Big 12 Announces Media Preseason Football Team

Updated: Wednesday, July 18 2012, 02:38 PM CDT

The Big 12 conference announced the picks for the preseason All-Big 12 football team, selected by the media that covers the league.

Texas landed four players on the team.  The media chose Texas defensive end Alex Okafor as its preseason defensive player of the year.  Okafor, a 2011 unanimous All-Big 12 first team selection as well as an AFCA All-American, had seven sacks and 58 total tackles for the Longhorns last season.  He also forced two fumbles and recovered one.

Two other defensive stars joined Okafor on the Big 12 media’s preseason football team -- Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and safety Kenny Vaccaro.  Jeffcoat led UT with eight sacks as well as 21 tackles for loss in 2011.  He had 71 total tackles for the year.  Vaccaro was third on the team with 82 tackles, adding two interceptions and two sacks.

Malcolm Brown is the lone UT offensive player selected to the media preseason football team.  Brown became the first freshman to lead the Longhorns in rushing since Cedric Benson in 2001.  He finished with 742 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The entire full Big 12 media preseason football team is listed below.

• Offensive Player of the Year:    Geno Smith, West Virginia (QB, 6-3, 214, Sr/3L, Miami, Fla.)
• Defensive Player of the Year:    Alex Okafor, Texas (DE, 6-4, 260, Sr/3L, Pflugerville, Texas)
• Newcomer of the Year:    Trey Metoyer, Oklahoma (WR, 6-1, 190, Fr/HS, Whitehouse, Texas)

OFFENSE
Pos    Name    School    Ht    Wt    Cl/Exp    Hometown
WR    Kenny Stills #    Oklahoma    6-1    189    Jr/2L    Encinitas, Calif.
TE    Jordan Najvar    Baylor    6-6    260    Jr/1L    Spring, Texas
OL    Gabe Ikard *    Oklahoma    6-4    295    Jr/2L    Oklahoma City, Okla.
OL    Cyril Richardson    Baylor    6-5    335    Jr/2L    Fort Worth, Texas
C    Ben Habern^    Oklahoma    6-4    292    Sr/3L    Argyle, Texas
OL    LaAdrian Waddle #    Texas Tech    6-6    318    Sr/3L    Columbus, Texas
OL    Lane Taylor    Oklahoma State    6-3    328    Sr/3L    Arlington, Texas
WR    Tavon Austin    West Virginia    5-9    174    Sr/3L    Baltimore, Md.
QB    Geno Smith    West Virginia    6-3    214    Sr/3L    Miami, Fla.
RB    Joseph Randle #    Oklahoma State    6-1    200    Jr/2L    Wichita, Kan.
RB    Malcolm Brown    Texas    6-0    213    So/1L    Cibolo, Texas
PK    Quinn Sharp *    Oklahoma State    6-1    205    Sr/3L    Mansfield, Texas
KR    Tyler Lockett #    Kansas State    5-11    175    So/1L    Tulsa, Okla.
                        
DEFENSE           
Pos    Name    School    Ht    Wt    Cl/Exp    Hometown
DL    Jackson Jeffcoat #    Texas    6-5    250    Jr/2L    Plano, Texas
DL    Stansly Maponga    TCU    6-2    265    Jr/2L    Carrollton, Texas
DL    Alex Okafor *    Texas    6-4    260    Sr/3L    Pflugerville, Texas
DL    Jamarkus McFarland    Oklahoma    6-2    296    Sr/3L    Lufkin, Texas
LB    Arthur Brown *    Kansas State    6-1    228    Sr/3L    Wichita, Kan.
LB    A.J. Klein *    Iowa State    6-2    244    Sr/3L    Kimberly, Wis.
LB    Jake Knott ^#    Iowa State    6-3    239    Sr/3L    Waukee, Iowa
DB    Brodrick Brown *    Oklahoma State    5-8    185    Sr/3L    Houston, Texas
DB    Kenny Vaccaro *    Texas    6-1    215    Sr/3L    Brownwood, Texas
DB    Tony Jefferson    Oklahoma    5-10    199    Jr/2L    Chula Vista, Calif.
DB    Nigel Malone *    Kansas State    5-10    185    Sr/3L    Manteca, Calif.
P     Quinn Sharp ^*    Oklahoma State    6-1    205    Sr/3L    Mansfield, Texas
PR    Tavon Austin    West Virginia    5-9    174    Sr/3L    Baltimore, Md.
Big 12 Announces Media Preseason Football Team