The Flyover Football preseason award watch lists

There are a few awards I’d like to hand out this season in the Big 12, which may be the final one for the conference. If this is the last time a team can win the Big 12 conference I hope we have “one true champion” who played a fantastic season and several players who put together memorable performances.

One award we’ll give out is the “Ancillary of the year” award which the Big 12 tends to recognize with the “1st team fullback” designation on the All-Conference list. The “ancillary” is a specific type of offensive player, the sort who does thankless work which won’t tend to garner many accolades unless there’s a spot on the ballot for something like “fullback.” In particular, the ancillary is the guy who lines up in the box and is on the field because he’s good at blocking. He may or may not be particularly dangerous as a receiver but he can help open lanes for the running back, is useful in pass protection, and if he can flex out now and again to run distracto routes or block on screens that’s great too.

Fans typically hate ancillaries and question why they are on the field, which is why it’s all the more important to recognize and reward their contributions which aren’t as obvious.

The next award is our favorite, the “Darren Sproles water bug trophy for most outstanding tiny person.”

You can catch up on the origin of the award here but here’s the gist of it. You have to be a tiny skill player who produces a lot of offense despite your limited stature playing in a physical game surrounded by giants.

Qualifications include the following size requirements:

If you’re >5-foot-10, you aren’t eligible.

5-foot-10 players must weigh 180 or less.

5-foot-9 players must weigh 190 or less.

5-foot-8 players must weigh 200 or less.

If you’re 5-foot-7 or shorter than anything goes.

I’ve rarely seen anyone who meets the qualifications who’s play wasn’t particularly “water bug-ish” but a potential tie-breaker is certainly the extent to which you evade the giants on the field with absurd, darting quickness. It’s not just about production it’s about style.

Finally we have the “guardians of the galaxy,” the best players at each of the space force positions of left tackle, deep threat receiver, island cornerback, and edge rusher.

Check out the winners of these awards from 2020 here.

Without further ado, the watchlists.

Ancillary of the year

• Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma
• Jared Rus, Iowa State
• Mike O’Laughlin, West Virginia
• Jax “the destroyer” Dineen, Kansas State
• Logan Carter, Oklahoma State
• Carter Ware, TCU
• Travis Koontz, Texas Tech
• Cade Brewer, Texas

Early favorites for this award have to be O’Laughlin, Jax “the destroyer,” Travis Koontz, and Cade Brewer.

The OSU and TCU guys have more limited roles and also regularly get to “arc block” because they play with dual-threat quarterbacks who allow them to leave defensive ends unblocked to read with option schemes. Jared Rus will probably not play a ton of snaps given Iowa State’s depth at tight end (Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen) and improved quality at wide receiver. Jeremiah Hall could sneak in there but he’s often been a guy who avoids tough blocking assignments due to Lincoln Riley’s option schemes and overall play-calling sorcery.

Travis Koontz was very good last year and helped make split zone and straight power effective schemes for the Red Raiders in 2020. He could also split out and run routes, allowing them to stay in 11 personnel all the time. Cade Brewer has played a similar role at Texas over the last few years with a better knack for doing damage as a receiver but less effectiveness in the blocking game. O’Laughlin is a 6-foot-5, 252 pound bludgeon for West Virginia I expect to be quite good again and Jax “the destroyer” is a bruising blocker and good check down. If K-State rolls with more 21 personnel this year and gets the power game going, Jax has a great chance here.

The Darren Sproles water bug trophy for most outstanding tiny person

• Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (5-foot-5, 170 pounds)
• Brenan Pressley, Oklahoma State (5-foot-8, 175 pounds)
• Winston Wright, West Virginia (5-foot-9, 180 pounds)
• Mario Williams, Oklahoma (5-foot-9, 186 pounds)
• J.D. Spielman, TCU (5-foot-9, 173 pounds)
• Taye Barber, TCU (5-foot-9, 179 pounds)

Deuce Vaughn is your returning champion after rushing for 642 yards at 5.2 ypc with seven touchdowns and receiving for 434 yards and two more scores. Who doesn’t love Deuce Vaughn? The fact that he plays the same role on the same team as Darren Sproles is very fitting.

Brennan Presley is definitely the top competition, OSU will be looking to feature him this season and he’s also a terror in space. Winston Wright has a chance if Jarrett Doege (or someone at quarterback for WVU) has a good year. The other three guys I include but don’t expect to see at the end of the year.

Mario Williams is a potentially dominant player down the line for Oklahoma but he’s currently behind Marvin Mims and Drake Stoops on the pecking order (both just a touch too large for this award). Taye Barber and J.D. Spielman probably won’t get enough to eat to keep up with the others since they both play together in an offense which will be emphasizing the running backs, Max Duggan, and Quentin Johnston.

Xavier Worthy for Texas is too large to qualify so don’t ask. Doesn’t matter that he’s skinny, ditto Joshua Moore. Long skinny guys aren’t water bugs.

Guardians of the galaxy

“Groot of the year” for best left tackle

• Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
• Connor Galvin, Baylor
• Christian Jones, Texas
• Brandon Yates, West Virginia
• Obinna Eze, TCU
• Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

This one will be very interesting to watch, I don’t have a good feel for who will emerge as the top guy here.

“Drax of the year” for best edge rusher

• Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
• Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
• Ochaun Mathis, TCU
• Khari Coleman, TCU
• Trace Ford, Oklahoma State
• VanDarius Cowan, West Virginia

There are some other guys we could name as well. Whoever gets the main snaps at K-State, potentially one of the transfers at Texas, but this is a good starting point.

“Rocket of the year” for best deep threat

• Quentin Johnston, TCU
• Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech
• Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
• Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
• Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State

Unless Johnston dominates here (probable) I think there could be an opening for someone to sneak in from outside of this list. Maybe Tay Martin, maybe Troy Omeire, Malik Knowles? Someone else at Oklahoma? We’ll see.

“Star-Lord of the year” for best island cornerback

• Noah Daniels, TCU
• Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
• D’Shawn Jamison, Texas
• D.J. Graham, Oklahoma
• Julius Brents, Kansas State

Daniels is starting behind the eight-ball still recovering from injury but there will be time for him to put it together for the Big 12 season. TCU, Texas, Oklahoma, and also Kansas State all have some good players here so we’ll see who made the most of their offseason.

I’ll also note here I have seen some of the flowing coverage of Oklahoma State cornerback Christian Holmes. If he makes a leap like Ro Williams does and makes me silly, at least it’s now on record that I knew it was possible. Not buying that stock just yet though.