Our official list of the Big 12's top 25 players entering the 2012 season marches on. Here's more on my criteria for who makes it, who doesn't and who lands where.
The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day leading up to the season.
Next up on the list:
No. 22: Josh Boyce, WR, TCU
2011 numbers: Caught 61 passes for 998 yards and nine touchdowns.
Most recent ranking: Boyce was (obviously) unranked in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.
Making the case for Boyce: I remember well the first time I saw Boyce up close. He took over in the fourth quarter against Baylor in the season opener to key a comeback, even though the Horned Frogs' defense couldn't close the deal against RG3 & Co. The Bears couldn't cover him and he finished with nine catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, followed up by another jump ball for the two-point conversion.
Boyce finished with 998 yards to lead the Mountain West Conference in receiving, but consider this: His QB, Casey Pachall, attempted just 343 passes. That would have ranked seventh in the Big 12, ahead of only Kansas' Jordan Webb, Kansas State's Collin Klein and Iowa State's QB duo, which combined for 479 attempts. If Pachall throws it more this year (And trust me, he'll have to. A lot.), expect Boyce's numbers to balloon alongside those attempts. That Boyce nearly topped 1,000 yards on that few of targets says plenty about his skill, but his targets are about to go up. So, I presume, will his stock as one of the Big 12's best receivers. Prepare for a show in Fort Worth this season.
The rest of the list:
No. 24: Ben Habern, C, Oklahoma
No. 23: Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
