Boastful Words by Big 12 Diplays Giant Leap When Texas, OU Join Arkansas

While comment by Commissioner Yormark was good news for Big 12, it should terrify Longhorns, Sooner fans about what future holds

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jul 12, 2023 2:48 PM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

ARLINGTON, Texas – Most years there's no reason to pay attention to the Big 12 media days, especially in SEC country, but 2023 isn't a typical year. The conference boasts a bloated line-up with four new teams joining the conference while two future Razorback opponents say their final farewells with no reason for any of the teams left behind to continue planting lips on the backsides of the Sooners and Longhorns.

However, it was a statement very early in the opening remarks by new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark that raised an eyebrow. No, it's not the remark that declared getting the drama and overbearing nature of Texas and Oklahoma out of everyone's hair a year early "a win-win." The SEC members who were once in a conference with Texas fully understand that and soon the rest of the conference will also. Nope, it was the high selling point declaration that the Big 12 had six first round draft picks, making the conference the only one in college sports where half of its members had a player picked in Round 1.

On its face, after decades of covering the SEC, that seemed like an odd boast. After all, five of the Top 10 picks in 2023 came from the SEC. In 2022, seven of the first 15 picks came from the conference also. However, a bit of context makes it easier to understand why Yormark might want to include that as a feather in his cap.

While Arkansas battled teams loaded with first round draft picks, teams in the Big 12 faced none. The SEC took up almost half the first round picks with a dozen, leaving no room for the Big 12 to sneak a player or two in at the end of the round.

The SEC added another 10 picks in the second round. Meanwhile, the Big 12 only managed four, zero of which were from Texas while the lone Oklahoma selection was with the last pick of the second round. For those keeping score, the SEC had 22 picks in the first two rounds, again, almost half, while all the Big 12 could muster was four, each in the second round. Arkansas had more first round picks than the entire Big 12.

While the idea of playing a conference schedule against zero first round picks would probably seems like a dream come true for many Arkansas fans, the extreme lack of talent in the league was a bit of a nightmare for Yormark, even though he admitted at the start of media days that his experience isn't necessarily steeped in the actual sports. He favors the business side of things.

Still, even a businessman knows an entertainment product devoid of stars and the necessary marketing buzz that comes with long segments featuring Big 12 players and schools on NFL draft day is bad for the overall bottom line. That's why it's worth twisting the numbers to claim being the only conference to have half of its members land a first round pick. It's a way to portray a leg up on the SEC.

The reality is that a team like Arkansas would love to see first round picks spread out to where there's only one on each team instead of piled up on the top quarter of the league with sprinklings elsewhere, but marketing is marketing and most people don't take time to think about what numbers they are presented with actually mean.

The Big 12 had nine total players taken in the first and second round last year. That's a 300% jump from before. It's a long way from the SEC, but it's a start. Three of those picks, including the lone Top 10 pick come from Texas and Oklahoma, so it's solid talent growth without taking a major hit from those two schools joining the Razorbacks next season.

What those number do reveal is that, at least for the time being, the Longhorns and Sooners are on par with Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State in terms of developing talent. Those two current Big 12 teams may start with stronger rosters on signing day, but coaching, culture and weekly battles against the SEC helps the three low to middle of the SEC teams catch up by the time the NFL draft rolls around.

It will be an interesting year as Texas and Oklahoma gear up for their moves to the SEC. If iron sharpens iron, then those two programs might be a bit dull when the first SEC games hit their schedules next year. However, it says a lot that Yormark has at least turned the tide in a conference that had no iron a year ago when an Arkansas team that finished No. 7 in the SEC absolutely curb stomped the Longhorns in Fayetteville. Finally the Big 12 has a little iron to spread around in his league.

Meanwhile, the SEC kicks off its final media days without Texas and Oklahoma next week where the iron will be sharp and plentiful.