No. 5 Ty Zimmerman
Kansas State Wildcats safety Ty Zimmerman had a breakout year in 2012 with 39 solo tackles and five interceptions. He will be projected as the conference's best safety this fall and could see his NFL Draft stock soar even higher.
Kansas State Wildcats safety Ty Zimmerman had a breakout year in 2012 with 39 solo tackles and five interceptions. He will be projected as the conference's best safety this fall and could see his NFL Draft stock soar even higher.
Defensive end Kerry Hyder will be a force to be reckoned with this fall. Last year, he had 41 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks, which really helped improve the Texas Tech Red Raiders defense. This year as a senior, Hyder will be looking to improve both numbers and give the Red Raiders a shot at the Big 12 championship.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Jordan Hicks was hurt for the majority of the 2012 season, but he had 10 solo tackles in the three games that he did play and has the biggest upside of any linebacker in the conference. If Hicks can stay healthy, he could be a Butkus Award finalist this fall.
Senior defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat also missed out on a lot of the 2012 season, but he showed that when healthy he can be the most disruptive defensive lineman in the Big 12. Jeffcoat had 24 solo tackles and four sacks in six games last year. This year, if healthy, he has the potential to be one of the best pass rushers in the country.
The returning Big 12 defensive player of the year Devonte Fields should be the favorite for the same award this year. The junior defensive end will miss one of the Texas Christian Horned Frogs' biggest games of the 2013 season as he has to sit out the season opener against the Louisiana State Tigers after being suspended for a violation of team rules. Fields will need to make up for this lost game with the rest of the season, but he has the talent to make a run at a repeat as the best defensive player in the conference in 2013.
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