I'm a member of a paid forum that gives good insight into the BIG XII. Here's the first week of fall camp reports for the previously mentioned teams:
[FONT="]OKLAHOMA ... By Bob Pryzbylo, publisher SoonersIllustrated.com ... Opening Game: UTEP, Saturday, Sept. 2, Owen Field[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The defense seems to be much more on track this season because of the leadership that is returning. In the eyes of many of the coaches, this has a feel of the defensive leadership of 2015, a season that saw the Sooners reach the college football playoff.[/FONT]
[FONT="]At every line of defense, there is someone you can point toward and say, “that guy gets it.” Whether it’s Matt Romar or Ogbonnia Okoronkwo or Jordan Thomas or Steven Parker, the defense should make a lot more strides and build off what was actually not too bad of a performance in the final six games of 2016.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Injuries. Yep, OU isn’t immune to them. The Sooners have already lost two pieces to the offensive puzzle for the entire 2017 season. Offensive lineman Alex Dalton, who could play guard or center, suffered a knee injury before camp started and will be out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Wide receiver Nick Basquine, who earned a scholarship after being a walk-on initially, tore his ACL on Friday in a non-contact setting and is also out for the season.[/FONT]
[FONT="]It opens up possibilities for some young guys to emerge, but especially for someone like Basquine, it felt like 2017 could have been his time to shine.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep An Eye On:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The running back position. It’s a tired story at this point to talk about replacing Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, but now is the time when you need to start seeing some movement toward guys stepping up.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Redshirt sophomore Rodney Anderson feels like the odds on favorite to do just that, provided he can stay healthy. Sophomore Abdul Adams has come a long way since the end of 2016 and the 2017 class brings a trio of guys in Marcelias Sutton, Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Nobody is asking them to be Perine or Mixon. And with the offensive line all returning, they won’t have to be that polished off the bat. But a go-to guy would be nice to circle right about now.[/FONT]
[FONT="]###[/FONT]
[FONT="]OKLAHOMA STATE ... By Robert Allen, publisher of GoPokes.com ... Camp Started: Sunday, July 30 (7 practices through Sunday Aug. 6)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Opening Game: Tulsa in Stillwater on Thurs., Aug. 31[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]A full week of camp in the barn and no injuries and only one defection and that was a walk-on wide receiver. Oklahoma State can afford to miss a freshman walk-on wide receiver out of the group that many feel is the strongest receiver corps in college football.[/FONT]
[FONT="]James Washington, Jalen McCleskey, Chris Lacy, transfer Tyron Johnson, and the return of injured receivers Marcell Ateman and Dillon Stoner have kept Mason Rudolph and the two quarterbacks competing to back him up, Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee happy.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Head coach Mike Gundy has been happy that fifth-year offensive tackle transfer Aaron Cochran, a two-year starter at Cal, came in 30 pounds lighter and has looked the way they hoped in practice.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The best news has been at cornerback, where Oklahoma State is perceived weak after moving starter Ramon Richards to safety leaving three young corners and another fifty-year graduate transfer in former Clemson player Adrian Baker.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Head coach Mike Gundy has been happy as the corners have played well and been aggressive against that talented receiver group.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I feel better about our corners right now than I did when we started. I'm seeing guys that are very competitive and their success right now with the youth at that spot will be dependent on our pass rush and our ability to get to the quarterback so that we don't leave those guys out there for a long period of time."[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Oklahoma State has a stellar punter in Zach (Sinor4Heisman) Sinor. Gundy loves Sinor, even his faux Heisman campaign, but the Cowboys lost kicker Ben Grogan and the early camp results have been mixed with some kicks blocked and some misses as veteran walk-on Matt Ammendola and scholarship freshman Jake McClure battle for the job of kicking PATs and field goals.
Gundy said he has some concern heading into the second week of fall camp. The kicking will need to improve.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep an Eye on:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two back-up position battles on offense. You have to be honest that if something happens to quarterback Mason Rudolph for any extended period it would drastically change the expectations for Oklahoma State’s season. That said, you still need a back-up and somebody needs to be the guy heading toward 2018, although Denton Ryan senior Spencer Sanders looks like the kind of quarterback commitment that could come in and compete early. Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee are very close. Same situation at running back behind freshman All-American Justice Hill from a year ago. Hill is the guy, but Gundy likes to play as many as three backs and spread the carries. Former Desoto standout L.D. Brown and former Euless Trinity power back Ja’Ron Wilson are two Texans in the mix. Temple junior Jeff Carr will get some work. Two freshmen in Canadian speedster Chuba Hubbard and Georgia product J.D. King are also showing up some in practice. Scrimmages down the line will go a long way toward the decisions at both quarterback and running back.[/FONT]
[FONT="]####[/FONT]
[FONT="]TEXAS ... By Chip Brown, HornsDigest.com ... Opening Game: Maryland, Sept. 2, DKR[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]QB Shane Buechele has come out of the summer a more vocal leader, which was a huge requirement of Tom Herman and the offensive coaching staff.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Their philosophy is it's not enough for Buechele to be a good decision maker on the field with a live, accurate arm - the coaches want Buechele to bring guys along with him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So Tom Herman praised Buechele for "being heard" much more in the first week of fall camp.[/FONT]
[FONT="]At RB, the coaches were giving Kyle Porter first-team reps ahead of Chris Warren III during the first week of camp, because Warren missed the spring with a hamstring, and Porter put in the work. How long that lasts is anybody's guess?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Receiver and safety are the deepest positions on the team, and Herman said depth is increasing on the defensive line after Herman said junior DE Charles Omenihu has worked his way to co-starter status with DEs Malcolm Roach and Chris Nelson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line is a strength for Texas for the first time since 2006.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Redshirt freshman S Chris Brown has been pushing sophomore S Brandon Jones in a heated battle.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior S Jason Hall suffered a head injury in Saturday's first scrimmage of fall camp attempting to tackle 254-pound RB Chris Warren III.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The defense got the best of the offense in Saturday's scrimmage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While late arrivals - grad transfer TE Kendall Moore of Syracuse and JUCO DT Jamarhi Chisolm - are both enrolled and going through practice, freshman WR signee Damion Miller has still yet to enroll in school.[/FONT]
[FONT="]WR John Burt, who skipped running track in the spring despite being a national threat in the hurdles, is still struggling to catch the ball (he dropped two wide open in the scrimmage).[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep An Eye On:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The depth on the offensive line is a concern, especially after JUCO transfer OG Brandon Hodges became a grad transfer and headed off to Pittsburgh.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The two battling it out at RT right now are junior Elijah Rodriguez and senior Tristan Nickelson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]###[/FONT]
[FONT="]TEXAS TECH ... By Jarret Johnson, publisher of insidetheraiders.com ... Season opener: Eastern Washington, Sept. 2, Jones AT&T Stadium[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Texas Tech just wrapped its first week of fall camp and spirits are up. The Offense and defense traded blows in an open scrimmage Saturday. New quarterback Nic Shimonek looked like a seasoned vet who after four seasons in the Air Raid system under Kliff Kingsbury really is one. His top targets Saturday were Keke Coutee, who figures to be one of the top receivers in the Big 12, and Dylan Cantrell. Coutee scored twice on explosive plays during the scrimmage while the 6-3, 220-pound Cantrell worked underneath for several chain moving grabs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Junior college running back Desmond Nisby hit campus this past week and has already made an impact as the 6-2, 235-pound back adds a power dimension the Red Raiders have been without for several years. He was welcomed to the team on his first carry of the scrimmage with a vicious hit by sophomore linebacker Brayden Stringer. Nisby bounced back for several nice runs, including a 40-yard sprint after trucking a 260-pound defensive end.[/FONT]
[FONT="]https://youtu.be/zzDXZ9N0Wl8[/FONT]
[FONT="]On the other side of the ball, it was very nice to see 6-1, 240-pound sophomore linebacker Jordyn Brooks back on the field after offseason shoulder surgery and rehab forced him to miss spring ball. He led Tech in tackles last season, including 18 in the finale win over Baylor at Jerry World. Brooks picked up right where he left off as he was all over the field Saturday. He's easily one of Tech's top five players.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Veteran safety Jah'Shawn Johnson was tremendous in both coverage, especially with a nice pass breakup while covering Coutee one-on-one on a deep corner route, as well as against the run as he also had a really nice tackle for loss on a perimeter run.[/FONT]
[FONT="]It's really unbelievable how much better the secondary is compared to a year ago as 6-2, sophomore cornerback Des Smith from nearby Odessa Permian (of Friday Night Lights fame) impressed with an interception and nice coverage throughout. Four-star junior college transfer Octavious "The Emperor" Morgan has actually been better than advertised and benefitted from being at Tech in spring. He made several big plays Saturday, including three pass breakups. Washington grad transfer Trevor Walker already looks like the second best safety on the roster. He may end up being a steal for the Red Raiders and big part of what they do on defense. Don't be surprised if he starts opposite Johnson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Texas A&M walk-on transfer defensive tackle and former Katy all-district performer Jesse Brown picked up a sack and looks like he'll be able to provide depth at a defensive tackle group which is deeper than normal for the Red Raiders with Broderick Washington, Mych Thomas, Nick McCann and Joe Wallace, who all flashed at times Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line is a work in progress. The addition of graduate transfers Dwayne "Not the Rock" Johnson from Nebraska and "Don" Jujuan Dulaney from Maryland adds sorely need depth at the guard positions. Currently penciled in as starters at guard are true freshman blue chip recruit Jack Anderson and former four-star Madison Akamnonu, who is back from offseason back surgery. Each are tremendously talented but young and need time to mesh.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line struggled in the scrimmage early, but turned it on providing time for Shimonek in the pocket and by opening holes for the backs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The starting offensive line is not the problem, it's after the first 6-7 guys where it gets really scary. The truth is throughout spring the defensive line manhandled the backup offensive line and that didn't change Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Red Raiders are going to have to stay healthy on the offensive line or it could be catastrophic.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep an eye on:[/FONT]
[FONT="]New defensive back Justus Parker. The guy is an animal in the secondary. He had a pick six and a strip fumble Saturday in the scrimmage, plus stood up several ball carriers on tackles. This was no one scrimmage wonder as Parker was equally eyebrow raising throughout spring camp. He's currently slated as Doug Coleman's backup at nickelback, but Coleman is going to play a lot. He emerged as a true freshman last season by picking off Kenny Hill on a big play and ripping the ball out of Texas running back D'Onta Foreman's hands and racing 100 yards for a score.[/FONT]
[FONT="]https://youtu.be/ZTRwEFCYVak[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Red Raiders will have to find a way to get both on the field as each have a knack for making big plays.[/FONT]
[FONT="]OKLAHOMA ... By Bob Pryzbylo, publisher SoonersIllustrated.com ... Opening Game: UTEP, Saturday, Sept. 2, Owen Field[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The defense seems to be much more on track this season because of the leadership that is returning. In the eyes of many of the coaches, this has a feel of the defensive leadership of 2015, a season that saw the Sooners reach the college football playoff.[/FONT]
[FONT="]At every line of defense, there is someone you can point toward and say, “that guy gets it.” Whether it’s Matt Romar or Ogbonnia Okoronkwo or Jordan Thomas or Steven Parker, the defense should make a lot more strides and build off what was actually not too bad of a performance in the final six games of 2016.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Injuries. Yep, OU isn’t immune to them. The Sooners have already lost two pieces to the offensive puzzle for the entire 2017 season. Offensive lineman Alex Dalton, who could play guard or center, suffered a knee injury before camp started and will be out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Wide receiver Nick Basquine, who earned a scholarship after being a walk-on initially, tore his ACL on Friday in a non-contact setting and is also out for the season.[/FONT]
[FONT="]It opens up possibilities for some young guys to emerge, but especially for someone like Basquine, it felt like 2017 could have been his time to shine.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep An Eye On:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The running back position. It’s a tired story at this point to talk about replacing Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, but now is the time when you need to start seeing some movement toward guys stepping up.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Redshirt sophomore Rodney Anderson feels like the odds on favorite to do just that, provided he can stay healthy. Sophomore Abdul Adams has come a long way since the end of 2016 and the 2017 class brings a trio of guys in Marcelias Sutton, Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Nobody is asking them to be Perine or Mixon. And with the offensive line all returning, they won’t have to be that polished off the bat. But a go-to guy would be nice to circle right about now.[/FONT]
[FONT="]###[/FONT]
[FONT="]OKLAHOMA STATE ... By Robert Allen, publisher of GoPokes.com ... Camp Started: Sunday, July 30 (7 practices through Sunday Aug. 6)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Opening Game: Tulsa in Stillwater on Thurs., Aug. 31[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]A full week of camp in the barn and no injuries and only one defection and that was a walk-on wide receiver. Oklahoma State can afford to miss a freshman walk-on wide receiver out of the group that many feel is the strongest receiver corps in college football.[/FONT]
[FONT="]James Washington, Jalen McCleskey, Chris Lacy, transfer Tyron Johnson, and the return of injured receivers Marcell Ateman and Dillon Stoner have kept Mason Rudolph and the two quarterbacks competing to back him up, Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee happy.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Head coach Mike Gundy has been happy that fifth-year offensive tackle transfer Aaron Cochran, a two-year starter at Cal, came in 30 pounds lighter and has looked the way they hoped in practice.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The best news has been at cornerback, where Oklahoma State is perceived weak after moving starter Ramon Richards to safety leaving three young corners and another fifty-year graduate transfer in former Clemson player Adrian Baker.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Head coach Mike Gundy has been happy as the corners have played well and been aggressive against that talented receiver group.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I feel better about our corners right now than I did when we started. I'm seeing guys that are very competitive and their success right now with the youth at that spot will be dependent on our pass rush and our ability to get to the quarterback so that we don't leave those guys out there for a long period of time."[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Oklahoma State has a stellar punter in Zach (Sinor4Heisman) Sinor. Gundy loves Sinor, even his faux Heisman campaign, but the Cowboys lost kicker Ben Grogan and the early camp results have been mixed with some kicks blocked and some misses as veteran walk-on Matt Ammendola and scholarship freshman Jake McClure battle for the job of kicking PATs and field goals.
Gundy said he has some concern heading into the second week of fall camp. The kicking will need to improve.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep an Eye on:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two back-up position battles on offense. You have to be honest that if something happens to quarterback Mason Rudolph for any extended period it would drastically change the expectations for Oklahoma State’s season. That said, you still need a back-up and somebody needs to be the guy heading toward 2018, although Denton Ryan senior Spencer Sanders looks like the kind of quarterback commitment that could come in and compete early. Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee are very close. Same situation at running back behind freshman All-American Justice Hill from a year ago. Hill is the guy, but Gundy likes to play as many as three backs and spread the carries. Former Desoto standout L.D. Brown and former Euless Trinity power back Ja’Ron Wilson are two Texans in the mix. Temple junior Jeff Carr will get some work. Two freshmen in Canadian speedster Chuba Hubbard and Georgia product J.D. King are also showing up some in practice. Scrimmages down the line will go a long way toward the decisions at both quarterback and running back.[/FONT]
[FONT="]####[/FONT]
[FONT="]TEXAS ... By Chip Brown, HornsDigest.com ... Opening Game: Maryland, Sept. 2, DKR[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]QB Shane Buechele has come out of the summer a more vocal leader, which was a huge requirement of Tom Herman and the offensive coaching staff.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Their philosophy is it's not enough for Buechele to be a good decision maker on the field with a live, accurate arm - the coaches want Buechele to bring guys along with him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So Tom Herman praised Buechele for "being heard" much more in the first week of fall camp.[/FONT]
[FONT="]At RB, the coaches were giving Kyle Porter first-team reps ahead of Chris Warren III during the first week of camp, because Warren missed the spring with a hamstring, and Porter put in the work. How long that lasts is anybody's guess?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Receiver and safety are the deepest positions on the team, and Herman said depth is increasing on the defensive line after Herman said junior DE Charles Omenihu has worked his way to co-starter status with DEs Malcolm Roach and Chris Nelson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line is a strength for Texas for the first time since 2006.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Redshirt freshman S Chris Brown has been pushing sophomore S Brandon Jones in a heated battle.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior S Jason Hall suffered a head injury in Saturday's first scrimmage of fall camp attempting to tackle 254-pound RB Chris Warren III.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The defense got the best of the offense in Saturday's scrimmage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While late arrivals - grad transfer TE Kendall Moore of Syracuse and JUCO DT Jamarhi Chisolm - are both enrolled and going through practice, freshman WR signee Damion Miller has still yet to enroll in school.[/FONT]
[FONT="]WR John Burt, who skipped running track in the spring despite being a national threat in the hurdles, is still struggling to catch the ball (he dropped two wide open in the scrimmage).[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep An Eye On:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The depth on the offensive line is a concern, especially after JUCO transfer OG Brandon Hodges became a grad transfer and headed off to Pittsburgh.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The two battling it out at RT right now are junior Elijah Rodriguez and senior Tristan Nickelson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]###[/FONT]
[FONT="]TEXAS TECH ... By Jarret Johnson, publisher of insidetheraiders.com ... Season opener: Eastern Washington, Sept. 2, Jones AT&T Stadium[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Good:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Texas Tech just wrapped its first week of fall camp and spirits are up. The Offense and defense traded blows in an open scrimmage Saturday. New quarterback Nic Shimonek looked like a seasoned vet who after four seasons in the Air Raid system under Kliff Kingsbury really is one. His top targets Saturday were Keke Coutee, who figures to be one of the top receivers in the Big 12, and Dylan Cantrell. Coutee scored twice on explosive plays during the scrimmage while the 6-3, 220-pound Cantrell worked underneath for several chain moving grabs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Junior college running back Desmond Nisby hit campus this past week and has already made an impact as the 6-2, 235-pound back adds a power dimension the Red Raiders have been without for several years. He was welcomed to the team on his first carry of the scrimmage with a vicious hit by sophomore linebacker Brayden Stringer. Nisby bounced back for several nice runs, including a 40-yard sprint after trucking a 260-pound defensive end.[/FONT]
[FONT="]https://youtu.be/zzDXZ9N0Wl8[/FONT]
[FONT="]On the other side of the ball, it was very nice to see 6-1, 240-pound sophomore linebacker Jordyn Brooks back on the field after offseason shoulder surgery and rehab forced him to miss spring ball. He led Tech in tackles last season, including 18 in the finale win over Baylor at Jerry World. Brooks picked up right where he left off as he was all over the field Saturday. He's easily one of Tech's top five players.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Veteran safety Jah'Shawn Johnson was tremendous in both coverage, especially with a nice pass breakup while covering Coutee one-on-one on a deep corner route, as well as against the run as he also had a really nice tackle for loss on a perimeter run.[/FONT]
[FONT="]It's really unbelievable how much better the secondary is compared to a year ago as 6-2, sophomore cornerback Des Smith from nearby Odessa Permian (of Friday Night Lights fame) impressed with an interception and nice coverage throughout. Four-star junior college transfer Octavious "The Emperor" Morgan has actually been better than advertised and benefitted from being at Tech in spring. He made several big plays Saturday, including three pass breakups. Washington grad transfer Trevor Walker already looks like the second best safety on the roster. He may end up being a steal for the Red Raiders and big part of what they do on defense. Don't be surprised if he starts opposite Johnson.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Texas A&M walk-on transfer defensive tackle and former Katy all-district performer Jesse Brown picked up a sack and looks like he'll be able to provide depth at a defensive tackle group which is deeper than normal for the Red Raiders with Broderick Washington, Mych Thomas, Nick McCann and Joe Wallace, who all flashed at times Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Bad:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line is a work in progress. The addition of graduate transfers Dwayne "Not the Rock" Johnson from Nebraska and "Don" Jujuan Dulaney from Maryland adds sorely need depth at the guard positions. Currently penciled in as starters at guard are true freshman blue chip recruit Jack Anderson and former four-star Madison Akamnonu, who is back from offseason back surgery. Each are tremendously talented but young and need time to mesh.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The offensive line struggled in the scrimmage early, but turned it on providing time for Shimonek in the pocket and by opening holes for the backs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The starting offensive line is not the problem, it's after the first 6-7 guys where it gets really scary. The truth is throughout spring the defensive line manhandled the backup offensive line and that didn't change Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Red Raiders are going to have to stay healthy on the offensive line or it could be catastrophic.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Keep an eye on:[/FONT]
[FONT="]New defensive back Justus Parker. The guy is an animal in the secondary. He had a pick six and a strip fumble Saturday in the scrimmage, plus stood up several ball carriers on tackles. This was no one scrimmage wonder as Parker was equally eyebrow raising throughout spring camp. He's currently slated as Doug Coleman's backup at nickelback, but Coleman is going to play a lot. He emerged as a true freshman last season by picking off Kenny Hill on a big play and ripping the ball out of Texas running back D'Onta Foreman's hands and racing 100 yards for a score.[/FONT]
[FONT="]https://youtu.be/ZTRwEFCYVak[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Red Raiders will have to find a way to get both on the field as each have a knack for making big plays.[/FONT]
