We’re continuing our countdown of the Big 12's top 25 players from the 2012 season. Here's more on my criteria for the list. You can take a peek at how the preseason list looked here.
The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day moving forward.
On with the show ...
No. 22: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
2012 numbers: Made 61 tackles (50 solo). Intercepted four passes and broke up 11 more. Had 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks.
Most recent ranking: Colvin was unranked in our preseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.
Making the case for Colvin: There were plenty of times this season when you saw Oklahoma play, and Colvin popped out as the best player on the field. He's moved around positions throughout his career in the secondary, but emerged as one of the league's best cornerbacks this season, despite what looked like a loaded group in the preseason. Oklahoma's secondary took its lumps in 2011, but was really, really solid this season under new coordinator Mike Stoops. The big plays weren't nearly as frequent, and Colvin's play was a big reason for that. He's a physical 6-foot, 181 pounds and gives Oklahoma's defense a big boost with his decision to return to Norman in 2013. He picked off passes in wins over West Virginia and Oklahoma State, where defensive stops were at a premium, and helped Oklahoma win shootouts in both. Those weren't the strongest defensive performances you'll ever see, but there's something to be said for making big plays when they're needed. Colvin will make plenty next year as one of the defense's leaders.
The rest of the list:
No. 23: Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State
No. 24: Nick Florence, QB, Baylor