Our Big 12 recruiting draft continues Friday with the third and final round. Be sure to check out Round 1 and Round 2 here in case you missed them. Let us know in the comments who you think had the best and worst drafts.
ROUND 3
1. Iowa State: LB Cecil Cherry
Signed with: Texas
Chatmon: The Cyclones have had success with linebackers from Florida, with Jeremiah George serving as the most recent example. Cherry will be a tone setter on the ISU defense while continuing the tradition of top-notch tackling machines roaming the middle of the field at Jack Trice Stadium.
2. Kansas: CB Kris Boyd
Signed with: Texas
Olson: The Jayhawks are depleted in the secondary this spring after losing arguably their top four defensive backs. A juco guy might be the better take, then, but Boyd can play right away and bring a ton of playmaking ability as a corner or nickel. He could even play some offense, too, for the Jayhawks.
3. Texas Tech: OT Bobby Evans
Signed with: Oklahoma
Olson: The Red Raiders were rolling with walk-ons on their No. 2 offensive line this spring. They need bodies up front, plain and simple. Evans is coming off an ACL tear, but he's still an early enrollee from a big-time high school program who'd be a big help in the years to come.
4. Oklahoma State: DT Demond Tucker
Signed with: Iowa State
Trotter: With running back firmly solidified, Oklahoma State will use this pick to address the biggest — and maybe only — question on its defense, defensive tackle. Tucker was a beast in Iowa State’s spring game and could be in the running for Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. His agility would be a perfect fit alongside Vincent Taylor’s size and would help give the Cowboys one of the deepest defenses in the Big 12.
5. West Virginia: DE Louis Brown
Signed with: Oklahoma State
Trotter: The Mountaineers' pass rush has ranked in the bottom three in sacks the last two seasons, and especially needs a boost with stopgap transfer Shaq Riddick now gone. Brown is a little bit of a project and probably won’t help right away. But he has the frame (6-foot-5) and athleticism to develop into one of the premier pass rushers in the league down the line.
6. Texas: S DeShon Elliott
Signed with: Texas
Olson: I hate to be so boring and give Texas another one of its signees, but Elliott shouldn't still be on the board in the third round. ESPN scouts rate him as one of the top 10 signees in the Big 12, a tremendous hitter who can play a variety of roles in the secondary. Texas has almost no depth at safety and could use him early and often this fall.
7. Oklahoma: S Will Sunderland Jr.
Signed with: Oklahoma
Chatmon: The Sooners need more competition in the defensive backfield, and Sunderland brings good range, instincts and versatility to the table. He should play immediately on special teams while providing depth and challenging the starters to improve or risk losing their jobs.
8. Kansas State: WR John Humphrey Jr.
Signed with: Oklahoma
Chatmon: Humphrey will get every opportunity to replace Tyler Lockett. He has the quickness and blazing speed to have a Lockett-like freshman season as a returner first and receiving threat. As a good fit in a need position, Humphrey is too good to pass up.
9. TCU: DT Darrion Daniels
Signed with: Oklahoma State
Chatmon: The addition of Daniels gives Gary Patterson’s squad a top-notch linebacker in Anthony Wheeler, a solid cover corner in Tyrek Cole and Daniels to handle the middle. The Horned Frogs’ defense has a terrific trio to build around with Daniels length and athleticism in the interior.
10. Baylor: CB DeShawn Raymond
Signed with: TCU
Trotter: With Douglas already in place to potentially play right away, the Bears could afford to bring one of the Big 12’s top incoming cornerbacks along as needed. Not to say Raymond couldn’t find a role in the Baylor secondary immediately, either. After all, he had offers from the likes of Florida State, Georgia and Nebraska for a reason.