After a thrilling first week of college football, here are this week’s top 10 offensive players in the Big 12.
1. Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU (last week: 1)
Trevone Boykin retains his position as the best offensive player in the Big 12. Although his Horned Frogs seemed a bit underwhelming in a 23-17 victory over unranked Minnesota, he put in a performance that showed just how dominant he will prove to be. He threw for 246 yards (26/42), including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson. Boykin also rushed for 92 yards on 18 carries, one of those carries being a 19-yard rush for a touchdown. Although he did throw one interception, that does not take away from how dominant he was. He possesses an on-field presence of leadership that not many players have.
2. Spencer Drango, LT, Baylor (last week: 3)
Drango led his Bears to a dominant 56-21 over the SMU Mustangs, and he played just as dominantly as ever. His performance allowed just one sack to Baylor QB Seth Russell. He managed to lead an offense to 723 total offensive yards on just 69 plays. Seth Russell never had to worry about his blindside as Drango had it covered the entire game.
3. Sam Richardson, QB, Iowa State (last week: 4)
Richardson showcased an impressive performance as his Cyclones toppled the UNI Panthers with a scoreline of 31-7. He started a bit slow but ended the game with 2 touchdown passes, 233 passing yards (21/29), and he did not throw an interception the whole night. Though his defense did him a few favors with five sacks, Richardson still pieced together a performance that proves he is a force to be reckoned with.
4. Josh Doctson, WR, TCU (last week: 5)
Josh Doctson fulfilled my expectations as the top wideout on a team led by arguably the best quarterback in college football. Doctson recorded 8 receptions for 74 yards, one of those receptions being a spectacular 11-yard one-handed grab. I expect consistent scoring in these coming weeks out of Doctson.
5. Cody Whitehair, T, K-State (last week: 6)
Whitehair provided protection to both Jesse Ertz and Joe Hubener. Though Ertz was injured on his first play from scrimmage, Hubener entered the game and threw for 147 yards and a touchdown under the supervision of Whitehair. Whitehair showcased leadership and dominance in a 34-0 win over the South Dakota Jackrabbits.
6. Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma (last week: 2)
Samaje Perine fell four spots in my rankings after an underwhelming performance. Perine notched just 33 yards on 11 rushes. Though he did make it to the end zone once, he didn’t seem like his usual self. He seemed rather hesitant. It will be interesting to see how Perine and his Sooners respond after such a shaky first week.
7. Seth Russell, QB, Baylor (last week unranked)
Seth Russell threw down such an impressive performance that I had no choice but to include him on my list. Russell surprised me with a monstrous 376 passing yards (15/30) and five touchdown passes. Though he was picked off once, he wasn’t too bad on the ground, either, with six carries for 59 yards, including a long of 38 yards. He even ran a touchdown in.
8. Le’Raven Clark, OT, Texas Tech (last week: 9)
Clark’s Red Raiders overcame a poor defensive performance and emerged victorious over the Sam Houston State Bearkats with a scoreline of 59-45. Clark showed his experience and did not allow a single sack on QB Patrick Mahomes. He was a brick wall, which is why he retains the eighth spot on my list.
9. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech (last week unranked)
Now this guy came out of nowhere. I can admit that I had no idea as to who he was before this weekend. He shocked me as he threw for 425 yards (33-53-1) and four touchdown passes with just one interception as he decimated the Bearkats’ defense. Plus, he ran for 48 yards on five carries. I have my eyes on Mahomes and am interested as to what he and his Red Raiders can do in the future.
10. Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor (last week: 10)
Corey Coleman made big play after big play on Saturday. He managed 178 receiving yards on just five receptions, including a long of 60. He made it to the end zone once and averaged a staggering 35.6 yards per play. I expect Coleman to get a few more looks in the coming weeks, so expect big numbers from him.
