It's that time again. The season's over, and it's time to kick off our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.
Before we start, let's go over a bit of the criteria:
FIRST RULE: This list is based solely on what players have done over the past season. I didn't factor in any other part of any player's career. My preseason top 25 lists factor in a player's entire career. This list does not.
NFL draft potential is not factored into the list.
The way I go about this list is as if I were drafting the best overall talents in the league. Each player's personal role or meaning to his team is irrelevant. This is not a "most valuable" list. It's the Big 12's best players.
Sometimes stats tell the whole story. Other times, they don't. Player X may have had more tackles or more yards or interceptions than Player Y, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be higher than him on the list.
We're including teams that participated in the Big 12 in 2011. Thus, there will be Missouri and Texas A&M players. There will not be West Virginia or TCU players. Try not to get your britches in a bunch over it.
This list was tough to assemble. We'll do an honorable mention later for guys who probably deserved a spot, but couldn't fit on the list.
Here goes:
No. 25: Damontre Moore, LB/DE, Texas A&M
2011 numbers: Made 72 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He also forced four fumbles and broke up a pass.
Most recent ranking: Moore was unranked in our midseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.
Making the case for Moore: After a quiet first half, Moore blew up in conference play as a sophomore. Of his 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 came in the final six games of the season. Six of his 8.5 sacks came in the final four games of the year. He's a physically impressive player with a sky-high ceiling and tons of speed. He'll be fun to watch in the SEC.
Because of that slow start, Moore didn't quite get the recognition of others across the league, but he still finished second in the league in sacks and second in tackles for loss. There's something to be said for consistency, but Moore was outstanding late this season.