Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Biggest questions for five teams at Big 12 Media Days
File Photo
Many questions will be answered at the Big 12 Media Days which starts Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor
Kansas: How can the Jayhawks improve? With only two wins in the past two seasons, the Kansas Jayhawks have On Wednesday and Thursday, the also finished last place in the conferBig 12 conference will host its annual ence every year since 2015. Big 12 media days in AT&T Stadium in Although Kansas finished 2021 Arlington, where members of the me- with a 2-11 record, the Jayhawks dia will meet with players and coaches showed improvement throughout the of every team in the conference. year, such as leading Oklahoma until With less than two months the fourth quarter, and defeating Texas between Big 12 media days and the in Austin. With a second year under start of the 2022 season, there are coach Lance Leipold and led by quarstill questions for the five teams in the terback Jalon Daniels, the Jayhawks conference who will take part on the could compete for more wins in 2022. first day of the event, questions likely West Virginia: How good is JT to be asked. Daniels? Baylor: Do the Bears have what Former five-star and No. 2 rated it takes to repeat as conference cham- quarterback in the 2018 class, JT Danpions? iels initially committed to USC, where After a Big 12 championship and he played for two seasons, before transSugar Bowl winning season in 2021, ferring to Georgia for the 2020 and the Baylor Bears topped the list of the 2021 seasons. 2022 preseason poll, picked to finish Daniels had little impact on the first in the conference yet again. 2022 national championship winning While the team lost seven players Bulldog team, backing up quarterback to the NFL and seven to the transfer Stetson Bennett. In April, Daniels portal, Baylor, under now second year announced his second transfer of his coach Dave Aranda, are looking to career, this time to West Virginia. repeat as conference champions. Although his career has been
riddled with injuries, Daniels could look to lead an experienced West Virginia team to contention in the Big 12 this season. Kansas State: Are the Wildcats a dark horse contender in the Big 12? With a revolving door of quarterbacks during the 2021 season, the Wildcats finished fifth in the Big 12. The Kansas State offense was led by running back Deuce Vaughn, who is returning to Manhattan for the 2022 season after totaling 1,872 total yards and 22 touchdowns last season. On defense, Felix AnudikeUzomah was selected as the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year, after finishing his sophomore season with 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2021. Along with Vaughn and Uzomah, six Kansas State players earned preseason conference honors, the most in the Big 12. And with the addition of quarterback Adrian Martinez from the transfer portal via Nebraska, who finished last season with 3,388 total yards and 27 total touchdowns, the Wildcats may be the surprise of the conference next season.
Oklahoma State: Can the Cowboys return to the Big 12 championship game? It has been 11 years since OSU won its first, and only, Big 12 championship. Last season, coach Mike Gundy’s team was an inch away from winning their second conference championship in school history, but ultimately fell to Baylor on a win-or-lose goal-line stand. After having to replace a defensive coordinator, two starting linebackers and four starters in the secondary in the offseason, OSU’s top five defense from last season will be difficult to replicate. The offense saw losses across the board as well, with leading receiver Tay Martin and rusher Jaylen Warren leaving for the NFL. Quarterback Spencer Sanders, now entering his fourth year as a starter, will have to take another step forward in his progression if OSU wishes to reach the championship game again.
sports.ed@ocolly.com