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By Jake Trotter | ESPN.com
Over the next two weeks, we’ll be analyzing the depth charts of every Big 12 team coming out of the spring. We start with Baylor, which released an official two-deep shortly after concluding spring ball in early April.
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Can Bryce Petty be even better this season?
OFFENSE
QB: Bryce Petty (Sr.), Seth Russell (So.)
The Bears have one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football in Petty, who was phenomenal last year in his first season as a starter. With a year of experience under his belt, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be better in 2014. Russell performed well in limited duty last year, suggesting the Bears could survive at least a minor injury to Petty.
RB: Shock Linwood (So.) or Devin Chafin (So.), Johnny Jefferson (RFr.), Terence Williams (Fr.)
The Bears boast four potentially outstanding runners who all have at least three seasons of eligibility remaining. Linwood finished sixth in the Big 12 in rushing last season, despite backing up Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin. Jefferson, however, was the back who created the most buzz during the spring. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder looks poised to give the Bears a dynamic home-run threat to complement the rest of the backfield. It’s not often a program can lose two talents like Seastrunk and Martin and remain loaded.
WR: Antwan Goodley (Sr.), Davion Hall (Fr.)
WR: Jay Lee (Jr.) or Robbie Rhodes (So.), Quan Jones (RFr.)
IR: Corey Coleman (So.) or Clay Fuller (Sr.), Cal Spangler (Jr.)
IR: Levi Norwood (Sr.), Lynx Hawthorne (So.)
TE: Tre’von Armstead (So.) or Gus Penning (Jr.), Jordan Feuerbacher (Fr.)
Despite graduating all-conference performer Tevin Reese, the Bears should easily have the deepest collection of pass-catchers in the Big 12. Coleman was tremendous all spring, capped by a 47-yard receiving effort in the spring game. He and Rhodes could have breakout campaigns in their second years in the rotation. Goodley is one of the two best wideouts in the league along with Kansas State’s Tyler Lockett, and Lee, Fuller and Norwood are all proven commodities. More firepower is on the way this summer, including hotshot freshman K.D. Cannon, who looks like a virtual lock to crack the rotation somewhere.
LT: Spencer Drango (Jr.), Pat Colbert (Jr.)
LG: LaQuan McGowan (Jr.) or Blake Muir (Jr.)
C: Kyle Fuller (So.), Tyler Edwards (Sr.)
RG: Desmine Hilliard (Jr.), Jarell Broxton (Jr.)
RT: Troy Baker (Sr.), Tyler Edwards (Sr.)
The Bears lose unanimous All-American guard Cyril Richardson, but will get a huge boost if Drango makes a full recovery from a back injury he suffered late last season. With Drango out, Baylor’s blindside pass protection also suffered the final month of the season. When healthy, Drango is one of the best pass-protecting left tackles in the country. Baker, who started as a sophomore, returned late last season after tearing his ACL last spring to reclaim his starting job, which he held through the spring. With Hilliard returning at guard, Fuller locking down the starting job at center and other quality depth inside, the Bears should be very solid on the offensive line -- provided Drango can get healthy and Baker can stay healthy at the bookends.
Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
Shawn Oakman has elevated his game.
DEFENSE
RE: Shawn Oakman (Jr.), K.J. Smith (RFr.)
NT: Andrew Billings (So.), Suleiman Masumbuko (Jr.)
DT: Beau Blackshear (Jr.) or Javonte Magee (So.), Byron Bonds (So.)
LE: Jamal Palmer (Jr.), Sam Ukwuachu (Jr.)
Last week, Baylor coach Art Briles said he’d put his top-seven defensive linemen against any other top seven in college football. The unit still has a lot to prove to reach that level, but there’s no denying the potential. Oakman elevated his game to another level this spring, and was basically unblockable. He’s a candidate to be an All-Big 12 performer even in a league that’s stocked at defensive end. The fact that Magee is listed as a co-starter with Blackshear -- a starter last season -- underscores what the coaching staff thinks of Magee, who before taking last year off due to personal matters was among the most highly touted recruits Briles had ever signed. This group is high on ability, and has the capability to prove their coach right in the fall.
WLB: Aiavion Edwards (So.), Taylor Young (RFr.) or Raaquan Davis(RFr.)
MLB: Bryce Hager (Sr.), Grant Campbell (Jr.) or Kendall Ehrlich (So.)
Hager missed the final four games of last season due to a groin injury, which also kept him out this spring. But Hager is about as reliable as it gets in the Big 12, having earned second-team all-conference honors the last two years. Edwards is the one to watch. He was given the first nod on the weak side, after playing in the middle last season and in the spring in place of Hager. But he’ll have to perform to fend off the competition, including Young, who impressed defensive coordinator Phil Bennett during the spring with his nose for the ball.
NB: Collin Brence (Sr.), Pat Levels (So.)
CB: Terrence Singleton (So.), Ryan Reid (So.)
CB: Xavien Howard (So.) or Chris Sanders (Jr.)
DS: Orion Stewart (So.), Alfred Pullom (RFr.)
CS: Terrell Burt (Jr.), Taion Sells (So.)
This unit comprises by far the biggest question mark on the team. The Bears should be in good shape at safety. Burt, the only returning starter in the group, will be back shortly from offseason shoulder surgery that kept him out of a spring ball. Briles also singled out Stewart for having a very promising spring as the replacement for All-American Ahmad Dixon. After a series of injury setbacks early in his career, Singleton returned to win a starting job at corner, at least for now. Howard also showed a ton of promise during the spring, but he’ll have competition from Sanders, one of the top juco corners in the country, who had a shoulder injury this spring. Brence, a walk-on, was the biggest surprise in the secondary, and is listed as the starter at nickelback. How this untested unit comes together could ultimately determine whether the Bears repeat as Big 12 champs.
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesTCU receiver Brandon Carter caught 31 passes for 370 yards last season but failed to find the end zone after scoring nine TDs during his first two seasons.
Ed Zurga/Getty ImagesDaniel Sams accounted for 1,261 total yards and 15 scores last season.
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