Top Returning Big 12 Safeties For 2017
The top returning safeties in the Big 12 will be tasked with stopping some of the most potent passing games in college football.
The top returning safeties in the Big 12 will be tasked with stopping some of the most potent passing games in college football.
The Big 12 will boast a solid collection of safeties in 2017 that are capable of nabbing national attention with a few breaks and an extended run of good health. Iowa State senior Kamari Cotton-Moya has one of the highest ceilings and best resumes at the position. However, TCU and West Virginia could harbor the top overall depth, particularly now that Mountaineer Dravon Askew-Henry has overcome his knee injury and is ready to join forces with fast rising teammate Kyzir White.
Top Returning Big 12 Safeties
5. Steven Parker, Oklahoma
Parker is nothing if not experienced, having started 30 games over the past three seasons. More steady than spectacular as a Sooner, he posted at least 60 tackles as a sophomore and a junior, while picking off the first two passes of his career in 2016. The 6-1, 205-pound Parker has flashed in coverage when needed, but it’s his leadership and general know-how that will be of greatest value to a secondary that was inconsistent a year ago.
4. Nick Orr, TCU
The versatile Orr was a vey pleasant surprise for the Horned Frogs in 2016, getting voted to the All-Big 12 Second Team in his second season as a starter. He’s played both corner and safety in Fort Worth, though the latter spot has afforded him a chance to showcase the full breadth of his skill set. While Orr is only 5-10 and 187 pounds, he plays the game with the speed and tenacity to routinely be near the ball. After making 86 stops and four interceptions, he and Niko Small now figure to give TCU one of the league’s most disruptive safety tandems.
3. Tre Flowers, Oklahoma State
Flowers has the necessary measurables and experience. If he can consistently keep the ball in front of him, he’ll be considered among the nation’s best safeties this season. Flowers is a 6-foot-3, 198-pound glider, with the explosiveness of an OSU long jumper. Plus, he’s been a starter since midway through his redshirt freshman season in 2014. A year ago, the agile veteran turned 61 tackles, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles into a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team.
2. Kyzir White, West Virginia
For the third time this decade, West Virginia is getting major contributions from one of Kevin and Tammy White’s sons. Kyzir, the brother of former Mountaineer receiver Kevin and current Mountaineer receiver Ka’Raun, enjoyed an auspicious debut in Morgantown in 2016. Highly regarded coming out of Lackawanna (Penn.) College, White made 58 stops, seven tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles from SPUR. He has the size, 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, and the range to be an especially effective pass rusher and run stopper. And with Dravon Askew-Henry returning from ACL surgery, the Neers will be in great shape at safety.
1. Kamari Cotton-Moya, Iowa State
The Cyclones need Cotton-Moya to be healthy and in Ames this fall. He’s one of Matt Campbell’s most important players, which is why offseason rumors about a possible transfer became so unsettling around the program. Cotton-Moya, who’s dealt with nagging injuries, has also been a mainstay since his redshirt freshman season in 2014. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Californian was a linchpin performer in 2016, finishing a Second Team All-Big 12 campaign with 73 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
