We'll kick off our position rankings across the Big 12 today. Depth plays a factor in each. We're not ranking individual players, we're ranking each Big 12 team by their strength at the position. Quarterback obviously uses its depth the least, but ask Oklahoma State or TCU how important it is.
Here's how I rank the Big 12 teams at quarterback:
1. Oklahoma State: Wes Lunt is gone, but OSU still has two quarterbacks capable of winning a Big 12 title with this roster in likely starter Clint Chelf and short-yardage specialist J.W. Walsh. Walsh nearly knocked off Texas in his first career start last season. Chelf has lots of experience in the system, and Walsh led the Big 12 in passer rating last season.
2. TCU: Casey Pachall has to prove he can get back to his old self, but he's got a strong case as the Big 12's best quarterback. Trevone Boykin improved a lot over the 2012 season and coach Gary Patterson raved about his progress this spring, making Pachall's likely reclamation of his starting spot a tougher assignment than most figured. Boykin's arguably the Big 12's best playmaker at QB with his feet. No QB in the Big 12 has a stronger on-field résumé at this point in their careers than Pachall. That carries a lot of weight in these rankings.
3. Baylor: Bryce Petty is my pick for the Big 12's all-conference quarterback at the end of the season. He's got a great offense around him, but this is his fourth year in the system, learning behind great football minds like Robert Griffin III and Nick Florence. He's more physically gifted than Florence and will be able to do many of the things RG3 did with his arm. Seth Russell is a solid backup, and Chris Johnson is a promising young player, too.
4. Texas: David Ash has a shot to be the Big 12's best quarterback this season, but has to shake off rough games like he had against Kansas to do it. Case McCoy isn't the most physically gifted specimen at the position, but there's no denying his playmaking ability. Even Texas A&M fans would have to admit that. Tyrone Swoopes turned some heads during the spring game.
5. Oklahoma: Blake Bell should be an above average Big 12 starter, who proves he can throw the ball and is more than just a threat around the goal line. The inexperience all over the Big 12 at this position makes ranking this spot extremely difficult, but Kendal Thompson and Trevor Knight behind Bell would be intriguing to watch if they're forced into duty. All three are playmakers with their feet.
6. West Virginia: The Mountaineers probably have more upside than any team on this list, and have three guys who could probably carry the Mountaineers to 7-8 wins this season. That's a luxury, but other than Ford Childress, I'm not sure I see a real game changer in Clint Trickett or Paul Millard. Still, don't be surprised if whoever wins the job racks up 3,500-plus yards in this offense.
7. Texas Tech: Tech is right behind West Virginia in potential at this position. Michael Brewer breaking out and proving himself as the Big 12's best quarterback this season wouldn't surprise me at all. True freshman Davis Webb has impressed Kliff Kingsbury, but Brewer's inability to beat him out for the job is something of a red flag. Not much depth at the position slides the Red Raiders down the list a bit.
8. Kansas State: K-State has an intriguing race between Daniel Sams and Jake Waters. Bill Snyder has historically preferred dual-threat quarterbacks, and Sams will easily be the fastest quarterback in the Big 12, but I want to see him operate the whole offense and not do so while nursing big leads before I truly buy in. Waters isn't a statue, but Sams could surpass Boykin as the Big 12's best running quarterback.
9. Kansas: Jake Heaps is the great hope for the Jayhawks, who don't have another serviceable quarterback on the roster. Heaps has earned some rave reviews during the spring and had moderate success at BYU. He'll have a strong running game and a better group of receivers around him than Dayne Crist did last season. Michael Cummings played some last season after replacing Crist, but the results were far from inspiring.
10. Iowa State: Sam Richardson has to prove he improved a lot in his first offseason as the team's unquestioned starter. Grant Rohach is a decent backup, but this position has been a constant struggle recently in Ames. I'm not entirely sold on Richardson being the guy to change that.