We're counting down to the beginning of the season with the top 25 players in the Big 12. The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing players from the bottom of the list all the way to No. 1.
Here's more on my criteria.
Let's move on with the list:
No. 13: Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State
2012 numbers: Caught 101 passes for 1,210 yards and seven touchdowns. Rushed eight times for 120 yards and a touchdown. Returned two punts for 73 yards.
Most recent ranking: Stewart was ranked No. 23 in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.
Making the case for Stewart: After Justin Blackmon packed his bags for the NFL, you knew somebody would have to step up in an Oklahoma State offense that has averaged almost 550 pass attempts a year since 2010. Stewart stepped into that role after grabbing just 19 passes as a true freshman in 2011.
He caught at least nine passes in seven games and cemented his status as Oklahoma State's best playmaker with the ball in the open field. Players like that are the cornerstone of the Air Raid offense, and the shifty, 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver emerged as one of the Big 12's best receivers a year ago. Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin and Terrance Williams overshadowed him on a national stage, but all three are gone and Stewart clearly carries the title of the Big 12's best returning receiver heading into 2013.
The rest of the list:
No. 14: B.J. Finney, C, Kansas State
No. 15: Eric Ward, WR, Texas Tech
No. 17: Tevin Reese, WR, Baylor
No. 19: Jalen Saunders, WR/PR, Oklahoma
No. 20: Quandre Diggs, CB/PR, Texas
No. 23: Le'Raven Clark, OG, Texas Tech
No. 24: Shaun Lewis, LB, Oklahoma State
No. 25: Damien Williams, RB, Oklahoma
