<
        >

          Big 12 Blog

          Big 12 Twitter mailbag: Tech and Texas recruiting, best home-field advantages

          • Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff WriterJun 19, 2015, 04:45 PM ET
            Close
              Jake Trotter covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011 covering college football. Before that, he worked at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal newspapers. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Trotter.
            Follow on X

          In today's Twitter mailbag, we discuss Texas Tech and Texas recruiting, TCU's most intriguing game after Baylor and who owns the best home-field advantages in the league.

          To the 'bag:

          Trotter: Baylor's. Shawn Oakman and Andrew Billings are All-Big 12, and probable future first-round picks. Beau Blackshear is a three-year starter. At end opposite Oakman, Boise State transfer Sam Ukwuachu is expected to be eligible, and Jamal Palmer is healthy again. This is a unit loaded with size, speed and experience. No other Big 12 defensive line really comes close.

          Trotter: You must have been on vacation during Baylor's 48-14 undressing of OU in Norman last year. Baylor owned -- and still owns -- a clear edge on both sides of the trenches and at wide receiver. It's not like the Sooners were incredible in the secondary last year, either. With Samaje Perine and a new offense, OU has a chance to be a factor this year. But on paper, all other things are not equal. As to your actual question, I ranked Baylor fourth and OU fifth in my post-spring QB rankings. I give Seth Russell the slight edge over Baker Mayfield, though both are relatively unproven given their limited experience.

          Trotter: Tech has definitely gone all-in on quantity early. Will it ultimately come at the expense of quality? It's too soon to say. They do have some premier players already committed in the likes of WR T.J. Vasher and TE Donte Coleman. But they haven't exactly beaten out other Big 12 programs for several of their other commits, either. There could be some diamonds in the rough there. Others could see their stock rise in the fall. But with 19 commitments on board, Tech can really focus in on some blue-chip possibilities leading up to signing day. Such a fast start could also create the perception of momentum with prospective blue-chippers, which is an underrated attribute to have in recruiting. One thing is for sure, Tech won't have to worry about scrambling to fill out its class at the end, which is something that plagues various school in the days leading up to signing day. It will be very interesting to see how our ESPN scouts view this class come February.

          Trotter: LSU at Mississippi State and Oregon at Michigan State are on the same weekend. I would assume GameDay would choose one of those locales before OU-Tennessee.

          Trotter: I don't view Rennie Childs as a feature back right now. He had a nice spring, and I think he can be an effective change-of-pace option with his one-cut, downhill style. But from everything I've seen, I don't put him in the same class as a Kendall Hunter or Joe Randle. That's why landing Chris Carson was so pivotal for Oklahoma State's 2015 outlook. Carson has the look of an every-down, 25-carry back. I don't know if he'll pan out. Jucos are always a coin flip. But my educated guess is that Carson will wind up getting the majority of the carries for the Cowboys this season.

          Trotter: Charlie Strong signed a top-10 class last year. It's way too early to say Texas is struggling. Remember, Strong flipped eight recruits from other schools last year. I'd imagine he'll steal a few before this signing day, too.

          Trotter: Separating out quality of the home team, Lubbock, Stillwater and Manhattan seem to consistently boast the best home-field advantages. Baylor could soon be making a case to be on that list with McLane Stadium.

          Trotter: Texas LB Malik Jefferson, Kansas State QB Alex Delton, Oklahoma State DT Darrion Daniels, TCU LB Mike Freeze, Texas Tech DT Breiden Fehoko and West Virginia WR Jovon Durante are among the freshmen that could have big impacts this season.

          Trotter: The trips to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for sure. TCU hasn't won in Stillwater since 1991. And the Frogs haven't won in Norman since 2005. TCU has never really been in this position before, going into a season as the hunted. Sure, the Horned Frogs were a powerhouse mid-major, but even then, they were viewed as the little guy by the major conferences. This will be a completely different experience. It's going to be interesting to see how they perform on the road in tough environments against quality opponents.

          Trotter: I'd be for Baylor playing on the moon as long as the opponent didn't include the words "Incarnate" or "Word" in its name.