This week's Senior Bowl and next month's NFL scouting combine will help decide who will hear their names called, and when, in April's NFL draft, but what about next year?
Mel Kiper unleashed his top five returning players for 2012, the top prospects at their positions in next year's draft.
Lots of interesting names. Here's where the Big 12 talents sit.
Quarterbacks
No. 2: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
No. 4: Geno Smith, West Virginia
Fullbacks
No. 1: Braden Wilson, Kansas State
No. 5: Ryan Clarke, West Virginia
My take: Good to see Wilson's name on this list. He's impressed coach Bill Snyder from the start, and Wilson was an underrated reason for K-State's success running the ball the past two seasons with Daniel Thomas in 2010 and Collin Klein/John Hubert in 2011. One of the Big 12's toughest players.
Receivers
No. 1: Terrance Williams, Baylor
No. 3: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
My take: Both of those names made me do a double take. Williams was a great player this season, and you perhaps best know him as the player who caught the game-winning touchdown to beat Oklahoma, but he's never looked to me like a player who could be the first receiver drafted. We'll see how he does in 2012 as Baylor's No. 1 receiver, with Nick Florence throwing him the ball instead of Robert Griffin III. Williams could become a star.
Austin always struck me as an undersized player, but there's no denying his playmaking ability. Few can match his game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands.
Offensive tackles
No. 5: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas
Centers
No. 4: Ben Habern, Oklahoma
Defensive ends
No. 1: Alex Okafor, Texas
My take: No surprise there. Okafor burst on the scene this season, and has that combination of size and speed you rarely see outside of players who become first-round picks.
Inside linebackers
No. 4: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Outside linebackers
No. 4: Sean Porter, Texas A&M
No. 5: Zaviar Gooden, Missouri
Cornerbacks
No. 4: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma
Punters
No. 2: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
