MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Karl Joseph (he of the booming licks), Josh Lambert (he of the booming kicks) and Nick Kwiatkoski (the team’s two-year tackling leader) represented West Virginia on the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team announced Wednesday.
The safety Joseph and the linebacker Kwiatkoski are seniors on a defense that returns 10 players with significant starting experience.
Lambert was a no-brainer after emerging as a Groza Award finalist in 2014, when he made walkoff winners at Maryland and Texas Tech and set an NCAA single-season record with 16 field goals from 40 yards or beyond. He also matched Paul Woodside’s 32-year-old school mark with 30 field goals in a season.
Here’s the complete rundown of the 30 players on the Big 12’s media-voted all-preseason teams:
#Big12FB: Presenting the complete Preseason All-#Big12 Offensive Team (media voted). pic.twitter.com/jbks3JQbe1
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 15, 2015
#Big12FB: A look at the full All-#Big12 Defensive Team (media voted). pic.twitter.com/qpLiibcSax
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 15, 2015
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was chosen preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman was preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Oklahoma State running back Chris Carson was chosen top newcomer.
If you’re looking for West Virginia snubs—and really, how much of a snub can it be considering it’s the postseason team that actually matters—the only one may be junior Daryl Worley. His name didn’t surface on a preseason Big 12 defense that included six defensive backs. Three of those spots went to decorated safeties, and among the three cornerbacks lauded, you could make a case for Worley over Texas junior Duke Thomas.