Texas Tech Lands One Player on the Preseason All Big 12 Team
Texas Tech had one representative on the Preseason All Big 12 team and it wasn't an offensive player. No, he's not from the defense. He's a special teams...specialist.
That's right, Texas Tech sophomore place kicker Clayton Hatfield was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team.
Hatfield, who was the lone placekicker selected to the preseason team, returns for his sophomore season after an impressive debut where he finished 53-for-54 on extra-points and 14-for-16 on field goal attempts.
The honor is a deserving one as Hatfield was one of the most accurate kickers in the country in 2015. He ranked in the top ten nationally with an 87.5 field-goal percentage, a mark that led all Big 12 kickers.
The noticeable snubs from a Texas Tech perspective would be Patrick Mahomes at QB over Baker Mayfield but his seniority and the depth of his team probably puts him ahead of Mahomes. It's arguable who deserves the spot.
Texas Tech's offensive line and skill positions are all unproven, and the defense has zero impact players, right now, that made a big enough imprint last year to be given respect in this type of preseason poll. Braeden Fehoko and Jah'Shawn Johnson will be able to be on lists like this in the future.
The rest of the preseason All-Big 12 team is below, Oklahoma led the way with nine nominations.
2016 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team
Offensive Player of the Year: | Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, QB, Jr., Austin, Texas |
Defensive Player of the Year: | Malik Jefferson, Texas, LB, So., Mesquite, Texas |
Newcomer of the Year: | Kenny Hill, TCU, QB, Jr., Southlake, Texas |
Pos | Name | School | Ht | Wt | Cl/Exp | Hometown |
QB | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | 6-1 | 212 | Jr./1L | Austin, Texas |
RB | Mike Warren | Iowa State | 6-0 | 205 | So./1L | Lawton, Okla. |
RB | Samaje Perine | Oklahoma | 5-11 | 237 | Jr./2L | Pflugerville, Texas |
FB | Winston Dimel | Kansas State | 6-1 | 235 | So./1L | Manhattan, Kan. |
WR | KD Cannon | Baylor | 6-0 | 180 | Jr./2L | Mount Pleasant, Texas |
WR | Allen Lazard | Iowa State | 6-5 | 223 | Jr./2L | Urbandale, Iowa |
WR | James Washington | Oklahoma State | 6-0 | 205 | Jr./2L | Stamford, Texas |
TE | Mark Andrews | Oklahoma | 6-5 | 244 | So./1L | Scottsdale, Ariz. |
OL | Kyle Fuller | Baylor | 6-5 | 310 | Sr./3L | Wylie, Texas |
OL | Orlando Brown | Oklahoma | 6-8 | 357 | So./1L | Duluth, Ga. |
OL | Patrick Vahe | Texas | 6-3 | 326 | So./1L | Nyack, N.Y. |
OL | Connor Williams | Texas | 6-6 | 288 | So./1L | Coppell, Texas |
OL | Tyler Orlosky | West Virginia | 6-4 | 295 | Sr./3L | Cleveland, Ohio |
PK | Clayton Hatfield | Texas Tech | 5-10 | 170 | So./1L | Boerne, Texas |
KR/PR | KaVontae Turpin | TCU | 5-9 | 153 | So./1L | Monroe, La. |
Pos | Name | School | Ht | Wt | Cl/Exp | Hometown |
DL | Will Geary | Kansas State | 6-0 | 297 | Jr./2L | Topeka, Kan. |
DL | Jordan Willis | Kansas State | 6-5 | 250 | Sr./3L | Kansas City, Mo. |
DL | Charles Walker | Oklahoma | 6-2 | 299 | Jr./2L | Garland, Texas |
DL | Vincent Taylor | Oklahoma State | 6-3 | 310 | Jr./2L | San Antonio, Texas |
DL | Josh Carraway | TCU | 6-4 | 250 | Sr./3L | Flower Mound, Texas |
DL | James McFarland | TCU | 6-3 | 250 | Sr./3L | West Monroe, La. |
DL | Noble Nwachukwu | West Virginia | 6-2 | 275 | Sr./3L | Wylie, Texas |
LB | Elijah Lee | Kansas State | 6-3 | 218 | Jr./2L | Blue Springs, Mo. |
LB | Jordan Evans | Oklahoma | 6-2 | 233 | Sr./3L | Norman, Okla. |
LB | Malik Jefferson | Texas | 6-3 | 238 | So./1L | Mesquite, Texas |
DB | Dante Barnett | Kansas State | 6-1 | 193 | Sr./3L | Tulsa, Okla. |
DB | Steven Parker | Oklahoma | 6-1 | 208 | Jr./2L | Tulsa, Okla. |
DB | Jordan Thomas | Oklahoma | 6-0 | 187 | Jr./2L | Klein, Texas |
DB | Jordan Sterns | Oklahoma State | 6-0 | 200 | Sr./3L | Cibolo, Texas |
DB | Davante Davis | Texas | 6-2 | 199 | So./1L | Miami, Fla. |
P | Austin Seibert | Oklahoma | 5-10 | 214 | So./1L | Belleville, Ill. |
- BONUS
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