2024 Big 12 Player Of The Year Weekly Tracker: An Introduction
Aug 29, 2024, 3:05 PM
BOULDER, COLORADO - APRIL 27: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms-up prior to their spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY— The Big 12 is entering a new era as a 16-team conference, with four new teams: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State.
With new editions and a giant conference featuring loads of great players, here’s a new way to track the award for the conference’s best player.
RELATED: Big 12 Football Predictions: Our Insiders Predict Week One Matchups
Pressure is a privilege.#Big12FB | @WWE pic.twitter.com/iUWGcalGa3
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 29, 2024
Each week, a scaled scoring system will award points to players based on where they are ranked.
- First Place = Six Points
- Second Place = Five Points
- Third Place = Four Points
- Fourth Place = Three Points
- Fifth Place = Two Points
- Sixth Place = One Point
All players are eligible, meaning if a kicker has a career day that includes a game-winning kick, they could make the cut as a top-six player on that week.
Stacking high-scoring weeks will be critical to being named the Big 12 Player of the Year. Follow along to see how this award matches who the media selects in Big 12 postseason awards.
At the end of the year, the points leader will be our Big 12 Player of the Year.
Early Contenders
Week 1 begins on Thursday, August 29, and we start with a preseason six. No points will be assigned for this group, which is a preview of names to watch across the Big 12 in 2024.
Ollie Gordon, RB, Oklahoma State
Gordon is the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and reigning Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s best running back. He is one of the best running backs in the country and is considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.
In 2023, Gordon scored 21 touchdowns on the ground and one receiving while rushing for 1,732 yards to lead the nation.
The Cowboys are expected to contend for a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth.
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon is going to be a STAR ⭐️
🟠 1,732 Rushing Yards
🟠 22 Touchdowns
🟠 2023 Doak Walker Award Winner(@Ollie_Gordon2/@OKSTProbs)
pic.twitter.com/VqemaZjU0s— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) June 25, 2024
Travis Hunter, DB/WR, Colorado
This one makes a lot of sense, as Hunter plays both offense and defense at a high level. He was also named the Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Last year, Hunter missed time due to a spleen injury against rival Colorado State and played in nine games. He had 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns in those games. Defensively, he had three interceptions, five pass breakups, 30 tackles, and two for a loss.
The talent, production, and, most importantly, opportunity rate will be there to put up numbers. It all depends on Hunter’s ability to play at a high level on offense and defense nearly full-time.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Sanders is already considered a desirable pro quarterback. His current draft stock has him as a first-rounder, and some suggest he could go in the top five. This is a college football award, so what he does for the Buffaloes this year matters greatly.
Last year, he showed glimpses of greatness in early wins over TCU and an epic come-from-behind seven-play, 98-yard drive to tie rival Colorado State, a game the Buffaloes won in overtime. Sanders completed all six straight passes on the game-tying drive.
The Buffs faded down the stretch, winning one conference game in the Pac-12. Still, Sanders finished with 27 touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
A first-team Big 12 running back alongside Gordon, Brooks was second in the league last season with 1,538 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.
Despite being considered one of the better backs in the league, his opportunities could be limited if Texas Tech can’t generate enough scoring to keep games close. The Red Raiders are projected to finish ninth in the Big 12, so he must lead the way if Texas Tech is to buck those projections.
Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State
There is a reason Will Howard left Kansas State last year: Avery Johnson. Johnson played sparingly in 2023 but did start in the Pop-Tarts Bowl win. Before anyone asks, no, this was not chosen due to the sheer amazingness of that bowl game. Johnson garnered a modicum of fame after taking a bite out of the bowl game’s live mascot.
Kansas State wins the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Chris Klieman and Avery Johnson eat the mascot. We thank him for his sacrifice pic.twitter.com/42mh7BpSlV
— Zac Carlson (@zaccarlson) December 29, 2023
Johnson threw for 178 passing yards and two touchdowns while running for 71 yards and a TD to win bowl MVP honors.
Being a dual-threat quarterback and on a team projected to be in the Big 12 championship is another reason to include Johnson on this list as a possible player-of-the-year candidate.
Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona
A concern with Fifita is how he will acclimate to the new coach, Brent Brennan, who was hired following a successful stint at San Jose State. The Pac-12 was loaded with quarterbacks last year. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams was joined by Michael Penix, Jr. (No. 8) and Bo Nix (No. 12).
Fifita was extremely accurate, completing 72.4% of his passes, second only to Nix in Pac-12 completion percentage. He had just six interceptions and found the end zone 25 times.
Many players remained in Tucson despite Fisch leaving for Washington. That list includes wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan who had 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. McMillan could be a dark horse player to watch on this list.
Bonus Picks
KJ Jefferson, QB, UCF
The Arkansas transfer teams up with QB whisperer Gus Malzhan. Malzhan was the offensive coordinator for the 2010 Auburn Tigers, which saw quarterback Cam Newton carry his team to a national title.
Jefferson has elite athleticism, flash, and skill set in his quarterback play. Before joining the Knights, he was a multi-year starter in the SEC at Arkansas. A true dual-threat quarterback with 1,876 yards on the ground with the Razorbacks with over 1,700 coming in his final three years.
Jefferson got the job done in the air as well, with 64 touchdowns against 17 interceptions in his time at Arkansas.
The Knights were second in total offense last year in the Big 12, and they return wide receiver Kobe Hudson, which could be a great combination this year.
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Last year, Neal ran for 1,209 yards, averaging 6.6 yards per rush. He scored 15 touchdowns and caught 24 passes as a threat out of the backfield.
Kansas is one of five teams that received a first-place vote to win the conference.
The Jayhawks have a lot of talent on this roster, including his quarterback, Jalon Daniels. Daniels is coming off a back injury that sidelined him for nearly the entire 2023 season. In 2022, Daniels had a shoulder injury that kept him out. With Daniels cleared for practice earlier this month, he could be asked to hand the ball off to Neal in an offense that could challenge him to be the best if everyone is healthy and rolling.
Check back each week as we will add up the points and have a running total to keep track of who will ultimately be the Big 12 player of the year of the week by season’s end.
