The Big 12 at the 2022 NFL combine

It was an interesting weekend for the Big 12 at the NFL combine. Either due to a fast track at Lucas Oil Stadium or some other unknown factor, it was one of the fastest weekends ever with 31 athletes testing faster than 4.4 in the 40 yard dash.

Of those 31 athletes, four were from the Big 12 with Josh Thompson (Texas) coming in at 4.4. Even more interesting, of those four Big 12 athletes who ran faster than a 4.4, three all came from the same school, Baylor.

Here were the numbers:

• Kalon Barnes: 4.23 40, Baylor cornerback
• Tyquan Thornton: 4.28, Baylor wide receiver
• J.T. Woods: 4.36, Baylor safety
• Breece Hall: 4.39, Iowa State running back

Everyone has been noting that this was a downstream consequence of Matt Rhule’s recruiting strategy, which was to recruit for athleticism and allow his own knack for development to translate pure speed and explosiveness into actual ability on the gridiron. It’s easy now for people to see these numbers, look back, and say, “no wonder Baylor won the Big 12 Championship!”

The reality is a bit murkier.

There were two other important Baylor players at the combine, safety Jalen Pitre and linebacker Terrel Bernard. Here were their overall numbers:

• Jalen Pitre: 5-foot-11, 198 pounds. 35″ vertical, 4.18 shuttle, didn’t run the 40.
• Terrel Bernard: 6-foot-1, 224 pounds. 35.5″ vertical, 4.25 shuttle, didn’t run the 40.

They both tested okay, Pitre moreso than Bernard who now presents as a smart and quick but small linebacker in a league where the top drafted linebackers run <4.6 at 240+ pounds. They’ll both have the same issue in the NFL, which is whether or not their knack for disguising, timing, and executing blitzes will translate against NFL offensive schemes and ability and how far it can carry them.

Pitre had 18.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last year blitzing from the wide side of the field while Bernard had 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. They were living in opposing backfields while Kalon Barnes split time with Raleigh Texada and Al Walcott at cornerback and J.T. Woods played the wide side safety.

Woods had the much more important role than Barnes, regularly covering slot receivers when Pitre was blitzing in front of him from the edge. He was terrific at erasing space on the back end and covering up receivers Pitre let go while blitzing but his role was generally as a hash deep safety or playing removed coverage on a slot behind what were typically wildly effective blitzes. In other words, while his play range is outstanding he has not yet demonstrated a wide range of skills for using it. Theoretically he could be a great single-high free safety but we haven’t seen it yet.

Baylor’s formula in 2021 was really about dominating the trenches with really big 3-down fronts and the dizzying array of blitzes they could bring behind them. The accumulation of raw speed by Rhule was useful but it was the sixth year for highly skilled Pitre and Bernard and the transfers of Dillon Doyle and Siaki Ika under Aranda that carried the defense. Not the accumulation of raw athletic ability.

Also, there’s more raw speed left over in the Baylor defensive backfield next season and the big front (along with Mike linebacker Dillon Doyle) are all back to run back the same formula. The loss in skill with Bernard and Pitre’s departure may be trickier to replace for the Bears than the speed of Barnes or Woods, which wasn’t heavily utilized.

On the other side though, Baylor’s speed on offense in 2021 was a very big deal. Tyquan Thornton was their deep threat outside and replacing his ability to take the top off defenses with 4.28 speed is going to be very difficult. Additionally, Trestan Ebner ran a 4.43 40 and while he played second fiddle to Abram Smith in the backfield he was a weapon in the return game and as a receiver. Baylor doesn’t have a similar bevy of track stars here to replace their impact.

Before we move off the subject of 40 times, Breece Hall running a 4.39 was truly impressive although not altogether shocking. He was the main big play threat for the Cyclones in 2021 with multiple long runs. His backfield mate Brock “pump fake” Purdy showed up at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds and ran a 4.84 40 with a 4.45 shuttle and 27″ vertical. Just goes to show how a quarterback who maintains the threat of throwing the ball can run circles around defenders without blazing speed.

Another interesting dimension of the 2022 NFL combine within the Big 12 was the presence of the Oklahoma Sooners. They had 10 different participants. Their O-line and backfield had four participants, the defensive front had four participants, and then you also had wide receiver Mike Woods (6-foot-1, 204 pounds, 4.55 40) and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (5-foot-10, 197 pounds, 4.47 40).

No one else in the Big 12 came close to having so many athletes represented. Rival Texas had only a single representative in Josh Thompson (although also kicker Cameron Dicker). This tells two different stories about the Oklahoma football program.

The first story regards the waste of talent on the 2021 roster. Spencer Rattler was poised to put together a big season and then be the next 1st round draft pick at quarterback for Lincoln Riley, but instead was benched during the biggest game of the year and ultimately transferred in bitterness. The defensive front was loaded with NFL prospects but few of them will see as high a draft grade as Norman expected before the season and they were unable to dominate games (despite the emergence of linebacker Brian Asamoah) because the secondary play was so poor.

11-2 is still a good season, but obviously it didn’t go down like Oklahoma wanted and they really floundered down the stretch with an unready Caleb Williams at the helm and Riley with one foot out the door. They played in seven single-possession games and were a remarkable 5-2 in those games thanks to Riley’s careful game management and the leg of Gabe Brkic (also leaving). It could have been worse and it should have been better.

The second story regards the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners, who lose the 10 Combine participants (11 if you count Brkic, which in this case perhaps you should), and then also lose the following starters/rotation players through the transfer portal:

Caleb Williams (QB), Spencer Rattler (QB), Mario Williams (WR), Latrell McCutchin (CB), Patrick Fields (FS), Jadon Haselwood (WR), and Austin Stogner (TE). That’s 18 total players who were starter caliber for an 11-2 squad we all agree underachieved. Quite a massive talent drain.

Does Oklahoma recruit well? Yes. Did they add a bunch of extra players through the transfer portal? Sure. Nevertheless, this is a lot for the Sooners to overcome. What’s more, not only are they replace a number of starters but they’re replacing a lot of really talented and often highly experienced starters.

The rest of the league didn’t put too many guys in the combine save for Iowa State, who had five guys make it out. Unsurprisingly, only Breece Hall measured as being particularly explosive. Chase Allen, PFPurdy, Mike Rose, and Eyioma Uwazurike all tested as being big, powerful, and heady players. It’s going to be hard for them to win the Big 12 title unless their list of big, heady players includes more offensive linemen or they have more explosive athletes like Hall. Particularly at wide receiver.

Some notable performances from some of the league’s most well known stars:

Skylar Thompson measured 6-foot-2, 217 pounds with a 4.91 40, 4.28 shuttle, and 31″ vertical. Similar to Collin Klein (Optimus was faster but not as quick) but smaller and less durable.

Dawson Deaton measured 6-foot-6, 306 pounds with a 4.49 shuttle and 29″ vertical, continuing a recent tradition of Texas Tech putting tall, athletic linemen in the league as interior O-linemen who actually played inside in college.

Malcolm Rodriguez checked in at 5-foot-11, 232 pounds with a 4.52 40 time and 39.5″ vertical. An explosive player who will have a chance to start in the NFL as well with that kind of speed and power despite his height.

Jaylen Warren measured 5-foot-8, 204 pounds and ran a 4.55 40 with a 31.5″ vertical. No shuttle which would have been interesting to see but obviously he had some speed and wiggle. Dude was a total no name OSU found and turned into the main feature of a Big 12 runner-up season.

Josh Thompson surprised me by hitting 4.4 flat in the 40 at 6-foot-0, 194 pounds although it seems to have been a fast track and I would have pegged him for 4.5. He didn’t do any other tests and despite the time, I think he’ll end up being a very good safety in the NFL but not a cornerback.

Overall the league was short on offensive linemen and wide receivers, hence the crappy offenses. Many of the best pass-rushers are also back for another year in 2022.

Looking ahead to the next draft, Oklahoma figures to have a lot fewer draft-eligible athletes who would get attention at the combine. The Texas Longhorns may catch or surpass them as they have a number of upperclassmen with the sort of measurable which will warrant NFL scouting interest. Then again, they actually have to put it together and play well to maintain the interest.

Which teams’ players had the strongest combines? Discuss for free on the Flyover Football board!