2018 Devy Preview: Big 12

Travis May

Welcome to the 2018 Devy Preview series! College football is just around the corner, dynasty leagues are gearing up for the NFL season, and it’s time to get excited for football again! If you haven’t ever tried a “Devy” league, that’s okay. The goal of this series is simply to help you find the NFL stars of the future. But! If you are a fellow Devy league fanatic like me, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy jotting down some names of current college football studs to watch for and target in future drafts!

We’ll be diving into all of the “Power Five” conferences and the best players in the “Group of Five” conferences over the next several weeks as the college football season approaches. If you’re unfamiliar with “Devy” formats the concept is simple. Developmental (Devy) leagues allow owners to roster current college football players before they ever declare for the NFL Draft. They’re a ton of fun! I highly recommend the format if you haven’t given it a try. Also, if you want to check out some of the top ranked devy players you can find those here!

The Big 12 conference championship is up for grabs this year as there aren’t any real elite teams this year. However, the good news is there are still plenty of solid future NFL playmakers to get excited about. Let’s dive in and see what future stars we should be excited to watch on Sundays here soon!

Oklahoma

Kyler Murray finally gets to start at quarterback for Oklahoma this year, but it will also likely be his last season playing football. Murray was selected ninth overall in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics. His contract actually stipulates that he joins the Athletics after this season. If he puts together a Heisman season there might be a one percent chance he chooses football.

Rodney Anderson is one of the best players in all of college football, let alone just among running backs. Anderson entered college as a top four star recruit in 2015, but due to redshirts and injuries, it took him until 2017 to truly show his potential. He racked up 1,161 rushing yards, 281 receiving yards, and 18 total touchdowns in 2017. And believe it or not, he could be in for an even greater workload this year thanks to the departure of Abdul Adams (with Syracuse now) and fullback-type Dimitri Flowers. Trey Sermon will function as a solid second running back to spell Anderson this year as well. Sermon performed spectacularly in about a half dozen games as a true freshman. He is one of many 2020 NFL Draft-eligible running backs who dynasty fantasy football owners are already drooling over. He should be the feature back in 2019.

CeeDee Lamb was a little skinny as a true freshman in 2017, but he still managed over 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Lamb has apparently added weight and worked on his route tree significantly this off-season. He should grow into the team’s leading wide receiver on the outside this season and quite possibly be the top wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is incredibly scrawny by NFL standards at 5’11”, 162 pounds. If he has a role at the next level he’ll be John “Smokey” Brown kind of player. He’s a deep threat who stretches the field and will continue to show that off this year.

Grant Calcaterra looks to fill some pretty big shoes vacated by Mark Andrews (now with the Baltimore Ravens). Calcaterra is definitely a little smaller than Mark Andrews, but will be thrust into an incredible opportunity (possibly 1,000 yards to be had). He projects to be a Trey Burton or Evan Engram kind of player in the pros if he succeeds as a fantasy asset.

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West Virginia

Will Grier is my pick to win the Heisman Trophy for the 2018 season. Florida Gators fans saw him perform pretty well as a freshman in 2015. But his 2017 performance for West Virginia proved that Grier was most definitely one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Grier threw his wide receivers open with excellent ball placement against all kinds of coverages in every portion of the field. He shows both sufficient touch and strength to find success in the NFL one day and could potentially sneak into round one of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Kennedy McKoy looks to be the only interesting running back on the roster for NFL purposes. He was never given a true chance to be the lead option last year thanks to West Virginia feeding Justin Crawford instead. However, McKoy should get his chance to prove his NFL worth this season. I’m not ready to say he’s a lock for opportunity at the next level but it seems McKoy has a balanced skill set.

David Sills V led the all Division-I wide receivers in receiving touchdowns in 2017 with the ridiculous total of 18. He likely sees that come down just a bit, but many analysts believe he could possibly be a day one draft selection. Given his mediocre route running and long speed that’s unlikely, but he will most assuredly be drafted.

Gary Jennings Jr. is an intriguing prospect as well as wide receiver. He’ll be a late round draft pick with limited athleticism, but his route running and savvy awareness will intrigue a few NFL general managers. Plus, he could actually lead the nation in receptions in 2018 thanks to West Virginia’s high-flying offense.

Oklahoma State

Justice Hill is one of the strongest running backs in college football (pound per pound). Even though he’s only 5’10”, 195 pounds Hill can squat nearly 600 pounds. And he isn’t just some gym warrior. This shows up in how he plays the position. Hill possesses impressive burst, agility, and balance all stemming from his powerful lower body. He’s already logged two highly productive seasons at Oklahoma State, both on the ground and through the air. Expect him to carry the Oklahoma State offense even more so now that Mason Rudolph, James Washington, and Marcell Ateman are in the NFL. Picture a more athletic, stronger version of Duke Johnson.

JD King should be a sufficient bigger-bodied running back who gives defenses a different look again this year. He’s going to have to prove himself if he wants to earn real NFL Draft consideration like Hill, but it’s still possible.

Dillon Stoner and Tyron Johnson look to lead the Oklahoma State aerial attack at wide receiver. While there are a couple of other options on the team who should find production, Stoner and Johnson project the best as future pros. Stoner may lead the team in both receptions and touchdowns this season. That could earn him a draft slot in 2019. Johnson just needs to harness the magic he displayed in the Oklahoma game last season for a full season. If he does, he’ll hear his name on draft day as well.

TCU

If Shawn Robinson can hit the ground running as an exciting dual-threat quarterback for TCU, they may have the best shot at knocking Oklahoma off their perch atop the conference. In Robinson’s only start in 2017 he looked iffy as a passer, but he did rack up 84 yards on the ground. Expect him to take a huge leap into NFL Draft discussions this season thanks to future NFL talent around him.

Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua are two of those potential NFL talents who could help Robinson out this year at running back. Anderson is a freak athlete that benches 440 pounds, squats 700 pounds, and likely runs a sub-4.5 forty easily. He was already the most productive running back on the team last season. Now that Hicks is gone, Anderson could be in for a 1,000-yard season. Olonilua looks like a linebacker playing running back too. He won’t likely lead the backfield, but he should eventually be drafted thanks to his incredible, size, speed, and receiving ability.

Jalen Reagor put together an impressive true freshman season with 33 receptions, 576 yards, and a team-leading eight touchdowns. That accounted for about 25% of the entire TCU receiving offense. Reagor should see an even larger share of production in 2018. Expect him to be an explosive slot weapon who can slide outside if necessary in the NFL.

Texas

Sam Ehlinger was just recently named the official starting quarterback for a Texas team that looks to reclaim former greatness. Ehlinger wasn’t perfect in 2017, but he put together a few impressive drives in games against USC, Kansas State and Oklahoma last year. If he leads Texas to a Big 12 Championship Game appearance, he’ll be a household name by next spring.

Collin Johnson might be the most physically intimidating force at wide receiver in the nation. At 6’6”, 220 pounds, Johnson towers over most of the helpless Big 12 defensive backs. He struggles with inconsistency and letting the ball come to him at times instead of using his entire frame. However, when he puts everything together, no other wide receiver looks as dominant. He could be a day two pick in 2019. Keep an eye on true freshman Brennan Eagles too. He’s likely a top-five true freshman wide receiver in the nation. His prototypical WR1 build and deep ball tracking should get him involved early.

Iowa State

David Montgomery was one of the most elusive backs in the country last season and looks to build on his momentum again in 2018. He has basically zero competition in the Cyclones backfield so expect another solid showing near 1,500 yards from scrimmage. Mongtomery’s contact balance, elusive ability in space, receiving ability, and sufficient athleticism should see him drafted early in the 2019 NFL Draft. There’s some real debate as to whether he’ll be a first round pick, but there’s virtually no way he isn’t taken in the first three rounds.

Hakeem Butler has one of the best opportunities in all of college football this season. Nearly 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns of receiving production is gone from last year’s Iowa State offense. Butler shows exceptional body control and flexibility for a 6’6” wide receiver. If he continues improving on his footwork and separation in his routes, Butler will fly up draft boards this year easily.

Baylor

Denzel Mims was one of the most productive wide receivers in the nation just one year ago and he’s about to do it again. Mims stacks over the top of defensive backs on deep routes, catches the ball well outside his frame, and uses his size well in the short areas of the field. Mims should put up another 1,000 receiving yards in 2018. Even if 2019 is pretty stacked at wide receiver, Mims still looks like a day two talent.

Jalen Hurd is another name to note for Baylor. He looks to have successfully made the transition from running back to wide receiver and the Baylor coaches are excited. He put together two solid seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers in 2014 and 2015. This is his final shot to prove he belongs in the NFL. He’s a freak athlete at 6’4”, 220 pounds with elite straight line speed. It will be fun to see if he really takes off in 2018.

Texas Tech

TJ Vasher is the third 6’6” wide receiver that the Big 12 conference has to offer. And just like Hakeem Butler, Vasher has a prime opportunity to take advantage of with Texas Tech. More than 200 receptions and nearly 3,000 receiving yards left Texas Tech via graduation and the NFL Draft last season and it’s Vasher’s time to shine. Vasher is most certainly a little lean, but his game if reminiscent of a young A.J. Green. He can stretch field, win at the point of attack, and even juke defenders in the open field. It’s truly spectacular to watch.

Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks haven’t been known for providing the world with many NFL studs, but if anyone’s going to be the exception, it’s wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. He’s a little light at 176 pounds, but his ability to create after the catch and create natural separation is impressive. It’s especially impressive given teams know he’s going to be the one targeted more often than not. If he improves upon his 2017 campaign, Sims could actually be drafted.

Kansas State

Kansas State has a lot of good college players, but not many who project well for the NFL. Alex Barnes looks like a feature running back at first glance, but he lacks elite athleticism. He’ll lead a good Kansas State football team in rushing yards yet again in 2018. If Barnes improves on his flexibility and burst, he’ll be drafted in the late rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

As always, find me on Twitter @FF_TravisM. Look for videos from me using the hashtag #TouchdownTime. And yes, I love to chat about these players. I want to learn from you! Thanks for reading, and keeping living that Dynasty Life!

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