Athlon Sports Names 13 Cowboys to Preaseason All-Big 12 Team

In a recent article, Athlon Sports released their preseason Big 12 2016 All-Conference team. The Cowboys had 13 players listed, which ranked third in the conference behind Oklahoma (18) amd TCU (15). Athlon had first through fourth team spots for all three categories of offense, defense, and special teams.

Here is the full list of Cowboys who earned a spot, along with how they did last season:

Offense

QB Mason Rudolph — Fourth-Team Offense

Mason Rudolph will face high expectations this year after throwing for over 3,700 yards and 21 touchdowns in his first full year as a starter in 2015. Still, Athlon Sports places him at fourth team, behind Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes and Baylor’s Seth Russell.

WR Marcell Ateman — Second-Team Offense

With a 6-4 frame and a knack for catching jump balls, senior Marcell Ateman is the prototypical star X receiver. It was only until last year, though, that he saw increased production, as he was finally able to reach his true potential. Ateman had almost 250 more yards last season (766) than both his freshman and sophomore season combined. Expect this stud receiver to excel on the outside in his final season as a Cowboy.

WR James Washington — First-Team Offense

There should be no debating whether James Washington should be a preseason All-Conference First-Team wide receiver. This 2015 Second-Team All-Big 12 member became one of the nation’s top receivers in his sophomore campaign. Washington was a feared deep threat who ranked 10th nationally with 20.5 yards per catch. Additionally, he became only the fourth receiver in OSU history to log a 1,000 yard season as an underclassman. Additionally, don’t be surprised if he ends up as a finalist for the Biletnikoff once again.

OL Zachary Crabtree — Third-Team Offense

Lineman Zach Crabtree will be heavily relied upon to be the Cowboys’ leader on the offensive line in 2016. The former Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 tackle started every game last season, and ever since his return from injury in 2014, he has slowly improved.

OL Victor Salako — Fourth-Team Offense

Victor Salako came to the OSU program as a highly touted tackle from the once-defunct UAB football program, but struggled to constantly excel at his tackle spot in a conference filled with defensive talent. Standing at 6-6 and 350 pounds, Salako already has the frame of an NFL offensive lineman. Now, with improved footwork and better awareness, Salako will hopefully become the Cowboys’ reliable anchor on the left side of the line. One could assume that Athlon awarded Salako this spot because of his size alone.

Defense

DL Vincent Taylor — Second-Team Defense

In 2015, Vincent Taylor was the best defensive Cowboy that no one talked about. According to the OSU Athletics website, Taylor’s 48 tackles and 5.0 sacks were the highest totals for any interior defensive lineman during the Gundy era. His accomplishments were overshadowed by star lineman Jimmy Bean and Emmanuel Ogbah in 2015, but he comes into this season as a trustworthy veteran on the defensive line. Good job by Athlon to recognize Taylor’s accomplishments and project him as an All-Conference worthy player in 2016.

DL Jordan Brailford — Third-Team Defense

Jordan Brailford has excelled in spring ball ever since arriving on campus, and his occasional flashes of talent last season showed that he has all the tools to become the next big defensive end. Even as a freshman, Brailford received substantial playing time last season following Jimmy Bean’s injury. Along with fellow redshirt sophomore Jarrell Owens, the Cowboy defensive end unit will feature plenty of young talent in 2016.

LB Jordan Burton — Second-Team Defense

Senior leader and former Junior College transfer Jordan Burton excelled in 2015 as OSU’s ‘star’ linebacker. The 2015 First-Team All-Big 12 member was second on the team with 98 total tackles in his first year in a Cowboy uniform. His statistics from last year show why many should consider him a First-Team All-Conference linebacker, but Athlon ranked Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee ahead of him.

LB Chad Whitener — Third-Team Defense

Cal transfer and former walk-on Chad Whitener was expected to be a casual contributor on defense and special teams in the preseason of 2015. But after veteran middle linebacker Ryan Simmons tore both his MCL and PCL, Whitener was thrust into a starting role. Whitener exceeded expectations with a breakout year and it earned him Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors. Additionally, the San Antonio Express News named him a First-Team All-Big 12 member. Headed into his first season as a full-time starter, expectations are bigger for this redshirt junior in 2016.

CB Ashton Lampkin — Second-Team Defense

Despite suffering multiple injuries in 2014 and 2015, redshirt senior Ashton Lampkin has been one of the Cowboys’ most reliable cornerbacks. He has always been a reliable cornerback, and he will be relied on to be the Cowboys’ shutdown corner following the departure of Kevin Peterson. Athlon ranked him behind only Oklahoma cornerback Jordan Thomas.

S Jordan Sterns — First-Team Defense

This 2015 Second-Team All-Big 12 member and OSU Team Outstanding Defensive Player award winner will be the unanimous leader on the OSU defense for 2016. Sterns has logged more than 100 tackles in both of the last two seasons, and he is the first OSU player in over a decade to do so. The fact that Athlon named him a preseason first-teamer should be a surprise to nobody.

K Ben Grogan — Fourth-Team Specialist

After a slow start to the season, Ben Grogan regained reliability following back-to-back game-winning field goals against Texas and Kansas State. Grogan logged a respectable 74 percent on field goals last season, and he will look to improve in his final year as the Cowboy’s kicker.

P Zach Sinor— Second-Team Specialist

Going into 2015, expectations were low for Sinor, a redshirt freshman and former two star recruit. But the punter quickly gained respect after showing a knack for both coffin corner punts and drop punts. He doesn’t quite have the power of a Quinn Sharp, but coming into 2016 as just a sophomore, expect Sinor to show off improved power to pair with already excellent accuracy.

That’s the full list! Do you agree or disagree with Athlon’s preseason list? Make sure to voice your opinion in the comments below!