My favorite 2009 Big 12 signees

Continuing my recap of the 2009 recruiting class, here is my favorite prospects that are headed to the Big 12 this fall.

DE. Rico Forbes- Baylor
Forbes comes out of the same program that produced Richard Cagle to Vandy, so I got to know a little about Forbes during his junior year. As a two-star, I think the guys been vastly underrated as a two-star. I think it was a big deal for him to choose Baylor over Texas A&M and I just think he's versatile enough to play inside or outside and give the Bears some much needed help on their DLine.

OL. Ivory Wade- Baylor
One of the best guard prospects in the country and very worthy of his four-star status. He's the kind of athletic OL that will flurish in Briles system and will help Robert Griffin become the top QB in the Big 12 in the next few years. I think Baylor's on the verge of bowl games and Wade is a big reason to that.

WR. Jarrod Darden- Colorado
I've been a big fan of Darden since seeing his video last April. Vanderbilt tried to get involved but it seemed like he was only going to stay on the west coast. Nonetheless, he's a big, versatile receiver who can split out wide but could also morph into a H-back type. I like his speed for that size and above all, his hands. I think Colorado's WR recruiting this year was among the best in the nation and Darden's a big reason to that.

WR. Terdema Ussery- Colorado
Like with Darden, I was high on Terdema for quite sometime and Vanderbilt was really high on the Texan until their focus began to shift towards a smaller, faster receiver. Regardless, Ussery's got good size, length and quickness. Only thing you question is the competition he faced, but still, he should be a star at Colorado in the next couple of years.

LB. Derrick Webb- Colorado
Only reason why Webb didn't receive an offer from Vanderbilt was because his grades were only so-so and VU wasn't sure if they wanted to press the issue with him. Regardless, the Memphis native is legit and has a lot of the same qualities that Moses Osemwegie had. Got to see him up close and was impressed with his closing speed and general football smarts. He should flurish at Colorado, especially if he adds some more weight.

WR. Erick McGriff- Kansas
Tampa area WR probably would've had more SEC opportunities had his grades been a little more consistent, but that doesn't change his high level ability. He and the raw Chris Omigie should be molded and shine in Mangino's offense. McGriff really gets off the line quickly for a 6-foot-4 guy and has good body control and already shields the ball pretty well. I like what McGriff can do on the football field.

DE. Tyrone Sellers- Kansas
Long, lanky big man that should be a terror in the Big 12. It's still odd to me that Nebraska wasn't all over Sellers but hey, the Jayhawks got a tremendous gain. This kid has NFL Top 2-3 round ability in the future. I firmly believe that. How he wasn't a four-star, at the least, is beyond me. He'll turn out to be a great one.

DB. Carlton Callender- Kansas State
Miami talent is just exceptional and I never really understood how he got out of the state of Florida. An ideal safety, but versatile enough to where he'd play boundary corner. KSU's always had good defensive backs and he may be the next solid one, if not for his teammate, Thomas Ferguson.

DB. Thomas Ferguson- Kansas State
Vanderbilt took a good look at Ferguson but in the end, he projected more as a safety than corner in the SEC. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a corner in the Big 12. I think the Texas native should've been rated higher on Rivals cornerback rankings and I was really impressed the senior video I was able to see. I think Ferguson and Callender are really going to turn out to be gems for KSU.

Ath. T.J. Moe- Missouri
Versatile player who comes from the same Missouri high school that former Ezell Harding star Carl Gettis transferred to before signing with the Tigers. Moe can play receiver, safety, quarterback, maybe even LB. Versatile and smart. Really just knew where the next play was going on video. I really liked him and thought he was one of the more underrated athletes last year.

QB. Drew Allen- Oklahoma
Obviously this was the guy that was very high on VU's radar and in talking to him, I built up a good deal of respect for him. On the football field, he's a natural and I think will be the eventual successor to Sam Bradford's throne. I think he's got all the makings for a future captain and leader too. If I had to pick 5 QBs from the 2009 class, Allen would be one of them, that's how highly I think of him.

DB. Marcus Trice- Oklahoma
Another kid that I got to meet and was really impressed with. I thought his NIKE camp performance was stuff of legend and I thought he was one parts D.J. Moore, two parts Darlron Spead. Just a guy that's not only rock solid athletically, but loves to play the game and compete. Those types of guys are always going to be successful. I suspect that he'll become a Sooner fan favorite in the years to come, for both his spirit and play.

Ath. Joe Mitchell- Oklahoma State
Another prospect that I was able to get to know a bit and I think would've been even more highly sought after if it wasn't for his school being relatively new. Should make for a solid safety or perhaps receiver at OSU and as a receiver, he kind of reminds me of D'Juan Woods. The Cowboys have a steal in Joe.

DB. Eryon Barnett- Texas
The Longhorns had tons of guys I liked [as usual] but perhaps the one that I'm highest on is cornerback prospect Eryon Barnett. He reminds me of Myron Lewis in a lot of ways though he maybe a bit smoother in his movement than Myron. Long frame, good solid feet and pedal and great hips. This kind's the real deal and may be another Michael Griffin at Texas.

DT. Romario Cathey- Texas Tech
If Cathey's grades were a bit better, he'd be headed to a SEC school right now, I'm sure. Either way, this Maplewood prospect was probably the best DT to come out of Nashville since John Henderson. Dominating, quick and agile, the only knock that's ever been on Cathey has been his consistency. I'm sure if he gets in there and gets serious, he's going to be one of TT's best interior DL's in decades. He's that damn good when he wants to be.

WR. Eric Ward- Texas Tech
If Tech fans are looking for the next Michael Crabtree, I believe Eric Ward could fit the bill. We're talking about an instinctive, high twitch athlete that runs with seemingly no effort and has hands that are made to catch footballs. I think that VU signee Brady Brown was the 4th best WR coming out of Texas last year and Ward was tied at No.1 with Greg Timmons. He should flurish at TT.