Before the Big 12 kicks off its bowl season next week, we rank the 25 best Big 12 players of the 2016 season below:

1. WR Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma: Westbrook captured the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, and spearheaded Oklahoma's midseason turnaround, as the Sooners became the first team in seven years to run the table in Big 12 play. For that, Westbrook became a Heisman finalist as well.

2. QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: Mayfield will head into the Sugar Bowl on track to break the FBS season record for passing efficiency. He completed 71 percent of his passes, threw for 3,669 yards and tossed 38 touchdown passes against only eight picks. Mayfield joined Westbrook in New York as just the fifth pair of teammates to be Heisman finalists.

3. RB D'Onta Foreman, Texas: One of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal Texas season, Foreman led the country with 2,028 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns to snag the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.

4. QB Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech: A one-man offensive show, Mahomes II put up video game-like numbers for the Red Raiders, topping the nation with 5,052 passing yards to go along with 41 touchdowns. He did it while playing through injuries for most of the year, too.

5. RB Joe Mixon, Oklahoma: On the field, Mixon had another banner season for the Sooners, placing second in the country with an average of 195 all-purpose yards per game.

6. QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: As one of college football's most effective deep-throwing quarterbacks, Rudolph finished fourth nationally with 34 completions of 30 yards or more. And among Power 5 QBs with at least 25 touchdown passes, none had fewer interceptions than Rudolph, who tossed only four all season.

7. CB Rasul Douglas, West Virginia: ESPN.com's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Douglas keyed West Virginia's surprisingly stout defense by leading the nation with eight interceptions, including a pick-six against BYU. Despite playing corner, finished fourth on the team with 62 tackles as well.

8. DE Jordan Willis, Kansas State: The coaches' Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Willis led the league with 11.5 sacks to go with 16.5 tackles for loss, as the Wildcats finished first in the conference in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense.

9. OT Connor Williams, Texas: As the anchor of the Texas offensive line, Williams earned All-American recognition from Walter Camp (first team), Sporting News (second team) and the Football Writers (second team). Protecting the blind side of true freshman QB Shane Buechele, Williams allowed just one sack all season.

10. C Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia: Orlosky was a key factor behind West Virginia's breakout season as a Big 12 member. Orlosky was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center. And with him captaining the Mountaineers up front, West Virginia had four running backs rush for more than 100 yards.

11. WR James Washington, Oklahoma State: Washington was one of only a dozen receivers nationally to average at least 100 yards receiving per game. His 296-yard effort against Pitt was the largest output by any FBS receiver all season.

12. DT Vincent Taylor, Oklahoma State: Taylor led the nation with four blocked kicks, one of which he also scooped up and pitched to Tre Flowers for a 2-point return against Texas, which made him a finalist for the "Piesman Award." Taylor was also an All-Big 12 selection as a disruptive force at the center of the Cowboy defense.

13. S Jordan Sterns, Oklahoma State: The hardest hitter in the league, Sterns finished fourth in the conference with 96 tackles, the most of any Big 12 defensive back. He also had three picks.

14. RB Samaje Perine, Oklahoma: Despite missing three games with a leg injury, Perine finished second in the Big 12 with an average of 108 rushing yards per game. Perine is now just 83 yards away from breaking Billy Sims' Oklahoma career rushing record.

15. OT Dalton Risner, Kansas State: Risner made the transition from center to right tackle seamlessly, as he allowed only one sack all year and helped pave the way for a ground game that averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

16. OT Orlando Brown, Oklahoma: The coaches' Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, Brown and left guard Ben Powers manned an offensive line that played a big part in a rushing attack that led the Big 12 with an average of 5.4 yards per carry.

17. CB Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma: Oklahoma's top defensive back, Thomas ranked eighth in the country and second in the Big 12 with 1.4 passes defended per game. His 16 pass breakups were also the third-most nationally and the fourth-most ever by a Sooner in a season.

18. WR Allen Lazard, Iowa State: An ESPN.com All-Big 12 selection, Lazard became just the fourth Cyclone ever to reach 1,000 yards receiving. Lazard's 69 receptions were the second-most in Iowa State history, too.

19. LB Travin Howard, TCU: Howard finished sixth nationally with 129 tackles, which also topped the Big 12. Howard is the first TCU defender in a dozen years to record back-to-back 100-tackle season.

20. DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas: An All-Big 12 selection, Armstrong finished with 20 tackles for the loss, the fourth-most in a season in Kansas history and the most by a Jayhawk since 2005. Armstrong was second in the Big 12 with 10 sacks as well.

21. LB Elijah Lee, Kansas State: Lee finished third in the Big 12 with 98 tackles, to go along with two interceptions and 5.5 tackles for loss.

22. LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma: The Sooners' most disruptive defender up front, Okoronkwo was third in the conference with nine sacks. The only Sooner to finish with more than three sacks, Okoronkwo also had 10.5 tackles for loss.

23. C Kyle Fuller, Baylor: Though the Baylor offense nosedived during the second half of the season, Fuller was a reliable constant for an otherwise completely revamped offensive line.

24. WR KD Cannon, Baylor: Among Big 12 receivers, Cannon finished second only to Westbrook with 73 receptions. He also had 989 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, despite playing the final three games without starting QB Seth Russell.

25. RB Justin Crawford, West Virginia: The Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year edged out wide receiver teammate Shelton Gibson, Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans, Texas Tech receiver Jonathan Giles and TCU defensive end Josh Carraway for the 25th and final spot. Crawford rushed for 1,168 yards for the Mountaineers and averaged a whopping 7.4 yards per carry.