In the regular world, the Fourth of July holiday marks the midpoint of summer. In the college football world, it marks the end.
One week from today, college football will lumber its way out of hibernation and begin the laborious process of beginning the 2019 season in earnest--six weeks before the season officially begins with the Florida-Miami kickoff game in Orlando, and seven before it begins for everyone else--by kicking off the annual media day festivities. The Big 12 (and the American) will go head-to-head with the mighty SEC, at least for the first part of the week, by holding its gathering next Monday and Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (The SEC stretches its festivities out from Monday through Thursday.)
On Monday, the Big 12 announced which players will take the podium before the conference’s press:
Baylor
RB JaMycal Hasty
LB Clay Johnston
WR Denzel Mims
OL Sam Tecklenburg
WR Marques Jones
Iowa State
DL Josh Knipfel
LB Marcel Spears, Jr.
DE JaQuan Bailey
WR Deshounte Jones
Kansas
DL Hakeem Adenji
RB Khalil Herbert
S Mike Lee
S Bryce Torneden
WR Stephen Robinson
Kansas State
QB Skylar Thompson
WR Dalton Schoen
DT Trey Dishon
DE Wyatt Hubert
DB Denzel Goolsby
Oklahoma
DL Neville Gallimore
OL Creed Humphrey
WR CeeDee Lamb
LB Kenneth Murray
WR Nick Basquine
Oklahoma State
WR Tylan Wallace
CB AJ Green
C Johnny Wilson
LB Philip Redwine-Bryant
TCU
DT Ross Blacklock
S Innis Gaines
DT Lucas Niong
WR Jalen Reagor
LB Garrett Wallow
C Kelton Hollins
Texas
QB Sam Ehlinger
WR Collin Johnson
S Brandon Jones
DE Malcolm Roach
C Zach Shackelford
LB Jeffrey McCulloch
Texas Tech
OL Travis Bruffy
DL Braden Washington, Jr.
LB Jordyn Brooks
DB Douglas Coleman III
DB Adrion Frye
West Virginia
OL Colton McKivitz
WR TJ Simmons
CB Keith Washington, Jr.
DL Reese Donohue
In a quarterback-centric league, it’s a bit surprising that only two signal callers will make the trek to Dallas-Fort Worth in K-State’s Thompson and UT’s Ehlinger. Brock Purdy is entrenched as the starter at Iowa State, as are Charlie Brewer at Baylor and Alan Bowman at Texas Tech. The most glaring omission from this list? That would be Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, a guy who has never suited up in OU’s brand of crimson but is nonetheless 1A or 1B as the most high-profile player in the entire league.
And as much as they might like to, head coaches cannot skip media days, and four new ones will make their debuts next week: Kansas’ Les Miles (representing his second school at the event), Kansas State’s Chris Klieman, Texas Tech’s Matt Wells and West Virginia’s Neal Brown.