Five Sooners Named Preseason All-Big 12

NORMAN -- Five members of the University of Oklahoma football team were named to the 2015 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Teams, the conference announced Wednesday. The teams were chosen by media representatives who cover the league.

Offensively, the Sooners were led by sophomore running back Samaje Perine, senior wide receiver Sterling Shepard and junior kick returner Alex Ross, while the defense saw senior linebacker Eric Striker and junior cornerback Zack Sanchez recognized.

The five selections tied OU with TCU for the second most in the league, trailing only Baylor's seven honorees. Oklahoma and Baylor were also the only teams to have multiple players chosen on both offense and defense.

Perine led the Big 12 in rushing last season, totaling 1,713 yards, which placed him fifth on the OU all-time single-season rushing chart. The freshman also scored 21 touchdowns, a Big 12 record for rushing touchdowns in a season by a freshman. Perine received All-Big 12 First Team honors by the coaches and media and was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and AP Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year status. The Football Writers of America named him to the Freshman All-America Team, while the AP named him a Third-Team All-American.

Shepard was named an All-Big 12 First Team honoree last season for the first time in his career. The standout wide receiver racked up 970 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 51 catches in 2014, despite being hampered the last six games with an injury that limited his production. Despite the missed time, Shepard ranked sixth in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game (80.8 avg.) and eighth in receiving yards while leading the Sooners in every major receiving statistic.

Ross emerged last season as one of the most dynamic return men in the game. He tallied 718 kick return yards and two touchdowns on 23 attempts for an average of 31.2 yards per return. His two kick returns for touchdowns tied for second in the country, while his average was good for third in the nation. A 2014 Second-Team All-American kick returner by CBS Sports and the Sporting News, Ross is the only player in Oklahoma history to have three kick returns of at least 80 yards in his career.

A unanimous All-Big 12 First-Team selection in 2014, Striker posted a team-high 17.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks to go along with 68 tackles, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries a year ago. With 15.5 career sacks, Striker has more than any linebacker in OU history. He was named a Second-Team All-American by SI.com and a Third-Team All-American by the AP.

Like Striker, Sanchez was also placed on the All-Big 12 First Team by the coaches and media last season. Sanchez led the team with six interceptions, eight pass breakups and 14 passes defended, adding 43 tackles, including one tackle for loss. His six interceptions ranked second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally. Sanchez was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and this season he has been placed on watch lists for the Bednarik, Nagurski and Thorpe Awards.

Oklahoma All-Big 12 Preseason Wallpapers / Lock Screens

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