Big 12 preview

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Baylor

After four consecutive three-win seasons, there are signs of improvement at Baylor.

The first two years of the Guy Morriss regime have featured the program's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1995, the first three-game winning streak since 1996, and the first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since 1998, plus a 35-34 win over No. 16 Texas A&M last season, which resulted in fans tearing down the goal posts at Floyd Casey Stadium for the second straight year.

Another prime example of the program's improvement came in the spring, when the Bears had quality practice sessions for three straight days.

"It used to be we couldn't get through one day before we'd fall off the planet," Morriss said.

The Bears have also have had nine all-conference performers since Morriss arrived, one shy of the program's total from the previous four seasons combined. In addition, defensive end Khari Long was selected in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, the highest a Baylor player had been selected in nine years.

"I think the kids are comfortable in the system, and that's finally starting to show," Morriss said. "You can tell we are stronger. Overall, we're just in better shape as a program than when we got here. You can physically see it."

Those qualities were never more evident than in last season's win over A&M, Baylor's first over its Big 12 rivals since 1985 when both schools were members of the old Southwest Conference. The Bears proved that they could match-up strength-wise with the Aggies, avenging a 73-10 loss in 2003 by producing 339 yards of total offense and answering score-for-score in 2004. And when it came time to make a key decision late in the game, the players showed confidence that they could get the job done.

After quarterback Shawn Bell tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dominique Zeigler to pull the Bears within 34-33 on the first possession of overtime, Morriss called his players over to the sideline. In the brief huddle, Morriss said, "Guys, we're going to go for it, is that what you want?" Bell said. "Everybody said, 'Yes, sir' ".

Bell then trotted back out onto the field and hit Zeigler again for the game-winning conversion, resulting in Baylor's first win over a Big 12 South opponent since a 23-21 victory over Texas in 1997. It was also the first win over an opponent ranked as high since beating No. 12 Colorado in 1991. Morriss hopes to see more moments like that in 2005, and with 48 returning lettermen -- including 13 starters -- back in the fold, it's possible. However, the former Kentucky head coach is the first to admit the Baylor program is still in the early stages of a strenuous building process.

"We've got to learn how to keep our level of play at an emotional high, because there's still not going to be too many teams that we're going to match up with physically or athletically just yet," Morriss said. "So, you've got to be close to perfect technically and emotionally charged up. That's what I hope they're starting to understand."

If there's a team that's capable of comprehending that, it's Baylor. The Bears produced a conference-leading 88 percent graduation rate (10th among all Division I-A football programs) in the most recent figures released by the NCAA.



QUARTERBACKS


If Morriss coached soccer, he wouldn't be in the predicament he's in heading into the 2005 campaign. Since last October, three Baylor quarterbacks have suffered hand injuries, leaving a once deep position, well, short-handed.

Last year's primary starter, Dane King, suffered a season-ending injury to his right hand against Iowa State on Oct. 23. Despite promises from Morriss that he would enter the spring as the Bears' No. 1 quarterback again, King elected to transfer to NCAA Division II Henderson State.

"Unfortunately, he feels his opportunities are better elsewhere," Morriss said in a school press release issued on Dec. 22. "Dane was a vital part of our team, and he will be missed."

The disappointment is genuine, as King made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Blinn (Texas) Junior College last fall. The junior started the first seven games and threw for 1,370 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while compiling the second-best single-season completion percentage (59.0, 131-of-222) in school history.

Shawn Bell (6-1, 207), a junior who engineered the Bears' monumental 35-34 upset win over No. 16 Texas A&M in relief of King, now finds himself as the starter again.

He's coming off a solid spring, in which he showed no ill effects from the broken left (non-throwing) hand suffered in the first quarter of the next-to-last game of the season, at Oklahoma State.

While Bell doesn't have the greatest arm and won't win many foot races, he is poised and accurate in the pocket and Morriss loves his potential. Against A&M, Bell completed 32-of-50 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Overall, he completed 60.2 percent (68-of-113) of his passes for 544 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. But perhaps most importantly, he went the entire season without throwing an interception.

"He's maturing as a quarterback," Morriss said. "He's very comfortable in the system with coach [Brent] Pease. Shawn is the kind of kid that he's not going to do anything that will hurt you really. He's got some savvy about him you really like."

Sophomore Terrance Parks (6-4, 244) enters the fall as Bell's back-up after having a promising spring cut short because of a cut on his throwing (right) hand with a week of drills remaining. In the team's first scrimmage, he completed 15-of-23 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns (25, 95, and 95 yards).

"He was coming along very nicely," Morriss said of Parks. "He is probably not to the point where Shawn is mentally, but where he makes up for that is with his athleticism and his arm strength. He makes plays that you just can't coach because he is such a great athlete."

Parks displayed that athleticism last fall, when he spent much of the year as a receiver and was tabbed by the coaching staff as the team's most improved player. He caught six passes for 79 yards--ranking second on the squad with 13.2 yards per catch--before being thrust into quarterback action when King and Bell were hurt.

After taking over for Bell against Oklahoma State, Parks completed 18-of-34 passes for 261 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He followed with a respectable showing (14-of-22, 130 yards) in his only start, the season finale against second-ranked Oklahoma.

Senior Mark Murphy (6-4, 195), a fifth-year walk-on who has appeared in one career game, was the only other quarterback on the roster at the end of the spring. That likely means that Morriss will have to throw freshman Brett Szymanski (6-4, 190) into the mix instead of offering him a red-shirt.


RUNNING BACKS


Baylor desperately needs to improve a rushing attack that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 with 98.9 yards per game and dead last in rushing touchdowns (eight) last season.

Morriss believes that incumbent starter Paul Mosley (6-3, 230) and the return of Brandon Whitaker (5-10, 198), who sat out all of last season with a knee injury, will provide a lift with their distinctive styles.

"That's a good punch," Morriss said. "You've got a power guy who hammers it up inside in Paul Mosley and a quick guy who can slash you and cut back, hit the sidelines and go in Brandon Whitaker. They are going to complement each other very well."

Mosley, a junior, rushed for a team-high 536 yards and four touchdowns last season. He had a terrific day against Iowa State, posting career-highs of 20 carries and 100 yards, and his season average of 4.6 yards per carry was the best by a Baylor rushing leader since 1997.

Whitaker looked impressive in the spring, rushing nine times for 111 yards and a score in the first scrimmage and posting 115 yards on nine carries (12.7 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in the Green-Gold game. The sophomore played in eight games as a freshman in 2003, with 33 of his 42 rushing yards coming against Kansas State.

Red-shirt freshman Jacoby Jones (5-11, 206) also turned heads in the spring with a 10-carry, 76-yard performance that included a touchdown in the first scrimmage. The former Class 2A all-state honoree rushed for 7,611 yards (41 career 100-yard games) and 99 touchdowns in his career at Bangs (Texas) High School.

"There's some good competition at [running back]," Morriss said. "Paul [Mosley] is not entrenched yet. He's got to keep looking over his shoulder because as soon as he relaxes, I know coach [Gerald] Carr is on him to pick it up. That's what depth will do for you. I believe we feel good about putting any one of the three in there. That's a good situation to have."

At fullback, former walk-on and special teams standout Damon Dotson (5-9, 207) is penciled in as the starter heading into his junior year after playing in all 11 games last season. Junior Jonathan Sisk (6-1, 207) and sophomore Mike Hawkins (6-0, 212) add depth.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


Dominique Ziegler (6-3, 180), a junior, headlines a group of receivers who should be strengthened by the arrival of freshman David Gettis (6-4, 198), the first Baylor signee to have played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Zeigler was Baylor's lone offensive representative on the All-Big 12 team last fall, earning honorable mention honors in his first season as the starting "X" receiver. A superior athlete who is an All-Big 12 high jumper for coach Clyde Hart's track and field team, Zeigler led the Bears with 55 receptions for 536 yards and five scores on the gridiron last season.

He blew up down the stretch, catching 31 passes for 305 yards over his final four games. That included a breakout performance against Texas A&M, when Zeigler tied the school's single-game record with a career-best 12 receptions for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He scored 14 of Baylor's final 22 points against the Aggies (catching nine passes for 109 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime), including the game-winning conversion reception that followed his 12-yard scoring catch.

Seniors Shaun Rochon (5-9, 194) and Ryan Jeffery (6-4, 203) provide depth behind Zeigler. Rochon appeared in 11 games last year and had eight receptions for 82 yards in his first season at Baylor, while Jeffery is a fifth-year player whose father (Jay) quarterbacked the Bears to the 1980 SWC title.

Trent Shelton (6-2, 206) is a solid hands guy -- he enters his junior season having caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games -- and ended the spring as the starter at the "Z" position after holding off red-shirt freshmen Nate Cook (6-3, 186) and Thomas White (6-3, 190). Shelton caught 38 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns a year ago, including a 10-reception, 76-yard effort against Iowa State and a 55-yard touchdown grab against Oklahoma State.

Senior J Fields (6-3, 208) heads into the fall as the starter at the "H" position after making 11 receptions for 107 yards last season. Red-shirt freshman Trey Payne (5-9, 158) and senior squadman Lee Chandler (6-1, 188) will battle for time as well.

Gettis, though, could be the X factor, as he brings a stirring list of credentials to Waco. Rivals.com rated him as the nation's 26th-best receiver after a senior season that featured 31 receptions for 600 yards and nine touchdowns. He capped off his prep career with a 39-yard touchdown reception in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The speedster (4.35 in the 40-yard dash) will also run track at Baylor.

"David can absolutely fly; he's got great speed and athletic ability," Morriss said. "He's a special kid. For us, we may have to go ahead and make the commitment to playing him [this season]."

Sophomore Mike Miller (6-3, 245), whose brother Ryan plays for LSU, will try to hold off fellow classmate Jordan Adams (6-4, 250), a transfer from New Mexico, at tight end. Miller made three starts last season, catching eight passes for 39 yards and a touchdown while earning first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors. Red-shirt freshman Jason Smith (6-5, 241) also seeks to make an impact after being the MVP of the Bears' offensive scout team last season.



OFFENSIVE LINE


In the Big 12, only Iowa State allowed more sacks (34) than Baylor (32) last fall. But the Bears have an All-Big 12 candidate in senior guard Lequalan McDonald (6-5, 349) and should be better after improving their depth with the return of sophomore Nick Pace (6-3, 270) at right tackle and junior Tulane transfer Will Blaylock (6-2, 308) at center.

McDonald, who started the final nine games at right guard last year but moved back to the left side in the spring, has made 23 consecutive starts, logging 663 snaps last season with a team-high tying 45 knockdowns. He had seven knockdowns against Texas and Oklahoma. Pace started 11 games as a freshman in 2003, while Blaylock appeared in 13 games over his two seasons with the Green Wave.

Both McDonald (academics) and Blaylock (ankle injury) missed most of spring practice, while Pace was shaking off an injury that forced a medical red-shirt last season. Meanwhile, Morriss watched versatile junior Yancy Boatner (6-4, 336) and Travis Farst (6-7, 329) -- a junior who started the last three games last fall--move to the top of the depth chart at right guard and left tackle respectively.

"When those three guys [McDonald, Pace and Blaylock] are in the lineup at full speed, we're a pretty good offensive line," Morriss said. "It's a position where right now we feel like we've got eight or nine people that can play. That's the most depth that we've had since we've been here."

Glen Oskin (6-5, 300) and Evan Stone (6-5, 289), a pair of seniors with starting experience, will see plenty of time in the offensive line rotation. Oskin, who has 17 career starts, started the final nine games at left guard last season after missing the first two games because of injury. Stone started seven of the first nine games at right tackle last year and can also play guard.

Others in the mix are sophomores Chad Smith (6-6, 283) and Chris Evans (6-6, 340), and junior college All-American Matt Lott (6-5, 305). Smith started the first two games last season, the first at tackle and the second at guard, before suffering a severe right ankle sprain that resulted in a medical red-shirt. Evans saw limited action after starting last season's opener at right guard, while Lott arrived in Waco for spring drills after leading his Pearl River (Miss.) squad to the NJCAA championship.



KICKERS


Junior Ryan Havens (5-10, 192) is set to take over for the departed Kenny Webb, who made 11-of-15 (73.3) field goal attempts and 25-of-26 extra points (96.2) last season.

Havens, who made a district career record 20 field goals at Odessa (Texas) Permian High School, has never attempted a place-kick in a college. However, he has displayed a strong leg as the Bears' kickoff man the last two seasons. Of his 47 kickoffs last year, 23 were not returned (48.9) and all but one of those was a touchback. That was a tremendous improvement over his freshman campaign, when only 11.6 percent (5-of-43) of his kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Red-shirt freshman walk-on Andrew Ireland (5-8, 180) adds depth.



DEFENSIVE LINE


Improving a rush defense that allowed opponents 4.6 yards per carry and 205.8 yards per game last season is a major priority. But the Bears will have to do that without defensive end Khari Long, a sixth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs who led all linemen with 58 tackles.

Senior Montez Murphy (6-6, 265) and junior Marcus Foreman (6-2, 239) hope to offset that loss, with Murphy returning to his starting role at end and Foreman moving into Long's old spot.

Murphy is coming off a season in which he was chosen honorable mention All-Big 12 after posting 20 tackles (five for loss), two sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Foreman totaled 35 tackles in a part-time starter's role, including a career-high seven stops in his first career start, against Missouri. Two of the Bears' most tenured linemen, junior M.T. Robinson (6-1, 294) and senior Michael Gary (6-3, 300), will hold down the inside from their tackle positions.

Robinson leads all Baylor linemen with 14 career starts, but managed just two in seven games played last season. He had a solid spring, rising from No. 3 on the depth chart to No. 1 entering the fall. Gary started eight times last fall and has 12 career starting assignments behind him, second to Robinson. Last season, Gary played the last six games with a broken left hand, which limited him to just nine tackles as a junior.

Juniors Corey Ford (6-3, 291), Qunicy Jenkins (6-1, 293) and Klayton Shoals (6-3, 259) have combined for 13 career starts and will again be a part of the tackle rotation. Red-shirt freshman Vincent Rhodes (6-2, 276) also looks for playing time.

Former tackle Julian Hill (6-3, 248), a junior who made four starts last season, moved to defensive end in the spring and will challenge sophomore Geoff Nelson (6-2, 253) for the right to back-up Murphy.

Junior Paul Howard (6-2, 249) will push Foreman for time at the other end position. Howard began his career at Texas Tech in 1999 before joining the U.S. Army, where he served four years and made two trips to Kuwait during operation Iraqi Freedom. He made two tackles in eight games played at Baylor last season.



LINEBACKERS


The Bears will turn to a pair of seniors -- Colin Allred (6-2, 245) andJamaal Harper (6-0, 228) -- in an effort to replace departed starters Justin Crooks and Michael Tolbert, who combined for 140 tackles (23 for loss), four sacks and eight quarterback hurries last season.

Allred, a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection last fall, will take over for Crooks, last season's team defensive MVP and a second-team all-conference selection at weak-side linebacker. Allred saw action in all 11 games in 2004, earning one start (at Texas Tech) and finishing sixth on the team with 42 tackles. He totaled a career-high nine stops in the upset over Texas A&M.

Harper is coming off a terrific spring in which he earned the right to take over for Tolbert, a 10-game starter last season. Harper played in all 11 games last year and made 21 tackles, including a career-high six against No. 2 Oklahoma.

Senior Tyler Lindstrom (6-2, 206) made four starts and recorded 15 tackles at outside safety last season, but moved inside this spring to challenge Harper and red-shirt freshman Ben Hixson (6-2, 220).

Georgia Tech transfer Nick Moore (6-1, 225), a sophomore who lettered for the Yellow Jackets as a true freshman in 2003, is slated to back up Allred, with assistance from red-shirt freshman Bradley Bullitt (5-11, 227). Moore was one of the top linebackers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area as a senior at Arlington (Texas) High School in 2002.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


The secondary took a hit with a possible season-ending injury to sophomore cornerback Braelon Davis (5-11, 170) during spring drills, but otherwise returns intact.

Senior free safety Maurice Lane (5-11, 190) is the unquestioned leader of the group, with 34 consecutive starts and 281 career tackles on his resume. The 2004 first-team All-Big 12 selection (San Antonio Express-News) enters his fifth year in Waco as a viable candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award, an honor annually bestowed upon the nation's top defensive back.

Lane is coming off a junior season in which he led all Big 12 defensive backs with 9.5 tackles per game (104 total tackles), including a conference-leading 7.7 solo tackles per contest (77 total tackles). He ended last year with four straight double-figure tackle performances, led by a 16-tackle effort against Oklahoma State.

Versatile senior Willie Andrews (5-10, 190) and junior Maurice Linguist (5-10, 204) return to their starting outside safety positions, where they are backed up by red-shirt freshman Dwain Crawford (6-0, 186) and sophomore Zac Jones (5-11, 188) respectively.

Andrews, one of the nation's best kick returners, enters the 2005 campaign with 23 consecutive starts at outside safety. Last season, he led the team with three sacks, ranked second with seven quarterback hurries, and finished third with 67 total tackles (10 for loss).

Linguist missed two games last fall with an ankle injury, but recovered in time to start the final five games and seven overall. He finished seventh on the squad with 36 total tackles (seven for loss) and also had one of the team's four interceptions last season.

Junior Anthony Arline (6-2, 193), the tallest member of the Bears' secondary, returns to his starting cornerback position. He started 10 times last season and recorded 26 total tackles, four pass breakups and an interception.

Davis, a great athlete who is considered Baylor's best cornerback, suffered a torn ACL a week before the spring game and his status is doubtful for at least the beginning of the season. A member of Baylor's 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field national champion 4 x 400-meter relay team, he started the final four games (five overall) last season and made 24 tackles and a number of big plays. Against Iowa State, he came up with a 100-yard interception return for a defensive conversion, and also scored after blocking a punt against North Texas.

Juniors James Todd (6-0, 178) and C.J. Wilson (6-1, 198) are the favorites to replace Davis in the lineup, if necessary, although both will receive a challenge from sophomore Tulane transfer Alton Widemon (5-11, 180). Todd started the first four games (ahead of Davis) last season, ending the year with a team-leading five pass breakups (four against North Texas). He also recovered a fumble against Texas A&M and finished the season with 18 total tackles. Wilson made two starts and ended the 2004 season with 22 total tackles, including a career-high tying four against Oklahoma State.

Widemon sat out last season after transferring from Tulane, where he made six starts, 16 tackles, three pass break-ups, an interception and a blocked kick as a true freshman. He also missed most of spring practice with a hamstring injury, but the coaching staff likes his potential.



PUNTERS


Junior Daniel Sepulveda (6-3, 222) has his sights set on becoming the first two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation's top collegiate punter. He earned that honor, along with first-team All-Big 12 and All-America accolades, after ranking second in the conference and third nationally with his 46.0 yards per punt average last season.

Sepulveda landed 26 of his 62 punts (41.9) inside the 20-yard line and had 24 punts cover 50 yards or more, including a career-long 69-yarder against Missouri and a 66-yarder against Texas. In fact, he has had at least one 50-yard punt in 22 of 23 career games.

What makes Sepulveda extra special is the fact that when he joined the Bears as a walk-on in 2002, he had never punted before. At Highland Park High School in Dallas, he was a linebacker who battled injuries throughout his career.

After sitting out his first season in Waco as a red-shirt, he set a school record with 3,750 punt yards (43.1 average) in 2003. In his first collegiate game, he booted four 50-yard punts against UAB.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Andrews is one of the nation's best at fielding kickoffs and punts, earning consensus first-team All-Big 12 honors last season.

The outside safety led the league and ranked 24th nationally in kickoff returns (24.7 avg.), and ranked third in the Big 12 and 43rd in the nation in punt returns (10.8 avg.) last season. Even more impressive was Andrews' No. 6 rank in all-purpose yardage (107.6 avg.) among Big 12 players, and he was the only player ranked without any rushing or receiving yardage.

Entering the 2005 campaign, Andrews has already set the school career record with 2,057 total kick return yards (kickoff and punt return). He needs just 44 kickoff return yards and 11 kickoff returns to become the school's career leader in both of those categories as well.

Sophomore Jonathan Weeks (5-10, 270), a former walk-on who was rewarded with a scholarship in January 2005, will handle the deep snapper chores for the second consecutive season. Sepulveda will again serve as the holder on all place-kicks.

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Oklahoma

Two years ago, Oklahoma went 12-0 in the regular season only to lose its two biggest games of the year, the Big 12 Championship and the BCS National Championship.

Last season, the Sooners went one step farther, smoking Colorado, 42-3, in the Big 12 title game after another perfect regular season (the school's 11th since 1938).

But once again, OU came up short on the game's biggest stage. And this time, it wasn't even close. Southern Cal's 55-19 rout of the Sooners in the FedEx Orange Bowl raised plenty of eyebrows across the nation's heartland.

Entering the 2005 campaign, the Sooner Nation has high hopes that after falling in the National Championship Game for two straight seasons, the third time will be a charm. However, skeptics point out that this is not the same type of Oklahoma team as in recent years past.

Sure, the Sooners will be good, and they will be in the mix to win the Big 12. A returning cast that includes the likes of sophomore running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Adrian Peterson, as well as rising junior linebacker Rufus Alexander, will see to that. But a host of new faces in the starting lineup will have to make significant impacts if Oklahoma is to match, or improve, on its recent success.

That hasn't deterred the Sooner faithful, who showed up 41,000 strong to watch the Red-White Game in the spring finale. Most probably left the game discouraged, as the offense was sloppy and didn't score a touchdown until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

However, coach Bob Stoops took a more realistic approach in addressing the outcome of the spring game. He noted that the offensive playbook was scaled back so that opponents wouldn't be able to break it down when it was broadcast on television.

"Defensively, they're at an advantage," Stoops said. "We get to see our offense every single day. They [the defense] are used to seeing our plays. And we didn't do everything. That's the other part that's hard to judge."

What's not hard to judge is the impact Stoops has had on the Sooners' program. Under his direction, Oklahoma has won 67 games, spent 68 consecutive weeks in the national rankings, played in six bowl games (four BCS games), played in three national championship games, and captured three Big 12 crowns.

Compare that to the program he inherited, one that hadn't had a winning season the previous five years, and it's easy to see why Stoops is one of the best, and highest-paid, coaches in the nation.

He'll have to work extra hard this season, as the Sooners must replace a total of 21 starters (eight on offense, seven on defense and four on special teams). Five of those lost earned All-America honors, while eight others were awarded a spot on various All-Big 12 teams.

Oklahoma led all schools with 10 players selected in the 2005 NFL draft, including a pair of first-round picks in offensive tackle Jammal Brown and wide receiver Mark Clayton. That marked the fourth consecutive year the Sooners had at least one player selected in the first round of the draft, a first for the school.

"We're happy about the number [of draft picks] but not surprised," Stoops said. "Look back over the last few years at the Big 12 championships, all the victories and the BCS bowls. It's obvious we had a lot of good players."


QUARTERBACKS


All eyes were on this position during spring practice, as the trio of Tommy Grady (6-6, 219), Paul Thompson (6-4, 208) and Rhett Bomar (6-4, 208) battled for the right to replace record-setting signal-caller Jason White.

By the time spring drills ended with the Red-White game on April 16, none of the three had emerged as the front-runner. That assures the competition will extend into two-a-days, and there's no doubt that whoever wins the job will have big shoes to fill.

White won the Heisman Trophy as a junior and threw for 3,205 yards, 35 touchdowns and just nine interceptions last season. While he didn't join former Ohio State great Archie Griffin as the only players in NCAA history to win a pair of Heismans, White still finished third in the voting for that prestigious award as a senior. He did win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and was a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press.

Stoops doesn't expect his new starter to vie for such honors this season, though he does expect that player to be a leader in the huddle. That was an aspect that offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chuck Long didn't overlook in the spring, making it clear on more than one occasion that the new starter would have to earn the respect of his teammates on the field.

All three candidates bring solid skills to the mix. Grady was White's backup last season, while Thompson was the No. 2 quarterback in 2003. Bomar has yet to take a college snap but was ranked as the nation's top prep quarterback by many scouring services.

Thompson has a slight edge entering the fall, based on his athleticism and experience behind center. He played in 14 games his first two seasons and was once considered to be the heir-apparent to White, completing 19-of-27 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in 2003.

A junior, Thompson red-shirted last season in order to have two full seasons to compete for the starting job. He still took quite a few snaps at No. 2 in practice, and Stoops insists Thompson would have played had White been injured last year.

Thompson's 9-yard scoring toss in the fourth quarter of the Red-White game accounted for the team's only offensive touchdown, and despite throwing a pair of interceptions, he finished the day 13-of-24 for 131 yards. Overall, in three spring scrimmages he completed 56.6 percent (34-of-60) of his passes for 294 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Bomar, a red-shirt freshman, also gives the Sooners a solid run-throw option with 4.5 speed in the 40 and a strong, accurate arm. He has the ability to make an Adrian Peterson-type impact in his rookie season. In fact, Rivals.com had Bomar rated as the nation's best high school player in 2003 (ahead of Peterson). Over the course of his 27-game career at Grand Prairie (Texas) High School, Bomar threw for 6,097 yards and 58 touchdowns and ran for 1,623 yards and 33 scores. The three-year starter missed the final two games of his prep career with a broken hand, but recovered in time to quarterback the West squad in the U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl. He was also chosen the Outstanding Quarterback at the EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterback Camp.

The son of a coach, Bomar is a competitor who is used to being on the field. That made last season tough, as he was forced to wait patiently for his chance. Now his time has come, and he was mentally prepared for the quarterback competition during spring practice.

"You come to a program like Oklahoma, you don't have anything handed to you," Bomar told the Tulsa World. "You expect competition. After Jason left, we knew it was going to be a battle."

Bomar was disappointed in his showing in the spring game, as he completed just 9-of-19 passes for 72 yards and had a two passes picked off. However, he looked great in the first two scrimmages and consistently moved the team down field, leading the Sooners on four scoring drives of 70 yards or more over the course of the spring. Overall, he completed 54.9 percent (28-of-51) of his passes for 309 yards during three spring scrimmages. He also passed for three touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

On paper, Grady figures to be the odd man out in the quarterback saga for a couple of reasons. For one, the sophomore struggled in the last two scrimmages of the spring, completing just 5-of-15 passes for 33 yards in the Red-White game. In addition, he's not very mobile and that could be an issue as the Sooners try to rebuild an offensive line that was hit hard by the loss of three seniors.

But Grady does have a cannon for an arm, and if he did end the spring in the unofficial No. 3 slot he's not far from being the No. 1. Before his erratic play in the final two scrimmages, he looked promising in the first, completing 9-of-14 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Through three spring scrimmages he completed 50 percent (21-of-42) of his throws for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while tossing three interceptions.

Grady was widely regarded as one of the top five quarterbacks in the nation coming out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., in 2003. After red-shirting as a freshman, he completed an impressive 12-of-14 passes over a span of five games in a back-up role to White last season. His most extensive action came against Houston, when he completed 8-of-9 passes for 50 yards and his only touchdown of the season.

It's obvious that Stoops has a tough decision to make, for many reasons. Grady has said that he might transfer if he doesn't earn the starting position. And the rumor that Thompson will move to wide receiver if he doesn't start at quarterback has been a fan and media favorite for years.

Stoops may have broken spring camp undecided on his starter, but he still heads into the fall confident in all three. He lists Long as a major reason.

"Coach Long does such an incredible job with developing guys and they're all coming along and making good strides," Stoops said. "Everyone around the country knows what he's done. What he did with Josh Heupel, who won many player-of-the-year awards and was a runner-up in the Heisman. You look at Nate Hybl and Jason White. Both won Big 12 Championships and Nate Hybl was MVP of the Rose Bowl. Jason won the Heisman. Chuck's track record is pretty strong and I think most people know that."


RUNNING BACKS


What a difference a year makes. This time last year, the running back situation was one of the team's biggest question marks. But heading into 2005, this unit is the strongest the offense has to offer.

That's because of sophomore Adrian Peterson (6-2, 210), who burst onto the scene with one of the finest true freshman seasons in NCAA history. Aptly nicknamed "A.D." -- as in "All Day" long--Peterson set a school record with 1,925 rushing yards, the most in NCAA history by a freshman. He broke the 1,000-yard mark in just his seventh game, tying the NCAA freshman record for the fastest to reach that milestone. The record was originally set by Emmitt Smith (Florida, 1987) and later equaled by Marshall Faulk (San Diego State, 1991).

For his efforts, Peterson finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, outdistancing teammate and defending winner Jason White. Peterson's second-place finish was the closest a freshman has ever come to winning the award. He also became the first freshman in school history to earn All-America honors, and he was a consensus pick.

Accomplishing all of that as a 19-year-old freshman at Oklahoma, where the likes of Steve Owens, Billy Sims, Greg Pruitt and Marcus DuPree once ran wild, makes Peterson extra special -- even in the eyes of the opposition.

"Peterson is a great football player," said former Texas All-American linebacker Derrick Johnson, a reluctant first-hand witness to Peterson's 32-carry, 225-yard rushing performance in the Sooners' 12-0 victory over the Longhorns last year. "He made a lot of great plays on our defense. He makes tacklers miss every week."

But what is it besides his numbers that makes Peterson so unique? For starters, he's big, strong and durable. Last year, he led the nation with a NCAA freshman-best 339 carries and posted 1,365 (71 percent) of his yards after contact. He also has blazing speed (4.4 in the 40), which explains how he was able to have 44 runs of 10 yards or more, and rush for more than 100 yards 11 times (also a NCAA freshman record). The only exceptions were against Nebraska, when he did not start and played sparingly because of an injury, and USC (25 carries, 82 yards).

Perhaps above all else, Peterson has a nose for the end zone. He scored 15 rushing touchdowns last season. Only Texas senior Cedric Benson (19) and Texas Tech junior Taurean Henderson (16) had more in the Big 12.

Peterson spent the spring on the sideline, rehabbing his left shoulder after off-season surgery. He's expected to return at full strength in the fall.

Kejuan Jones (5-9, 200) also returns for the Sooners after rushing for 513 yards and scoring five touchdowns last season. A senior, he started the first five games of 2004, posting career-highs of 32 carries and 148 yards in the season-opener against Bowling Green.

Even when Peterson wrested the starting job away in week six, Jones proved to be a valuable reserve in short-yardage and third-down situations. He also doubles as a nice receiver coming out of the backfield, catching 22 passes for 196 yards last year.

Senior J.D. Runnels (6-1, 246) is solid at fullback. The two-year starter is a quality blocker and caught 14 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown last season.

Donta Hickson (5-10, 203) and D.J. Wolfe (5-11, 192) are the only other returnees with at least one carry last fall. Hickson, a senior, flashed his talents with a 25-yard touchdown run against Oregon.

Wolfe, one of only four true freshmen to play last year, saw his most extensive action in the backfield against Houston, rushing 13 times for 63 yards. However, he practiced at cornerback in the spring and could make the move there on a full-time basis this fall.

In the absence of Peterson and Wolfe, sophomore Jacob Gutierrez (5-7, 181) tried to take advantage in the spring. In three scrimmages, the reserve from Madison High School in San Antonio rushed 28 times for 68 yards and a score.


WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


Senior Travis Wilson (6-3, 216) leads a depleted receiving corps that lost the likes of Mark Clayton (66 receptions, 876 yards, 8 TDs), Brandon Jones (27-345-3), Mark Bradley (23-491-7) and Will Peoples (20-224-2).

It was Wilson, though, who led the Sooners with 11 touchdown receptions last season, the second-highest total in school history. The All-Big 12 honorable mention selection also finished second on the team with 50 receptions for 660 yards.

It will be interesting to see if Wilson can duplicate those numbers now that the opposition will be double-teaming him. Last season, opponents double-teamed Clayton, and Wilson often reaped the benefits of man-to-man coverage. He posted nine receptions for 135 yards against Nebraska and caught seven passes for 59 yards and two scores in the BCS national championship game against USC.

No other returning receiver had more than six receptions last season. That means someone will have to step up in order to take the pressure off of Wilson, who needs 11 touchdown receptions to tie the school career record of 31 set by Clayton.

Senior Jejuan (pronounced juh-WAN) Rankins (5-11, 180) could be that player, even though he collected a modest six receptions for 48 yards last year. He would like to return to the form he exhibited as a 13-game starter in 2003, when he ranked third on the team with 33 receptions for 406 yards and six touchdowns.

The return of sophomore Tristen Ross (6-1, 190), who sat out all of last season because of academics, gives the Sooners at least one more player who has more than a year in the system. He runs a 4.5 in the 40 and starred for national power Evangel Christian (La.) as a high school senior, but at times this spring he dropped too many balls.

Red-shirt freshmen Quentin Chaney (6-6, 205), Lendy Holmes (6-2, 180), and Fred Strong (6-3, 188), will have plenty of opportunities to showcase themselves this fall.

Chaney proved to be a great athlete at Tulsa's Booker T. Washington High School. He has the best chance to make a major impact, as his size and speed (4.5) gives the Sooners a big deep threat.

Though not as tall, Holmes is a bit faster (4.4) than Chaney and extremely versatile. He competed at eight different positions at South Oak Cliff (Texas) High School.

Strong is a late-bloomer who didn't start until his final two seasons at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) High School. However, he made up for his lack of playing time early by catching 75 passes for 1,655 yards and 18 scores over his final two prep seasons.

The Sooners return all three of their primary tight ends from a year ago in senior starter James "Bubba" Moses (6-3, 242), senior Willie Roberts (6-7, 245), and talented sophomore Joe Jon Finley (6-6, 234).

Moses is coming off a terrific spring in which he caught nine passes for 103 yards over three major scrimmages. He started 11 games as a junior and led all tight ends with 17 receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. His best overall game last season came at Texas A&M, when he had three receptions for 45 yards and a score.

Roberts managed just one catch last season, a 13-yard touchdown against Nebraska, while Finley snared eight passes for 94 yards.


OFFENSIVE LINE


Peterson's transition from high school to big-time NCAA Division I football was made a bit easier considering he was running behind one of the best offensive lines in the nation.

This year, the running lanes may not be quite as wide with the Sooners having to replace three starters up front -- including a pair of All-Americans in Jammal Brown and Vince Carter.

While Peterson will still get plenty of yards, the influx of new starters and several position changes up front could be cause for concern, especially early in the season with a new starting quarterback. That was evident in the spring, when the defensive front seven dominated the offensive line in the Red-White game.

Stoops is confident this unit will mature, especially because it features five seniors, four of them fifth-year players.

One of those seniors is All-America candidate Davin Joseph (6-4, 312), a two-year starter at right guard who has been as good as any Sooner lineman in that span. The second-team All-Big 12 selection initially moved to right tackle in the spring, but realizing that they needed their best lineman protecting the quarterback's blind side, his coaches shifted him to the left side. He practiced there most of the spring, and looked good in his effort to replace second-team All-Big 12 performer Wes Sims.

Replacing Brown (last season's winner of the Outland Trophy) at right tackle will be a difficult task. Sophomore Akim Millington (6-6, 300) saw action in five games off the bench last season. He battled talented freshman Branndon Braxton (6-6, 300), who enrolled at Oklahoma in January, in the spring.

Senior Brett Rayl (6-7, 304), junior Chris Messner (6-7, 278) and newcomers Brandon Keith (6-6, 320) and Duke Robinson (6-5, 325) also figure to challenge for time in the tackle rotation.

The middle of the line features three seniors. Kelvin Chaisson (6-5, 303) and Chris Bush (6-4, 284) shared the starting left guard position last fall. Chaisson has 26 career starts and will likely hold down the left side. Bush is a strong candidate to take over for Carter at center, with the equally versatile Chris Chester (6-4, 278) sliding into the right guard spot. Chester is a former tight end that impressed the coaching staff with his blocking in the Sooners' jumbo package near the goal line.

Ben Barresi (6-2, 282), another freshman who enrolled at Oklahoma in January, showed great potential in the spring. J.D. Quinn (6-2, 286) and Cameron Schacht (6-5, 288), a pair of red-shirt freshmen, will also compete for time at guard.


KICKERS


Sophomore Garrett Hartley (5-9, 175) enters the 2005 campaign firmly entrenched as the starter. He has the confidence of his teammates and Stoops, while former starter Trey DiCarlo is not a factor after deciding to give up football at the end of last season.

It was a frustrated Stoops who benched DiCarlo, a junior who had entered the 2004 season as a Lou Groza Award candidate, in Week 11 last season. The plan had been to red-shirt Hartley, then a freshman who was rated by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 2 kicker coming out of Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School. But DiCarlo struggled all year to regain the form he exhibited in 2003, when he drilled 19-of-22 field goal attempts and converted a NCAA record 74 extra points in 76 attempts.

So when DiCarlo misfired on a 42-yard attempt in the first quarter of the regular-season finale at Baylor, Stoops had seen enough. It was the eighth time in 16 attempts that DiCarlo had missed a field goal, and he was just 2-of-10 from beyond 30 yards.

Hartley took off his red-shirt, proceeded to make all four of his PATs against the Bears, and was successful on all 12 of his extra-point attempts over the final three games. He also converted his only field goal attempt, a 29-yard effort against USC in the Orange Bowl.


DEFENSIVE LINE


The Sooners' front four was one of the best combinations in the country last season. Defensive ends Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson put pressure on opposing quarterbacks throughout, combining for 18 sacks. Meanwhile, tackles Lynn McGruder and Carl Pendleton (6-6, 277) provided a massive wall in the middle to help OU lead the Big 12 in rushing defense (94.6 yards per game).

Cody, Jackson and McGruder are gone, leaving Pendleton as the lone returning starter from last season. A sophomore, he started 11-of-12 games (missing the Kansas game because of injury) and was voted to the Big 12 All-Academic team as a red-shirt freshman.

Former starter Dusty Dvoracek (6-3, 294) also returns at tackle after the NCAA granted a sixth-year hardship. His presence will be huge for the Sooners if he can return from post-spring shoulder surgery and stay in control off the field.

Dvoracek, a consensus Big 12 first-teamer and third-team All-American after collecting seven sacks and 16 tackles for loss as a junior in 2003, was dismissed from the squad two games into the 2004 season after an altercation with a former high school teammate. No criminal charges were filed, but his friend was sent to the hospital with a head injury.

When Stoops made the announcement of Dvoracek's removal, he said, "There is a sufficient pattern of behavior to merit Dusty's removal from the team".

Since then, Dvoracek has reportedly undergone anger management and alcohol-related treatment. As a result, the senior from Lake Dallas, Texas was reinstated by Stoops on Jan. 18.

"A number of outstanding people worked with him for several months and continue to do so now," Stoops said. "I am satisfied, as are they, that he has earned another opportunity with our program. He paid a penalty in missing most of last season and has impressed me with the way he approached and is approaching his self-improvement."

It was Pendleton who replaced Dvoracek in the starting lineup at tackle last season. The duo will likely pair together to form the starting tackles this year, as Pendleton will slide over to McGruder's old position.

Senior Remi Ayodele (6-3, 301) will again be part of the Sooners' four-man rotation inside. He played in 12 games and made two starts last season, but made just 11 total tackles. The coaching staff is looking for him to duplicate his two-sack performance against Houston last season on a more consistent basis.

Sophomore Steven Coleman (6-5, 286) and red-shirt freshman Cory Bennett (6-3, 265) are young and inexperienced, but both are capable of providing quality minutes at tackle. Coleman saw limited action in 11 games last season and produced just one tackle (versus Kansas), but came to OU in 2003 as a highly rated prospect out of Skyline High School in Dallas. Bennett hails from the same area, as he was a standout defensive end at Roosevelt High School in Garland, Texas.

Junior Larry Birdine (6-5, 251) figures to nab one of the end positions after being third in a three-man rotation last season. Overall, Birdine totaled 40 tackles and could be in for a breakout season in 2005. His 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 11 quarterback hurries lead all returning players. At times he put on some dominating performances, such as a six-tackle (three tackles for loss), one-forced fumble effort against Baylor and a three-sack, one-forced fumble showing at Texas A&M.

Senior Calvin Thibodeaux (6-1, 249) will compete against junior Leanar Nixon (6-3, 228), sophomores Alonzo Dotson (6-4, 235) and John Williams (6-5, 242), red-shirt freshman Alan Davis (6-2, 245), and junior college transfer C.J. AhYou (6-4, 262) for time in the end rotation.

Thibodeaux looked as though he would be a prominent member of the group last season. He was a disruptive force against Texas A&M (four tackles) and Colorado (four quarterback hurries) as a sophomore in 2003, but suffered a season-ending knee injury against Kansas State five games into the 2004 schedule.

AhYou is an interesting prospect. He spent his freshman season (2001) at BYU, where he played in three games and logged nine tackles and two sacks. He sat out the following season before transferring to Snow (Utah) Junior College, where he was voted the team's defensive player of the week four times last year. CollegeFootballNews.com rated him the No. 40 JC prospect in the nation, and he proved to be worthy of that ranking with a solid performance in spring drills with the Sooners.


LINEBACKERS


Middle linebacker Lance Mitchell (78 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss) will be difficult to replace, although the Sooners return starters Rufus Alexander (6-1, 225) and Clint Ingram (6-2, 241) on the outside.

Alexander is a star in the making -- his 74 total tackles, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries last season lead all returning players. The second-team All-Big 12 performer had a breakout game against archrival Texas, contributing 10 tackles (eight solos), and enters his junior season as the leader of the unit. He made big plays throughout the spring from his spot on the outside.

Ingram, a senior, isn't far off Alexander's pace, if at all. A speedy, hard hitter, Ingram showed in the spring he is also capable of dropping back in the passing lanes from his outside linebacker position. He led the linebackers with four pass breakups during spring scrimmages and his high intensity level will again benefit the group. Last season, Ingram totaled 11 starts and logged 50 tackles. He harassed Oregon all day, recording nine tackles and a sack in the early-season win over the Ducks.

Junior Zach Latimer (6-3, 231) emerged as the leading candidate to replace Mitchell in the middle after an outstanding spring. The former Parade All-American has excellent range and the 2005 campaign could be his coming out party. He showed flashes in a limited role last season, tying for the team-high with four tackles against Colorado and also making four stops against Houston.

Sophomore Demarrio Pleasant (6-3, 235) is another hard-hitter and extremely athletic. He made just three tackles as a reserve last fall, but proved that he will be in the mix with a strong spring showing.


DEFENSIVE BACKS


USC's Matt Leinhart ripped the Sooners' secondary to shreds in the BCS National Championship Game, so it might not be a bad thing that new full-time starters are likely to man almost every position in 2005.

Sophomore cornerback Marcus Walker (5-11, 180) is the only remaining part of the group that started the last four games last season. However, it's not like he earned a lot of experience, as he didn't take off his red-shirt until week nine. He contributed 14 tackles overall, but sat out the entire spring after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.

The man Walker replaced in the starting lineup, Eric Bassey (6-1, 199), will try to regain a starting position as a senior. He started the first nine games and had 23 total tackles last season, including three games (Oregon, Texas Tech, and Kansas) in which he made five stops.

Senior Chijioke Onyenegecha (6-2, 205), like Bassey, played well in the spring. The nation's top JC corner in 2002 started the first four games last season but struggled at times making the transition to Division I. His biggest asset is his speed (4.3 in the 40), which helped him tie for second on the team with six pass breakups last fall.

D.J. Wolfe (5-11, 192), a converted running back who moved to corner in the spring, has the skills to play as a sophomore. He proved to be a solid run-stopper but needs time to develop. Two-a-day practices will be key for his future.

Senior Jowahn Poteat (6-1, 195) looks to make more of an impact at cornerback after seeing his playing time decrease last year. He played in just eight games off the bench as a junior after seeing action in 26 contests his first two seasons.

Former linebacker Lewis Baker (6-3, 210) was moved to strong safety in the spring in an effort to replace the departed Donte Nicholson, who held down that spot the last two seasons. Baker, a sophomore who red-shirted last year, impressed the coaching staff with his potential.

Others who will compete for time at strong safety are sophomore Tony Cade (6-2, 205), junior Jason Carter (6-0, 195) and red-shirt freshman Brett Bowers (6-1, 193). Cade and Carter spent most of last season on special teams.

Sophomore Darrien Williams (6-0, 200) also saw limited time last season but seemed to solidify the starting job at free safety in the spring with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Red-White game. He has a tough task in replacing leading tackler Brodney Pool (92 total tackles), who declared for the NFL draft. Pool also added a pair of interceptions and a team-leading nine pass breakups as a junior.


PUNTERS


For the first time in seven seasons, a Ferguson will not punt for the Sooners. Starting with Jeff in 1998 and ending with Blake last season, the brothers provided stability at the position.

Blake averaged 42.0 yards per punt last season, pinning opponents inside the 20 a total of 25 times in 52 attempts.

Sophomore Cody Freeby (6-3, 217) will now get his chance after spending last season as Ferguson's backup. Freeby, who red-shirted as a freshman, was a first-team All-USA Today selection and the No. 2-rated punter in the nation by Insiders.com as a senior at Fort Worth (Texas) Christian High School.

While he has yet to see real game action as a punter, the left-footed Freeby did get plenty of practice in the Red-White game. He punted 15 times for 573 yards (38.2 average) in the final scrimmage of the spring.


SPECIAL TEAMS


Mark Bradley's botched return in the first half of the Orange Bowl is a play that still gives Sooner fans nightmares. Most believe the miscue turned the momentum of the game in favor of the Trojans, who capitalized with a short touchdown and broke open a close game.

Bradley has since departed, along with 2003 All-America return specialist Antonio Perkins and nearly every other player who returned kicks and punts last season.

Wilson and Rankins have experience fielding kicks, but the coaching staff would like to preserve their energy because they are the team's best receivers.

Holmes, a red-shirt freshman receiver, could be ready to take on Perkins' old role after making a name for himself in the Red-White game. He returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a score, producing the first touchdown of the spring finale.

Several signees will also get a chance to make their mark on the punt and kick return teams in the fall.

Oklahoma has a dependable deep snapper in Jacob Rice (6-3, 225), who has not missed a play since filling that role in 2002. He brings an impressive streak of 423 consecutive snaps without a misfire into his senior season. The Sooners will continue their experiment to find another holder, a position Bradley held down last season, in August.

[Morph]

Oklahoma State

One of Oklahoma State's own, Mike Gundy, takes over for Les Miles, who succeeded Nick Saban at LSU.

Gundy, a four-year starter who quarterbacked the Cowboys to a pair of 10-win seasons in 1987 and 1988 before ending his career as the school's all-time passing leader, has been a member of the OSU coaching staff for 10 of the last 14 seasons.

While the 37-year-old Gundy has never been a head coach on the collegiate level, he has served two stints as the school's offensive coordinator, including all four years of the Miles era (2001-04).

"I couldn't be happier that Mike Gundy is our new football coach," OSU President David Schmidly said. "I am totally confident that he will take our program to new levels of success. He will lead an aggressive young staff that will bring new excitement to OSU football."

Gundy's staff includes offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, who held the same position at Florida, and defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, who was an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears in 2004.

All were charged with presenting the positives of the 2004 campaign -- a 5-0 start that included victories over UCLA and Colorado, and the program's third straight bowl appearance -- to a group of recruits and benefactors in the spring, as the school continues major renovations to its football facilities.

But the wave of enthusiasm generated by the new coaching staff was abruptly swept away in late May, when defensive back Vernon Grant was killed in an automobile accident in his hometown of Duncanville, Texas.

Grant, 21, was an honors student (3.25 GPA in Engineering), a three-year starter at strong safety and a team leader who was expected to have another outstanding season as a senior. More importantly, those who knew him say he was a great person who will be remembered for his positive attitude.

"You could use every adjective in the book when you are describing Vernon Grant," Gundy said. "We all talk about the loss of a family member. He was a tremendous leader for our team. In the long run, once everybody gets over the pain, he will have been a huge benefit to us as people, not only as football players."

Grant's infectious smile and exuberance, on and off the field, were put to the test just before the start of the 2004 season when his mother Vanessa passed away. He left training camp to be with his father, Vernon Grant, Sr., and to arrange funeral arrangements for his mother before returning to the squad the day after her funeral. His upbeat attitude upon his return surprised the Cowboy coaching staff and players, but that was Grant.

"He took care of his business and was strong enough to overcome it as hard as it was on him. He had a strong faith," Gundy said. "When he came back, the players were greatly concerned about his future and he ended up being a leader for them and an example to them about how to handle a loss."

Now, Grant's coaches and teammates strive to emulate his determination while seeking to aid his family, which also consisted of young son, Vernon Grant III.

"We'll play this season in his honor," tight end Charlie Johnson told The Oklahoman. "We're hurting, but V.G. would want us to go on."



QUARTERBACKS


Look for sophomore Donovan Woods (6-2, 210) to benefit from Fedora's spread offense, if he can hold off heralded red-shirt freshman Bobby Reid (6-3, 225) in two-a-days.

It's not the first time Woods and Reid have been locked in a tight battle for the starting spot -- the athletic duo did the same in the spring of 2004. However, Reid took a big hit in the final scrimmage that required shoulder surgery and basically ended his freshman season before it began.

That left the job to Woods by default, and he flourished in the starting role, ranking second in the Big 12 in passing efficiency 142.6) in 2004. Only defending Heisman Trophy winner Jason White of Oklahoma rated better (159.4).

While a tight handle on Woods -- he was the only full-time starter in the Big 12 to attempt fewer than 200 passes -- was a major factor in his efficiency, he proved to be one of the league's hardest to contain on his own. He completed 97-of-187 passes for 1,628 yards, 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions, and added another 444 yards and 10 scores on the ground. Meanwhile, Reid -- one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation at North Shore High School in Galena Park, Texas -- has recovered nicely from his injury. He led the Cowboys' passing attack with 153 yards on 14-of-24 passing in the spring game.

Gundy wasn't expected to make an official announcement on the team's starter for the 2005 opener against I-AA Montana State until mid-August.

"We don't have a clear-cut favorite to start the first game yet," Gundy said after spring practice. "There's not that much of a separation between any of them at this particular time."

Gundy admitted Woods has the edge because of his experience and will enter fall camp as the No. 1 quarterback. He capped a solid spring by going 11-of-15 for 131 yards and scored on a 44-yard option run in the final scrimmage.

"Donovan Woods is a guy that has shown a lot of presence and understands the offense to a certain extent, or enough to run the show out there," Gundy said. "Bobby is doing a good job of learning, but he's not as far along. He lacks experience."

Sophomore Al Pena (6-3, 205), who red-shirted at Georgia Tech as a freshman in 2003, proved last year that he is capable of leading the offense when given the chance. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in four appearances in relief of Woods, and followed up with a solid spring showing as well.

"We're going to go into two-a-day camp, those two guys (Woods and Reid) are going to battle it out," Gundy said. "Al is going to get the reps at the three. We discussed that with Al. He said he's going to continue to practice hard. If he gets his opportunity, he'll go in there and take advantage of it."



RUNNING BACKS


One of the biggest priorities of the spring was to find a replacement for second-team All-Big 12 running back Vernand Morency, who declared for the NFL draft and was selected in the third round by the Houston Texans after ranking third in the league with 1,474 rushing yards and scoring 12 touchdowns last season.

Morency's departure after his junior season was expected because he got a late start in college football (he was the Colorado Rockies' 14th-round pick in 1998) and is 25 years old.

Sophomores Julius Crosslin (5-11, 230) and Calvin Roberts (5-11, 220), as well as red-shirt freshman Mike Hamilton (6-1, 230), impressed Gundy the most in the spring.

"I feel confident now that Julius Crosslin and Michael Hamilton are going to give us the ability to run the ball in the Big 12 next year," Gundy said. "The guy that may have been the most impressive from an improvement standpoint was Calvin Roberts. He has come a long way. Between those three guys, I feel pretty comfortable about that position."

Crosslin played fullback and had just 17 carries for 71 yards last season. But in OSU's new one-back offense, he'll get more opportunities when he's on the field. Likewise for Roberts, a former prep quarterback whose only rushing attempts last fall came in a win over SMU, when he carried the ball nine times for 76 yards and a score.

Hamilton could be the best of the bunch because of his size and tremendous speed (4.4 in the 40), though he is unproven on the college level. He was a highly recruited running back out of Melbourne (Fla.) High School who spurned offers from Florida and Florida State to join the Cowboys after rushing for 4,627 yards and 53 touchdowns in his prep career.

Senior Seymore Shaw (5-11, 215), the leading returning rusher after collecting 371 yards on 79 carries (4.7 average) and two touchdowns last year, will also be a factor if he stays healthy and out of trouble. His status is shaky after missing most of the spring with leg injuries and running into legal troubles in mid-May. Gundy suspended him indefinitely in early June.

The only other tailback with experience, junior Greg Gold (5-9, 195), will likely be moved to wide receiver in the fall,.

Starting fullback Shawn Willis (6-1, 260) won't see as much action at that position this year because of the change in offensive schemes. However, the senior could play more in an H-back-type role and is a valuable commodity on the goal line. Last season, he rushed 37 times for 168 yards (4.5 average) and three touchdowns.

Senior Jared McCoy (5-10, 240) and red-shirt freshman John Johnson (6-3, 255) are reserve fullbacks who figure to see most of their action on special teams.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


This unit wasn't the most productive last season, catching just 89 passes for 1,585 yards and 14 touchdowns for the entire 12-game season. But with Fedora installing his new spread formation in the spring, it's certainly the happiest bunch heading into 2005.

Junior D'Juan Woods (6-1, 195) is the top returning wide-out after catching a team-leading 29 passes for 650 yards (22.4 yards per catch) and six touchdowns on his way to earning second-team All-Big 12 honors last season. The younger brother of former OSU and current San Francisco 49ers receiver Rashaun Woods, and older brother of current Cowboy quarterback Donovan Woods, is sure to touch the ball more often this season.

Outside of Woods though, there's little returning in terms of statistical production.

Tight End Billy Bajema (18 receptions for 264 yards and one TD) and flanker Prentis Elliott (17-295-4) finished second and third respectively in receptions last season but both must be replaced. Bajema was the 49ers' seventh-round pick in the NFL draft, while Elliott was one of several players removed from the team by Gundy.

The coaching staff also moved honorable-mention All-Big 12 tight end Johnson (6-4, 280) to the offensive line, leaving senior starter Luke Frazier (6-0, 205) as the second-leading returning receiver behind Woods. But Frazier caught just four passes for 64 yards and a score last fall.

Sophomores Tommy Devereaux (6-1, 170) and Chijuan Mack (6-3, 185) are safe bets to be on the field more this season, as both have blazing speed. Seniors Errick McCown (5-11, 175) and Kenny Williams (6-4, 210) will also figure into the team's plans. Williams caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in the spring game.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M transfer Tevin Williams (6-3, 215) is among several newcomers who are being counted on to make an immediate impact. The native of Stillwater has 4.4 speed and was originally recruited by OSU out of high school. He caught 60 passes for more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns the last two seasons at junior college.

Freshman Zac Robinson (6-3, 187) could see action early in his career after being a coveted player at Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colo. He was primarily a quarterback there, but his 4.5 speed and athleticism might persuade the coaching staff to try him at wide receiver in August.

Like fullback, the tight end position won't be used as much in Fedora's offense. However, he can turn to sophomore Paschal Smith (6-4, 265) or red-shirt freshmen Brandon Pettigrew (6-5, 230) and Justin Waller (6-4, 240) in a pinch. Pettigrew is rumored to have the best hands on the team.



OFFENSIVE LINE


Three starters are back off a unit that paved the way for a running game that ranked second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally with 237.0 yards per game. The Cowboys also tied for third in the league after allowing just 16 sacks all of last season.

The left side of the line returns intact, with senior Corey Curtis (6-4, 290) holding down left guard and junior Corey Hilliard (6-5, 300) back at left tackle. Hilliard earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors last season and has pro potential.

Kellen Davis (6-5, 290) will again protect the right side from his tackle spot, but the Cowboys must find replacements for first-team All-Big 12 lineman Sam Mayes at right guard and veteran Chris Akin at center.

Sophomore David Koenig (6-4, 280), who has solid skills and quickness, is the likely candidate to replace Mayes. Johnson, the converted tight end, might also be in the mix there, along with sophomore Phil Friess (6-5, 280).

In the spring, the Cowboy coaching staff also experimented with Hilliard playing guard and Johnson playing tackle.

Junior Kurt Seifried (6-4, 305), Akin's backup last season, will get the first opportunity at center. Freshman Andrew Lewis (6-5, 266) could challenge for time there after being an all-state center at Joplin (Mo.) High School. The Cowboys are expecting contributions on the line from senior tackle Adam Gourley (6-6, 290) and a load of red-shirt freshmen; most notably Jeray Chatham (6-4, 260), David Washington (6-4, 275) and Chris Simon (6-5, 330).



KICKERS


Sophomore Jason Ricks (6-1, 180) returns after a respectable true freshman campaign in which he made 11-of-16 field goals and 47-of-49 extra points. Ricks was a perfect 10-for-10 inside of 40 yards last fall. He also made a 55-yarder at Texas Tech, but misfired on all five attempts between 40-49 yards, including a 42-yard attempt against Ohio State in the Alamo Bowl.

Fellow sophomore Luke Roberts (5-10, 175) is back to push Ricks for playing time. He missed his only field goal attempt, a 30-yard try against SMU, last season.

Either could be tabbed as the replacement for kickoff specialist Cole Farden, who handled the role effectively for nearly his entire career. Freshman Matt Fodge (6-0, 180) of Garland (Texas) High School could also be an option after serving 80 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone his final prep season.



DEFENSIVE LINE


OSU's 36-20 loss to Texas A&M last season snapped the Cowboys' six-game winning streak to start the year. But worse than that was the loss of rookie defensive end Nathan Peterson (6-2, 250), who suffered a season-ending torn ACL against the Aggies.

Peterson, now a healthy sophomore, hopes to pick up where he left off last fall. He was well on his way to earning at least Freshman All-America honors, collecting five tackles for loss and four sacks in the first six games. Only fellow defensive end Marque Fountain (6-1, 260) ended the season with more tackles for losses (seven) and Peterson's sack total wound up being the team-high.

Fountain, a junior, returns to the starting lineup after leading all down linemen with 34 total tackles (28 solo) last season. He added a team-leading four quarterback hurries, forced two fumbles and contributed a sack. The Cowboys are loaded with depth at the end position with junior Darnell Smith (6-0, 260), senior Jerry Don Bray (6-5, 265) and sophomore Maurice Cummings (6-4, 245) returning. Smith started the final six games in place of Peterson and finished with 22 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks during the regular-season.

Gundy is also excited about the arrival of Hinds (Miss.) Community College transfer Ryan McBean (6-5, 275), who joined the team in January and participated in spring drills. He is expected to work his way into a starting role up front after choosing OSU over the likes of Arkansas, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Texas A&M.

"Ryan is going to be a good player," Gundy said. "At times it is hard to project the adjustment that a junior college player will make at this level. We are excited about him. He does need to continue to develop in the weight room and work on his quickness."

McBean could move inside to tackle, where the Cowboys are thin in terms of numbers. Two players who weren't so thin last season, junior Xavier Lawson-Kennedy (6-1, 310) and sophomore Walter Thomas (6-5, 340), are expected to fill the starting spots left by departed seniors Efe Mowarin and Clay Coe.

Lawson-Kennedy, or "XLK", as he is known on the Stillwater campus, has struggled to play at the level everyone anticipated when he arrived as a first-team USA Today All-American out of Duncanville (Texas) High School. He has been overweight throughout his collegiate career, in part because of a nagging knee injury from his prep days that wasn't diagnosed until he joined the Cowboys. Last season, he contributed just four total tackles, but he lost more than 30 pounds in the off-season.

Thomas serves as a terrific space-eater in the middle of the line. He too would like to improve on his numbers of eight total tackles (one for loss) a year ago.

Both have improved their conditioning under new strength coach and OSU alum Rob Glass, who came back home after serving in the same position at Florida. Yet the projected starters are still expected to be challenged by Georgia Military College transfer Larry Brown (6-3, 290), a junior from Spartanburg, S.C. who earned NJCAA All-America honors last season.

With a reserve cast featuring several inexperienced returning players, Gundy hopes that Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College transfer Josh Pinaire (6-5, 290) can help fill out the tackle rotation. Like McBean, he joined the Cowboys in January and participated in spring practice after ending a solid two-year JC career as a first-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection.

"I look at XLK and Thomas to step up," Gundy said during spring drills. "Those are guys who have not been real productive and have now decided to contribute to the team. McBean and Josh Pinaire are new guys that have been working hard, as well as Jerry Don Bray."



LINEBACKERS


Seniors Paul Duren (6-1, 240) and Lawrence Pinson (6-1, 240) return to their starting roles, but the Cowboy's switch to the 4-3 defense left Gundy searching for extended depth during the spring.

Duren is coming off a solid season in which he ranked third on the team with 70 total tackles (44 solo) and tied for the team-lead with two interceptions. Pinson finished right behind Duren with 69 total stops (45 solo).

The other linebacker will likely be senior Pagitte McGee (6-1, 235), who ranked seventh on the squad with 38 total tackles during the regular season last year. He tied for second on the team with five tackles for loss and contributed two sacks and an interception as well.

But outside of hard-hitting junior Victor DeGrate (6-3, 245), who made 21 total tackles and 1.5 sacks while splitting time between linebacker and defensive end during the 2004 regular season, there is little proven depth.

Sophomore Roderick Johnson (6-3, 255) saw spot duty as Pinson's backup last fall and finished with eight total tackles. Red-shirt freshmen Seb Clements (6-1, 235) and Jeremiah Burton (6-2, 235) will also look to make their mark during two-a-day practices.

The Cowboys weren't on many linebacker recruits when Gundy took over, considering that depth wasn't an issue in the 4-2-5. That means that the two they did sign, Carrollton (Tex.) Hebron High School standout Alex Odiari (6-1, 225) and Sulphur (Okla.) High School star Eric Preast (6-2, 215), stand a good chance of contributing as freshmen.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


Grant's tragic death in an off-season automobile accident left Gundy without the leader of his team. But the impact of his loss on the football field can't compare to the void left in the hearts of his coaches, teammates, friends and family.

"Obviously, it has been a tragic loss for OSU in general," Gundy said. "When you deal with a person like this, the last thing on your mind is OSU football. Here is a young man who was the heart and soul of our football team."

Grant, who earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors after ranking fifth on the team with 59 total tackles (52 solo) and adding two interceptions and five pass break-ups from his strong safety position last year, was moved back to his original position of cornerback in the spring in an effort to replace departed senior Robert Jones.

Senior Thomas Wright (6-0, 185) took Grant's place at strong safety in spring drills and performed well after being a reserve free safety last fall. But now the Cowboys are searching for another cornerback to complement the diminutive, but effective, Daniel McLemore (5-7, 160). What McLemore lacks in size, he makes up for with his speed and toughness. A senior with starting experience, he registered 32 total tackles, four pass break-ups and an interception last season.

Only one other true corner is listed on the pre-season roster, sophomore Martel Van Zant (6-2, 200), and he made just four total tackles in seven reserve appearances in 2004. That means that one of several freshmen could find their way into a starting role early.

"Those [new] guys are all going to get a chance to play in the first game," Gundy said. "We were concerned after the coaching change about being able to get good high school corners. We feel very good about them. We are excited about those young guys. In college football, most of your players show up during the summer and train for six weeks before you ever start. The opportunity to play early in your career is much greater than it has ever been before."

Last year's starter at weak safety, Jamie Thompson (6-0, 190), will replace departed free safety Jon Holland in the line-up. Thompson led the team and ranked eighth in the Big 12 with 85 total tackles (63) and also contributed three sacks last season. Holland ranked second on the squad with 70 total tackles a year ago.

Another returning safety with key experience is junior Grant Jones (5-10, 195).



PUNTERS


The loss of Farden, an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer who ranked third in the league with an average of 42.9 yards per punt last season, leaves a big hole to fill.

Returning place-kickers Ricks and Roberts are options here, with Ricks averaging over 40 yards per punt his last two seasons at Westwood High School in Round Rock, Tex. He was the No. 2 punter on last season's depth chart behind Farden.

Newcomer Fodge might have the best chance to assume the role though, as he has great leg strength. He averaged 42.0 yards per punt as a senior All-District performer at Garland (Tex.) High School.



SPECIAL TEAMS


The Cowboys lost one of the Big 12's most electrifying punt returners in Elliott, who averaged 11.3 yards per return before being booted off the team. Kick returner Robert Jones has exhausted his eligibility after ranking fifth in the league with 20.4 yards per return.

If that's not enough, there's the fact that veteran deep snapper Jacob Dressen and holder John Wohlgemuth have graduated

[Morph]

Texas

Mack Brown took a lot of heat last year when he publicly campaigned for his Longhorns to be included in the BCS after his team's regular-season ending 26-13 win over Texas A&M.

California, a team having its best season in years with its lone loss a four-point setback to eventual national champion USC, held a slight lead over the Longhorns in the BCS Standings heading into the final week. The Bears did their part to maintain that advantage, defeating Southern Mississippi, 26-16, on the road in their finale.

When the final votes were tabulated, it was Texas that edged Cal for the final bid in the BCS and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Those in Pasadena weren't exactly thrilled, considering the tradition of the Pac-10 matching up against the Big-10 in the "Granddaddy Of Them All." And those in Berkeley were irate.

Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers called Brown's stumping "classless." Others across the nation persecuted Brown's pleas like he had broken the law.

But in the end, Brown did no wrong. He didn't say that Cal didn't deserve to be there. He fought for his team, stating his opinion on the subject and asking the voters to examine the facts.

That's what any father would do for their children if he thought they were about to be denied something they deserved. And make no mistake about it; Brown treats his teams as though they are family. He wants to win football games, but he also wants to develop his players as people.

"Our goal is to win championships with nice kids who are graduating," Brown said. "We may be in the entertainment business on the weekends, but we are in the education business during the week."

That type of attitude has helped Brown be successful at all stops in his 21-year career as a collegiate head coach. He has led his teams to 15 consecutive winning seasons and 13 bowl appearances in a row, marks that rank second among all active coaches to Florida State's Bobby Bowden.

Over the last nine years, Brown has compiled a 90-22 record (.804, which also ranks second to Bowden) and is the only active head coach to lead his teams to at least nine wins each season during that span.

Last season's 11-1 campaign was the Longhorns' fourth straight season with 10 wins or more and featured victories over five nationally-ranked teams. None were bigger than the epic 38-37 victory over No. 13 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, which clearly demonstrated that Brown's faith in his team was justified.

Brown enters the 2005 campaign with more to prove. Gone are a pair of All-Americans on both sides of the ball who helped the Longhorns rank in the nation's Top 15 in both scoring offense and defense. There are also a few new coaches, with former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik headlining the list. He takes over for Greg Robinson, who left to become the head coach at Syracuse.


QUARTERBACKS


For the first time in several years, Brown doesn't have a quarterback controversy on his hands entering the fall. Versatile run-pass threat Vince Young (6-5, 225) proved that he was the man with his own personal coming out party in the Rose Bowl, accounting for five touchdowns in a MVP performance.

"It seems to us that this has finally become Vince's team," Brown said at the conclusion of the spring game. "There is no question who our leader and starting quarterback is."

Young's confidence level is at an all-time high entering his junior season. You would expect as much considering his dominating effort in the come-from-behind victory over Michigan last New Year's Day. The native of Houston gave new meaning to the adage "Run for the Roses," as he sliced through the Wolverines' defense to the tune of a school quarterback rushing record 192 yards and four touchdowns (60, 23, 20, and 10 yards).

Since then, Young has admitted to being noticed in public more often. He is now drawing comparisons to NFL star Michael Vick, as opposed to fellow athletic quarterbacks on the collegiate level. And there's talk of a Heisman campaign.

"It has not changed his work ethic," Brown said of his quarterback's success. "He hasn't been arrogant or hard to deal with and I think that's because he feels better about himself."

Yes, there was a time last season when Young was searching for answers. Through the first eight games he had plenty of ups and downs despite leading his team to a 7-1 start. He looked great at Texas Tech, accounting for 300 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in a 51-21 victory over the Red Raiders. But only two weeks before, he had just 140 total yards (16 rushes for 54 yards; 8-of-23 passing for 86 yards) and fumbled twice in the setback to archrival Oklahoma.

Combined, Young averaged just 121.4 passing yards per game (80-of-143, 971 yards, nine touchdowns, six interceptions) and 69.6 rushing yards per game (96 carries, 557 yards, seven touchdowns) over the first eight games. But over the last four games, Young blossomed. During that span, which included games against nationally ranked Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Michigan, he averaged 219.5 passing yards (68-of-107, 878 yards, three touchdowns, five interceptions) and 130.5 rushing yards (71 carries, 522 yards, seven touchdowns).

The seeds for success were planted the first game of November, when then 19th-ranked Oklahoma State made a visit to Austin. The Cowboys jumped all over the 6th-ranked Longhorns, leading 35-7 with just seconds to go in the first half. But Young sparked an unprecedented rally by firing a short touchdown pass to tight end Bo Scaife with three seconds remaining in the second quarter, and capped off a 42-0 second-half blitz with a 42-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.

The seven unanswered touchdowns gave UT an improbable 56-35 victory, thanks in large part to Young's 401 yards of total offense. He set a school single-game record for completion percentage (18-of-21), connecting on his final 12 passes (also a school record).

Young followed with 403 yards of total offense at Kansas the next week, again helping the Longhorns rally for victory by running and throwing for touchdowns in the final four-plus minutes of the 27-23 victory.

Overall, Young led his team to comeback wins in the final six games. He also dispelled the notion that he is an inaccurate passer, ending the season with a 63.6 percent completion rate over the last four games. No Texas quarterback has ever been as accurate over his first two seasons (59.0).

Despite those numbers, and the fact that he became the first player in school history to pass (148-of-250, 1,849 yards, 12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) and run (167 carries, 1,079 yards, 14 touchdowns) for more than 1,000 yards in the same season, Young was overshadowed in the Big 12 by the likes of Oklahoma's Jason White and Texas A&M's Reggie McNeal. The Texas quarterback, who has led the Longhorns to a 17-2 record as the starter, settled for honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.

That's fine by Young, who has learned to put more stock in his team's success thanks to Brown.

"We've convinced him that the only stat he needs to worry about when he's done is to be the winningest quarterback in the history of Texas football. He's well on his way toward that," Brown said. "Nobody is going to remember how many times he threw it or how many times he ran it, everybody is going to remember how many games he won."

While Brown doesn't have to worry about appointing a starter this fall, he did some searching for his No. 2 quarterback in the spring because former starter Chance Mock has used up his eligibility. Senior Matt Nordgren (6-5, 235), the only other quarterback on scholarship in the spring, proved that he could fill that role. He has good size and an accurate arm, but has played very little.

"What he understands is that he's different than Vince, but he can help us move the ball," Brown said of his fifth-year back-up. "People are going to be after Vince, and Matt knows that he has to be ready. Matt improved more this spring than the other four years he's been here."



RUNNING BACKS


Cedric Benson ended his career as one of the top running backs in school history, and will not be easy to replace. The first-round NFL draft pick (No. 4, Chicago Bears), rambled for more than 5,000 yards and scored 67 touchdowns in his four-year tenure with the Longhorns.

As a senior, Benson was the focal point of a rushing attack that rushed for more than 300 yards in a game six times and improved the school's record to 59-0 when out-rushing its opponent. He led the Big 12 and ranked fourth nationally with 152.8 rushing yards per game (1,834 yards on 326 attempts), and scored 19 times on the ground.

"We're really thin at running back and somebody is going to have to [step up] this fall," Brown said. "We do not feel that anybody can do what Ricky [Williams] did or what Cedric Benson did and carry the load by themselves. So, we will probably alternate tailbacks."

Brown would like to see a healthy Selvin Young (6-0, 205) in the backfield, but he has battled injuries over the last couple of years and wasn't in school for the spring semester because of academic difficulties.

The fourth-year junior is expected to return in the fall. He played in just two games last year, carrying the ball 12 times for a career-high 102 yards and a pair of scores in the season-opening win over North Texas before suffering a broken ankle in the Arkansas game the next week. Overall, Young has rushed for 661 yards and 10 touchdowns in 26 career games, and can return punts and kickoffs as well.

Sophomore Ramonce Taylor (5-11, 195), another speedster who can also play receiver and return kicks, is the top returning rusher outside of Young after gaining 284 yards on 28 carries (10.1 avg.) and scoring one rushing touchdown last season.

He was one of only three players in the nation to post gains of 40 yards or more rushing (several times, including a career-long 74-yard run in his first collegiate game against North Texas), receiving (44 yards vs. Oklahoma State), and passing (48-yard throw to Young against Missouri) last season.

"Ramonce did some good things," Brown said. "He will stay at tailback [where he practiced in the spring]. We will spread him out and give him space. Ramonce runs more like Vince [Young], in that he gets people a little off balance and then he can run through them with his quickness."

The only other running back who has lettered before is senior fullback Ahmard Hall (5-11, 235), a third-year walk-on who is a Marine sergeant, husband and father. An all-district back at Angleton (Texas) High School, he served four years in the military and made missions to Kosovo and Afghanistan before enrolling at UT thanks to the G.I. Bill. Hall has spent most of his football career as a blocking back and special teams player, but scored on a one-yard-plunge (against North Texas) the only time he carried the ball last season.

Former linebacker Marcus Myers (6-3, 250), a fourth-year junior, will compete with Hall for the starting fullback spot after making the move there in the spring. Both have big shoes to fill in the wake of former starter Will Matthews, who was one of the nation's top blocking backs over the last two years.

Another player who changed positions in the spring is red-shirt freshman Chris Ogbonnaya (6-1, 215), who made a strong impression at tailback after practicing as a wide receiver last season. He was a versatile player at Strake Jesuit High School in Missouri City, Texas, playing quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


For the second straight season, Texas enters the season with plenty of question marks in the receiver set. Last year, the Longhorns were trying to replace the likes of Roy Williams, B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas. This year, it is leading wide-out Tony Jeffery (33 catches, 437 yards, three TD) and tight end Bo Scaife (26 catches, 348 yards, two TD), the squad's top two pass catchers in 2004.

Senior tight end David Thomas (6-3, 245) and sophomore receiver Limas Sweed (6-5, 215) should have no problem replacing Scaife and Thomas respectively, but after that depth becomes a concern, mostly because of inexperience.

Thomas has developed into one of the best tight ends in the Big 12, earning first-team all-conference honors by the Austin American-Statesman last season. A three-year starter, he leads all returnees with 25 catches for 430 yards (17.2 average) and posted a team-leading five touchdown receptions last season. He's extremely versatile, with the ability to play receiver, H-back, or fullback.

"He can do so many things for us that he may be as valuable as anybody on our offensive team except for Vince [Young]," Brown said. "We will use him in multiple roles. Right now, we are inexperienced at fullback, so that is a role that David will probably carry into the fall along with his tight end duties."

Sweed is coming off a productive red-shirt freshman campaign in which he started the final seven games at split end. He caught 23 passes for 263 yards (11.4 average) overall, with 12 of those receptions and 138 of those yards coming in the final three regular-season games. Sweed did not make a touchdown reception last season, but his size and speed will give him plenty of opportunities to do so as a sophomore.

Sophomore Myron Hardy (6-2, 210) and red-shirt freshman George Walker (6-3, 205) are viable options at split end. Hardy impressed the coaching staff with his play in the spring and should see more action after playing in just four games as a freshman.

Fifth-year senior Brian Carter (5-11, 185) and sophomore Nate Jones (6-2, 190) will continue their battle for the starting flanker position in August. Carter has the edge in experience. He has played in 32 career games at wide receiver and on special teams, making three starts last season. However, he made just one catch last year and missed two games early in the season because of injury.

Jones took advantage of his opportunity when Carter went down, making five starts at flanker as a true freshman in 2004. He caught seven passes for 73 yards, including a career-best 31-yard reception against Baylor.

Sophomore Billy Pittman (6-0, 195) and red-shirt freshman Jordan Shipley (6-0, 184) also look to make an impact at split end and flanker respectively after injuries cut their 2004 season short.

Pittman, a quarterback at Yoe High School in Cameron, Texas, is in his third season with the Longhorns. He was a red-shirt in 2003 and missed most of last fall with a shoulder injury.

Shipley was on his way to providing instant depth when he arrived on campus, but he suffered a knee injury last August. He worked hard in rehab and impressed Brown in limited action during the spring.

"He looked great on the deep ball this spring. He has still got just a little bit of a limp, but there is no doubt that he will be 100 percent by fall," Brown said.

If Thomas is forced to play fullback more than expected, the coaching staff can turn to versatile reserves Neale Tweedie (6-5, 267) and Tyrell Gatewood (6-2, 210), or young talents Steven Hogan (6-5, 255) and Peter Ullman (6-4, 252) at tight end.

Tweedie is a physical, fourth-year junior who played both tight end and defensive end last season. He was also a backup offensive tackle as a red-shirt freshman, but spent this spring practicing exclusively at tight end. Like Pittman, Gatewood is a former prep quarterback. His size is more suited for receiver, but the sophomore spent the spring working at tight end and H-back as well.

Hogan appeared in eight games as a red-shirt freshman reserve last fall and caught one pass for eight yards against Baylor. Ullman was a member of the scout team while red-shirting last season.



OFFENSIVE LINE


Four starters return off a unit that paved the way for the nation's second-ranked rushing offense (299.2 ypg), but the Longhorns have to replace veteran center Jason Glynn. He anchored the line for three years, making 38 consecutive starts.

Junior Lyle Sendlein (6-5, 315) won the starting job in the spring after serving as Glynn's back-up the last two seasons. The former high school linebacker has played in 23 games at either center or guard in his UT career.

"He's so big and strong that he's never going to be overloaded by a nose guard," Brown said of Sendlein. "That's something we always had to fight with Jason. He did a great job for us, but we always had to give him some help if there was a mismatch in there, but there won't be a mismatch with Lyle because he's so big. He has been one of the biggest surprises [in the spring], so we will not have a drop off at the center spot."

Junior Brett Valdez (6-4, 305), a fourth-year lineman who has primarily worked as a reserve guard, also practiced at center during the spring while sophomore Dallas Griffin (6-4, 280) sat out as he rehabbed a knee injury. Two of the best tackles in the nation serve as the bookends of the line.

Senior Jonathan Scott (6-7, 310) returns for his fourth year as a starter (32 career starts) after earning consensus first-team All-Big 12 honors and second-team All-America recognition by Sports Illustrated last season. The left tackle is extremely athletic for a big man, with great footwork and an 82-inch wingspan aiding his pass protection. He has also proven to be a powerful run-blocker and should be a high pick in the 2006 NFL draft.

Junior Justin Blalock (6-4, 329) is a durable right tackle who has started all 25 games in which he has played for the Longhorns. Like Scott, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the league's coaches.

Senior William Winston (6-7, 350) enters the fall as the No. 2 right tackle, while sophomore Tony Hills (6-6, 295) is slated to be Scott's backup on the left side. Red-shirt freshman Greg Dolan (6-7, 290) and true freshman Adam Ulatoski (6-8, 285) will also compete for playing time in August. Guards Will Allen (6-6, 305) and Kasey Studdard (6-3, 295) will open holes on the inside once again.

Allen, a fifth-year senior, begins his third season as the starter at right guard. Despite missing the last four regular-season games because of injury, he still managed to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last season.

Studdard also earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades after starting every game at left guard last season. He's the son of former UT standout offensive tackle Dave Studdard (1975-77), who played 10 seasons for the NFL's Denver Broncos.

Senior Mike Garcia (6-3, 315) is Allen's back-up at right guard and started in his absence last season. Either sophomore Kyle Thornton (6-4, 320) or red-shirt freshman Cedric Dockery (6-4, 325) will serve as Studdard's backup.



KICKERS


Senior David Pino (5-8, 180) is the favorite to replace veteran place-kicker Dusty Mangum, an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer whose 37-yard field goal as time expired gave the Longhorns their 38-37 win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Pino, a former walk-on, has been Mangum's back-up the last four years. He started the 2003 regular-season finale and the Holiday Bowl when Mangum was injured. Overall, Pino has appeared in 17 career games and has made 3-of-4 field goal attempts (his only miss was a 50-yard effort at Texas Tech last season) and 17-of-18 PATs.

Richmond McGee (6-4, 203) and Greg Johnson (6-1, 190) are punters first, but will push Pino for the starter's job if he fails to live up to expectations.

McGee, a senior, made a 44-yard field goal against Texas Tech last season, the lone attempt in his career. He has a strong leg and is expected to handle the kickoff chores for the fourth consecutive season.

Johnson is a junior in McGee's mold who played his freshman season of 2002 at Vanderbilt. There, the left-footed punter/kicker made 8-of-13 field goal attempts and all 27 of his extra points. He will serve as McGee's back-up on kickoffs again this fall.



DEFENSIVE LINE


The Longhorns are loaded up front, returning all four starters and several key reserves off a unit that helped the defense rank 16th nationally in rushing defense (107.4 ypg) and 18th nationally in points allowed (17.9 ppg).

Senior defensive tackles Rodrique Wright (6-5, 305) and Larry Dibbles (6-2, 285) form the heart of the line and are two of the best in the nation at their positions.

Despite dealing with a nagging ankle injury all of last season, Wright still earned second-team All-America honors by The Sporting News and honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly. He was also tabbed as a first-team All-Big 12 choice by the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and was a second-team honoree by the Associated Press and conference coaches, among others.

The explosive big man should be one of the top defensive linemen taken in the 2006 NFL draft if he can come close to the numbers he has put up in the past. He has started 32 games over three seasons, including 11 at left tackle last season, when he registered 36 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and seven quarterback pressures. As a sophomore, he recorded 80 tackles, a team-high 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and an astounding 30 pressures. He also batted down three passes and forced three fumbles.

Throughout his career, Wright has played his best against some of the top teams in the nation. In 12 career games against Top 25 teams, he has 69 tackles, five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 14 pressures and a forced fumble. Dibbles is coming off a breakout season as the starter at right tackle after spending his first two years as a backup to Marcus Tubbs (who played in 11 games for the Seattle Seahawks last season).

Armed with an outstanding combination of speed and quickness, Dibbles proved to be a disruptive force in the middle. He led all UT defensive linemen with 49 tackles, and added five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, nine pressures, six pass break-ups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered last season. The forced fumble came late in the fourth quarter of the win at Arkansas, when the Razorbacks were driving deep in UT territory for a possible go-ahead score.

For his efforts, Dibbles was selected first-team All-Big 12 by the Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News, and earned second-team accolades by the AP, conference coaches and selected others.

Sophomores Frank Okam (6-5, 315) and Derek Lokey (6-2, 275) provide quality depth for Wright and Dibbles respectively. Okam earned first-team Freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News last season, logging 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, nine quarterback pressures, five passes batted down, two sacks and a fumble recovery. He continued his rapid development with an outstanding spring for the Longhorns.

Others who will battle for time at tackle are junior Tully Janszen (6-3, 280), who was limited in the spring because of a knee injury suffered last season, junior Marco Martin (6-3, 355) and sophomore Thomas Marshall (6-6, 297).

Juniors Tim Crowder (6-4, 255), Brian Robison (6-3, 267) and Mike Williams (6-3, 240) form an effective end rotation along with fifth-year senior Kaelen Jakes (6-3, 270) and emerging red-shirt freshman Brian Orakpo (6-4, 238).

Crowder, who led the team with 4.5 sacks and 22 quarterback pressures last season on his way to being chosen honorable mention All-Big 12 by the AP, begins his third year as the starter at left defensive end. He enters the season with 21 consecutive starts.

Robison, a former linebacker, started all 12 games at right defensive end last season and also earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition by the AP. He is extremely athletic (40-inch vertical leap) and posted 44 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback pressures last season.

Williams is another fine athlete who made a successful transition from linebacker to defensive end. He red-shirted last season but ranked second on the team with six sacks as a reserve end in 2003.

Jakes, a versatile fifth-year senior, is Crowder's back-up at left end. He appeared in nine games last fall on defense and special teams. Orakpo impressed the coaching staff with his play during the spring.

"I'm not sure we have had the quickness at defensive end that we have as long as I have been here," Brown said. "Mike Williams and Brian Orakpo are both around 240 pounds, and they are both so quick. You can see some possibilities for situations where we have those two guys at end and Brian Robison and Tim Crowder at tackle to get more of a pass rush."



LINEBACKERS


The Longhorns' biggest task on defense is finding a replacement for 2004 National Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Johnson, a first-round NFL draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs who had team bests of 130 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and a NCAA record nine forced fumbles last season.

Senior Eric Hall (6-2, 245), a versatile fifth-year player, worked at Johnson's old weak-side spot in the spring. Hall was the starter on the strong side for all 12 games and registered 41 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, four pressures and a pass break-up last season. He had his best game against Rice, notching a career-high 10 tackles, and also played well with seven tackles and two pressures at Arkansas.

Sophomore Robert Killebrew (6-2, 225) and red-shirt freshman Nic Redwine (6-3, 225) are additional options on the weak side. Killebrew served as Johnson's backup last season, while Redwine practiced at defensive end.

Sophomore Eric Foreman (6-4, 230) returned to linebacker in the spring after spending last season as a quarterback on the scout team while red-shirting. He could take over Hall's former strong-side spot because he was the primary backup there as a true freshman in 2003.

Fifth-year senior Braden Johnson (6-1, 205), who played quarterback in high school, will continue to battle Foreman and red-shirt freshman Jeremy Campbell (6-2, 220) for playing time on the strong side this fall.

Texas is set in the middle with hard-hitting senior Aaron Harris (6-0, 235). He started all 12 games there last season and earned consensus All-Big 12 honors after posting 118 tackles (second to Johnson), 10 tackles for loss, six quarterback pressures, nine pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Harris was often overshadowed by Johnson, but still managed to produce his share of big plays last fall. Against archrival Oklahoma, Harris became the first UT player since 1996 to record 18 tackles in a game. He also notched 13 tackles against then- No. 19 Oklahoma State and led the team with nine tackles, a sack, and two pass breakups in the Rose Bowl against Michigan.

"Aaron Harris is so different from DJ [Derrick Johnson]," Brown said. "He is shorter and his game is the inside game because he plays so hard and has the ability to knock a guy loose. We have told him that for us to be the defensive team that we want to be, that he needs to play how he did in the Rose Bowl."

Sophomore Scott Derry (6-3, 230), last year's backup at middle linebacker, practiced some at defensive end in the spring. However, he should return to linebacker in the fall and challenge for playing time along with red-shirt freshman Rashad Bobino (5-11, 235), who is coming off a great spring.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


Michael Huff (6-1, 205) leads a deep secondary that returns all but free safety Phillip Geiggar to the starting lineup.

Huff enters his fourth-year as a starter at strong safety, but the coaching staff is still entertaining thoughts of playing him at cornerback in some situations. Huff practiced there in the spring and played the position on occasion as a freshman and sophomore.

"He looks really good at cornerback," Brown said after a spring practice. "He just has a knack for breaking in on the ball for interceptions. We have all seen him do it in practice. He gives us a lot of flexibility and depth at both corner and safety. We always want to make sure that we are covered."

Moving Huff to one of the corners will be a hard thing to do considering the success he's had at strong safety. Last season, he was chosen an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly, was a consensus All-Big 12 selection, and a member of the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) watch list. The versatile speedster, a former high school track sprinter, posted 73 tackles, 14 pass break-ups, two interceptions and forced a fumble.

Overall, Huff has established himself as one of the best defensive backs in the history of the Longhorns' storied program. He has started 37-of-38 career games at strong safety or cornerback and is capable of playing every position in the secondary. In three seasons he has made 209 tackles, 30 pass break-ups and six interceptions, with four of the latter being returned for touchdowns (a school record). One more interception return for a touchdown would tie the NCAA career record.

Last year's starting corners, Cedric Griffin (6-2, 193) and Tarell Brown (6-0, 185) are also back in the fold. Combined with Huff, the trio has started 80 career games.

Griffin, a senior who has started all 25 games through his sophomore and junior years, is a great athlete with size and speed. Last season, the right cornerback had 68 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups on his way to earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.

Brown begins his second season as the starter at left cornerback. The junior posted 42 tackles (34 solo), five tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and four pass break-ups in 2004.

Junior Aaron Ross (6-1, 189) split time with Brown at left corner last season, but was slowed by a preseason hamstring injury. He still managed to make 36 tackles, three pass breakups and interception (vs. Missouri).

Sophomore Brandon Foster (5-9, 180) provides a capable backup to Griffin on the right side. Red-shirt freshman Ryan Palmer (5-10, 182) and sophomore Erick Jackson (6-2, 185) should also provide depth if both can make a successful return after missing spring practice.

Junior Michael Griffin (6-0, 200), a quality special teams performer who spent last season as Huff's primary backup at strong safety, moved to free safety in the spring. There, he battled his twin brother, sophomore Marcus Griffin (6-0, 190), as well as versatile junior Matt Melton (6-0, 210) and sophomore Drew Kelson (6-2, 210) for the right to replace Geiggar.

Melton can also play strong safety if need be, although sophomore Bobby Tatum (6-0, 190) might have nailed down a role as Huff's understudy after a solid spring. Senior walk-on Karim Meijer (5-10, 198), a first-team Academic All-Big 12 member and special teams contributor, will also push for playing time.



PUNTERS


McGee, a former walk-on, enters his fifth season with the program and third as the starting punter. Over the course of his career he has averaged a respectable 40.3 yards in 38 games played, and has dropped 20 of his 95 punts inside the 20-yard line. He hopes to improve on his numbers from last season though, when he ranked ninth in the Big 12 with an average of 39.7 yards per punt.

After spending last season as McGee's back-up, the left-footed Johnson could get more opportunities to punt as a junior. Last season, he punted just four times for 150 yards (37.5 avg.) and dropped half inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He has a strong leg, earning Freshman All-America honors as a punter at Vanderbilt in 2002 after averaging 43.8 yards per punt (a school freshman record).



SPECIAL TEAMS


The return of Selvin Young should be a tremendous boost to the Longhorns' special teams, a unit that missed his presence returning kicks and punts most of last season.

Young, who did not participate in spring practice while recovering from the broken ankle suffered against Arkansas in the second game of 2004, averaged 24.4 yards per kickoff return in 2003.

Overall, Young has averaged 23.8 yards per kickoff return and 17.5 yards per punt return while tying the school's career kick return touchdown record with three (two punts and one kickoff). Along the way, he became the first player in school history to return both a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game against New Mexico State as a sophomore.

Aaron Ross, a key member of the cornerback rotation, did a decent job returning punts (7.6 yards per return) in Young's absence last fall and could do so again if needed. Running back Ramonce Taylor and cornerback Tarell Brown have experience returning kickoffs as well.

Fifth-year senior Nick Schroeder (6-2, 240) is back to handle the deep snaps, while backup quarterback Nordgren will likely take over as the holder on extra points and field goals.

Texas needs to improve its kickoff coverage after ranking 11th in the Big 12, allowing 23.2 yards per return. That was far off the pace set in 2003, when the Longhorns paced the league by allowing just 17.6 yards per return.

"We have really emphasized our kickoff coverage for obvious reasons after the Rose Bowl," said Brown, referring to the Wolverines' 36.8 yard average on six returns. "We think we have more speed than before in those areas."

[Morph]

Texas A&M

When Dennis Franchione made his midnight move from Alabama to Texas A&M after the 2002 season, hopes were high in College Station. But a disappointing 4-8 effort in his debut season (2003) had some Aggie fans wanting him to take it back to Tuscaloosa.

Patience was preached to the public by A&M officials, who were quick to point out that Franchione had earned his reputation of being a rebuilder by making significant progress in his second year at every school he had coached at in his career, which now spans 22 seasons.

Franchione -- who ranks as the sixth-winningest active Division I-A head coach with 166 career victories -- didn't disappoint, again working his magic to the tune of a 7-4 campaign in 2004.

Along the way, the Aggies improved in nearly every statistical category, including scoring offense (25.3 in 2003 to 28.4 in 2004), scoring defense (38.8 in 2003 to 24.3 in 2004), and turnover margin (-0.9 in 2003 to +1.1 in 2004). The turnover ratio was particularly pleasing, as A&M finished the season tied for seventh nationally with a school single-season best 13 turnovers.

However, critics think the jury is still out on Franchione because the Aggies' floundering finish last year. After beginning 6-1, which included six straight wins after a season-opening loss to eventual BCS-Bowl participant Utah, A&M lost four of its last five games.

A 35-34 overtime loss to Baylor started the downward spiral and was the most harmful to the program's image, while the unceremonious 38-7 thumping at the hands of Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl certainly didn't help. The 31-point setback was the worst bowl loss in school history and the program's sixth consecutive defeat on New Year's Day.

But with 17 starters returning and a host of red-shirt freshman (only one freshman played last fall) and newcomers expected to make a significant impact, Franchione is excited about the potential of his 2005 squad. He likes the "team first" attitude -- he removed the names from the back of the Aggies' jerseys last year -- and thinks his squad turned in a terrific spring.

"We need our seniors to play like seniors, and we need our red-shirt freshmen and other inexperienced players to elevate their game," Franchione said. "In all 15 [spring] practices, we got a lot accomplished. This is a team that's comfortable in what they're doing now. The younger ones learn from the older ones, which helps in making progress."



QUARTERBACKS


There's no doubt that the emergence of Reggie McNeal (6-2, 206) was a key factor in the resurgence of Texas A&M football in 2004. Up until that point, he was destined to be remembered as a scrambling and sometimes erratic quarterback who came off the bench to throw four touchdowns in leading Texas A&M to an upset win over top-ranked Oklahoma as a freshman in 2002. Now, he enters his senior campaign ready to add to his growing legacy as perhaps the best signal-caller in school history.

McNeal blossomed into arguably the nation's best all-around quarterback last year, throwing for a school-record 2,791 yards and rushing for a school quarterback-record 718 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and eight scores. In fact, his per game averages of 232.6 passing yards and 59.8 rushing yards made him the only quarterback in NCAA Division I-A to average more than 230 yards passing and 55 yards rushing in 2004.

His school-record total of six 300-yard total offense games included a four-touchdown, 386-yard (total offense) performance against Oklahoma State. That effort resulted in McNeal earning National Offensive Player-of-the- Week honors by the Walter Camp Foundation.

McNeal also completed a career-best 58.1 percent (200-of-344) of his passes as a junior, tossed 14 touchdowns (matching his total from his first two years combined), and only threw four interceptions on way to becoming a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and earning first-team All-Big 12 honors by the Dallas Morning News (second-team coaches' selection).

Heading into the 2005 season-opener against Clemson, McNeal is already the only 4,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in school history. His 5,029 career passing yards rank fourth on the school's career list and his 1,225 career rushing yards rank second among all A&M quarterbacks. Together, those numbers translate into a No. 3 school ranking in career total offense (6,254).

"Reggie is a very talented athlete," Franchione told reporters before last season's Cotton Bowl. "His good junior year, I think, is a direct result of being in the same offense for two years, growing up, maturing, understanding what he needed to do and the direction he needed to go. He has always been capable of making plays & he has learned to be a true quarterback and a smart quarterback in the last year."

In the spring, Franchione proved he's a smart coach by holding McNeal out of the Maroon-White game for the second straight year. Last spring it was a necessity, as McNeal suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. This spring it was by choice, even though McNeal did have a minor bruise on his right shoulder that did not affect his throwing.

"Reggie doesn't have anything to gain by participating (in the spring game)," Franchione said. "We know fully what he can do."

In McNeal's absence, junior Ty Branyon (6-3, 210) and red-shirt freshman Stephen McGee (6-3, 213) got opportunities to show their skills and will continue their battle for the No. 2 spot in early fall.

Branyon likely has a slight lead, considering that he completed 19-of-29 passes (65.5 percent) for 194 yards and a touchdown in four games as McNeal's back-up last season. In the spring game, Branyon went 19-of-31 for 162 yards.

McGee, who completed 12-of-15 passes for 88 yards in the spring game, threw for 8,256 yards and a Texas Class 3A-record 101 touchdowns as a three-year starter at Burnet High School.

"I don't have to name a back-up quarterback right now, so I'm not concerned about it," Franchione told reporters after the spring game. "I'll deal with that when the season starts."


RUNNING BACKS


Junior Courtney Lewis (6-0, 195) looks to return to the form he exhibited in 2003, when he earned Freshman All-America and second-team All-Big 12 honors after rushing for a team-high 1,024 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Last season, Lewis got banged up in fall practice and struggled to maintain the pace he set as a freshman. He still led the team with nine rushing touchdowns and 742 rushing yards (4.2 yards per carry), including a season-best 165 yards on 28 carries against Clemson. But he managed only two other 100-yard games, and those were against league cellar-dweller Baylor (100 yards on 26 carries) and Texas Tech (115 yards on 19 carries).

Franchione believes that the drop in Lewis' numbers last season is a result of a variety of factors.

"I think Reggie's development, as well as the rest of our offensive line, [and] receivers has let us diversify and not be so dependent on Courtney," Franchione said. "That's affected his numbers, and just getting off to a slow start due to the injury and everything affected him a little bit."

Junior defensive back Brandon Leone (6-0, 222), who saw action as a reserve in all 12 games last year and picked off a pass against Iowa State, was moved to running back in the spring. The former high school tailback rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a senior at Oak Ridge High School in Spring, Texas, before reportedly turning down scholarship offers from at least two other Big 12 schools that wanted him in their backfield.

While Franchione admits the move was made out of curiosity first, Leone impressed the coaching staff enough that he will enter the fall competing with red-shirt freshmen Jay Lucas (5-10, 232) and Samson Taylor (6-0, 206) for the No. 2 spot.

"In all honesty, I didn't know if Brandon would end up being a running back," Franchione said. "He's probably the biggest surprise of the whole spring practice."

Taylor was listed as Lewis' backup on last season's depth chart, but never played, which allowed him an extra season of eligibility. He led The Woodlands (Texas) High School to the Class 5A state championship game as a senior, rushing for 1,807 yards and 28 touchdowns.

At fullback, sophomore Chris Alexander (5-11, 244) will be asked to shoulder much of the load left by the departure of dependable Keith Joseph, a solid blocking back who rushed for 207 yards and scored three touchdowns as a senior last fall. Against Wyoming, Joseph got the start at tailback in place of an injured Lewis and rushed 20 times for 82 yards.

"Chris is a pretty valuable guy on this football team," Franchione said. "Keith was an unsung hero last year -- fullback, tailback, occasionally tight end, and on almost every kicking team -- and we're asking Chris to step into that role."



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


Over the last few years, Texas A&M has had great success turning high school quarterbacks into quality collegiate wide receivers. Terrence Murphy is a prime example, as the school's all-time leader in receptions (131) and receiving yards (1,962) earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last fall and was a second-round draft choice by the Green Bay Packers.

While Murphy has departed for the NFL, there are still plenty of former prep signal-callers running routes for the Aggies. And now is their chance to take over as the team's go-to guy.

Seniors Jason Carter (6-0, 202) and L'Tydrick Riley (6-2, 228), as well as junior Chad Schroeder (6-1, 180), headline the list of former prep quarterbacks, while Franchione is expecting big things out of red-shirt freshman Pierre Brown (6-1, 192).

Carter, who generated 1,646 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns as a senior quarterback at Caldwell (Texas) High School, is expected to be granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA this season. The versatile big-play threat -- who had a 32-yard rush, a 23-yard pass, a 53-yard reception and a 45-yard kickoff return last year -- is the top returning wide-out after catching 36 passes for 468 yards in 2004. He also ranked third on the team with 866 all-purpose yards (72.2 per game).

Riley put up modest numbers (20 receptions, 285 yards, one TD) last season, but turned heads with a fantastic performance in the spring, capped by a team-leading eight receptions for 66 yards in the Maroon-White Game. He's a great athlete, accounting for 1,717 yards of total offense and 24 touchdowns as a senior quarterback at Crockett (Texas) High School, and the coaching staff thinks he has all the tools to blossom into the team's best receiver this season.

"Tydrick is a valuable part of our offense, probably the best hands on the team," Franchione said. "He's big enough to be an effective blocker, he's intelligent, and he's valuable in several phases of the kicking game. Coaches appreciate him because he's a versatile athlete you can count on down in and down out."

Schroeder was perhaps the best prep quarterback of the group, throwing for 2,534 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. While he hasn't provided a consistent impact on the receiving corps, he has produced several big plays in his two seasons as a collegiate wide receiver. In his A&M career, he has averaged 23.0 yards per catch (12 receptions for 276 yards) and scored three touchdowns, including a 49-yard scoring grab against Baylor and a 45-yard score against Oklahoma last season.

Brown was primarily a running quarterback at Duncanville (Texas) High School, rushing for 1,173 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior. After working with the receiving corps in his red-shirt campaign, he looked solid in the spring. In one practice, he made several receptions and scored a couple of touchdowns.

"Pierre has really improved this spring," Franchione said after one of the April practice sessions. "Coming in as a quarterback who had never played receiver, I think this [was] a good first spring for him. He's learned a lot about the position and he's retained a lot. We have a lot of optimism around Pierre."

They aren't former quarterbacks, but junior Earvin Taylor (6-3, 215) and senior Jesse Woods (6-3, 209) could be in for breakout seasons in 2005. Taylor, who started eight times last year, is coming off a 22-catch season (ranked third on the team) for 285 yards (13.0 yards per catch) and two touchdowns, including a 71-yard reception on a fake punt against Oklahoma. Woods seemed to be on his way to his best season as a junior, but suffered a knee injury in the season's fourth game and never returned. He started against Clemson and made three receptions against Wyoming.

Franchione is also counting on a better overall performance from senior DeQawn Mobley (6-2, 201), who started 11 games last season after transferring from San Francisco Community College. For most of the year, he struggled making the transition to the rigors of I-A, failing to catch more than two passes in any regular-season game. However, he made one of the biggest plays of last season when he caught a 55-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown against Oklahoma State and later responded with a season-high five receptions for 70 yards against Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl.

Sophomore Kerry Franks (5-11, 181) and senior Peter Martin (6-0, 190) also look to make a bigger impact after coming off successful spring showings. Franks was the only true freshman on the team to see action last season, catching 12 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns in 11 appearances. His 84-yard touchdown reception against Wyoming was the Aggies' longest scoring catch of the season and he finished with five catches for 128 yards versus the Cowboys.

Another who could find time in the rotation is red-shirt freshman Keith Dickerson (6-2, 186), an honorable mention all-state selection for Texas 4A Champion LaMarque High School as a senior. He caught 27 passes for 595 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in the Cougars' 16-0 season.

The Aggies have four tight ends on scholarship: senior Boone Stutz (6-6, 256), junior Quinlin Germany (6-2, 285), sophomore Joey Thomas (6-5, 243) and red-shirt freshman Amos Gbunblee (6-5, 249).

Stutz, a fan favorite at Kyle Field, leads all returning tight ends after catching 11 passes for 142 yards and a score last fall. Thomas added seven receptions for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Germany caught just two passes for 11 yards but proved to be a valuable player with his ability to play fullback in certain situations.

Junior Taylor Schuster (6-5, 284) was forced to move to tight end last season because of injuries, but will likely move back to the offensive line with the arrival of consensus prep All-American Martellus Bennett (6-7, 243).

Bennett, a freshman from Taylor High School in Alief, Texas, was arguably the top high school player in the Lone Star State and one of the nation's most highly recruited athletes after catching 42 passes for 487 yards and six touchdowns last season. He will also play basketball for the Aggies.



OFFENSIVE LINE


Texas limited the Aggies to just 31 rushing yards and posted eight sacks in the 2004 regular-season finale, while Tennessee manhandled the A&M line all day in the Cotton Bowl.

Those poor efforts resulted in the coaching staff experimenting with a lot of different combinations up front in the spring. Whether that continues in the fall will largely depend on the injury situation, but the linemen are more versatile as a result.

Four starters are back, led by veteran senior quick tackle Jami Hightower (6-4, 355). He made a successful return in 2004, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors after missing the 2003 season with a staph infection. Entering 2005, he has made 29 consecutive starts when healthy.

Sophomore Kirk Elder (6-5, 305) proved to be solid next to Hightower last season, starting the final 11 games at quick guard and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades as well.

Senior Aldo De La Garza (6-4, 307), a two-year starter at strong guard, sat out part of the spring because of a high ankle sprain. It is not expected to keep him out of action this fall though.

At center, A&M returns sophomore Chris Yoder (6-3, 304), who started all 12 games and earned first-team Freshman All-America honors last season. However, he spent part of the spring working at guard while Franchione took a closer look at sophomore Cody Wallace (6-4, 295), who practiced at guard and tackle last season.

The loss of first-team All-Big 12 tackle Geoff Hangartner, a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, leaves a big hole to fill on the left side. Sophomore Corey Clark (6-5, 307) will get the first opportunity there after being the back-up strong tackle last season. Junior Taylor Schuster (6-5, 284) moved back to the offensive line to compete with Clark after filling in as a reserve tight end last year.

Other possibilities at left tackle are junior Alex Kotzur (6-4, 304) and red-shirt freshmen Yemi Babalola (6-4, 316), Kevin Bryan (6-3, 201), and Travis Schneider (6-7, 286). Kotzur was Hightower's backup at quick tackle last season but started all 12 games there as a freshman. Babalola worked with the first-team some this spring after moving over from the defensive line.

Senior Dominique Steamer (6-4, 318) is another versatile player who will be a part of the rotation again in 2005. He has previous game experience at quick guard and quick tackle, and spent part of the spring working as the second-team center.

Junior Grant Dickey (6-5, 310) should also see plenty of action as a reserve guard. He played in five games last season, his first at A&M after transferring from Tyler (Texas) Junior College.



KICKERS


For the most part, the Aggies are in solid shape here, with second-team All-Big 12 performer and Lou Groza Award semifinalist Todd Pegram (6-0, 197) back for his senior year. The three-year starter is tied with former kicker Terence Kitchens atop the school's career field goal accuracy list, with Pegram having made 41-of-56 (.732) during his tenure at A&M.

Last season, Pegram made his first 12 field goal attempts before missing a 32-yard attempt in the regular-season finale against Texas. That snapped his Big 12 record of 16 consecutive field goals, dating back to the 2004 campaign. Overall, his 12-of-13 effort (92.3) for the season included five field goals in an overtime win over Colorado and a career-long 44-yarder against Baylor.

While Pegram has been extremely accurate on his field goal attempts, he struggled at times on PATs last season, making just 37-of-42 (88.1). That was unusual, considering he had missed just four of 67 career PAT attempts heading into his junior campaign.

But if Pegram's struggles with his extra points continue this fall, don't be surprised to see junior Layne Neumann (6-0, 170) earn a shot. The Aggies' kickoff specialist has a stronger leg, as evidenced by his 46-yard field goal to end the first half against Baylor last season.



DEFENSIVE LINE


Last season, a talented group of red-shirt freshmen sparked a resurgence of the defensive front. But inexperience cost A&M in the biggest games of the year, as the veteran lines of Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee had their way with the Aggies.

Now that sophomores Jason Jack (6-4, 277), Joseph "Red" Bryant (6-5, 312) and Chris Harrington (6-5, 272) are a year older, that shouldn't happen again, even without the services of first-team All-Big 12 performer and team Defensive MVP Mike Montgomery. The sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers led the team with six sacks and ranked second on the squad with 77 total tackles (team-leading 12 for loss) as a senior.

Jack and Bryant earned Freshman All-America honors as mainstays on the line last season. Jack started 11 games at defensive end and made 48 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and batted down a pair of passes. He posted a career-high 10 tackles against rival Texas.

Meanwhile, Bryant started all 12 games at defensive tackle and collected 34 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and blocked a kick. He had a career-high six tackles against Colorado.

Harrington looks to take over for Montgomery after recording 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks as his backup last season.

Another sophomore, Jorrie Adams (6-7, 282), was suspended in the spring because of academic and personal reasons and then booted for good in early June because of a violation of team rules. He showed promise off the bench last fall, contributing 22 tackles in 12 games as a reserve defensive end. The other starting spot on the front four is held down by senior Johnny Jolly (6-3, 309), a two-year starter who made 45 total tackles -- including eight versus Texas and six against Tennessee -- last season.

Senior David Ross (6-3, 289) also figures to be part of the line rotation after notching a dozen tackles and playing in every game last year. He started the season-opener against Utah at defensive end.

Others who look to contribute include senior Lawrence Hooper (6-4, 277), juniors Bryce Reed (6-0, 290) and Marques Thornton (6-1, 279), and red-shirt freshmen Will Morrisey (6-2, 339), Cyril Obiozor (6-4, 283) and Chris Smith (6-4, 263).

Reed made a season-high four tackles in last season's opener against Utah but had his momentum derailed with a mid-season injury that caused him to miss five games.

Franchione also expects immediate help from his recruiting class, highlighted by prep All-Americans Paul Freeney (6-3, 240) and Vincent Williams (6-4, 280). Three other linemen -- East Central Mississippi Community College transfer Henry Smith (6-3, 320), freshman Michael Bennett (6-4, 253) and fellow classmate Kellen Heard (6-5, 340) -- all enrolled in January and participated in spring practice.


LINEBACKERS


Five players with starting experience return to a unit that should led by junior Justin Warren (6-3, 231), an Associated Press honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection and member of the Butkus Award Watch List last season.

The middle linebacker started nine-of-11 games played, logged 58 total tackles in 2004, and paced the Aggies with seven tackles and a sack in the spring game.

"Justin has really taken a step as a linebacker," Franchione said during spring drills. "He has good speed. He understands the defense and he's comfortable with what he's doing. He runs and makes plays all over the field."

Warren will likely be joined in the starting lineup by senior Lee Foliaki (6-2, 238) at strong-side linebacker and either senior Renuel Greene (6-3, 240) or sophomore Stephen Hodge (6-1, 213) at rover.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram selected Foliaki, who was born in Tonga, the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year last fall. The transfer from Butler County (Kansas) Community College started the final eight games and produced 52 of his 63 total tackles and all three of his sacks during that stretch. His best overall game came against No. 2 Oklahoma, when he registered 11 stops (two behind the line), a sack and a pass break-up. Foliaki also made the game-winning play in the overtime win over Colorado, forcing Buffs running back Bobby Purifoy to fumble and pouncing on the ball to clinch the win.

Greene also made eight starts last season, including six of the final eight games after Keelan Jackson was injured. The transfer from East Mississippi Community College totaled 24 tackles, matching his season-high of four in the Cotton Bowl loss to Tennessee.

The Texas A&M coaches would like to see more production from the rover position, which led them to move reserve defensive back Stephen Hodge (6-1, 213) to that slot in the spring. The converted corner ended the session running with the first team.

"I think he's gotten significantly better in [spring practice]," Franchione told reporters in April. "He's got a better feel for the position. The move has been good for him, and we needed somebody to fill that role."

Versatile junior Archie McDaniel (6-2, 230) also saw time with the first team in the spring, alternating with Warren and Foliaki at middle linebacker and strong-side linebacker respectively. McDaniel has seven career starts and made 57 total tackles last season. He notched a career-high 12 tackles against Oklahoma, had an interception against Texas Tech, and forced a fumble against Oklahoma State.

Junior Nurahda Manning (6-2, 240) made his only start last season in the Cotton Bowl and responded with a season-high four tackles against the Vols. He had 17 tackles overall and should be in the mix for playing time again.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


Senior Jaxson Appel (5-10, 198) has already earned his spot as one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12, while sophomore Japhus Brown (5-11, 195) could be well on his way to joining him. However, this dynamic safety duo needs help in order for the secondary to improve as a whole.

The Aggies allowed 24 touchdown passes last season, including 17 by league foes, and no team in the South Division allowed more passing yards per game (244.0) in conference play.

Cornerback is a major concern with last year's starters -- Jonte Buhl and Byron Jones -- having exhausted their eligibility. Several players are in the mix for the two open spots in the secondary, with the first-teamers not likely to be decided until just before the season.

Seniors Ronald Jones (5-10, 188) and Bryant Singleton (5-11, 198) have the edge in experience. Jones was a reserve corner and a special teams standout last season but started all 12 games and ranked third on the team with 91 total tackles as a sophomore in 2003. Singleton is a former prep All-American (PrepStar) wide receiver that has struggled to make a significant impact in the secondary because of the learning curve and injuries. He started last season's opener against Utah and had eight tackles but was injured and missed the next three games.

Sophomore Broderick Newton (5-11, 189), as well as red-shirt freshman Danny Gorrer (6-0, 178), should figure into the team's plans based on their performances last season and this spring respectively.

Sophomore Erik Mayes (5-9, 176) led all Aggie reserves with 69 total tackles (tied for third overall) and tied for the team-high with eight pass break-ups as a red-shirt freshman last season. But he won't be around this season after being dismissed from the team in early June for a violation of team rules.

Newton came on late last year, registering 11 tackles (six solo) and two pass break-ups in the home finale against Texas Tech. He ended the season with 24 total tackles, four pass break-ups, and one forced fumble.

The coaching staff is high on Gorrer after his impressive spring showing. He brings outstanding speed and excellent credentials to A&M, earning second-team Class 5A all-state honors on the gridiron and playing a key role on the school's state champion 4x400 meter relay team as a senior at Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial High School.

Meanwhile, Appel is the undisputed leader of the secondary, starting the last three seasons and leading the team in tackles the last two. The first-team All-Big 12 performer started his first two years at free safety and turned in a school defensive back record 135 tackles as a sophomore, including 18 against Virginia Tech. Last year he moved to strong safety and didn't disappoint, collecting 85 total tackles (45 solos), with a dozen stops against Utah, Oklahoma and Texas.

Brown stepped in for Appel at free safety last year, starting 10 games and leading the team with three interceptions. He matched Appel's career-high 18-tackle performance against Colorado and finished with 62 total stops.

Junior Melvin Bullitt (6-1, 191) started two games in the secondary last fall, while red-shirt freshman Jordan Chambless (6-1, 205) was moved to safety in the spring to add further depth. Chambless practiced primarily at quarterback with the scout team last year and is also a pitcher on the Aggies' baseball team.



PUNTERS


The Aggies must replace starter Jacob Young, who struggled early but improved down the stretch of his senior season. Still, his 38.8 yards per punt average, which ranked 11th in the Big 12, won't be hard to replace.

Red-shirt freshman Richie Bean (6-0, 180) is expected to take over the punting chores and will be an improvement if he's able to match the success he had at John Ehret High School in Marrero, La.

Bean displayed a strong leg as a senior, earning all-state honors after averaging 43.4 yards as a punter and making 9-of-11 field goals as a place-kicker. He drilled a 55-yard field goal in one game and 87 percent of his kickoffs reached the end zone.

Freshman Justin Brantly (6-3, 207) will provide immediate competition when he steps on campus in the fall. The Prep All-American (USA Today, U.S. Army, PrepStar) was a two-time all-state selection at Sealy (Texas) High School, where he pinned opponents inside the 20 over 60 percent of the time and averaged 39.6 yards per punt as a senior.



SPECIAL TEAMS


A&M takes pride in its special teams, annually giving a scholarship to a deserving walk-on and calling him "The 12th Man."

Junior defensive back John Ray (6-1, 209) was the recipient of last season's award, but he's going to need help from a slew of athletic newcomers and red-shirt freshman if the Aggies are to shed last season's stigma as one of the league's worst at covering kicks and punts. Against Big 12 foes, A&M ranked 10th in kickoff coverage, allowing 21.6 yards per return, and fared worse in punt coverage, ranking 11th after allowing 5.1 yards per return.

The coaching staff believes Chambless can help shore up the return units that ranked 10th on kickoffs (16.9 yards per return) and last on punts (4.4 yards per return). Wide receiver Carter (18.3 yards per return) and cornerback Mayes (6.1 yards per return) were the best at handling those respective duties last season.

[Morph]

Texas Tech

Mike Leach is the only coach in Texas Tech history to lead his first five teams to bowl appearances, and only Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Texas' Mack Brown can match that feat in the Big 12.

That's just one of the reasons Leach has gone from being one of the lowest-paid coaches in the league with just two years remaining on his contract to having one of the league's most secured positions in a span of just two seasons.

There are plenty others, including facts such as:

• Leach has established himself as one of the top offensive coaches in the nation, with the Red Raiders winning their third straight NCAA passing title and second straight NCAA total offense title in 2004.

• Leach guided last season's squad to an 8-4 record (the fewest losses in his tenure), which included a shocking 45-31 win over No. 4 California in the Holiday Bowl and a Top 25 national finish.

• Leach has had three consecutive teams finish with eight wins or more, a school record.

• Leach's five teams have combined to break more than 150 team and individual school records.

Texas Tech athletics director Gerald Myers, who announced Leach's second contract extension and pay increase in a little more than a year this past spring -- a deal that should keep him in Lubbock through the 2009 season -- has his reasons as well.

"Attendance is up. Revenues in football are up,'' Myers told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "So it's a situation that if you want to keep your coach and keep things going and have the continuity of a coach being there and his staff, I think you need to reward them with a good financial package as an incentive to stay. I think Mike's earned that.

"This salary increase, we think, will help him to be more in line with the market in the Big 12. That'll put him somewhere in the middle of the Big 12 coaches, which I think he has shown with past performance that we've been competitive."

Now the challenge for Leach is to keep a good thing going, one season after the school posted its best overall finish (tied for third) in Big 12 play.

"I hope he's going to be our coach for a long time," Myers told the Avalanche-Journal. "He's done a good job of building a program. & I think it's improved every year, his recruiting is good, and he's got a good nucleus coming back [this] year."



QUARTERBACKS


Entering the season with a new starter at quarterback is nothing new to Leach, who will be working with his fourth different starter in the last four years.

In 2003, Leach replaced quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, the holder of 17 NCAA career passing records, with fifth-year senior B.J. Symons. All Symons did was throw for an NCAA single-season record 5,833 yards in his only season as the starter.

Last year, Leach had fifth-year senior Sonny Cumbie make his debut as the starter. He responded by matching Kingsbury's and Symons' achievements as the NCAA leader in every passing category, including 4,742 passing yards (to rank sixth in NCAA single-season history). Cumbie capped his career with a personal-best 520-yard performance in the Holiday Bowl win over California.

Conventional wisdom suggests that current fifth-year senior Cody Hodges (6-1, 211) is the next in line. He has played in just seven games (all in a back-up role) over the course of his career, yet completed 20-of-26 passes for 237 yards in the spring game.

But Leach hasn't officially picked a starter, in part because of red-shirt freshman Graham Harrell (6-2, 190), who showcased his accurate arm for much of the spring. He did miss the last week of spring practice because of an off-the-field ankle injury, but he is expected to be at full strength in time for two-a-days.

"I think Cody Hodges looked good [in the spring], but there's several months between now and the season," Leach said in mid-April. "We'll look back and see how everyone is doing when we get to that point." Harrell had an incredible prep career, passing for an overall Texas high school record 12,532 yards and 167 touchdowns while playing for Ennis (Texas) High School. The EA Sports All-American was also tabbed the Gatorade Texas Player of the Year after throwing for 4,825 yards and an incredible 67 touchdowns as a senior.

Sophomore Phillip Daugherty (6-3, 222) was also in the mix early on in the spring but is likely to be the No. 3 quarterback for the second consecutive year. Like Harrell, Daugherty put up impressive prep numbers, throwing for 3,277 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior at Bridgeport (Texas) High School. The 2002 Class 3A Player of the Year set a state classification record with 10,136 passing yards over the course of his career.



RUNNING BACKS


The status of senior Taurean Henderson (5-10, 205) was in question in the spring, as the versatile running back needed to complete some academic work in order to be eligible.

"I'm concerned. You're always concerned," Leach told the Avalanche-Journal in late March. "If he works hard there won't be any problem." Initially, Henderson would have had to pass 12 hours in summer school to complete his bachelor's degree, the previous requirement for initial academic partial qualifiers seeking a fourth season of competition. However, the NCAA approved immediate legislation in May that made it a bit easier on Henderson, making him eligible to play if he completes summer school with at least 80 percent of the work toward his degree completed.

The talented multi-purpose back concentrated on his studies and practiced just five times in the spring, including the Red-Black Game, and is a big key to Tech's plans. He's the only player in the history of any Big 12 school to rush for more than 2,000 yards (2,369) and collect more than 1,500 receiving yards (1,530) in a career. With 236 career catches, he is also on pace to shatter Wes Welker's school career receptions record of 259 and the NCAA's record for receptions by a running back. He needs just 26 receptions to match the career best held by former Long Beach State standout Mark Templeton.

Last season, Henderson earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors after averaging 5.2 yards per rush (840 yards on 162 attempts) and catching 60 passes for 286 yards out of the backfield. His 18 touchdowns, 16 of which came on the ground, ranked second to only Cedric Benson (20) in the Big 12 and established a Tech junior scoring record of 108 points. He now needs just 30 points to become the Red Raiders' all-time leading scorer.

While Henderson was working on his academics, red-shirt freshman Shannon Woods (5-10, 193) took advantage of an increased workload. He's a physical back with 4.4 speed and a 34-inch vertical leap and should be a solid contributor this fall.

Sophomore Taurance Rawls (5-10, 203), who had just three carries for 24 yards in limited action last year, will battle Woods for time in August after missing much of the spring recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


While a large portion of the credit goes to Leach's pass-first offense, junior Jarrett Hicks (6-4, 209) has proven he would be a star on any team in the nation.

Last season, the second-team All-Big 12 performer lead the conference with 98.1 receiving yards per game and ranked third with 6.33 catches per contest. His 1,177 receiving yards set a Tech sophomore record and his 13 touchdowns established an overall school single-season best.

Hicks began his record-breaking sophomore campaign with four consecutive 100-yard receiving efforts, including eight catches for 211 yards and a score against TCU. He capped the year with back-to-back two-touchdown efforts against Oklahoma State in the regular-season finale and California in the Holiday Bowl. The latter was part of a career-high tying nine receptions for 69 yards.

Fellow classmate Joel Filani (6-3, 214) was a part-time starter at the other outside receiver, or the "Z" in Red Raider terminology, last season. The rangy wide-out had just 12 catches all of last year, but had a breakout game in the Holiday Bowl. Filani set career-highs in receptions (five), receiving yards (144) and longest scoring reception (60 yards) in the win over Cal.

The Red Raiders do have to replace departed seniors Trey Haverty and Nehemiah Glover, a pair of honorable mention All-Big 12 standouts who ranked second and third respectively (behind Hicks) in receiving yards per game. Haverty caught 77 passes for 1,019 yards (84.9 yards per game) and six scores, while Glover overcame injuries to manage 62 receptions for 660 yards (73.3 yards per game) and a touchdown.

Sophomore special teams ace Danny Amendola (5-11, 174) will likely take over at one of the inside receiver positions, most likely at H-back. He was the only true freshman to play for Tech last season, earning a start against Oklahoma State, and he finished with 13 receptions for 119 yards and a score overall.

Leach is counting on a pair of red-shirts from last season, freshman L.A. Reed (6-2, 189) and junior Robert Johnson (6-2, 207), to fill the slot at Y receiver.

Reed is extremely athletic and could turn out to be one of the league's most dangerous receivers, but his development was slowed because of an ankle injury that caused him to miss nearly half of spring drills.

Johnson is a speedy talent who looks to have made a successful transition to receiver in the spring. He arrived in Lubbock as the nation's No. 1 JUCO quarterback (Rivals.com, JCFootball.com, CollegeFootballNews.com) after leading Reedley (Calif.) College to a 21-2 record and a national championship in his two seasons there.

Senior Slade Hodges (6-1, 213) -- Cody's younger brother -- also turned heads in the spring with his performance at the Y position, while junior Marquis Johnson (6-2, 225) and red-shirt freshman Anthony Jenkins (5-11, 183) were locked in a tight battle to back-up Filani at Z. Jenkins caught six passes for 80 yards in the spring game, including a 40-yard reception.

The tight end position isn't a regular part of the offense, although senior Bristol Olomua (6-6, 236) is a big, dependable target when needed. Last season, the native of Laie, Hawaii caught 27 passes for 259 yards and five touchdowns in just seven games played after transferring from BYU.



OFFENSIVE LINE


There are plenty of question marks up front with the Red Raiders having to replace honorable mention All-Big 12 selections Cody Campbell, Dylan Gandy and Daniel Loper.

Thus, Tech was already thin in terms of depth when spring practice began, and the loss of senior reserve tackle Daniel Christian (6-5, 306) to a shoulder injury midway through didn't help.

Senior E.J. Whitley (6-6, 293), who experimented at center in the spring, and junior right guard Manuel Ramirez (6-4, 333) are entrenched as starters, although Whitley could move back to right tackle if junior Brandon Jones (6-4, 290) can handle the snaps. Jones can also play both guard positions.

Another option at right tackle is former tight end Gabe Hall (6-4, 287), a junior who ran with the first team in the spring when Whitley played center. The left side of the line is the biggest unknown with left guard Campbell and left tackle Loper having moved on to the NFL (along with center Gandy). Veteran special teams performers Bryan Kegans (6-5, 290), a junior, and Glenn January (6-7, 296), a senior, are expected to replace Campbell and Loper respectively.

Others who will challenge for time in the line rotation include sophomore Josh Morris (6-3, 287) at left guard, red-shirt freshman Josh Aleman (6-3, 285) at center, and sophomore Ben Griffin (6-4, 303) at right guard.



KICKERS


Both place-kickers from a year ago return, with sophomore Alex Trlica (5-11, 175) expected to hold on to his starting role after becoming just the fifth player in school history to complete every extra point (55-of-55) he attempted.

Trlica made just 7-of-13 field goal attempts (53.8) last season, but his short-game accuracy (he made all seven attempts inside of 40 yards last season) was a major reason he was able to hold off incumbent starter Keith Toogood (6-2, 195) upon the latter's return from an injury suffered in last year's opener.

However, Toogood, a junior, is healthy heading into the fall and will try to earn his spot back in August. He has displayed a bit of a stronger leg, making a 47-yard field goal against Iowa State in 2003, while making 8-of-14 field goals (57.1) and 66-of-70 PATs over the course of his career.

Toogood, who kicked off 57 times last fall and recorded 23 touchbacks, will likely hold down that role full-time this fall, but Trlica has experience in that area as well.



DEFENSIVE LINE


The goal again is to improve a rush defense that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 after allowing an average of 176.2 yards per contest last season. Only league cellar-dweller Baylor allowed more (205.8 yards per game).

The pass rush is also a concern after the Red Raiders finished last in the Big 12 with just 17 sacks all of last season, and the loss of first-team All-Big 12 performer Adell Duckett to the NFL (San Diego) doesn't help. Duckett was the team's starting rush end and collected 36 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a senior. He finished his career with 28 career sacks to rank second on the school's all-time list.

Fortunately for Leach, three starters do return up front and Duckett's vacated position should be held down by up-and-coming rush end Keyunta Dawson (6-2, 259). The junior is tied for second among Big 12 sack artists returning after collecting a team-leading 6.5 as a sophomore. He also contributed 26 total tackles and a team-high nine tackles for loss.

Junior Seth Nitschmann (6-4, 257) returns to his starting role at left end after making 44 total tackles and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors a year ago. However, he spent the summer rehabbing a knee injury that required surgery at the end of spring drills.

Fellow classmate Chris Hudler (6-3, 285), the returning starter at nose tackle, was also banged up in the spring and held out of contact. Senior Fred Thrweatt (6-3, 330) enters the fall as his backup.

Senior Dek Bake (6-6, 260) and junior Ken Scott (6-3, 315) are back to compete for the starting role at right defensive tackle. Scott, who squatted a school-record 700 pounds at the school's annual "Night of Champions" weightlifting competition in 2004, has seen time as the starter there each of the last two years. Last fall he made 16 total tackles in 12 appearances, while Bake had 27 tackles and made two starts.

Other returnees who figure to be in the line rotation include senior Charles Glover (6-4, 268) at left defensive end, senior right defensive tackle Randall Cherry (6-3, 292) and senior rush end Brett Bischofberger (6-3, 283).



LINEBACKERS


Junior Fletcher Session (6-0, 226) has the task of replacing honorable mention All-Big 12 standout Mike Smith, who tied for the team lead with 83 tackles (7.5 tackles for loss) before being selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Session finished last fall with 35 tackles (5.5 for loss), mostly off the bench. He did make two starts, and closed the season with a career-high nine tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup in the Holiday Bowl win over California.

Senior John Saldi (6-5, 239) and junior Brock Stratton (5-11, 231) are slated to return to their starting positions at "Sam" and "Mike" respectively. But both were bothered with bad backs during spring drills. Saldi was held out of all contact drills.

Stratton ranked third on the team with 62 total tackles in 11 games played last fall, while Saldi finished seventh with 52 total stops (five tackles for loss) in the same number of games as his cohort.

There's not much experience behind the starting three, although senior Sam linebacker Sylvester Brinkley (6-3, 234) did play in all 12 games last season after transferring from Reedley (Calif.) College. The other top reserves are a pair of sophomores, Paul Williams (6-1, 231) at the Mike and Chad Hill (6-1, 221) at the Will.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


The Red Raiders allowed opponents a 51.2 percent completion rate (a league-best) and 13 touchdowns while picking off 11 passes last season. Senior Khalid Naziruddin (5-10, 180), who walked on at Tech in the spring of 2004 after playing two years at Howard Payne University, is already one of the group's best. The right cornerback pulled down a team-high-tying 83 opposing ball carriers last season, including a career-high 11 tackles and two pass breakups in the Holiday Bowl.

The left corner will again be manned effectively by junior Antonio Huffman (6-0, 180), who ranked sixth on the team with 59 total tackles, had eight pass breakups, and also contributed an interception. One of those pass breakups came in the bowl win, as he batted down a third-down Aaron Rodgers pass that forced the Bears to kick a third-quarter field goal. He also tied his career-high of nine tackles against Cal.

Red-shirt freshmen Darcel McBath (6-0, 176) and Marcus Bunton (5-8, 184) saw plenty of action in the spring with Huffman nursing a stress fracture.

Sophomore Chris Parker (5-11, 178) and senior SirDon Lewis (5-9, 173) are capable of playing Naziruddin's spot on the right side.

Strong Safety Vincent Meeks (6-0, 206), Tech's only defensive back to receive at least honorable mention All-Big 12 honors by the coaches last season, is also back for his senior year. A former running back, he has made a steady contribution throughout his career and capped off his junior year by earning defensive MVP honors at the Holiday Bowl.

It was Meeks' second-quarter interception of a Rodgers pass that turned the momentum in favor of the Red Raiders, who trailed 14-10 at the time. Tech responded with three consecutive touchdowns from that point, with Meeks finishing the game with eight tackles and a pass breakup as well.

Sophomore Joe Garcia (6-2, 203) and red-shirt freshman Anthony Hines (6-1, 223) serve as Meeks' understudies.

Senior Dwayne Slay (6-3, 215) looks to take over at free safety after coming on down the stretch last season. He has great closing speed and is the program's biggest free safety since former standout Kevin Curtis.

Junior Greg Aycock (5-9, 201), whose spring was limited because of a broken hand, and red-shirt freshman Lance Fuller (6-0, 215) are options if Slay doesn't start.



PUNTERS


Alex Reyes (6-1, 226) enters his junior season as a solid candidate for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter.

Reyes has been a mainstay the last two seasons, putting up the fourth-best single-season average (43.0 yards per punt) as a true freshman in 2003 and following with the eighth-best single-season average (42.2) last year. The latter mark also ranked fifth-best in the Big 12 in 2004.

Besides being consistent, Reyes has also displayed a strong leg over the years. Last year, he set the school single-game punt average record of 57.0 yards per punt against Baylor, driving three punts for 171 yards. He had punts of 62 and 63 yards in that game, and holds a career-long of 67 yards against Oklahoma in 2003.

A total of 15 of Reyes' 67 career punts have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Heading into last season, Leach was a bit concerned about his special teams because of the loss of all-time NCAA punt return record holder Wes Welker to the NFL.

But the Red Raiders didn't skip a beat, thanks to Amendola. The reserve wide receiver earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after returning 29 punts for 371 yards and a touchdown. His 12.8 yards per return average led the Big 12 and ranked 22nd nationally, while it also bested Welker's freshman average of 12.6 yards per return.

Amendola will also return kickoffs this season, along with running back Woods, as Tech attempts to replace departed senior Johnnie Mack in that role. Mack ranked seventh in the Big 12 with 19.5 yards per return last year. Wide Receiver Johnson and red-shirt freshman Marcus Bunton (5-7, 184) could also see time returning kicks this season.

Senior Ian Smetona (6-6, 233) is back to handle the deep snaps once again, with junior Chris Hudler providing reserve duty. Punter Reyes will serve as the team's holder for the second straight season.

[Morph]

Colorado

The law of nature dictates survival of the fittest. Is Gary Barnett the fittest football coach in Division I-A? Maybe not, but he is definitely a survivor.

For almost three full years, the Colorado football program has been at the epicenter of an ugly scandal centered on allegations of sexual assault involving several players and the plying of recruits with alcohol-and-sex-stained parties.

The charges provoked an independent investigation of the entire athletic department commissioned by then-university president Elizabeth Hoffman.

In May 2004, the commission released its findings, among which it was noted that player-hosts did use sex and alcohol to entice prospects, but there was no evidence that university officials, including coaches, were culpable.

Just more than a week after the commission's report, the CU athletic department was restructured and placed under the watch of then-Provost Phil DiStefano. Meanwhile Barnett, who had been placed on administrative leave since February for comments he made about former Colorado kicker Katie Hnida (who had claimed in a Sports Illustrated article that she had been sexually assaulted by a teammate in 2000), was reinstated.

As the controversy widened to encompass a state grand jury investigation, several key figures at the center of the storm began to fall away. Athletic director Dick Tharp resigned last November. University Chancellor Richard Byyny left his post to become the executive director of a new health policy center at the school's hospital in December, though he said the scandal had nothing to do with his decision. Then Hoffman announced her resignation, effective last June 30, in response to mounting questions about her future job status.

DiStefano assumed the chancellorship on an interim basis, as did Hank Brown with the presidency of the university. Former San Diego State athletic director Mike Bohn was hired as Tharp's successor in April; he faces a mountain of budgetary and public relations crises brought about by the scandal.

And then there's Barnett. Not only has he retained his head coaching position -- Barnett is under contract through 2006 with an option for 2007, thanks to an extension signed three years ago -- the Buffs won a third Big 12 North Division title in 2004, albeit in very mediocre style. Colorado won its last three regular-season games to finish 4-4 in the league, then watched as Iowa State gagged away its opportunity to win the division outright by losing to Missouri, 17-14, on the last Saturday of the season.

Furthermore, the program received a modicum of legal vindication when the Title IX lawsuit that ignited the scandal in the first place was dismissed by a federal judge on March 31. U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn ruled that plaintiffs Lisa Simpson and Anne Gilmore did not prove that the university knew that female CU students were sexually harassed by football players or recruits, or that the school was indifferent to the claims.

The controversy has not ended by any means, but Colorado's coaches are seeing the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Discussion is finally centered on the team between the lines, not outside of them.

"They dropped that lawsuit [several] months ago, and there's nothing, because [the media] has got nothing to write about," defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said. "I think it validated that there wasn't any real merit to it."

Added offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, "We couldn't have done what we did last year unless we were of this mindset: You put your head down and you go to work, because you do the right things and good things happen to good people when you do it.

"People have taken it a little bit for granted, what we went through and how we got through it. There has to be something special there. It's something that doesn't get talked about enough, as far as I'm concerned."

Oklahoma throttled CU, 42-3, in the Big 12 Championship, but the Buffaloes rebounded by beating UTEP, 33-28, in the Houston Bowl. Barnett and his staff told their players to treat the bowl game like the first game of 2005; with 50 lettermen and 17 starters returning, the reasoning was valid enough. But can the Buffs match or exceed their hard-earned profits from 2004 in light of a nasty road schedule and a missing go-to tailback?



QUARTERBACKS


When your wide-outs are dropping more often than John Daly at Pebble Beach, it's only instinctual to improvise. As Joel Klatt (6-1, 210) demonstrated through the heart of the 2004 season, that only compounds the problem.

Through the first three games, all Colorado victories, Klatt was managing the game efficiently. He didn't have to put up Dan Fouts-like numbers because Bobby Purify was running like Chuck Muncie.

Then the Big 12 schedule hit, and Klatt went flat. Three interceptions against Missouri, two more in a win over Iowa State and a loss to Texas -- Klatt was fighting himself as well as his error-prone receivers.

Heading into 2005, the hope in the Colorado camp is that Klatt and his cohorts will develop a stronger bond built upon the Buffs' bowl victory over UTEP, when the senior went 24-of-33 for 333 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

"Joel had to get back inside the system and not try to create things that weren't there," Watson said. "He just has to simply play within the system. He kind of went through a rough spot last year when he got outside the system.

"Joel tried to do way too much. He had lost [most] of his receivers that he was throwing to, guys who were responsible for 33 or 34 school records, with [D.J.] Hackett and [Jeremy] Bloom all graduated. He took a lot more on himself. Basically he had to learn, he had to develop relationships [with his receivers]."

The final tally shows Klatt completing just more than 57 percent of his passes for 2,065 yards and nine touchdowns, but the 15 interceptions mar the bottom line. Also, drops reared their ugly head in the spring game, as Klatt was just 5-of-16 for 64 yards.

If Klatt should struggle again, the Buffs have two distinct options available. Junior James Cox (6-3, 210) started over Klatt versus Iowa State last year and mopped up on three other occasions. Cox is more liable than Klatt to exit stage left, rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries last fall.

Bernard Jackson (6-0, 190) is an electric sophomore who punishes defenses with his scrambling speed. He had the best spring game of any of the quarterbacks, completing 70 percent of his tosses and rushing for 41 yards.

Another option is pure passer Brian White (6-5, 225), a sophomore from Mission Viejo, Calif., who missed much of the spring with a wrist injury. "We don't have any issues at quarterback," Watson said. "We feel good about that position."



RUNNING BACKS


After graduating in May with a degree in sociology, Bobby Purify left a 1,000-yard hole in Colorado's backfield. The most pressing issue of fall camp will be who can be entrusted to fill it in.

"Coming out of the spring, our biggest question mark is our tailback position," Watson said. "The thing that's good about it is we have two very talented young players in Hugh Charles (5-8, 185) and Byron Ellis (6-0, 200).

"They're both very intelligent players, they did a great job between the hashes, but they're still young players. You don't just walk out there and be called on to carry the load, as Bobby carried the load last year."

Charles is swift (sub-4.4 speed) but small; whether he can handle the full-time pounding is uncertain. In 2004, the sophomore carried 17 times for 49 yards. Ellis is more rigidly constructed, but he too was used sparingly last year (19 rushes, 61 yards).

Initially, the rushing burden could settle on senior Lawrence Vickers' (6-2, 235) broad shoulders. A V-back not because of his surname but because he's a fullback-tailback hybrid, Vickers was a distant second to Purify in rushing yards last year, netting 248 on 60 carries.

Two other possibilities are junior Brandon Caesar (6-0, 210), who is still recovering from a pair of knee surgeries, and sophomore walk-on Ryan Enright (5-11, 185). Less commonly used to tote the rock, junior fullback Paul Creighton (6-5, 250) doubles as a tight end in some formations.

The Buffs will likely use Vickers as the heavyweight in short-yardage personnel groupings and employ Charles and Ellis in medium- to long-yard situations.

"Our philosophy always has been to play a number of tailbacks. We like to do that as a change-up on the defense," Watson said.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


If radio broadcasts of Buff games were your only source of game-day coverage last year, you might have sworn the team had recruited quadruplets with the last name "Ohnohehadit."

"In 2003, we had six dropped balls the entire season. It was amazing. We caught everything," Watson said wistfully. "Last year we had 38.

"One of our big purposes in the spring was basically teaching the receivers and the tight ends the passing game and then getting them to make the plays. Making the contested catch, or just making the catch."

Only two of Colorado's top seven pass-catchers -- Ron Monteilh and Mike Duren -- were lost to graduation from 2004, so the remainder, led by senior Evan Judge (6-2, 215) and junior Blake Mackey (6-3, 200), has to get with the program soon.

"It's just something you have to go work on -- in drill work, in the classroom, in teamwork, in 7-on-7s," Watson said. "I love the talent we have at the position. Now it's a matter of them finishing the work and being consistent in doing that."

Three catches separated the Buffs' five top receivers in 2004, and Judge's 29 grabs topped the list. His best outings were early -- five catches for 82 yards in a romp over North Texas, six for 50 against Oklahoma State.

"Evan does everything right," Watson said. "He's a very assignment-strong guy. You can count on him to be everywhere he's supposed to be. The main thing with Evan was finish plays. He made some spectacular plays in 2004, and then he'd drop some easy plays."

Mackey produced more star turns, averaging a team-best 16 yards per catch. His finest hour was an eight-reception, 116-yard performance in a 26-20 victory over Nebraska.

"Blake Mackey is the best receiver talent since we've been here," Watson said. "His whole issue is consistency. He'll make the great play then drop the easy play. That was a recurring theme in 2004."

Dusty Sprague (6-4, 190) was a Freshman All-Big 12 first-teamer by The Sporting News after catching 22 passes for 278 yards last season. He missed three games with a broken collarbone but will press Judge and Mackey for time.

An X-factor from the junior college ranks is Alvin Barnett (6-0, 190), who comes to Boulder as a sophomore from NE Oklahoma A&M.

"Alvin has a lot of quicks," Watson said. "He's an explosive player. He'll be a factor. We'll pick our places as we develop him and bring him along, in how we use him so we don't overload him."

If the wide receivers don't mesh with Klatt, the Buffs have two superb senior tight ends in Joe Klopfenstein (6-6, 245) and Quinn Sypniewski (6-7, 265). A second-team All-Big 12 performer as selected by the coaches, Klopfenstein reeled in 28 balls for 284 yards and a team-high four touchdowns in 2004. He rambled 78 yards for a score in the Houston Bowl, the longest play by a tight end in Colorado history.

"Joel Klopfenstein is on the level with Dan Graham in terms of explosive tight end," Watson said. "Different type of player, but on the same level in terms of his ability to make big plays."

Sypniewski was awarded a sixth year of eligibility after injuries devoured his 2003 season. He has been a part of all three of Colorado's Big 12 North Division titles under Barnett.



OFFENSIVE LINE


Ah, the constancy of Colorado: Great skiing, movie stars on vacations -- and the Denver Broncos' running game.

The first two won't aid the Buffaloes' offense, but the last one might. Watson, running backs coach Shawn Simms and offensive line coach Dave Borbely have modeled a portion of their blocking scheme to mirror what their neighbors to the southeast have used to run roughshod over the NFL the last half-decade.

"We had studied their running game the last two years extensively and exclusively really," Watson said. "We believe in a lot of the same things, in terms of being a downhill running team. It's really unique in how the Broncos and the Falcons -- we studied them too, because [ex-Broncos offensive line coach] Alex Gibbs went there -- rush the football. They're the best at it, and that's what we try to pattern ourselves from for the run game."

Three veterans and two relative newcomers will be called upon to put practice into production. Junior Mark Fenton (6-4, 295) started every game of '04 at center; junior Brian Daniels (6-5, 300) has started 22 straight games at tight guard and was an honorable mention all-Big 12 pick last winter; and senior Clint O'Neal (6-5, 290) was immovable as a full-time starter at tight tackle.

The split side -- Sam Wilder and Terrance Barreau -- split because of graduation, but sophomore Tyler Palombus (6-8, 280), a prep tight end and basketball player, wowed the staff with his agility at tackle.

"Tyler Palombus had an enormous spring," Watson said. "You look at him right now, and you think, 'This guy will be a player.' "

Sophomore Edwin Harrison (6-4, 305) missed the entire spring because of shoulder surgery, but he and junior Jack Tipton (6-3, 285) are going to duke it out for split guard chores.

Depth is a concern along the line; senior Gary Moore (6-6, 320) and JUCO transfer Bryce MacMartin (6-2, 290) are the only other returnees with experience at any level. But if the Buffaloes can copy any of the Broncos' legerdemain, oh, the places they'll go.



KICKERS


Is it the altitude, or does Mason Crosby (6-2, 210) have half a foot?

The junior from Georgetown, Texas had a little Tom Dempsey in him last year, booting a school-record 60-yarder against Iowa State. Crosby was no one-kick wonder; he won second-team All-America honors from Rivals.com because he converted 19-of-23 field goals, including five from 50 yards and out. The Cyclones would be defending a Big 12 North crown if it wasn't for Crosby's four field goals in a 19-14 CU victory.

Crosby's kickoffs were also extraterrestrial; only 17-of-59 were returned, with all but one fair catch winding up in the end zone. Suffice it to say Crosby owns the Colorado place-kicking job until someone pries it from his cold, dead foot.



DEFENSIVE LINE


Despite retaining the services of 10 defensive starters from 2004, the Buffs took a diploma-induced dip in the interior, resulting in a position change and a lot of crossed fingers.

Matt McChesney, CU's sack leader in 2004, was the most productive of the departed, but losing Brandon Dabdoub and McKenzie Tilmon damaged the depth. So the staff slid senior James Garee (6-6, 275) inside from end and paired him with classmate Vaku Manupuna (6-1, 290).

Garee seems better suited for inside; he had only 2.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss in 13 starts from the end. Meanwhile, Manupuna emerged as an All Big-12 candidate with 42 stops at tackle.

"He made great strides from his sophomore to his junior year," defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said of Manupuna. "If he can make those same strides this year, he'll have a heckuva year for us."

The burgeoning rush ability of junior ends Alex Ligon (6-3, 255) and Abraham Wright (6-3, 240) also helped prompt Garee's change. Each had 4.5 sacks from the same spot on the depth chart -- rush end. Now both will be on the field at the same time.

Hankwitz is more comfortable with the rotation at tackle rather than end. Senior John Guydon (6-2, 285) experimented with the offensive line but moved back to defense last fall.

"He's explosive," said Hankwitz of Guydon. "He had an excellent spring."

Junior Marcus Jones (6-4, 300) and senior Nick Clement (6-2, 260) will also back up the tackles, though Clement is still dubious because of a pectoral tear that kept him out of the spring.

Sophomore Alonzo Barrett (6-3, 240), undersized but athletic, can sub for either end. However, it falls to red-shirt freshmen Greg Newman (6-4, 235) and David Veikune (6-2, 230) or freshman Zach Jones (6-3, 245) for other backups.

The Buffs should be a better pass-rushing team in'05, but the jury is out on whether this unit can reduce the 161 rushing yards per game CU surrendered last fall.



LINEBACKERS


There is one other great thing about freshmen, besides the fact they'll be sophomores soon. They are also very malleable.

Take Jordan Dizon (6-0, 215), who came to Boulder from Hawaii as a heralded running back and safety. As 2004 training camp opened, the coaching staff was flat-out undecided about what to do with him. Dizon wasn't fluid enough at safety, and there were plenty of running backs scooting around.

Here come the sun rays and booming voice: Move Dizon Forward. "When we moved him up to linebacker," Hankwitz said, "suddenly we got ourselves a very athletic, fast linebacker."

What a revelation, indeed; Dizon was chosen the league's Defensive Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press and was the coaches' defensive freshman of the year after posting 82 tackles at inside linebacker, a CU freshman record. How good will Dizon be when he actually knows what he's doing?

"He didn't really have all the fundamentals of the position," Hankwitz said. "He hadn't been taught the position and had never played it. Well, this spring really gave him a chance to learn the position from the ground up."

Dizon has plenty of tutors surrounding him. Junior Thaddeus Washington (5-11, 240) was second on the squad with 93 tackles at the other inside linebacker. His two interceptions were crucial in Colorado's conquest of Nebraska in Lincoln.

"We really thought Thaddeus came on in the second half of the year," said Hankwitz. "He was more physical and played much more consistently." Returning on the outside is senior Brian Iwuh (6-0, 225), the top tackler from 2004. Of his 98 stops, 12 were for loss, even though his utility wasn't fully exploited.

"We had to keep him out in coverage more than we wanted to," Hankwitz said. "We've got to try to get him more involved stunting and blitzing. He's the hardest hitter on our team. He has excellent speed, and he needs to be an integral part of our defense."

Though not projected as a starter, senior Akarika Dawn (6-2, 240) is a key third-down defender who was fifth on the squad with 71 tackles in '04. Sophomore Joe Sanders (6-3, 220) is back inside after dabbling outside last year. Junior Chris Hollis (6-1, 230) is also a factor in the middle, if he regains dexterity after a foot injury shut him down last season.

Red-shirt freshmen Brad Jones (6-4, 220) and Maurice Cantrell (6-0, 235) are two other reserve options. Junior Jason Ackermann (6-1, 220) is questionable after off-season knee surgery.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


We promise, there's a first string lurking in the discombobulated CU secondary. It's just going to take time to surface.

Terrence Wheatley's (5-10, 170) wrist injury and J.J. Billingsley's (5-11, 185) suspension for the ubiquitous team-rules violation prevented the Buffs from putting their best hoof forward in the spring.

Normally, that wouldn't be a pressing concern; many college teams prefer caution to cohesion in April. But Colorado's defensive backs were peppered for over 260 passing yards per game, a large reason the Buffs were last in the Big 12 in total defense (421.6 yards allowed per game).

The good news is Wheatley, a junior forecasted to start at one corner, will be fully healed in the fall. His presence will mean the battle is joined among him, junior Lorenzo Sims (5-11, 185) and junior Gerett Burl (5-10, 160) for the two corner spots.

"When Wheatley got healthy last fall, he was our best corner," Hankwitz said. "When we have him, we'll have three veteran guys who can push each other."

Sims started 12-of-13 games at corner last fall, notching 56 tackles and breaking up a team-best 11 passes. Wheatley and Burl split the 2004 season roughly down the middle in terms of starts. All of the above could stand to be more physical with opposing receivers.

A pair of Washingtons are also angling for time -- Vance (5-10, 185), a junior who has been afflicted by shoulder problems, and Terry (5-11, 190), a transfer from Garden City (Kansas) Community College who was a second-team All-Jayhawk Conference performer after intercepting six passes and forcing two fumbles in 10 games last season.

After sitting out the spring, Billingsley, a junior, has been reinstated and immediately becomes the front-runner at free safety. He barely got started last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Washington State.

"It certainly hurt us last year when we lost him, because he was our most experienced safety and was a big playmaker," Hankwitz said.

Juniors Dominique Brooks (6-1, 200) and Tyrone Henderson (5-10, 175) shuttled between free and strong safety for much of 2004. Henderson will have to fight off Billingsley for the free safety spot in 2005, because Brooks, CU's fourth-best tackler in 2004, looks like the answer on the strong side.

Tom Hubbard (6-5, 220), a senior with striking stature among his smaller unit mates, came on strong at the end of last year; after starting in the Houston Bowl, he can't be discounted either.

If four consistent players ever stepped forward in this unit, the coaching staff would be ecstatic. Buff opponents converted 36-of-94 third downs (38.2 percent) when seven or more yards were required. That's far too prolific for what should be a shut-down situation.



PUNTERS


Did we mention something about altitude and the Colorado kicking game?

John Torp (6-2, 210) enters his senior season as the favorite for the 2005 Ray Guy Award and the leading active punter in the NCAA with a 44.6 average over three seasons.

Torp's 42.4 net average reveals only part of his value. When the Buffs were planted inside their 25, Torp averaged 49.6 yards a boot, quickly reversing field position. Also, CU opponents could muster only 6.7 yards per return, showing Torp wasn't out-kicking his coverage.

"I don't know anybody who could have a better placekicker/punter combo than we do," Hankwitz said. "We led the nation in net punting and John was very consistent. Those two guys [Torp and Crosby] are phenomenal at their positions."

And that altitude excuse? Torp averaged 43.7 yards a punt on the road.

There went that idea.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Sophomore Stephone Robinson (5-9, 185) evenly divided the kickoff-return responsibility with Wheatley last fall. With Wheatley's health in question, Robinson, a receiver-turned-cornerback, should be the main man deep. Robinson averaged almost 18 yards per return on 15 tries.

Robinson has the punt-return territory more clearly marked; he took in 35 punts and hustled forward for 269 yards (7.7 yards per attempt). He went 48 yards for a touchdown that put CU ahead for good in a 30-21 win over Kansas last November.

The Buffs are set at holder and long snapper. Junior Nick Holz (5-11, 180) maintains the former for Crosby, while senior Greg Pace (5-11, 235) takes care of the latter.

[Morph]

Iowa State

Dan McCarney capped off his first decade as the Cyclones' head man in fine fashion, winning seven games with what was essentially a young team.

McCarney has resurrected this moribund program as the Cyclones' four bowls in the past five seasons clearly show. Last season represented some of McCarney's finest work as Iowa State looked deader than Adam Sandler's Oscar hopes after a 2-4 start (including an 0-3 mark in Big 12 action).

McCarney then snapped his charges out of a 13-game losing streak in league play; the Cyclones won five of their last six games to finish in a first-place tie with Colorado in the Big 12 North. Sure, the Big 12 North isn't what it was a few years ago when Nebraska, Kansas State and Colorado were national powers, but that's still a nice finishing kick.

In fact, the Cyclones came within a field goal of winning the division, but dropped a tough 17-14 decision to Missouri in their regular-season finale. For engineering the improbable turnaround from 2-10 in 2003 to seven victories last fall, McCarney was voted the 2004 Big 12 Coach of the Year by his peers.

And with eight starters back on each side of the ball, the Cyclones appear to be poised for a nice run like they enjoyed between 2000 and 2002 -- when they notched 23 victories. McCarney isn't taking anything for granted.

"We have to improve because the Big 12 North Division is going to be a lot better this season," McCarney said. "We know that."



QUARTERBACKS


For the first time since SportsCenter highlights regular Seneca Wallace left Ames, Iowa State has a budding star under center in red-shirt sophomore Bret Meyer (6-4, 205).

Meyer, a former all-stater at Atlantic (Iowa) High School, causes migraines for opposing defensive coordinators because he can beat teams with his arm and his feet. He started every game last year and finished with 1,926 passing yards and 2,257 yards of total offense. The total offense numbers are sixth best on the school's single-season list.

With three years of eligibility left, Meyer should blossom into one of the Big 12's biggest stars over the next few falls. Meyer came up huge in some big spots, rushing for 122 yards and passing for 114 more in the Cyclones' bowl win and throwing for 345 yards and three scores in a 34-27 victory over Nebraska.

"His maturity, his coachability, his mental toughness and leadership are just fabulous," McCarney said. "He is a guy who rarely makes the same mistake twice and that's what being coachable means.

"He is a young man who has the look in his eye that every time he comes to a meeting or comes to the practice field he wants to learn, he wants to get better. His attitude is 'Help me,' 'I am hungry,' and 'I want to get better.' That is why he has a chance to be a really special player in the next three years."

Another positive omen is that when Iowa State has had an in-state product as its No. 1 quarterback in recent years, bowl trips have resulted. In 1977, Iowa State's No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks were from Iowa and a Peach Bowl invite was the end result. And in 2000, Iowa product Sage Rosenfels led the Cyclones to a 9-3 mark, including an Insight.com Bowl win over Pittsburgh.

Because of Meyer's success last season, his 2004 backup Austin Flynn (6-1, 200) shifted to wide receiver in spring ball. The move looks like a masterstroke as Flynn was a popular target during spring practice and will be tough to keep out of the starting 11.

With Flynn now at wideout, either sophomore Kyle Van Winkle (6-6, 205) or senior Terrance Highsmith (6-1, 190) will be Meyer's understudy at quarterback. Van Winkle played his high school ball just 15 miles from Iowa State's campus, but has not appeared in a college game. He's more a true pocket passer.

Highsmith has flip-flopped between quarterback and wide receiver during his time in Ames. A quarterback in high school, in his one year at the University of North Carolina and then at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College, Highsmith played some wide receiver (a spot he hadn't played since Pop Warner ball) last season for the Cyclones, catching nine balls and also returning five punts for 57 yards.

What's attractive about Highsmith is that he brings the elusiveness and speed of a wide receiver to the quarterback position. His ability to escape pass rushers makes him a serious threat to be Iowa State's No. 2 quarterback.


RUNNING BACKS


Junior tailback Stevie Hicks (6-2, 215) isn't anywhere near as famous as Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, but he has some star quality. The 215-pound Hicks is big enough to run over would-be tacklers, yet nimble enough to make some miss. Sure, he lacks breakaway speed, but his punishing style enabled Hicks (1,062 yards, five touchdowns in 2004) to become the 11th back in Iowa State history to clear the 1,000-yard plateau in a single season and the first since Ennis Haywood in 2001.

Hicks' size allows him to be a workhorse, as his 29-carry, 156-yard, one-touchdown gem against Kansas State last season illustrated. Hicks broke that career-best performance with a 159-yard game against Miami (Ohio) in the Independence Bowl.

So how did Hicks, an Omaha native, escape the clutches of in-state Nebraska? Ironically, the Huskers were done in by one of their own in Iowa State assistant coach Mike Grant (Nebraska, class of 1993). Grant formed a special bond with Hicks during the recruiting process. That close relationship helped, as did the fact that Nebraska, like many schools recruiting him, saw Hicks as a college linebacker. Not Iowa State, which recruited him strictly to run the football.

"We are real proud of Stevie Hicks' improvement last year, especially in the second half of the season," McCarney said. "To be a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore is a tremendous accomplishment against the defenses we played against."

Iowa State's problem at this position is a lack of quality depth. Tailbacks not named Hicks managed just 169 yards last season. Hicks has a death-grip on the No. 1 I-back job, but sophomore Jason Scales (5-9, 200) turned some heads in spring ball and will get more touches in 2005.

Scales, who rushed for more than 6,000 yards in leading West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School to a pair of state titles, carried just 37 times for 92 yards and one score last season. Scales' forte is determined running between the tackles, which is why he was often used in short yardage situations. Expect a much more significant role for Scales this fall.

While Hicks and Scales offer two good options at I-back and Meyer is quite a running quarterback, the H-back position was significantly upgraded this off-season with the signing of Walter Nickel (6-3, 235), a second-team 2004 junior college All-American at Dixie State (Utah) Junior College. Nickel caught 72 passes for 991 yards and five touchdowns in his two seasons at Dixie State.

He graduated from Dixie State after the first semester and enrolled at Iowa State in January, allowing him to participate and perform quite well in spring practice. Nickel's pass-catching skills are ahead of his blocking skills, but he gives a still-growing Iowa State offense (20.5 ppg in 2004) another interesting weapon.

Nickel should win the team's starting H-back over junior Ryan Kock (6-1, 245), a two-year starter for the Cyclones. Kock is an unselfish player who is willing to do anything to help the team win -- whether that means blocking all day and getting one carry a month or working out as a defensive lineman in spring ball. Kock will play fullback in short-yardage and goal-line situations. But because the Cyclones play primarily one-back sets, Kock tried his hand at defensive end to get on the field more.

Sophomore Greg Coleman (6-0, 225), who started two games at fullback as a freshman, has moved back to tailback. Fullbacks in Iowa State's offense rarely touch the ball, so it didn't make sense for the talented Coleman to stay there. The question is whether Coleman, who is No. 3 on the depth chart behind Hicks and Scales, has enough wiggle to be a Big 12 tailback. That's something that will be decided this season.

The Cyclones will add a pair of running backs in the fall, when freshmen Jason Harris (5-11, 200) from Clearwater, Fla. and Dominique Rocker (6-2, 235) of Tavares, Fla. arrive on campus.

Harris rushed for 3,226 yards and 29 career touchdowns and was also a 2004 Florida Class 5A all-state defensive back, if things don't work out for him on offense. Meanwhile, Rocker ran for 3,334 yards and 58 touchdowns at Taveres (Fla.) High School.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The Iowa State coaches feel good about this position, especially if converted quarterback Austin Flynn (6-1, 200), a junior, continues to make a seamless transition to wide receiver. Flynn started 6-of-11 games at quarterback as a freshman in 2003 before losing his spot to Bret Meyer last season. Flynn threw for 1,541 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in two years at quarterback.

Rather than transfer or sit behind Meyer the next two years, Flynn approached receivers coach Mike Grant about the possibility of switching positions for his final two seasons. Flynn showed a willingness to go over the middle and take the hit in spring ball, a trait that should help ease the graduation loss of Todd Miller. Like Miller, the Cyclones' third-leading receiver last season, Flynn will line up in the slot.

Speeding up Flynns' learning curve was the fact budding star Todd Blythe (6-5, 205) missed spring ball after undergoing off-season knee surgery. Blythe injured his anterior cruciate ligament during an individual workout in early February. The 6-5 Blythe, a sophomore, isn't expected to regain full mobility until at least mid-July and the Iowa State coaches won't rush him.

Blythe was one of the nation's best freshmen, setting a school record for touchdown catches (nine). He caught 39 balls for 833 yards. Blythe's yardage total was the fourth highest in a single season in school history. When he's healthy, Blythe is a big, strong athlete who fights for the football.

"As a red-shirt freshman in the Big 12, he led the league in touchdown receptions by a wide receiver," McCarney said. "He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, a phenomenal start to his career. He is one of the best leaders on our football team, yet the great thing is that he has three years left to play."

The question is: Will Blythe's knee heal in time for him to be his usual hard-to-defend self? If not, then Meyer will look for junior Jon Davis (6-4, 200) a great deal. Davis led the Cyclones in catches last year, making 48 for 614 yards and a pair of scores. McCarney thinks Davis can be an even bigger force this fall, thanks to all of his game experience.

Sophomore flanker Milan Moses (6-1, 190) caught 14 balls for 155 yards. His numbers should improve drastically this fall -- given his pedigree and the fact that Miller has graduated and that Blythe is coming off knee surgery. Moses' dad played college ball at Iowa State and his older brother, J.J. Milan, was one of the best punt returners in Iowa State history and is currently a return specialist with the Houston Texans.

Red-shirt freshman Tyler Lorenzen (6-5, 225) began the spring at H-Back but was moved to receiver. McCarney thinks Lorenzen will see meaningful time in Iowa State's three wide receiver sets -- perhaps a great deal of time if Blythe's knee heals slowly.

Junior Ryan Baum (5-10, 190) has been a special teams standout the last two seasons, but he could fit more prominently into Iowa State's offensive plans with Miller gone. Red-shirt freshmen R.J. Sumrall (6-1, 200) and Chris Brown (5-10, 175), along with a pair of freshmen in Marquis Hamilton (6-3, 215) and Levi Kanwischer (6-1, 185), could work their way into the mix too.

Sumrall and Brown have the advantage of having performed well on scout teams last fall, so the coaches know first-hand what they can do. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Kanwischer will be trying to make the quantum leap from being all-state caliber players in Oklahoma and Iowa, respectively, to impressing the coaches quickly enough that they won't be red-shirted.

Hamilton caught 46 passes for 750 yards and four touchdowns as a senior at Edmond North High in Oklahoma City last season. He was ranked among Scout.com's top 100 receivers in the high school Class of 2005. Kanwischer was a Class 4A all-state selection after snaring 31 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Iowa State's offense most often employs a one-back, multiple wide-receiver look, but Nickel will see time as a tight end and as an H-back. Nickel, a second-team JUCO All-American tight end at Dixie State (Utah) College in 2004, caught 38 balls for 514 yards and two touchdowns last year.

"He can line at tight end, or he can motion and be a lead blocker," McCarney said of Nickel, who participated in spring ball. "He's been a real nice addition."



OFFENSIVE LINE


Having first played at and then served as the offensive coordinator at Nebraska, Iowa State's second-year offensive coordinator and line coach Barney Cotton knows the importance of a solid line if you want to field an offense capable of posting PlayStation II type scoring numbers.

Under Cotton's tutelage, the line was light years better than it had been the previous season. The progress made in Cotton's first season is best illustrated by the fact Hicks became the school's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2001. There were still problems, though. ISU allowed a Big 12-worst 34 sacks and ranked 10th in total offense. Plus, the Cyclones had trouble running the ball inside the red zone and hardly were overpowering in short-yardage situations.

The coaching staff is comfortable with its first-team offensive line, especially proven performers like junior right tackle Aaron Brant (6-7, 315), senior left guard Kory Pence 6-4, 315) and versatile senior Seth Zehr (6-6, 300). Add in Minnesota transfer Scott Stephenson (6-3, 290) and twin towers Scott and Paul Fisher (6-7, 320 apiece) and there should be a level of disappointment if the Cyclones' offensive line is not improved from a year ago -- even without Cale Stubbe and Luke Vander Sanden, who both graduated.

However, the question here is quality depth as Iowa State will have more than 20 scholarship offensive linemen in the fall, most of whom have had little to no experience at the Division I-A level.

To fill their hole at center and to put their best five linemen on the field at once, Zehr could be moved around. He can play center, guard or tackle, but looks like the heir apparent to Vander Sanden at center. Zehr's a player. In additon, Brant has started since he stepped onto campus and Stephenson looks like he'll be a stellar right guard.

Also in the mix for a starting spot are seniors Fabian Dodd (6-3, 310) and Johannes Egbers (6-3, 290). Dodd did not play last season after transferring from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.

Additional depth will be provided by red-shirt sophomore tackle John Tjaden (6-7, 300), sophomore center Anthony Walker (6-2, 280), red-shirt freshman guard Tom Schmeling (6-4, 290), junior guard Trent Claussen (6-4, 290) and junior guard Matt Scherbring (6-4, 325).


KICKERS


This job won't be decided until fall. The reason? Sophomore walk-on Bret Culbertson (6-6, 195) was the team's most reliable kicker last year, making 8-of-10 field-goal tries and all 16 of his extra points. But, Culbertson has only decent range (he's good from 35 yards and in) and was inconsistent in spring ball.

Sophomores Corey Paetznick (5-11, 235), a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, and Brian Jansen (6-1, 200), who was Iowa State's starting kicker in the middle of last season before Culbertson took over, didn't do enough to win the job either.

Once fall arrives, the kick line could be as long as the Rockettes' one at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to Culbertson, the two guys to watch are sixth-year senior Tony Yelk (6-1, 205) and incoming freshman Chris Mahoski (5-10, 175) from Bettendorf, Iowa.

Yelk entered 2004 as the starting punter and kicker, but a hip flexor injury forced him to miss the entire season. He'd love to win one or both of the jobs back and bring some stability to an ISU kicking game that missed four field goals from inside of 40 yards and one extra point in the annual spring game. Mahoski earned first-team all-state honors last season, making 69-of-71 PATs and 8-of-11 field goals for Bettendorf (Iowa) High, the undefeated Class 4A state champs.



DEFENSIVE LINE


Exhausted eligibility, some off-the-field issues and attrition have shortened the Cyclones' defensive line depth. The defensive front was one of the Cyclones' strongest positions a year ago as Iowa State put forth its best effort against the run (139.2 yards per game) since World War II.

Three starters are back, including senior nose guard Nick Leaders (6-2, 290) and junior nose tackle Brent Curvey (6-0, 305). Leaders, the son of a former Cyclone and the brother of another, has started every game since the 2002 opener. Leaders' relentless style earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors from the coaches last year. Leaders has made 211 career tackles, 9.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss. He also blocked an extra point and two field-goal tries last season.

Curvey played in all 12 games last season and made two of the biggest plays of the yeaqr, returning a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown in a 26-25 win over Baylor and bringing back another fumble 30 yards for a score in a 13-7 victory against Kansas. Curvey and Leaders are both legit All-Big 12 candidates.

"Nick Leaders and Brent Curvey are a tremendous interior defensive tandem, not only for Iowa State but for the Big 12 Conference," McCarney said. "There are strong, physical playmakers and one of the reasons that we had our best defense here since World War II."

While no one denies Leaders and Curvey are about as good as it gets in the middle, it's when they need a breather that's going to be the issue. Red-shirt freshman Jason McGinty (6-0, 305 pounds) was slowed by a nagging hamstring injury, but he'll be healthy by fall and will get meaningful time. The coaching staff hopes sophomore tackle Bryce Braaksma (6-3, 250), a walk-on who won scout team player of the week five times in 2004, will be ready to make an impact.

Iowa State needs Braaksma to step up because another young player expected to help out, Nick Davidson, who was No. 2 on ISU's spring depth chart at nose guard, was dismissed from the team during the off-season.

Returning right end Shawn Moorehead (6-3, 245), a junior, can play, but the defensive end spot has some questions, too, with Tyson Smith having graduated and Cephus Johnson (6-2, 250) and perhaps Jason Berryman (6-2, 230) trying to get themselves back into McCarney's good graces. Smith signed a free-agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens after he finished his collegiate career with 225 tackles and 12.5 sacks.

Moorehead was a revelation as a sophomore. After playing sparingly as a freshman, everything started to click last season for Moorehead, who recorded 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks. With two years left, he could become a major factor.

Of course, we were saying the same things about Berryman 12 months ago. Inserted into the lineup in the 2003 season opener against Northern Iowa after Smith broke his leg, Berryman recorded 110 tackles (second on the team) as well as 19 quarterback hurries and three sacks. His amazing production was rewarded as Berryman was chosen the 2003 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

But, Berryman served a 258-day jail term beginning Aug. 4, 2004, when he was arrested for mugging and stealing $4 from an Iowa State student and stealing a cell phone from another. At the time, Berryman was on probation after a deferred judgment for vandalizing the car of a female Iowa State student.

Last October, Berryman pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft, a Class C felony, and one count of assault causing injury, a serious misdemeanor. District Court judge William Pattinson suspended a 10-year prison term on the felony charge, but imposed a 300-day jail term on the other charge. Berryman was released early because of good behavior. He's hoping to be reinstated to the Cyclones. If he's able to rejoin the team, can get back in playing shape and can avoid off-the-field troubles, then Iowa State's line gets a whole lot better.

Berryman would join Johnson and Moorehead to form a nice trio of pass rushers. Johnson was briefly suspended after allegedly punching a man in a fight outside a bar, but successfully appealed his suspension and returned to the team during spring practice. The senior defensive end played in nine games last season, recording 23 tackles.

If Berryman and Moorehead can't win the job, junior Korey Smith (6-4, 245) and sophomore Collins Eboh (6-2, 240) will battle for the left defensive end slot. Eboh saw limited time as a freshman, while Smith has notched 13 tackles over the past two seasons.

Two JUCO imports -- Thomas Patton (6-3, 280) and John Machado (6-2, 240) -- bear watching. Patton started his college career at UCLA, where he played in nine games as a red-shirt freshman. He transferred to College of San Francisco, where he recorded 12 sacks and 70 tackles as a sophomore.

Machado, a speedy Miami native, notched 11 sacks last season at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College and was ranked one of the top 20 JUCO defensive linemen in the country by collegefootballnews.com. Machado was a late commitment after originally committing to Southern Miss. Sophomore Kurtis Taylor (6-2, 235) will spell Moorehead from time to time at the right end.


LINEBACKERS


Give senior middle linebacker Tim Dobbins (6-2, 245) credit. The 2004 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, Dobbins hasn't rested on his laurels after finishing with 61 tackles, two interceptions (one which iced the win over Nebraska) and a blocked kick last fall.

In fact, if his inspired work in spring ball is any indication, Dobbins will be in line for Big 12 honors and a possible pro career. He'll be one of the hubs of Iowa State's defense and could easily double his tackle total this fall. He'll play alongside a couple of new faces as Iowa State is trying to replace starters Brandon Brown and Erik Anderson. Converted safety Adam Carper (6-3, 210) appears to have nailed down the strong-side spot.

Redshirt freshman Nick Frere (6-1, 230) began the spring at No. 1, but was beaten out pretty quickly by Carper, who has good speed and a nose for the football. Carper's coverage skills made him the choice over Frere, who's more of a smash-mouth player.

Junior Matt Robertson (6-1, 235) slid over from middle linebacker to weak-side linebacker, where he's No. 1 on the depth chart. He'll start there after he impressed the coaches with his physical nature as well his ability to cover tight ends and running backs.

Smith's backup at the weak-side linebacker spot is senior Jamarr Buchanan (6-1, 230), a walk-on who made 31 tackles last fall. Backing up Dobbins in the middle will be Ron Prelow (6-0, 235), a promising red-shirt sophomore from Tampa. He'll mostly sit and learn from Dobbins this year.

Three newcomers -- sophomore JUCO transfer Alvin Bowen (6-2, 210) and freshman A.J. Haase (6-3, 235) and Josh Raven (6-0, 210) -- will try to make headway on the depth chart once summer drills begin. A native of East Orange, N.J., Bowen red-shirted in 2003 at Garden City (Kansas) Community College, but then led the team in tackles (77) and tackles for loss (14) last season.

Haase starred as a quarterback (22 touchdown passes in 2004) and linebacker (102 stops) as a senior at North County (Mo.) High School in 2004. Meanwhile, Raven was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection at Mariner (Fla.) High School. Raven has defense in his genes -- his older brother is Greg Spires, an NFL defensive end.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


First, the bad news.

Gone is cornerback Ellis Hobbs was selected by the New England Patriots in the NFL draft. Hobbs, a native of DeSoto, Texas, was picked in the third round, and was the 84th overall selection. Hobbs finished his ISU career with nine interceptions, including five as a senior -- the most by a Cyclone in one year since Barry Hill had nine interceptions in 1974.

On the plus side, Iowa State's projected starting defensive backfield of corners DeAndre Jackson (6-0, 190) and LaMarcus Hicks (6-0, 195) and safeties Nik Moser (6-0, 205) and Steve Paris (6-1, 205) should be strong.

Moser, a senior, found a home last season at strong safety after moving between safety and linebacker during his first couple of seasons. In 2003, Moser made 43 tackles in the first five games, but missed the last six regular-season games because of injury. Moser, who reached the finals of the 400 meters at the Big 12 indoor meet as a freshman, was even better last season. He flies around the field and isn't afraid to hit people, as team-best 85 tackles clearly show.

Moser will team with Paris to form one of the Big 12's best safety tandems. Paris was second on the team in tackles last season, making 83 stops. A senior free safety, Paris is strong in pass coverage, but he really excels against the run hitting like a fourth linebacker.

Hicks made an impact at safety last year with 45 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. Hicks will move to cornerback, where it's hoped his game experience and ball skills will help ease the loss of Hobbs.

Jackson brings good size and speed to the other corner spot. With 50 tackles and 10 pass breakups) last year, Jackson proved that he match up well with Big 12 receivers.

Backing up Jackson and Hicks are a collection of walk-ons, because scholarship players such as Josh Hargis, Bobby Chalk and Jerry Gair have left the program.



PUNTERS


Senior Tony Yelk (6-1, 205) was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after missing all of last season with a hip flexor injury. If he's healthy, Yelk is the man. He's averaged 42.3 yards per punt on 164 career punts and is one of the best in school history.

If Yelk's hip acts up, senior quick kick specialist Tony Blankenship (6-1, 195) will take his place. Blankenship's leg isn't nearly as strong, but he gets the ball off quickly. He's averaged 38.8 yards on 105 career punts and has placed 29 of his boots inside the opponent's 20.



SPECIAL TEAMS


ISU led the Big 12 last season in kickoff returns with Ellis Hobbs (24.0) and Tyease Thompson (23.8) back deep. Neither is back this season as Hobbs was drafted by the New England Patriots and Thompson was suspended after his February, 2004 arrest for allegedly trying to burglarize another student's dorm room.

Todd Miller was the primary punt returner last year. The sure-handed receiver has used up his eligibility.

Backup quarterback-turned-wideout Austin Flynn will remain the holder and could get a shot at returning punts. Junior Ryan Baum and sophomore flanker Milan Moses are also capable punt returners. As for kick returns, backup tailbacks Jason Scales and Greg Coleman are listed as starters.

[Morph]

Kansas

Some Division I-A athletic programs, it seems, can't have it all.

These schools have powerhouse men's basketball programs that land them on ESPN more often than Stuart Scott and Bob Ley combined, but struggling football programs that more often that not finish out of the bowls. It's that way at Duke and Kentucky. And at schools like Temple and Indiana, too.

And despite the best efforts of Mark Mangino (who took the Jayhawks to a second-tier bowl, the Tangerine Bowl, in 2003), Kansas has been in that category too. Whether "Ole Roy" or Bill Self was roaming the sideline, the Jayhawks' hoops squad is a fixture in both the top 10 and in the Big Dance.

In football, the best conference record Kansas could muster since the 1996 inception of the Big 12 is 3-5. The Jayhawks are 17-55 in nine years in the league. Mangino's three-year mark is 5-19. He stands 12-24 overall.

Yet, Mangino remains confident. The reason? He's been on this stretch of road before.

Mangino has already been part of two amazing turnarounds in the Big 12 -- first as Bill Snyder's recruiting coordinator, running game coordinator and eventually assistant head coach at Kansas State, then as one of Bob Stoops' right-hand men at Oklahoma.

In year four in Lawrence, can Mangino finally get the Jayhawks over the hump? With eight returning starters, the defense should be stout. The early-season schedule is favorable as three soft touches (Florida Atlantic, Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech) visit Memorial Stadium in September, meaning that Kansas should be almost halfway to bowl eligibility by the end of the season's first month. The question is whether Mangino, revered for his offensive mind, will be able to find a reliable quarterback and running game.

If he plugs the hole at quarterback and finds a backup runner or two, then seven wins and a bowl are possible. If not, then football will once again be simply a couple-month diversion until men's hoops tips off.



QUARTERBACKS


Just like last season, junior Adam Barmann (6-4, 210) and senior Jason Swanson (6-0, 190) are atop the depth chart after it was decided in spring ball to move red-shirt freshman Marcus Herford (6-3, 205) to wide receiver.

With Barmann and Swanson both running the show in 2004, Kansas was second-to-last in the Big 12 (only Baylor was worse) and 100th nationally in total offense (314.5 yards per game). Barmann started eight games before going out with an injured shoulder. He completed 53.8 percent of his passes but averaged just 10.1 yards on his makes while throwing for 1,427 yards.

Swanson also hurt his shoulder in his first start as Barmann's replacement. Although he is considered a better runner, Swanson logged just 10 carries for 45 yards. His season highlight was a go-ahead touchdown pass of 31 yards to Mark Simmons in Kansas' 31-28 victory over Kansas State.

Both Barmann and Swanson are healed. Behind them on the depth chart is senior Brian Luke (6-6, 225), the man who almost engineered an upset of Texas last season (the Jayhawks lost 27-23) and then led KU to a 31-14 romp at Missouri in the season finale.

So, who will win the starting nod and run Mangino's short-passing offense?

Barmann has 11 career starts and is the more vocal leader. However, Swanson has a much firmer command of the offense than he did this time last year when arrived in Lawrence from the JUCO ranks, so the identity of the No.1 quarterback probably won't be decided until near the end of summer drills.

The long-term answer under center will likely be freshman Kerry Meier (6-3, 208), an all-state performer at Pittburg (Kansas) High School. Meier will likely red-shirt this season so he can learn the intricacies of the Kansas offense. But, Meier was a pass-run threat in high school and comes from an excellent gridiron gene pool as three of his brothers -- Shad and Dylan (both at Kansas State) and Adam (Pittsburg State) -- played college football.



RUNNING BACKS


Gifted running back John Randle was given four strikes, but now he's definitely out after being dismissed from the team in mid-March 2005.

After leading the Jayhawks in rushing with 540 yards and six touchdowns last season, Randle, a former all-state back from Wichita Southeast High School, was expected to be Kansas' No. 1 tailback as a junior after starting eight games last fall. But Randle was arrested for the fourth time as a collegian this off-season, so Mangino had to show him the door.

With Randle gone, senior Clark Green (5-11, 220) sits atop the depth chart. Green was the leading rusher on the Kansas' Tangerine Bowl team of two seasons ago with 968 yards and a respectable 4.7 yards-per-carry average. However, Green (309 yards rushing, one touchdown in 2004) isn't the breakaway threat that Randle was.

A pair of Canadians, junior Jon Cornish (6-0, 205) from the suburbs of Vancouver, and red-shirt freshman Tang Bacheyie (6-1, 195) from Windsor, Ontario, are two of Green's backups.

Cornish spent most of this past spring learning how to play linebacker and wasn't moved back to running back until late in spring drills. He has been in the program for three years and will do whatever is asked of him. Despite the shuffle from defense to offense, Conrnish was the leading rusher in the 2005 spring game with 11 carries for 55 yards.

Cornish figures to stay at running back all season, because Bacheyie is a freshman and red-shirt freshman Gary Green (5-9, 175) -- no relation to Clark Green -- is skilled, but needs to bulk up in order to be a workhorse back.

Gary Green, the son of the former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back of the same name, will make some noise as a situational back this season, though. He was a ballyhooed recruit out of James Madison High in San Antonio, where he rushed for 3,496 yards and 44 touchdowns his last two years. Rivals.com rated him the seventh-best all-purpose running back in the nation in the Class of 2004, and he chose Kansas over Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and UCLA.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


After losing his three impact pass-catchers from 2004 in receivers Brandon Rideau (signed with Cleveland Browns as a free agent) and Gary Heaggans (who missed all of spring ball and apparently won't be back) and tight end Lyonel Anderson (signed with Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent), Mangino went shopping at the JUCO ranks rather than asking some teenage recruit to do the job.

It appears Magino found himself a gem in junior Brian Murph (6-1, 185) from Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. Murph enrolled at Kansas for the spring semester and was one of the stars of spring practice -- flashing big-play capabilities just like he had at Butler County.

Last season, Murph led the Grizzlies with 835 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 379 punt-return yards, including a 78-yarder for a touchdown.

"He's going to be a valuable player for us," Mangino said. "He's a big-play guy, but he's a steady guy, too. His reputation in junior college was that he is reliable, dependable and shows up every day."

If he's as good as advertised, then Murph will join senior Mark Simmons (5-11, 185) to give the Jayhawks a nice tandem at wide receiver. Simmons was second on the team with 48 receptions for 553 yards in 2004. A DeSoto, Texas native, Simmons caught at least two balls in every game last season and averaged 50.3 yards receiving per contest.

Simmons is the only returning full-time wideout with more than 10 career catches. That's one reason gifted athlete Marcus Herford (6-2, 205) will be catching passes rather than throwing them this fall. Another is the arrival of hotshot true freshman quarterback Kerry Meier. Herford made the move to wide receiver easily and gives the Jayhawks another tall target, something that you can never have too much of running a spread offense.

"He's one of the best athletes we've had at receiver since I've been here," said Mangino. "It's just a matter of him learning and getting comfortable."

Junior cornerback/wideout Charles Gordon, a third-team All-American in 2004 as a cornerback, is as versatile as a pair of khakis. He moved to cornerback last season and picked off seven balls just one year after he set all the school's freshman receiving records. While Gordon is still manning a corner, Mangino will find spot duty for the All-Big 12 defender on offense. As a part-timer on offense, Gordon caught 15 balls for 150 yards and two scores.

Sophomore Marcus Henry (6-4, 195) could blossom this season too. Henry showed some flashes in 2004, catching eight balls for 85 yards. With more playing time anticipated this fall, Henry's numbers should really mushroom. Redshirt freshman Dexton Fields (6-0, 180) and junior Dominic Roux (5-11, 175) were both solid in spring ball and should see time in Magino's multiple wideout attack.

Anderson's old tight end duties will be split between red-shirt sophomore Derek Fine (6-3, 240) and red-shirt freshman Jim Reuber (6-4, 238). Fine, a special teams standout in 2004, caught just two balls for 16 yards. Reuber was a scout-team player in 2004, but did catch the eyes of the coaches with his blocking skills. Fine and Reuber will have their work cut out trying to fill the cleats of Anderson, who caught 33 balls for 328 yards and three scores last season.


OFFENSIVE LINE


After the departure of second-team All-Big 12 center Joe Vaughn, Mangino first experimented with starting right tackle Matt Thompson (6-4, 295) at center, but it didn't work. So, Magino shuffled the deck a bit -- moving backup defensive tackle Todd Haselhorst (6-4, 300) to center. Haselhorst, who played in 10 games on defense, made Mangino look like a genius by performing well at center in spring ball.

Haselhorst was heavily recruited out of Olathe East (Kansas) High School as an offensive lineman, but Kansas used him as defensive tackle in 2004. However, with the loss of Vaughn to graduation coupled with a strong recruiting class of defensive lineman, the offensive line has the most question marks, so Haselhorst was moved there.

While Haselhorst is new, the rest of the starting o-line is pretty experienced.

Thompson, who began his college career at run-happy Air Force, and red-shirt junior guards David Ochoa (6-4, 280) and Bob Whitaker (6-5, 317) started all 11 games last season, while sophomore Cesar Rodriguez (6-7, 278), a real comer, was an eight-game starter in 2004.

"He's going to be really good at that position," Mangino said of Haselhorst. "In fairness to Matt Thompson, he's an outside player. He's a tackle, and he's comfortable out there. We're a better offensive line with Matt Thompson at the right, Cesar [Rodriguez] at left and Todd playing center."

In addition, the Jayhawks return juniors Travis Dambach (6-4, 295), who started three games at tackle in 2004, and Matt Mann (6-4, 290), a guard who played some in a reserve and also contributed on special teams last fall.

Kansas' new offensive line coach John Reagan, who spent the last two years on Fisher DeBerry's staff at Air Force and is being asked to breathe some life into a struggling ground game, has two JUCO transfers to work with in Marcus Anderson (6-3, 285) from City College of San Francisco and Jake Cox (6-5, 295) from Iowa Central Community College. There are also some promising youngsters in sophomore Mitar Rudanovich (6-3, 340) and red-shirt freshman Scott Haverkamp (6-4, 275), Adrian Mayes (6-3, 300), Matt Darton (6-6, 295) and Ryan Cantrell (6-3, 285).



KICKERS


For the first time in four years, Johnny Beck's powerful right leg won't be in Lawrence. Beck, who finished tied for third all-time in made field goals (40) and was 10-of-16 on field goal tries in 2004 (including a long of 51 yards), wasn't always accurate though. However, he hit his final four attempts, all in pressure situations.

Where his booming leg will be missed most, though, is on kickoffs. Beck's boots often had opponents starting drives inside the 20-yard line, making the defense better. Mangino anticipates sophomore Scott Webb (5-11, 180) kicking field goals and PATs, with sophomore punter Kyle Tucker (6-2, 205) slated to launch kickoffs. Webb made all 29 of his PAT attempts last season and also made two of his five field goal tries in 2004.



DEFENSIVE LINE


To thrive in a big-time conference like the Big 12, you need depth in the defensive line. The reason? You've got to rotate guys in and out to keep them fresh. Without depth, you'll get steamrolled in the fourth quarter. It's as simple as that.

With stud defensive end David McMillan now in the NFL and with defensive end Greg Tyree and defensive tackle Travis Watkins both also gone from the d-line, Magino had to re-stock the shelves. And did he ever, signing seven defensive linemen -- including a pair of JUCO gems from Garden City (Kansas) Community College in tackle Wayne Wilder (6-3, 295) and speed rusher Rodney Allen (6-3, 275). The Jayhawks' signing of both Wilder and Allen is significant, especially considering that in-state rival Kansas State wanted both of them and has quite a history of cleaning up at Garden City.

The addition of Wilder gives Kansas three quality tackles, as he'll battle with sophomore James McClinton (6-1, 290) and smallish, but tenacious senior Tim Allen (6-1, 260) for the two starting tackle spots. McClinton didn't see much time last season, but he impressed in spring ball. Tim Allen, who played his prep ball at noted football factory Dallas Carter, started 10 games last season for the Jayhawks, finishing with three sacks.

To help ease the loss of McMillan, whose speed (he ran a 4.58 for NFL scouts) enabled him to record seven sacks in 2004, Mangino landed Rodney Allen, a 2004 first-team JUCO All-American who piled up 10 quarterback sacks last season. He has great football bloodlines too as one of his cousins is former Miami (Fla.) star Willis McGahee, now the starting tailback for the Buffalo Bills.

One reason Mangino felt so comfortable recruiting junior college stars was because of all the success that three JUCO gems (defensive end Jermail Ashley, free safety Rodney Harris and corner Theo Baines) had in his defense last year.

Ashley (6-5, 260) should join Rodney Allen to give the Jayhawks quite an outside pass rush this fall. Ashley has three sacks and nine tackles for loss last season.

Yet another JUCO import, senior end Charlton Keith (6-5, 225), is back after helping bolster the line a year ago. Keith was part of the rotation last fall, managing three sacks and seven tackles for loss. This year, Keith will either start or be the first defensive end off the bench for the Jayhawks. Either way, look for his numbers to increase in 2005.

Sophomore tackle Andy Temple (6-3, 260) will spell the starters at tackle after learning the D-I football ropes last autumn. Kansas also added five high school defensive linemen on signing day. Of that group, Caleb Blakesley (6-5, 277), widely regarded as the top football player in the Kansas last year at Ottawa High School, is thought to be most capable of making an immediate impact.

Blakesley made a commitment to Kansas, which is 20 minutes from home, way back on Aug. 7, 2004 after attending one of the Jayhawks' preseason practices. Mangino never wavered in their commitment to Blakesley even after he suffered a season-ending knee injury during Ottawa's second game last fall. He's fully recovered as he proved by playing hoops for Ottawa and throwing the shot put and discus during the outdoor track season. He's quite a prospect.



LINEBACKERS


Three senior starters are back and should be the cornerstones of a stout Kansas defense. The best of the threesome is Nick Reid (6-4, 230), a one-time safety who has moved up to linebacker and has been busting up opposing ball carriers the last two years.

A legit NFL prospect, Reid collected a team-best 109 tackles in 2004 -- marking the second consecutive season that he's led the Jayhawks in stops. This fall, Reid just might lead the Big 12 in tackles after finishing second only to Nebraska's hitting machine Barrett Ruud.

While Reid is the headliner of the linebacking corps, fellow seniors Banks Floodman (6-3, 230) and Kevin Kane (6-1, 225) are terrific supporting actors, Floodman (47 tackles in 2004), in fact, is much more than one of the best names in college football. He's a heady player who overcame to a severe knee injury back in 2002 to become one of the on-the-field leaders for the Jayhawks.

Kane graduated from special teams kamikaze to every-down linebacker last fall. And he thrived in his new role, finishing second on the team to Reid in tackles (69). With teams forced to be aware of Reid at all times, Kane often slipped into enemy backfields, as his nine tackles for loss a year ago illustrate.

One guy who could unseat Floodman at linebacker is yet another junior college recruit in Eric Washington (6-2, 220) from Minnesota West Community College (where he was a former teammate of current Jayhawk Charlton Keith). Washington impressed Mangino and his assistant coaches in spring ball after graduating early and enrolling at Kansas for the spring semester. He has quite a resume and it seems likely he'll wrestle the starting job away from Floodman. A second-team junior college All-American, Washington recorded 159 tackles last year, including 14 sacks and 42 tackles for a loss.

Another JUCO player, outside backer Paul Como (6-2, 248) from Saddleback (Calif.) College, will play right away too -- perhaps as a pass-rush specialist on third down. He had seven sacks and 19 tackles for loss for Saddleback last year.

Seniors Darren Rus (6-3, 220) and Brandon Perkins (6-1, 225) have been around the Big 12 block more than a few times and are capable subs. Rus has been a force on special teams during his career, while Perkins (three sacks in 2004) has proven to be an adept blizter in obvious passing situations.

Red-shirt freshman Mike Rivera (6-3, 250) is the best of a group of young linebackers Rivera will be an understudy in this senior-littered crew this fall, but watch out for him beginning in 2006.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


NFL scouts know all about ultra-athletic junior Charles Gordon (5-11, 177), one of the finest corners in the college game.

When he was a freshman, Kansas needed help at wideout, so Gordon played there and was Kansas' best receiver with 57 grabs. Last year, Gordon was desperately needed in the secondary. He moved to cornerback -- and viola, picked off a team-high seven passes and earned All-Big 12 honors. His insertion into the defense turned a much-maligned group into a vastly improve one. And much like Charles Woodson did at Michigan, Gordon will take some snaps at wide receiver too after catching 15 passes in spot duty last fall. Gordon is an All-America candidate.

"There's no doubt that Charles had a major impact on our defense last year and he will again this year," says Mangino.

As for the rest of the starting secondary, red-shirt freshman Aqib Talib (6-2, 180) successfully moved from cornerback to strong safety in spring ball, filling the one opening within that position group with Gordon and senior Theo Baines (5-11, 190) returning as cornerbacks and junior Rodney Harris (6-0, 185) at free safety. Baines started opposite Gordon in 2004 and recorded four pass break-ups and one interception. Harris was fourth on the team in tackles (62) and second on the squad with four interceptions.

Senior Rodney Fowler (6-0, 195) provides quality depth at safety, while twin brothers Ronnie Amadi (5-10, 185) and Donnie Amadi (5-10, 180), both seniors, are experienced corners. Ronnie, who started four times in 2004 and recorded 34 tackles, figures to be the team's nickel back. Donnie (10 tackles in 2004) is more of a special teams maven.

Other defensive backs with the team last year and looking for more playing time in 2005 include senior Marcus Hicks (5-10, 185), junior Kenneth Thompson (5-11, 180), sophomore Sadiq Muhammad (5-11, 180) and red-shirt freshman Raymond Brown (6-3, 195).



PUNTERS


Kyle Tucker won the punting job three games into last season and will pull double duty this season as both the team's punter and kickoff man. Tucker averaged 40.1 yards per boot IN 2004. Tucker forced 11 fair catches last season and dropped 15 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard-line in 2004.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Tucker (40.1 yards per punt in 2004) should blossom into one of the Big 12's best punters over the next few seasons. Kansas also needs to find a replacement for its all-time leader in kick returns, Greg Heaggans, who didn't participate this spring and apparently will not be back with the team.

But, Mangino has improved the overall athleticism of this team since arriving in Lawrence, so there are some speed demons on campus capable of being dangerous return men.

[Morph]

Kansas State

If anyone in Big 12 coaching has earned himself a mulligan, it is Kansas State head man Bill Snyder.

Snyder has done more for the popularity of the color purple than kids' TV star Barney the Dinosaur and author Alice Walker combined by taking a K-State program thought to be road kill and turned into a perennial national power.

When Snyder stepped to the podium back in 1988 and accepted the job, the Wildcats had just finished their second consecutive winless season. Since his arrival, K-State gas gone to 11 straight bowls between 1993 and 2003, becoming one of only seven programs to pull off the feat during that time frame.

Then, out of nowhere came last year's thud -- a 4-7 season in which the Wildcats played like it was 1988. Quarterback play was spotty. The defense was inconsistent. The team seemed to lack togetherness. Throw in some key injuries and some uncharacteristic second-half breakdowns on both sides of the ball and it was no surprise that Snyder and Co. were home for the holidays instead of getting first-class treatment from bowl officials at some warm weather locale.

"For me personally, it was extremely different and it certainly left me with an empty feeling," Snyder said.

Snyder did something about that empty feeling. He instituted a rugged off-season conditioning program and asked his players to be accountable.

"We need to have a better understanding that if you want good things to happen, you have to make them happen," Snyder said. "They don't just happen because they have happened in the past. We need to understand the amount of tremendous effort that is required to be successful and that those things don't just fall into place and happen because they have happened before."



QUARTERBACKS


Snyder has had his fair share of quarterback controversies in his nearly two-decade reign at Kansas State, but this one is different.

Juniors Dylan Meier (6-3, 210) and Allen Webb (6-3, 205) both saw extensive action in 2004, combining to pass for more than 2,000 yards and adding 650 more yards on the ground. That's not bad total production, but neither could stay injury-free, so often Snyder's decision on who would start at quarterback came down to who was healthy enough to play.

Meier, when healthy, seems to be calmer in the pocket and is a much better thrower.

Meier took quite a pounding last year, suffering a throwing shoulder injury in the opener and then an injured finger and a concussion. Meier had off-season surgery on his right shoulder, a move that limited him in spring ball. Meier made six starts and completed 58 percent of his 220 pass attempts for nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

While he's not as mobile as former KSU stars Michael Bishop and Ell Roberson or even Webb, Meier has good mobility, as his 232 rushing yards and six touchdowns clearly show.

While Meier showed his toughness by playing through shoulder pain and other ailments in 2004, his off-season shoulder surgery gave Webb and red-shirt freshman Allan Evridge (6-1, 210) a chance to get the bulk of the work in spring ball.

Webb looks like the biggest threat to Meier right now. A five-game starter last season, Webb's passing still needs work, but he can really run with the ball. After a rough beginning, Webb ended up completing 52 percent of his throws in 2004 and he twice topped 100 yards rushing in a game, including a 147-yard, four-touchdown gem in a 45-21 rout of Nebraska. His running gives the offense an extra dimension, but despite strides made in spring ball he isn't quite the passer Meier is.

Webb enters summer practice as K-State's No.1 quarterback, but the competition for the job will re-open in August when Meier's shoulder is healed.

The X-factor in the quarterback race is Evridge, who possesses all the tools to continue the school's fine tradition of dual-threat quarterbacks. Evridge was helped by the fact that Meier was so limited in spring ball, giving him a chance to get extra snaps and to prove to the coaches that he understood the nuances of K-State's offense. If Meier and Webb are inconsistent, then Evridge will get the call from the bullpen.



RUNNING BACKS


Tailback Darren Sproles will be missed. Sproles graduated from Kansas State as the No. 1 all-time rusher in Division I-A football with 4,979 career yards. A fourth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers, Sproles will back up superstar LaDanian Tomlinson now.

Replacing Sproles will be more than a one-man job in Manhattan, with junior speed demon Thomas Clayton (6-0, 210) as well as senior power runner Carlos Alsup (6-1, 210) getting first crack at it.

Clayton, a Florida State transfer, holds an edge over Alsup and impressive red-shirt freshman Parrish Fisher (5-10, 205) heading into summer drills. Clayton was fourth on the team in rushing a year ago with 71 yards on 14 carries. But, he possesses more speed (sub 4.5) than Alsup, who has had surgery on both knees during his college career. Clayton rushed for 87 yards on 16 carries in the spring game. When he runs hard and gets his pads down, Clayton can be a handful to stop.

Like so many of his teammates, Clayton wants to put last season behind him and get the Wildcats back on track.

"People don't like losing and when you are losing, you will do whatever it takes to start winning and get it right, and that's what we are doing," Clayton said during spring practice. "We are taking it one morning at a time, one day at a time. We just got out there and got it done. We are trying to do everything possible to have a successful season."

Alsup is just happy to be competing for meaningful carries after undergoing surgery on each of his knees the last two years. Alsup is a physical back in the mold of former Wildcat Josh Scobey. He rushed 20 times for 77 yards in the spring game. If he can stay healthy, Alsup will be an effective between-the-tackles runner, a guy who can keep the chains moving.

Fisher and junior Donnie Anders (5-10, 185) are also in the mix at tailback. Fisher, a quick and deceptively powerful runner from Richardson, Texas, turned some heads in spring ball and could be in a position, where he and Clayton split the tailback duties rather Clayton and Fisher. Fisher will need to run well once summer drills start to nail down the No. 1 or No. 2 tailback spot.

Fisher had a great high school career at K.J. Pearce (Texas) High School, where he rushed for 1,914 yards as a senior and 1,700 as a junior. Anders is the smallest of the four tailback candidates, but he has been in the system for three years, and it's his time to make a name for himself.

Experience and depth also returns at the fullback spot, where K-State welcomes back seniors Victor Mann (6-2, 255) and Ayo Saba (6-0, 275). Both don't get their own number called much, but are sledgehammers as lead blockers.



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


With three returning starters at wide-out, Kansas State experimented with a lot of four wide-receiver sets in spring ball.

Junior Jermaine Moreira (5-11, 190) is back after catching 39 balls for 406 yards and four scores last season. In the past, he has been a guy who Kansas State quarterbacks look to on third down when they need a 10-yard catch. Moreira would like to catch some deeper balls over the next two seasons.

"I think the passing game is definitely going to be in the game plan with the receivers we have coming back," Moreira said during spring practice. "We have a good group of wide receivers. Whatever gets the job done, whether it's running or passing, that's what we are going to do."

Junior Yamon Figurs (6-0, 180) and senior Davin Dennis (6-1, 180) are two other proven weapons. Figurs is blessed with stretch-the-field type speed and finished third on the team last year with 31 catches for 483 yards and two touchdowns. Dennis has caught 44 balls over the last two seasons (22 apiece in 2003 and 2004), but his yards per catch and touchdowns were down last year as K-State's quarterbacks found their way.

A new face to watch is Jordy Nelson (6-3, 216), a former walk-on who was moved over from free safety to wide receiver and could start. A red-shirt sophomore, Nelson is a much bigger target than Moreira, Figurs or Dennis and he has great speed for his size. And as a former safety, Nelson isn't afraid to hit people, which should be a plus for him as a blocker.

Another big target is senior Jessie Martinez (6-4, 205), who will back up Moreira. He's viewed as a guy who will come in on obvious passing downs and will be asked to make the short to medium range catch. He is also the team's backup punter.

Sophomore wide receiver Casey Hausman (6-2, 180) caught Snyder's eye in spring practice and will be a contributor as a return man and as a backup wide receiver.

With the steady Brian Casey (22 receptions in 2004) having graduated, red-shirt freshman Brett Alstatt (6-5, 230) and sophomore Rashaad Norwood (6-5, 230) look like the team's two best options at tight end. Both have soft hands and are athletic, but still need to put more meat on their bones in order to be the bone-crunching blockers that Snyder expects his tight ends to be.

Norwood was the projected starter heading into spring ball, but he landed in Snyder's doghouse. That gave Alstatt and junior Sean Lowe (6-3, 230), a converted linebacker, an opportunity to impress the coaching staff.

And don't forget incoming freshman Nick Prater (6-4, 257), who chose K-State over Iowa State, Kansas and Michigan. The coaching staff loves this new recruit so much that Prater will be given every chance to see field time right away rather than red-shirt.



OFFENSIVE LINE


This mostly young group will be a huge key to Kansas State's season. In senior right tackle Jeromey Clarey (6-7, 300), this unit has one of the most accomplished blockers in the Big 12. A 26-game starter at K-State, Clarey is a mountain of a man with quick feet and long arms -- which makes him adept as a run blocker and a pass blocker. When it's third-and-two, the Wildcats will run behind Clarey, a future pro, more times than not.

Besides Clarey, this unit is inexperienced, but athletic. Red-shirt freshman Ryan Schmidt (6-5, 290) will start at center after being impressive in practices last year and then again in spring ball. Sophomore John Hafferty (6-3, 305) has nailed down the left guard slot and looks like a future all-league caliber player given his rare combination of size and speed. Junior Greg Wafford (6-2, 315) and red-shirt freshman Caleb Henry (6-1, 305) will continue their spirited battle for the starting right guard position in August.

Yet another red-shirt freshman, Gerard Spexarth (6-7, 290), will start at left tackle. He's still a work in progress and will get beat off the edge by some Big 12 veterans this season, but he figures to a dominant force in a year or two. If Spexarth can't handle the left tackle job this fall, then JUCO import Michael Frieson (6-7, 315) will play there. A Bakersfield (Calif.) Community College product, Freirson enrolled at Kansas State in January and was able to participate in spring ball.

Clarey's understudy at right tackle will be mammoth sophomore Logan Robinson (6-9, 320).



KICKERS


Joe Rheem, the school's No. 3 all-time scorer, has departed after kicking every field goal and extra point over the last two seasons. Rheem's replacement figures to be sophomore Jeff Snodgrass (6-2, 200), who is No. 1 on the depth chart after his top-shelf work in spring practice.

Should Snodgrass falter in summer drills or once the games are played for real, then sophomore Tim Schwerdt (5-8, 166) will get an opportunity to show his stuff. Snodgrass and Schwerdt both made 56-yard field goals in the annual spring game.



DEFENSIVE LINE


Every year from 1998 through 2003, the Wildcats were ranked among the top six nationally in total defense. Last fall, the level of defensive line play slipped considerably and so did K-State's defense as the unit was 43rd nationally in total defense.

Three senior starters in tackle Derek Marso (6-3, 285) and ends Tearrius George (6-4, 250) and Scott Edmonds (6-4, 260) hope to prove that last year was a fluke, not the start of a downward trend.

An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season, Marso (four sacks in 2004) is adept at disrupting the timing of opposing offense with his quick penetration against the run or pass. Marso will team with junior Quintin Echols (6-2, 305) to give K-State a pair of big tackles that are capable of occupying blockers and freeing up an experienced linebacking corps to make bushels-full of tackles each Saturday.

Edmonds, a starter in all but two games in 2004, and George, a talented pass rusher who made four starts last year, should be strong bookends to the line. Edmonds collected a team-high seven sacks, giving up 13 over the last two seasons. George (21 tackles, 3 sacks) took a little while to get adjusted from JUCO ball to the Big 12 brand, but he has a quick burst off the edge and should record a bunch more sacks this fall.

Junior defensive end Blake Seiler (6-3, 240) and defensive tackles Alphonso Moran (6-1, 290), a red-shirt freshman, and Steve Cline (6-2, 285), a sophomore, will get lost of quality snaps as Snyder believes in rotating linemen in and out to keep his forward wall fresh.

Red-shirt freshman Jordan Bedore (6-3, 275) was moved inside from end to tackle and could play some unless the incoming JUCO recruits beat him out for a backup role.

Seiler, in particular, played well in spring drills with George and Edmonds slowed by nagging injuries. Seiler showed a non-stop motor in spring practices and should excel as a situational pass rusher at both left and right end.

Moran and Cline have both beefed up in the weight room and are ready to be in Snyder's defensive tackle rotation. Moran will spell Marso, while Cline should be Echols' understudy.

However, the two-deep could look a whole lot different between now and the Sept. 3 opener against Florida International, because junior college recruits Steve Burch (6-2, 275), Ricky Miller (6-3, 255) and Willie Williams (6-4, 303) will join the Wildcats in summer drills.

A stout passing rushing end, Burch had 9.5 sacks last season for Dodge City (Kansas) Community College. Miller, also a junior defensive end, notched four sacks a year ago at Orange Coast (Calif.) College. An imposing defensive tackle, Miller played just one season of JUCO ball at Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College. Williams has three years of eligibility left.



LINEBACKERS


If All-Big 12 caliber senior middle linebacker Ted Sims (6-1, 235) can avoid the injury bug (something that he couldn't from the outset of last year), this group can be special in 2005. Sprained ligaments in his left foot limited Sims to appearances in just seven games last season and limited his effectiveness when he was able to suit up. Sims' tackle totals plummeted from 79 in 2003 to just 17 stops last season. He was a Butkus Award candidate before the start of last season, but the foot injury robbed him of his mobility and effectiveness.

Also back at his strong-side linebacker spot is junior Brandon Archer (6-2, 225), one of the real bright spots for a K-State defense that wasn't up to the school's lofty standards last season. Archer elevated his game from being a special teams contributor in 2003 to the team's top tackler last fall (75). Archer displayed a knack for making game-altering plays, including a pair of interception returns for touchdowns.

In order to add some serious speed to the weak-side linebacker spot, one of the team's strong safeties, junior Maurice Mack (6-0, 200), changed positions in spring ball. The experiment worked out well as Mack (23 tackles in 2004) adjusted to his new home well. Mack is used to being thrust into tough spots. He replaced Darren Sproles four years ago at running back at Olathe (Kansas) High School. The Wildcat coaches are hoping that Mack can be a K-Mart version of Josh Buhl, a smallish linebacker who set K-State's single-season tackle leader with 184 stops in 2003.

Mack is battling senior linebacker Matt Butler (6-2, 235) for the starting nod on the weak side. Butler has done everything the coaches have asked of him -- that is, when injuries haven't sidetracked him. A natural outside linebacker, Butler moved inside last year and started five games in 2004 in place of the injured Sims. Butler registered 21 tackles last year, but his brittleness is the reason that Mack was moved up from safety.

The X-factor at linebacker is senior Marvin Simmons (6-1, 240), a talented player who signed with USC out of high school, but went the junior college route for one year before signing with the Wildcats. He has obvious skills and can play either inside or outside, but Simmons often ends up in Snyder's doghouse for not being disciplined enough on the field. Still, Simmons started seven times last year and was tied for third on the team with 55 tackles.

Sophomore Marcus Perry (6-1, 220) and junior James Graber (6-0, 220) are reserves unless injuries ravage this unit again in 2004. If the starters stay healthy, Perry and Graber will be asked to be key performers on special teams.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


Embattled defensive coordinator Bob Elliott made some interesting moves to increase the overall speed of his secondary after the Wildcats allowed a very uncharacteristic 32.4 points per game last fall.

With the secondary lacking big-name stars, changes had to be made, and moving junior Kyle Williams (6-1, 195) from corner to strong safety looks like a masterstroke. Williams wowed coaches all spring, bringing the speed and athleticism of a cornerback to the safety position. He was a playmaker all spring, including in the annual spring game where he recorded seven tackles, forced a fumble with a jarring hit and broke up a potential touchdown pass.

Williams will team with experienced senior free safety Jesse Tetuan (6-0, 200), who has made 29 career starts for the Wildcats, to form a dynamic duo at safety. Tetuan finished second on the team in tackles last season (58), while splitting time between free and strong safety. Another guy to watch in K-State's last line of defense is sophomore Marcus Watts (6-2, 180), who moved from wide receiver to safety in the off-season. He was one of the Wildcats' special teams MVPs last year as a fearless gunner on punts and kickoffs and as the holder on placements.

While the safety positions look settled, the corners are big question marks. Senior Maurice Porter (6-1, 185) was slow in adjusting from junior college football to the Big 12, but he did finish with 18 tackles and two interceptions last season. He needs to be a more consistent tackler.

Sophomore Bryan Baldwin (5-11, 185) and junior Byron Garvin (5-10, 180) are dueling for the other starting corner spot. Garvin saw time as a nickel back last season, while Baldwin is faster and started in the annual spring game. This battle will continue in August with the winner starting and the loser likely serving as the nickel back.

Of course, JUCO import Justin McKinney (5-10, 180), who signed with K-State out of Seminole (Fla.) High School but then attended Garden City (Kansas) Community College for one year instead, will get an opportunity to sway the coaches in August. He picked off five passes last year at Garden City and also accounted for 56 tackles in 2004.



PUNTERS


Sophomore Tim Reyer (6-0, 195) is one of the country's best young punters and will handle the job well for the next three years. And honorable mention All-Big 12 choice by the league's coaches in 2004, Reyer averaged 42.4 yards on his 36 punts, with a nearly a third of his punts (10) traveling more than 50 yards. No wonder he was rewarded with a full scholarship.

Senior Jesse Martinez (6-4, 205), whose name is also found on the two-deep at wide receiver, is Reyer's backup at punter.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Junior long snapper Jeff Mortimer (6-0, 225) returns and is steady at his job. Wideouts Jermaine Moreira (5-11, 190), Yamon Figurs (6-0, 180) and Casey Hausman (6-2, 180) are all capable return men, but Snyder is concerned about his punt coverage because the Wildcats allowed a number of long returns last season.

[Morph]

Nebraska

It's a short list of coaches who are on a bigger hot seat than Nebraska's Bill Callahan this fall.

Sure, the expectations are through the roof for boy wonder Urban Meyer at Florida. And Charlie Weis, "Mr. Multiple Super Bowl Rings" himself, will be under the gun from day one at Notre Dame.

But other than those two gentlemen, no one will face more scrutiny than Callahan, whose first team in Lincoln went 5-6 and didn't reach a bowl game. That's right, Nebraska was home for the holidays last year and the Cornhusker faithful started to ask "why" was Callahan brought into the program to replace the highly successful Frank Solich (58-19 career record at Nebraska).

Solich won with a ground-based attack, just as Tom Osborne had before him. But, the school's powers that be saw how other traditional run-oriented schools (i.e. Oklahoma, USC, Texas and Georgia) had gone with more wide-open passing attacks with great success and they wanted to suit.

So in came Callahan with his West Coast Offense. The 2004 Huskers were recruited to play one style and were forced to play another and it showed as Nebraska finished below .500. Quarterback Joe Dailey -- a leftover from the Solich regime -- turned out to be a fish out of water in the West Coast Offense.

But, the Huskers had more problems than just quarterback. Their pass defense was leaky, as evidenced by a 70-10 whipping at the hands of pass-happy Texas Tech in Lubbock last Oct. 9. And that defense lost three of its biggest stars (cornerback Fabian Washington, linebacker Barrett Ruud and safety Josh Bullocks) among the first 40 picks in the 2005 NFL draft.

If that weren't enough, the 2004 Huskers simply lacked the old Nebraska swagger -- something Callahan and his staff worked hard to restore in spring ball. One thing that would help the confidence of the Huskers and all the fans in the Big Red Nation will be a fast start, something that should happen given the fact that Nebraska begins the season with five straight home games (Maine, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh. Iowa State, and a rematch versus Texas Tech).

To get the fans on his side -- and off his back -- Callahan needs his charges to either go 5-0 or at worst, 4-1, in that opening stretch. And that's a tall order, because Pitt, Iowa State and Texas Tech all went to bowl games last season, something that Nebraska didn't do.



QUARTERBACKS


Joe Dailey tried and tried to be a West Coast Offense quarterback, but clearly was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. More suited to be an option quarterback, Dailey looked uncomfortable in Callahan's offense -- getting happy feet in the pocket, completing just 49.4 percent of his passes and throwing 19 interceptions.

At the end of the 2004-05 school year, Dailey decided to leave Lincoln and play his last two seasons of college ball elsewhere. In late May, Dailey announced his decision to transfer to North Carolina after also considering Rutgers and Maryland.

Another factor that hastened Dailey's departure: Callahan recruited a star junior college transfer in Zac Taylor (6-2, 210) as well as one of the nation's top high school seniors.

Before deciding to transfer, Dailey had fallen from No. 1 to No. 4 -- behind Taylor, sophomore Beau Davis (6-4, 185) and red-shirt freshman Joe Ganz (6-1, 200). The already crowded quarterback picture will get even more so when freshman Harrison Beck (6-2, 210), one of the country's most sought after players last year, arrives on campus.

Right now, Taylor is the man. He locked down the starting job with his outrageous performance before 63,000 people at the annual spring game. That day, Taylor completed 20-of-27 passes for 357 yards before halftime. The well-traveled Taylor, a native of Norman, Okla. (his dad played for Oklahoma) began his career at Wake Forest. After red-shirting as a freshman in 2002, Taylor was a backup quarterback the following year, appearing in three games. Then, Wake Forest changed its attack from a passing offense to a more run-oriented one and Taylor had no choice but to leave.

From Wake Forest, Taylor went to Butler County (Kansas) Community College, where he passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last fall to earn second-team NJCAA All-America honors. Taylor chose Nebraska (where he enrolled early and participated in spring ball) over Memphis and Marshall.

He looks like the real deal and has the tools to be Nebraska's best drop-back thrower since Brook Berringer. Taylor's not a runner but a pocket passer who can throw the deep ball accurately.

Taylor's backups, for now anyway, are Davis ,who appeared in just one game last season and Ganz, a red-shirt freshman who was voted Nebraska's Scout Team Player of the Year in 2004.

Davis' lone freshman appearance was a nightmare. With the Huskers losing 35-10 at Texas Tech, Callahan inserted Davis and he completed just 1-of-8 passes and had four intercepted as the game turned into the worst rout (70-10) in Nebraska football history. To his credit, Davis turned things around this spring, showing a much better command of the offense.

Another player to watch is the incoming freshman Beck, who threw for 1,695 yards and 11 scores last fall at Countryside (Fla.) High School in Clearwater, Florida. Beck chose Nebraska after receiving scholarship offers from numerous schools, including in-state Florida, Florida State and Miami. In a perfect world, Beck would red-shirt and learn the offense, but he might need to be ready to play this season.



RUNNING BACKS


The Cornhuskers lost a four-year letterman in fullback Steve Kriewald, but the stable of backs will remain strong.

Diminutive but dangerous senior I-back Cory Ross (5-6, 195) is back after rushing for 1,141 yards and six touchdowns in 2004. Ross registered six 100-yard rushing games last season and also caught 21 passes. He was fifth in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally in rushing (100.2 yards per game) and his numbers should be even better in 2005 now that the nagging turf toe injury that plagued him last year is healed.

Ross' backup is supposed to be sophomore Brandon Jackson (5-11, 210), if he's from spring shoulder surgery. Jackson is expected to be 100 percent for the season opener on Sept. 3 against Maine. He showed flashes of greatness in 2004, rushing for 390 yards and six touchdowns.

Callahan was so jazzed about the one-two tailback punch of Ross and Jackson that he moved red-shirt sophomore Tierre Green (6-1, 200), a cousin of former Nebraska great and now Green Bay Packers standout Ahman Green, from I-back to cornerback. Callahan insists that Jackson will be fine and that Green will stay at cornerback, where he seems to have the build and skills to be a star. Another veteran back, David Horne, was thrown off the team in early January for violating team rules and later transferred to Northern Iowa.

Easing the loss of Green and Horne will be the arrival of three well-decorated prep running backs in the fall, including Parade All-American Marlon Lucky (6-0, 210). As a senior at North Hollywood (Calif.) High School, Lucky rushed for 2,036 yards and 40 touchdowns and also caught 23 balls for an additional 443 yards and six scores. He chose the Cornhuskers despite offers from two-time defending national USC and a host of other Division I-A powers.

"He's a franchise-type back, who has the versatility and the completeness to do just about anything on the football field that he wants to do," Callahan said. "He's exciting, he's dynamic, he's explosive. You could throw any superlative you want on his play, and he'll live up to it."

Lucky isn't the only incoming freshman with an impressive mountain of press clippings. Nebraska also signed Leon "Superfly" Jackson (6-2, 210) from Pasco (Wash.) High School. Jackson has blazing speed and rushed for 1,745 yards and 23 touchdowns on just 127 carries in 2004. His 10.7 speed in the 100 meters will get him on the field, and soon. The question is: At what position? If Lucky is as good as advertised, Jackson might become a wide-out or a defensive back (he was one of the best cover corners at the annual Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio). For now, he's a tailback with an upright running style and an unbelievable burst into the hole.

When Nebraska sports a two-back look, junior Dane Todd (5-10, 240), a local product who is smart (3.9 GPA), tough and a good blocker, will be on the field. Junior Grant Miller (6-0, 225) will serve as the team's backup fullback.


WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


New wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore has five returning lettermen at wide-out, as well as four highly touted recruits arriving in the fall. The problem area is at tight end, where a proven commodity in Matt Herian (6-5, 240) missed spring ball while recovering from a broken leg.

Herian fractured his left leg last October in game eight against Missouri. Last season, Herian snared 24 balls for 308 yards and two scores in the seven-plus games he was able to play.

With Herian out of commission in spring ball, sophomores J.B. Phillips (6-3, 260) and Josh Mueller (6-5, 265) got most of the snaps. Phillips is more of a bruising blocker, while Mueller is the better pass catching option. Phillips played in all 11 games in 2004 but was used exclusively as a blocking specialist. Mueller played mostly running back in high school, while occasionally lining up at wide receiver and tight end.

It's possible Herian could red-shirt this season, eliminating one of Callahan's key West Coast weapons. Junior college transfer Justin Tomerlin (6-6, 265) will join the mix this fall and has three years of eligibility left. Tomerlin signed with Florida State out of San Clemente (Calif.) High School, but ran into academic problems and ended up at Butler County (Kansas) Community College, where he excelled as a tight end and defensive end. Incoming freshmen David Harvey (6-3, 235) from McDonough (Md.) High and Zach Potter (6-7, 265) from Creighton (Neb.) Prep in Omaha are tight end/defensive end types, too.

While there are questions at tight end if Herian can't play in 2005, there are lots of reasons for optimism at wide receiver even without top pass-catcher Ross Pilkington, who announced last December he wouldn't return for his final season. Nebraska returns four receivers who played regularly last season, but none caught more than 20 passes and none figured into All-Big 12 voting.

However, junior Isaiah Fluellen (6-0, 185) and sophomore Terrence Nunn (6-0, 190) were impressive in the spring after mediocre first seasons in the new offense.

Fluellen, who was slowed by nagging injuries and managed only nine catches for 158 yards and two scores, nearly matched that production in the 2005 spring game with six catches for 106 yards. Fluellen's work this spring means he'll be the likely opening game starter at the "X" receiver spot.

Nunn, the first freshman to start on offense at Nebraska since World War II, will man the "Y" wide receiver spot. He started six games last season and finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards. Nunn came on late last season and that confidence carried over; he caught four balls for 133 yards and two scores in the spring game.

While Fluellen and Nunn will be used as deep threats, senior Mark LeFlore (5-11, 190) and red-shirt freshman Nate Swift (6-2, 195) look to be receivers who can move the chains. LeFlore caught 12 balls for 208 yards and one score last season and will help ease the loss of Pilkington at the "Z" spot. Swift was much improved this spring, running crisp routes and catching almost everything that was thrown his way.

Five more receiver recruits arrive in the summer looking to contribute right away. The most ballyhooed of the newcomers is freshman Chris Brooks (6-2, 195) from Hazelwood (Mo.) West High School. Brooks caught 66 passes for just more than 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

JUCO imports Tyrell Spain (6-3, 190) and Frantz Hardy (6-0, 170) also bear watching if they can quickly master the finer points of the offense. Spain caught 46 passes for 858 yards last season for Mesa (Calif.) College in San Diego, while Hardy, a Miami native who will have three years of eligibility remaining, registered 34 catches for 820 yards and five scores at Butler County.



OFFENSIVE LINE


As usual, Nebraska has lots of Grade-A beef along the offensive line, where three starters return. The problem is the line is making the transition from being a mauling, run-blocking unit to doing more pass-protecting in Callahan's offense.

If that weren't enough to digest, offensive line coach Dennis Wagner demands that his lineman be versatile enough to play at least two different spots on the line, which means that lineman are hopping all over the place in spring and summer drills. It's Wagner's view that learning additional positions gives a lineman an idea where his peers are headed on specific plays. Most importantly, when a starter goes down, Wagner can bring in the best reserve, not just the No. 2 guy at that spot.

Nebraska returns three starters in senior right guard Brandon Koch (6-4, 315), senior left tackle Seppo Evwaraye (6-5, 330) and junior center Kurt Mann (6-4, 290).

Koch played a great deal as a sophomore and then started 11 games last season. He's a probable 2006 NFL draft pick, as is Evwaraye, a converted defensive lineman who is blessed with outstanding size and good athleticism. Evwaraye moves from right tackle, where he started every game last season, to left tackle, where he will protect Zac Taylor's blindside.

Mann was thrust into the starting lineup after projected starter Richie Incognito was thrown off the team by Callahan. Considering who he was replacing (Incognito was a third-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in late April), Mann was a pleasant surprise in 2004.

The other two starting spots, left guard and right tackle, seem uncertain at the moment.

Junior Greg Austin (6-1, 295) is listed as the No. 1 left guard, but he's still hampered by a kneecap injury suffered in 2003. Austin regularly limps off the practice field and will likely only be able to play 20-to-25 snaps this fall. Mammoth senior Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas (6-5, 335) is penciled in as the No. 1 right tackle.

If Fuamatu-Thomas starts to struggle, Callahan has other options in red-shirt freshmen Lydon Murtha (6-7, 315) and Mike Huff (6-4, 300) and junior Newton Lingenfelter (6-5, 280).

Murtha looked on track to play as a freshman in 2004, sidetracked only by a preseason injury. The red-shirt season allowed him to get considerably stronger on Dave Kennedy's weight and conditioning program, but he underwent shoulder surgery at the end of spring ball and will have to continue to work hard in the weight room to make it back on to the field.

Sophomore Chris Patrick (6-4, 280) and red-shirt freshman Andy Christensen (6-3, 300) worked at both guard and tackle during spring drills as Wagner tried to find their best spot. Sophomore Brett Byford (6-3, 305) is Mann's primary backup at center.

Given Wagner's penchant to experiment, plus the fact that five new offensive linemen arrive in August (including two junior-college transfers), the o-line's two-deep is anything but set. The two JUCO imports are Rodney Picou (6-2, 320) from San Antonio (Calif.) Community College and Brock Pasteur (6-6, 300) from Mesabi Range (Minn.) Community College. Picou is one of two Picous to sign with the Huskers; his younger cousin Rodney Picou (6-4, 300) is a true freshman. Pasteur played left tackle in junior college and has excellent size and strength (500-plus pound bench press).



KICKERS


Getting a kicker with a booming leg became a recruiting priority after last year's two kickers, junior David Dyches (6-1, 180) and the since-graduated Sandro DeAngelis, combined to make only six-of-12 field goals last season and were just 2-of-6 from beyond 40 yards.

Mission accomplished, as Callahan signed one of the nation's best high school kickers in Jordan Congdon (5-11, 195) from Saint Augustine (Calif.) High School in San Diego. Congdon made 11-of-13 field goals as a senior with a long of 53 yards. Further evidence of his leg strength is the fact that 85 percent of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks as a senior. He also averaged 42.7 yards per punt last fall.



DEFENSIVE LINE


In the old days, the Huskers used to be near the top of the Big 12 charts in sacks. Not last fall, as Nebraska's 25 sacks were tied for fifth-best in the conference.

The good news is that three of the top four defensive ends return, led by junior Adam Carriker (6-6, 280). Slowed by a foot injury, Carriker wasn't the second coming of Grant Wistrom as some predicted he would be last season. Carriker had two sacks in the opener against Western Illinois. But the next Saturday, a Southern Miss lineman hit his left ankle from behind, causing a severe sprain. He wasn't the same after that. Carriker was healthy in spring ball and is ready to man the toughest position in Nebraska's front four.

Carriker plays what the Huskers coaches call the "anchor end" position in Nebraska's overloaded front. In this alignment, Carriker is basically responsible for one entire side of the line. Senior nose tackle Le Kevin Smith (6-2, 305) lines up over center, but nobody plays between Carriker and him. Theoretically, Carriker and Smith should be stable enough to defend one side of the line, allowing senior tackle Titus Adams (6-3, 300) and junior defensive end Jay Moore (6-4, 275) to wreak havoc on the other side.

But the overload makes Carriker's job more difficult. While opposite rush end Moore lines up well outside the other tackle, Carriker positions himself directly in front of a tackle. Carriker takes over for the graduated Benard Thomas, who led the team in sacks (four) and hurries (15) last fall.

Smith and Adams will be solid anchors in the middle of the line. They're among the Huskers' most experienced players, each appearing in 47 games over the last three years.

Smith (43 tackles in 2004) toyed with skipping his senior season and entering the 2005 NFL draft, but came back once he learned he was a likely second-day pick. Smith will be out to improve his draft status, as will Adams (37 tackles in 2004).

The beefed-up Moore, who has gone from 260 to 275 pounds, hopes his made-over body will result in more productivity. Moore red-shirted in 2002, then battled a knee injury in 2003. He improved through spring practice last year, but played a reserve role, compiling three sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Pushing Moore for the starting end spot will be senior Wali Muhammad (6-1, 255), if he can keep his academic house in order. Muhammad missed the first week of spring ball with academic issues, but he is an off-the-edge playmaker. He had three sacks and a team-high 16 quarterback hurries last fall for the Huskers.

Talented red-shirt freshmen Adam Blankenship (6-2, 240) and Ty Steinkuhler (6-3, 255) are also in the mix at the defensive end. Steinkuhler, in particular, took full advantage of the red-shirt season. The son of former Nebraska All-America offensive lineman Dean Steinkuhler is listed at 255 pounds, 20 more than when he arrived in Lincoln in the summer of 2004.

After backup tackle Brandon Teamer quit the team in February for personal reasons, senior Jared Helming (6-3, 300) was relocated to the defensive line (where he started his Nebraska career) after shifting to the offensive line a year ago.

Four of the newcomers seem to really stand out -- a pair of JUCO imports and a pair of freshmen. Junior college transfers Ola Dagunduro (6-2, 300) and Barry Cryer (6-2, 270), both defensive tackles, arrived in January and were able to go through spring practice. They'll give Adams and Moore some much-needed rest and will give the Huskers some up-the-field push at the two inside spots.

Of the two freshmen, one is a speedy rushing end in Barry Turner (6-3, 248) from Antioch, Tenn., and the other is a mammoth tackle in Ndamukong Suh (6-4, 300) from Portland, Ore. Both were great gets for the Nebraska coaching staff.

Turner, who somehow escaped the clutches of the University of Tennessee, considers himself a defensive end in the mold of NFL stars Dwight Freeney and Leonard Little. He earned all-state honors at Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy and was a finalist for Mr. Football honors in Tennessee last fall after collecting 10 sacks and 97 tackles. Turner also caught 20 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns as a tight end.

Suh, a Parade All-American, picked Nebraska over California after also visiting Miami, Mississippi State and Oregon State. Suh's mother is from Jamaica and his father from Cameroon. His sister, Ngum Suh, plays soccer at Mississippi State. Rivals.com had Suh ranked as the nation's No. 6 defensive-line prospect and the 44th-best player overall in the class of 2005. He recorded 65 tackles, 10 sacks and four fumble recoveries as a senior at Grant (Ore.) High School.


LINEBACKERS


Kevin Cosgrove's biggest task in his second year as Nebraska's defensive coordinator will be replacing middle linebacker Barrett Ruud. That will be easier said than done as Ruud was the 36th overall pick in the NFL draft to Tampa Bay after registering 143 tackles last season, more than twice as many as Huskers' second-leading tackler.

Sophomores Corey McKeon (6-1, 230) and Lance Brandenburgh (6-1, 230) were battling for Ruud's old spot in spring ball. Prized recruit Phillip Dillard (6-2, 245), from perennial prep powerhouse Jenks (Okla.) High School in Tulsa, enters the competition in August.

McKeon and Brandenburgh are listed as co-No. 1s at that position right now, but both are untested, so Dillard will get a chance to show his stuff. Or Cosgrove could move one of his outside linebackers inside if he doesn't feel comfortable with any of those three guys.

McKeon played about 15 snaps at middle linebacker last season behind Ruud and Ira Cooper. Brandenburgh was pulled out of a red-shirt season to help on special teams. Dillard chose Nebraska over Big 12 brethren Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas A&M after starring at Jenks High, a school that has won seven of the last nine Oklahoma Class 6A state championships and produced Oklahoma All-America linebacker Rocky Calmus.

Stewart Bradley (6-4, 240), a junior strong-side linebacker, is the most experienced hand the Huskers have at linebacker. He was second on the team in tackles with 67 last year, and he appears to have a lock on a starting spot. Bradley's goal is to fill the leadership vacuum left by the departure of Ruud.

Dontrell Moore (6-2, 225), who piled up 18 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last year at Coffeyville (Kanas) Community College, and senior Adam Ickes (6-2, 225) are in a battle for the No. 2 spot at strong-side, although either could be moved inside if needed there.

Even without Ruud (the school's all-time leading tackler), the linebacking corps won't be Ruud-erless. That's because Barrett's brother, sophomore Bo Ruud (6-3, 230), is battling JUCO import Steve Octavien (6-0, 235) for the starting weak-side spot. Bo Ruud had 17 tackles in a reserve role last fall, while Octavien was limited to just four games last year at William Rainey Harper (Ill.) College because of injuries. He's healthy now and has a nice blend of size and athleticism. Octavien was a 100-meter standout and discus thrower at Harper College.


DEFENSIVE BACKS


There's some serious re-tooling to do in the backfield. Josh Bullocks must be replaced at free safety, as well as Fabian Washington and Lornell McPherson at cornerback.

Bullocks, an early second-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, and Washington, the 23rd overall pick in the first round by the Oakland Raiders, will be missed. Both were ball hawks who left Nebraska with a combined 24 interceptions. The scary thought is that with those two, Nebraska still finished last in the Big 12 in passing defense -- allowing a whopping 267.6 yards per game.

Josh Bullocks' twin brother, Daniel Bullocks (6-2, 210), is back and will once again man the strong safety spot, where he made 58 tackles and intercepted a team-high five passes in 2004. Like his brother, Daniel will be a first-day NFL draft pick, thanks to his playmaking skills, his pro size and blazing speed (4.4 in the 40).

With McPherson slowed by a hamstring injury last season, sophomore cornerback Cortney Grixby (5-9, 165) gained some valuable experience playing as a true freshman. Grixby took some lumps in his two starts, getting beat deep by Southern Miss and burned some by Oklahoma's veteran receiving corps. But he never backs down and looked light-years better in spring ball. Grixby had 21 tackles and four pass break-ups last season.

Senior Donald DeFrand (6-0, 175), sophomore Titus Brothers (5-11, 190) and sophomore converted I-back Tierre Green (6-1, 200) will vie for the other spot and top backup slots. DeFrand (three tackles in 2004), who was slowed by a foot injury in the spring, and Brothers (one tackle in 2004) were both outperformed in spring practice by Green, the cousin of former Nebraska star runner Ahman Green.

Tierre Green performed well at I-back last season, rushing for 284 yards and averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He also 498 yards on 26 kickoff returns (192. yards per return) last fall. But after the Huskers lost both cornerbacks from last season, Green was switched to defense this spring and showed great promise. His 4.34 40 speed will allow him to overcome some of his mistakes as he learns the position.

Top-notch junior-college recruit Zackary Bowman (6-2, 185) arrives this summer with a reputation as a shutdown corner. Rivals.com had Bowman rated the No. 1 JUCO recruit in the country after he intercepted six passes last season at New Mexico Military Institute. Bowman selected Nebraska over Oklahoma, Texas Tech and South Carolina and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Junior Andrew Shanle (6-1, 205) will take Josh Bullocks' place at free safety. Shanle is one of the fastest players on the team. He performed well when he replaced the injured Bullocks as the starter against Kansas State, registering a career-high seven tackles and a sack in the game. He's been an excellent special teams player the last two years, too.

Senior Shane Siegel (6-3, 220) is a steady backup at strong safety. He recorded 13 tackles last season. Converted quarterback Mike Stuntz (6-1, 200), a fifth-year senior, and senior Tyler Fisher (5-11, 195) are battling to back up Shanle at free safety. Stuntz hasn't taken a snap at quarterback since 2002. He red-shirted in 2003 and then made only a few appearances on kickoff coverage last year.



PUNTERS


Nebraska senior Sam Koch (6-1, 230) was a solid replacement for 2003 All-America punter Kyle Larson, averaging 41.3 yards on his 63 punts in 2004. Koch (pronounced Cook) will remain the No.1 guy in 2005, unless red-shirt freshman Dan Titchener (6-0, 200) or freshman Jordan Congdon wows the coaching staff this summer.



SPECIAL TEAMS


Nebraska's return and coverage teams need serious work. Last season, NU ranked 107th nationally (and last in the Big 12) in punt returns at 5.8 yards per return and their primary punt returner, freshman Santino Panico (6-1, 190), was booed at home. Panico averaged 3.1 yards on his 22 punt returns last year. The Cornhuskers were also last in kickoff coverage (24.7 yards per return allowed) and seventh in the Big 12 in kickoff returns (19.7 yards per return).

Last year's top two kickoff returners, sophomores Tierre Green and Brandon Jackson, are back in the fold. Panico and a cast of thousands worked at the punt return spot in spring ball. And there's always the possibility that one of the speedy recruits in Callahan's group of newcomers -- such as incoming freshman Robert Rands (5-7, 160), who broke Gale Sayers' long-standing Nebraska state record in the long jump in the spring -- could bring back punts and kickoffs.

One thing is certain: Every viable possibility will be explored at return specialist in order to improve this sub-par unit.

[Morph]

Missouri

When it wasn't being mistaken for the Congressional record, the 2004 Missouri Tigers football media guide, all 612 pages of it, profiled extensively one of the most confounding teams in Division I-A football.

Here was a squad headlined by a glistening Heisman Trophy candidate who inflicted serious cases of heebie-jeebies on opposing defensive coordinators, powered by a defensive tackle tandem bookmarked for Sundays in the NFL, and fortuitously placed in a division whose reigning powers were ransacked by recessionary forces.

And what became of the 2004 Missouri Tigers? Spoilers, that's what. By intercepting a pass in the end zone in overtime, Mizzou thwarted Iowa State's bid for the Big 12 North Division title, 17-14, thereby securing its fifth victory of a star-struck season.

Five wins, or one for every 122 pages of media guide. No bowl bid for a consensus preseason Top 20 team. No Heisman for Brad Smith, who wasn't being compared to Michael Vick anymore. And, perhaps fortunately, no more 612-page doorstops to document it all -- the NCAA mandated a 208-page limit on media guides last spring.

What eluded the Tigers, especially during a backbreaking five-game losing streak hard on the heels of a 4-1 start, was the fine print. Mizzou was outscored 69-46 in fourth quarters, including a 21-point outburst by Kansas State that propelled the Wildcats to a crucial victory in Columbia.

The kicking game also came up a cropper. First-string punter Brock Harvey was lost for the season because of injury just four games in, and the duo of Joe Tantarelli and Adam Crossett were a combined 4-of-12 on field goal attempts longer than 30 yards.

MU also failed to make people pay for their mistakes. A Top 10 national ranking in turnover margin sagged to Top 30, but more often it was weird snowballs like Troy's 63-yard fumble recovery-and-rumble by an offensive lineman and Texas's two-yard touchdown return on an interception that avalanched into disaster.

"We have to get our turnover ratio back to where it should be, and that's coaching," fifth-year head coach Gary Pinkel said. "Last year, if we were Top 10 in the nation in turnover margin and we had an exceptional kicking game, we could have won three more games just on that."

Those fringe elements aren't the only ones prepped for alteration. Without divulging specifics, Pinkel promises fundamental changes in Mizzou's offensive approach, aimed not only at a more productive 2005, but also for life post-Brad Smith.

"Prior to this past season, we were in the Top 25 in the nation in scoring the last couple years. I just felt like we had to make some changes in order to utilize our personnel a little bit better," Pinkel said. "Not only for this coming year, but for the future of our program, I just wanted to look into some other options and opportunities.

"We recruited some high-level players, so we wanted to get an offense that we could design for a lot of different people that we felt could enhance those athletes and be more multiple."

Although it proved meaningless in the end, Mizzou could boast one of the nation's best defenses in 2004, while the offense floundered. The equation might be reversed this season; only three defensive starters are back, and if Smith gets his groove back, the Tigers should rank much better than 82nd nationally in scoring offense.

That said, the NCAA hasn't shrunk the length of a football game; if MU doesn't get its act together in the clutch, 2005 won't be much to write home about, either.



QUARTERBACKS


Let's clarify one thing; many quarterbacks would sacrifice a major organ for senior Brad Smith's 2004 numbers.

After all, Smith (6-2, 210) did toss a career-best 17 touchdown passes while accumulating almost 2,200 yards through the air. While many of his signal-calling brethren are relieved to wind up with positive rushing yardage at the end of the season, Smith ran for 553 yards and four touchdowns. Smith is also the NCAA's active career king in total offense with 9,483 yards -- no one else is within 1,800 yards.

But Smith's junior year was largely considered a disappointment because he had totally trashed the conventional path to stardom in his first two seasons. In 2002, he set an NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback while becoming only the second Division I-A athlete to compile 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same year.

As a sophomore, Smith missed repeating that last distinction by a mere 23 passing yards. However, he rumbled for 1,406 yards (second-best tally in Mizzou history) and 18 scores on the ground and boosted his completion rate from 53.6 percent to 60.3.

Defenses aren't stupid, of course. Something had to be removed from Smith's repertoire, and for the most part it was his scrambling. Smith's yards-per-carry average was sliced almost in half (6.6 in 2003, 3.4 last fall). Kansas did the unthinkable, chasing Smith for a loss of 41 yards in the Jayhawks' 31-14 upset.

"I think people just did a little bit better job [defending it], and we didn't do as good of job executing, either," Pinkel said of Smith's rushing threat. "We still ran the same plays we did the year before. All we tried to do is be a little more efficient passing team.

"But our numbers were down and that's our job to coach better. We'll work hard to correct that."

If Smith had compensated for the dearth of romper room with heftier passing numbers, it would have all been water under the bridge. However, his completion percentage dipped to 51.8 percent (191-369). Smith also tossed 11 interceptions, after having thrown 13 in his first two seasons combined.

His best passing yardage days were marred by a Tin Cup approach -- chuck as many balls in the air as possible and hope they're close to someone. Smith threw the ball 56 times to tally 277 yards against Nebraska; versus Kansas, he was 15-of-40 for 262 yards.

"His learning curve is a little bit different from everybody else's," Pinkel said. "Most freshman quarterbacks come in and struggle their first few games or their first year. Then they mature and play at a very high level. "Brad was kind of a superstar the first game he played in, against Illinois on national TV as a freshman. He's had an exceptional career, and last year he went down a little bit.

"But we also know this; a quarterback is only as good as the people that surround him. Brad's got to play better, but certainly we've got to put players around him to play at a higher level."

If spring practices were any indication, Smith will be throwing more quick outs and slants than in years past. That should improve his completion percentage and enhance the effectiveness of draws and rollouts.

Barely popping up on the depth-chart horizon behind Smith is junior Brandon Coleman (6-4, 215), who completed 4-of-6 passes in a scant amount of mop-up time last fall. Coleman had a decent spring and distanced himself a little further from No. 3 Chase Patton (6-4, 210), a red-shirt freshman from Columbia's Rock Ridge.

Pinkel may have landed Smith's heir when Chase Daniel (6-1, 215) signed with Mizzou last February. Daniel was the EA Sports National Player of the Year after piloting Southlake (Texas) Carroll to a 16-0 record and USA Today's mythical national championship.



RUNNING BACKS


Damien Nash, the Tigers' leading rusher in 2004, skipped his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Perhaps it was goodbye -- and good riddance.

Nash, who was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round, was suspended for the Nebraska game after making disparaging comments about MU's offensive approach after the Tigers' 20-17 loss to Oklahoma State.

"I wish I had the headphones on to hear what's going on," Nash was quoted as saying in the Kansas City Star. "I wish I could call the offense. I didn't understand a lot of the plays."

Nash and the staff reconciled, and Pinkel hopes the stout tailback will eventually come back to Columbia and finish what he started.

"My concern obviously is with the academic side," Pinkel said. "I want him to come back and get his degree, and I want him to make an NFL team. It was his choice, and we certainly support our underclassmen if they make that choice."

Nash's exit spurs an intriguing duel between sophomores Marcus Woods (5-8, 185) and Tony Temple (5-10, 195). Woods has the game exposure, having netted 428 yards on 101 carries last fall. He concluded the 2004 season with his two best outings -- 68 yards against Kansas and 81 yards against Iowa State. Temple rushed only six times before an Achilles injury against Nebraska doused his season.

However, Woods missed the bulk of the spring with a knee sprain, and Temple, ESPN's second-ranked tailback prospect in the country in 2003, excelled in Woods' stead. Temple caught the ball well out of the backfield, although he occasionally had trouble securing it.

The Tigers only get younger behind Woods and Temple. Red-shirt freshmen Jimmy Jackson (5-9, 200) and Earl Goldsmith (5-9, 195) are the proposed understudies. Both are blessed with quickness and vision, but until they do it on Saturdays it's all potential.

Missouri doesn't employ a fullback, so the foursome of Woods, Temple, Jackson and Goldsmith will be relied upon heavily to support Smith in the ground game.

"You've got to have three or four tailbacks at our level, just from an injury standpoint," Pinkel said. "In our offense, we can also play with two tailbacks if we want to."



WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS


As a matter of course, Smith's ragged junior year translated into a quiet campaign for Mizzou's receivers. No one caught 40 balls last fall, but there is some clarity to whom should be the Tigers' best outlets in 2005.

The first name on the list is senior Sean Coffey (6-5, 220), the second-most prolific returnee at receiver in the Big 12. Coffey tied the departed Thomson Omboga for team-high honors with 39 catches last fall. However, Mr. Coffey's catches were more caffeinated; 10 of them went for touchdowns, a new school record. Omboga, an un-drafted free-agent signee with the Minnesota Vikings, had none. Coffey also averaged 16.6 yards per catch, compared to Omboga's 10.1.

Coffey may not have much to prove as Mizzou's "Z" receiver, so missing nearly the entire spring with an injury won't hamper his fall. The same may not be true of sophomore Will Franklin (6-2, 195), who could have used April to demonstrate he's worth more than six catches for 174 yards -- his 2004 totals. However, Franklin had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee and was limited in his capacity to contribute.

Franklin is a flashy deep threat -- four of his six receptions went for 35 or more yards -- who figures to start in the "X" spot. His downfield prowess prompted the coaching staff to examine junior Brad Ekwerekwu (6-3, 215) in the "H" or slot position. Ekwerekwu was the Tigers' top third-down receiver in 2004; of his 22 catches, eight were on the penultimate play of the series. Still, his 8.9-yard average indicates a middle man more than a downfield attacker.

Pinkel doesn't know if Coffey, Franklin and Ekwerekwu will stay in their respective positions. He does know the trio is vital to the resurrection of MU's off-kilter passing game. "With those three, you've got guys who've been in the arena and have big-play potential," he said.

Several bit players back up the big three, including sophomore Jason Ray (6-2, 215), who had two receptions last year; junior Andrew Hoskins (6-2, 205), who saw more special teams action than anything else in 2004; and senior Chris Crosby (6-3, 205).

Two enticing candidates who may come to the fore in '05 are red-shirt freshman Jerrill Humphrey (6-4, 215) and freshman walk-on Tommy Saunders (5-11, 205). Humphrey is a terrific athlete who landed among the top 25 receivers of most scouting services after his senior year at LaGrange (Mo.) Highland. Saunders has "Cinderella story" pasted all over him after snagging everything in sight in spring drills.

An unsuspected conflict is looming at tight end, where sophomore Martin Rucker (6-5, 245), a first-team Freshman All-Big 12 pick, was eclipsed, however briefly, by junior DeQuincy Howard (6-4, 255) on the first string as the spring wound down.

By all accounts, Rucker maximized his opportunities in 2004, catching 19 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns.

"As a red-shirt freshman, he probably had as solid a year as you could expect," Pinkel said. "He just has great potential. His challenge is to take his performance to another level."

Howard is there to assist in that endeavor, albeit unwittingly. Confined to special teams last fall, the Tyler, Texas native didn't catch a pass. But Howard's stock rose in a stellar spring, so expect a beneficial tussle at tight end as fall camp unwinds.



OFFENSIVE LINE


The Tigers plummeted from sixth in the nation in rushing offense in 2003 (237.4 yards per game) to 48th last season in part because of dissonance along the offensive front. Replacing four starters from 2003 with brand-new components proved too much to overcome, as Smith was often seen fleeing for his life in the MU backfield.

"We were very young, very inexperienced," Pinkel said. "Tyler Luellen (6-7, 295) had not played at all [before 2004] and he started. Adam Spieker (6-3, 310) had not played at all and he started.

"It's sorting itself out [this year]. We feel like we'll make significant improvement along the offensive line where last year we went backward a little bit."

Although Luellen, a sophomore projected as the starting left tackle, had his spring eliminated by surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, he is rife with size and range. The Sporting News deemed Luellen fit for first-team Freshman All-Big 12 honors despite Mizzou's offensive downturn.

The veteran anchor of the line, however, is senior guard Tony Palmer (6-2, 325), a second-team All-Big 12 selection by the coaches. Palmer has battled weight issues in the past, but he is a tremendous run blocker and an emotional sparkplug for the whole team.

The third returning starter from 2004 is Spieker, who pieced together a solid season at center in place of iron man A.J. Ricker, Missouri's record-holder for consecutive starts (47). Like Luellen, Spieker was a first-team Freshman All-Big 12 selection by The Sporting News.

The right side of the line must be reconstructed after Joe Gianino and Scott Paffrath graduated. Juniors Joel Clinger (6-6, 310) and Mike Cook (6-2, 320) have been reserves up until this point; as the fall beckons, they are tabbed to start at right tackle and guard, respectively.

Two junior college transfers, Louis Pintola (6-5, 315) and Matt Russell (6-5, 315), can't be bypassed in the first-string picture. Pintola, from Pasadena City College in California, kept Luellen's tackle spot warm in the spring. Russell, another Californian from Solano College, saw extensive action at guard.

Former walk-on Colin Brown (6-7, 305), now a scholarship-toting red-shirt freshman, has immense potential at tackle. Sophomore Monte Wyrick (6-4, 325) and red-shirt freshman Ryan Madison (6-5, 295) provide depth at guard. Red-shirt freshman John Dirk (6-3, 280) backs up Spieker at center, and classmate Kyle Riggs (6-6, 310) does the same for Clinger at right tackle.

Cohesion along the line is the single most important factor for any turnaround in MU's offensive fortunes. Without a heavy dose of protection for Smith and a steady push for the Tigers' tailback tandem, Pinkel's cast will struggle once again.



KICKERS


Specialization is just what the doctor ordered for Adam Crossett (6-2, 215). After the sophomore ended last season as Mizzou's punter, place-kicker, kickoff specialist, bus driver, masseuse and therapist, Crossett spent the spring focused on place-kicking.

The Tigers simply must have the option of kicking a field goal outside of 30 yards, a dicey proposition with Joe Tantarelli last year. Crossett can make 'em from 50 yards but needs to prove it in real-time. He will probably retain kickoff duties as well, unless red-shirt freshman Scott Russell (6-1, 180) comes on strong.

"Those specialty areas will ultimately determine your success as a unit," Pinkel said. "We need to get every area on our side as being a plus for us."



DEFENSIVE LINE


Two giant reasons the Missouri defense rocketed up from 64th in the nation two years ago to 14th last season have lost all relevance for the upcoming campaign.

The defensive tackle tandem of Atiyyah Ellison and C.J. Mosley, each 300-plus pounds, is no more. Ellison, who registered 12.5 tackles for loss and 60 total tackles in his senior season, was taken by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the NFL draft. Mosley, an Associated Press first-team All-Big 12 selection after posting 6.5 sacks and 61 tackles, bypassed his final year of eligibility and was chosen by Minnesota in the sixth round.

Subtract also the services of end Zach Ville, who had 11 tackles for loss as a senior, and the Tigers have a lot of roar to replace in the front four.

"When a player leaves, you can certainly be disappointed," said Pinkel, who was a little surprised yet understanding of Mosley's decision. "But the other side of that is it creates a great opportunity for somebody else."

One gentleman to whom that applies is sophomore Lorenzo Williams (6-2, 275). Williams earned most of his limited action (21 tackles) at defensive end in '04. He's smoothly transitioned inside and seems a lock for a starting spot, although he did suffer an elbow injury in the spring game. "We feel like he'll be an impact player in there," Pinkel said.

Two other prime contenders at tackle are seniors Earl Stephens (6-4, 300) and Scott Wheatley (6-2, 290). Stephens spent his first two seasons in Columbia at tight end and has heretofore had a bit role in the tackle rotation. Wheatley is also an offensive convert; the walk-on was a center the last two years.

Others angling for playing time at defensive tackle are red-shirt freshman Phinney Troy (6-4, 275); junior George Lane (6-3, 290), a junior college transfer who also red-shirted last season; and sophomore Josh Barbo (6-5, 270), an erstwhile tight end.

A raft load of newcomers also fit into the tackle equation. The Tiger coaches lured DeMarcus Scott (6-2, 270) and Jamar Smith (6-2, 270) from the JUCO ranks, while true freshmen Jaron Baston (6-2, 265) and Kurtis Gregory (6-5, 300) already have adequate builds for the job.

Although Ville walked, Mizzou is far more polished at end than at tackle. Xzavie Jackson (6-4, 260) started all 11 games as a sophomore in 2004, racking up 50 tackles and seven quarterback hurries. A junior, he's clearly a leader in this unit.

On the opposite end, a battle is fomenting between junior Brian Smith (6-3, 225) and red-shirt freshman Stryker Sulak (6-5, 245). Despite trailing Jackson and Ville on the depth chart, Smith actually led the Tigers with seven sacks last fall. Sulak was all over the practice field as a freshman, but MU's depth allowed him to sit out last fall.

"He's got a chance to be a real impact player here as he matures," Pinkel said of Sulak.

Senior Elgin Childress (6-1, 245) and sophomore Steven Blair (6-3, 235) are among the reserves at end. Again, newcomers like JUCO transfer Chad Marshall (6-2, 240) and freshman Evander Hood (6-4, 240) cannot be ruled out.

Pinkel called this area a real sort-out spot for the team. Minus two NFL draft picks, it won't pack nearly the punch, but once the tackles are resolved, it should still be a pernicious threat to opposing backfields.



LINEBACKERS


Another position in flux is the linebacker corps, where James Kinney, the team's leading tackler in 2004, and part-time starter Henry Sweat have both run out of eligibility.

However, MU is far more stable here than at defensive tackle, thanks to the rapid development of Derrick Ming (5-11, 245) and game experience of Marcus Bacon (6-2, 220) and Dedrick Harrington (6-3, 240).

Ming's first three seasons at MU have been consumed with special teams work -- he had all of 8 tackles last year -- but he issued a wake-up call with a knockout spring. He not only will replace Kinney at weak-side linebacker, he has also emerged as the captain of this clan.

Harrington and Bacon each started roughly half the time last fall, the former in the middle and the latter on the strong side. Harrington was a Big 12 All-Freshman team member at rover in 2003 but switched to linebacker and tallied 4.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles last fall. Sweat overtook Harrington as the starter in the second half of last season, so it's yet to be seen whether Harrington can bring it for a full campaign at his new position.

Bacon is also an ex-safety who started four times in his first season at linebacker, tallying 28 tackles. He will need to continue to add weight to improve his playmaking abilities from the strong side.

The Tigers are abundantly blessed with explosive athletes in this unit. Besides the aforementioned proposed starters, UM can call on junior David Richard (6-2, 235), a four-game starter on the strong side last year who will back up Harrington in the middle this time around. Emmett Morris Jr. (5-11, 235) is also ready for an expanded role on the strong side after seeing spot duty as a sophomore last season.

A trio of red-shirt freshmen, Steve Redmond (6-1, 230), Aaron O'Neal (6-3, 220) and Van Alexander (6-1, 230), will play prominent roles before the season is completed. Alexander in particular was impressive in spring camp before a foot injury requiring surgery ended his run.

With a rebuilt defensive front still taking off the training wheels, it will be interesting to see how MU's linebackers respond to an increased burden of playmaking responsibility. The athleticism is in place, but the experience to use it wisely is not.



DEFENSIVE BACKS


"Smithers, who is that rapscallion rushing willy-nilly into the lap of oncoming tailbacks?"

"Why, that's Jason Simpson (6-0, 205), sir, one of your senior safeties from sector 7-G."

"Simpson, eh? Never heard of him."

He doesn't have the notoriety of Homer J., but Simpson is scoring boffo ratings in Columbia. A second-team All-Big 12 honoree after posting 98 tackles last fall, Simpson also accomplished something else positively cartoonish; from free safety, he led the squad in tackles for loss with 15.

"A lot of times he's playing on the hash, a lot of times he's playing in the middle," Pinkel said. "But we also have a scheme where we put him at the nickel back, which gets him on the line of scrimmage and we can bring him a lot. That's why you see his name up there as a safety.

"He is really just a good football player. He can run, he's tough, he's physical. I would suggest he is the impact player on our defense, and a player that's earned a lot of respect from a lot of people."

Simpson won't be able to carry this show alone, of course. Supporting actor and strong safety Nino Williams II, just behind Simpson on the tackle Nielsens with 92 last fall, has graduated. Ostensibly, junior David Overstreet (6-0, 210) will assume Williams' role after playing in all 11 games last year and accumulating 49 tackles.

However, Darnell Terrell (6-3, 210) is arriving belatedly after a season's stopover at Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College. Rated the top prep player in Missouri in 2003, Terrell will have sophomore standing after earning NJCAA Honorable Mention All-America accolades at Coffeyville.

Seniors Justin Scott (6-0, 200) and Quincy Wade (5-9, 195) may have something to say about Terrell's presumed ascendancy at strong safety. Behind Simpson at free lurks junior Brandon Massey (6-1, 195) and red-shirt freshman William Moore (6-2, 210), a tantalizing prospect whom Pinkel said "may be the best athlete on the team." So, even with Williams' departure, Mizzou is loaded along the last line of defense.

"Considering how dreadful that spot was a few years ago, we've kind of matured in that area and certainly recruited well," Pinkel said.

The Tigers were third in the nation in pass defense, surrendering under 150 yards per game, primarily because their cornerbacks developed astronomically. Ex-wide receiver Shirdonya Mitchell, the team's interception leader with four, excelled as a cover corner, and A.J. Kincade (5-10, 190) and Marcus King (5-10, 195) brought the heat from the other side.

Mitchell has graduated, but Kincade and King, both seniors, remain as reliable front-line contributors. Kincade nabbed the interception in the end zone that sealed the win over Iowa State, and King broke up a team-high seven passes in eight starts last fall.

Another senior, Calvin Washington (6-0, 195), enjoyed his best spring in four years at MU and figures to see a lot of action in nickel situations. Red-shirt freshmen Domonique Johnson (6-2, 185) and Trenile Washington (5-11, 180) and sophomore Alex Woodley (5-11, 175) can stand to learn a thing or two from the seniors ahead of them.

Missouri may not replicate its pass-defense prowess from a season ago if the front four doesn't apply the same amount of pressure. For its time slot, however, the secondary looks like a ratings winner once again.



PUNTERS


When Brock Harvey went down with a broken collarbone against Colorado, junior walk-on Matt Hoenes (6-1, 195) tried to hold MU's fragile punting game together. Ultimately, a 36.6-yard average wasn't going to cut it, and Pinkel plugged in Crossett for the final three games.

"I don't know anybody who has backup punters who can just go out there and do a great job," Pinkel said.

Crossett is sticking with place-kicking this fall, and Hoenes was the only punter in spring camp. However, freshman Matt Casaday (5-11, 190) might be MU's starter versus Arkansas State. In being selected the 12th-best kicker in the country by Rivals.com, Casaday averaged 42 yards a punt and knocked home 12-of-18 field goals for Plano (Texas) West last season.

Anything that drags the Tigers' punting game out of the pit of despair will be welcome. MU was 114th among 117 Division 1-A teams in net punting two seasons ago; last year, it was 86th.

"We want the specialty area of our kicking game to be finalized," Pinkel said, almost plaintively.



SPECIAL TEAMS


As noted, the woeful kicking game hung like a shroud over the Tigers last year, prompting Pinkel to assert, "That's probably my biggest disappointment since I've been here at Missouri, that we haven't consistently turned that around.

"We were just inconsistent. We wanted it to be an edge. The year before we had an edge there, except for the punting game. We were pretty high-level in just about every area."

Punting and place-kicking aren't the only dilemmas facing Missouri's special teams. The staff is still shopping for a consistent long snapper and holder. Thomson Omboga, MU's top punt returner and one of the best in the conference, is gone, as is kickoff returner Shirdonya Mitchell.

Alex Woodley should be Mitchell's full-time replacement. Woodley posted a 16.4-yard average on nine kickoff returns last year. Newcomer Darnell Terrell has a kick-returning past; he might get a look at fielding punts, too.