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Big 12 football 2019 season preview: Can Jalen Hurts keep Oklahoma on top of Texas?

By Cody Williams

(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 20: Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kenneth Murray (9) tackles TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Shawn Robinson (3) during the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs on October 20, 2018 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 20: Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kenneth Murray (9) tackles TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Shawn Robinson (3) during the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs on October 20, 2018 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Defensive Player of the Year: Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

This is the portion of the programming when we make a joke about defense in the Big 12. You know, the one about how can someone win Defensive Player of the Year if they don’t play defense in the Big 12? Of course, the high-scoring nature of the conference lends itself to these types of jokes but that doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy candidates to earn Defensive Player of the Year for stellar performances.

Safety Caden Sterns out of Texas is one of the prohibitive favorites is to win the award and rightfully so. The Longhorns defensive back came out as a freshman last season and proved to be a consistent playmaker in the open field. With a year of experience now under his belt, people expect big things from the safety in his second season donning the burnt orange — but he’s not the pick here.

Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray was a box score monster last season, despite playing for a defense that was one of the worst in college football for 2018. He recorded an incredible 155 total tackles on the season with 12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two pass defenses. Murray was everywhere for the Sooners defense and it’s hard to imagine how bad the Sooners defense would’ve been without him.

Even if Murray falls short of those gaudy numbers in the 2019 season, even 85 percent of that production is incredible. Furthermore, Oklahoma’s defense should take at least somewhat of a step forward this year. Murray’s productive play will no doubt be circled as a catalyst for that, which will vault him into the top spot for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

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