texas’ upset of Notre Dame. We’ve long waited for the Longhorns to return to national prominence, and while there is still work to do, Sunday’s win was a big step in the right direction. From a devy standpoint, we saw several potential offensive stars emerge following years of offensive struggles from the burnt orange. As usual, the Big 12 as a whole is loaded with offensive weaponry, and we evaluate some of the best and worst from week one below.

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Premier Conference Performers

QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech Red Raiders

30/43 for 483 yards and four touchdowns; 10 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns

It was Stephen F. Austin, who nobody is confusing for a juggernaut. However, Patrick Mahomes picked up right where he left off in 2015 as an elite dual-threat weapon who is being overlooked as a legitimate NFL prospect. More than just a system quarterback, Mahomes utilizes his movement skills to work deftly inside and outside of the pocket, with his feet serving as an impetus to find better passing lanes rather than just as a means to pick up yardage on the ground. He will not have a ton of opportunities to prove his wares against elite defenses this year, but his maturation in his mechanics will be pivotal as 2017 quarterbacks look to position themselves behind Deshaun Watson and possibly DeShone Kizer.

RB Joe Mixon, Oklahoma Sooners

Six carries for 40 yards, one touchdown; 5 receptions for 77 yards

While the overall numbers are not incredibly gaudy, Joe Mixon appeared to be one of the few Sooners not sleepwalking through their opening loss to Houston. A long 60 yard reception early in the game showed his versatility, while his blend of cuts and toughness showed before Oklahoma abandoned the running game. If he can allay concerns over the off-field incident which led to his 2014 season being washed away, he could be selected ahead of much more ballyhooed backs in the 2017 class.

Rising Players

WR John Burt, Texas Longhorns

Six receptions for 111 yards, one touchdown

I was far from enamored with John Burt as a member of the 2015 recruiting class. He appeared to be a limited possession receiver whose best asset was his size. However, he has continued to make plays for the Longhorns despite less than ideal surroundings and his game looks to have taken another leap this year. With a vastly improved quarterback situation and much deeper group of receivers, the breakout game against Notre Dame could be a harbinger of things to come.

WR Taj Williams, TCU Horned Frogs

11 receptions for 158 yards, one touchdown

The departure of Josh Docston left the Horned Frogs with a lot of receiving production to replace. At least early on, it appears junior college transfer Taj Williams is poised to fill the role of alpha receiver. The former Hoosier commit has the same lanky build as Doctson and appears to have built a strong rapport with Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill. While the competition was poor, Williams has at least placed himself firmly on the watch list during the 2016 season.

WR Allen Lazard, Iowa State Cyclones

6 receptions for 129 yards, one touchdown

Never short on natural talent, Allen Lazard has also made incremental strides as a football player and appears poised to put together his best season to-date. While always productive, Lazard had yet to really dominate his team’s targets and production shares. After accounting for over fifty percent of the Cyclones’ passing production in a loss to Northern Iowa, this could be the monster season Lazard is capable of producing. He still has the same question marks; how explosive and athletic is he? But even without supreme jets, he’s dangerous thanks to elite size and ball skills. His steady improvement is extremely encouraging and makes him one of the more underrated receiving prospects in America.

Falling Players

WR Ishmael Zamora, Baylor Bears

DNP – Suspension

With both Corey Coleman and Jay Lee off to the NFL, there appeared to be ample opportunity for Ishmael Zamora to breakout during his redshirt sophomore season. Instead, he was suspended for the first three games following an assault on his dog and now may be in a battle with talented redshirt freshman Blake Lynch for targets. It is far too early to write the book on Zamora for 2016, but this is not the fast start many had hoped for.

QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Sooners

24/33 for 323 yard, two touchdowns

The overall numbers look solid for Baker Mayfield, but much of that can be attributed to game flow which led to the Sooners abandoning the run and going into comeback mode. While still a magician in the pocket, we have seen Mayfield’s limitations become more exposed as he has gained more experience. He’s still a fantastic college quarterback, but I don’t see much to get excited about when it comes to translating his game to the NFL.

Freshman Spotlight

QB Shane Buechele, Texas Longhorns

16/26 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception

For all their struggles recently, perhaps nowhere has Texas failed more than at the quarterback position. Limited passers have stunted their offensive growth and led to a stretch of mediocrity few could have anticipated during the Vince Young years. Enter Shane Buechele, a highly touted true freshman who looked every bit the part against the Fighting Irish. Buechele dialed up some beautiful throws and for at least one night, offered Texas fans hope their long-awaited program changing quarterback has arrived. At the very least, he has moved firmly on to the devy superflex radar.

WR Blake Lynch, Baylor Bears

Two receptions for 31 yards, one touchdown

Simply though the attrition which came along with the Baylor scandal, redshirt freshmen Blake Lynch has surged to the top of the receiver depth chart. A high school quarterback with ideal lead receiver size and incredible feet, Lynch could be this year’s Baylor breakout receiver with only KD Cannon returning as an established weapon.

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