Big 12 Odds, Betting Preview: Utah, Kansas State Lead Wide-Open Field

With its two biggest brands on the way out, the Big 12 Conference could have rolled over and gone by the wayside like the Pac-12. Instead, it poached Pac-12 teams and became one of the most interesting leagues in the country, if not quite as powerful. In 2024, Big 12 odds boards are a mess. Aside from two favorites – Kansas State and Utah – there’s a gaggle of eight teams priced between 10-1 and 25-1.

Four newcomers crash the party: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. The Buffs, of course, were founding Big 7 members and played in the league until 2010.

But with a mess comes unpredictability and excitement. Given the even landscape (as well as the usual Big 12 nonsense, sans the two annual “guarantees” in Oklahoma and Texas), the Big 12 Conference championship race sets up to be the most intriguing race in the country. Could this league be a two-berth league for the College Football Playoff odds? Can Mike Gundy again defy the odds and run Oklahoma State to the title game? Will an improved Colorado team make a bowl under Deion Sanders?

Big 12 Odds: To Win The Conference

Compare college football odds, including Big 12, from the best sports betting sites below. Click anywhere to place a bet.

The throne sits empty after the Big 12’s two bluebloods dipped for the SEC. The result? A messy odds board topped by two co-favorites (Utah, Kansas State), eight mid-level teams, another two in a nebulous void (TCU, Colorado), and the rest of the league.

As is the case in most years, the path is critical to success in the Big 12. Houston, West Virginia, and Arizona State play the most difficult slates in the conference. Utah, Kansas State, and TCU play the easiest.

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Big 12 Odds: Projected Wins, Win Totals

Projected wins below are derived from aggregate power ratings, including SP+, FPI, and more. Win totals are pulled from FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 13.

Team	Proj. Wins	Win Total	Price
Kansas State Wildcats	9.6	9.5	+114/-140
Utah Utes	9.3	9.5	-132/+108
Kansas Jayhawks	8.4	8.5	+138/-170
Arizona Wildcats	8.6	7.5	-110/-110
Texas Tech Red Raiders	7.9	7.5	+122/-150
Iowa State Cyclones	7.4	7.5	-110/-110
UCF Knights	7.2	7.5	-105/-115
Oklahoma State Cowboys	8.1	7.5	-150/+122
West Virginia Mountaineers	6.8	6.5	-128/+104
TCU Horned Frogs	7.3	7.5	+122/-150
Colorado Buffaloes	4.4	5.5	-138/+112
Baylor Bears	4.9	5.5	+140/-172
Cincinnati Bearcats	5.3	5.5	+128/-158
Arizona State Sun Devils	3.7	4.5	+124/-152
BYU Cougars	4.4	4.5	+104/-128
Houston Cougars	3.3	4.5	+144/-178

Big 12 Power Rankings

Table Key (all ranks except power rankings are national):

• Rank (Power ranking, conference)
• Proj. Wins (Projected total wins)
• Return (Returning production, total)
• PPD (Points per drive scored)
• PPDA (Points per drive allowed)
• L5 (Last five years recruiting average, national)

Big 12 KFord Ratings

Kelley Ford posts his KFord Ratings for each conference on his website and Twitter. See his projections below:

Big 12 Odds: The Favorites

Kansas State Wildcats
Big 12 Odds: Kansas State Wildcats +15000 on BetMGM

Out goes quarterback Will Howard (Ohio State), offensive coordinator Collin Klein (Texas A&M), and two NFL draft picks on the offensive line. Up steps Avery Johnson (Kansas State’s second-highest rated QB recruit ever), two internal promotions, and tackle Gus Hawkins (their highest-rated recruit since ’04). The Wildcats landed Colorado weapon Dylan Edwards and Penn State receiver Dante Cephas in the transfer portal. Top WR Keagan Johnson returns, as does running back DJ Giddens (1,075 yards last year).

All the reshuffling at Kansas State appears to leave the Wildcats in a good place this year. The offense will still be Chris Klieman’s. Johnson loudly debuted to the college football world with a ridiculous five rushing touchdowns against Texas Tech in Week 7. He wouldn’t take the reigns again until the bowl game, where he accounted for all three K-State touchdowns in a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State.

The skill group this year should be an improvement. The Wildcats probably field another top-40 defense, as they have in each of the last four seasons under Joe Klanderman.

Keep an eye out for K-State’s Week 3 game against conference foe Arizona. Despite now sharing a league, the schools decided to keep a previously scheduled contest on the board that won’t count toward the Big 12 standings. Only in college football.

So, while it won’t reflect on the final record, Kansas State plays 10 Big 12 foes plus a game at Tulane – a team that beat them 17-10 in 2022.

There’s a lot of talent but also a lot of change and volatility for the Big 12 preseason favorites.

Utah Utes
Big 12 Odds: Utah Utes +50000 on BetMGM

After sitting out for an entire calendar year, QB Cameron Rising returns to the field for Year 7. His top target, tight end Brant Kuthie, also returns after missing a year and a half with an injury. Kuthie was presumed to be TE 1B alongside first-round NFL draft pick Dalton Kincaid before his injury. Fold in the coaching prowess of Kyle Whittingham – who led Utah to eight wins despite the roster being decimated by injury and playing a safety at running back – and Utah is a pretty deserving favorite atop the Big 12 standings.

But the roster doesn’t stop there. The Utes field a receiving trio of Mycah Pittman, Money Parks, and USC transfer Dorian Singer (former all-conference). Despite Ja’Quinden Jackson transferring out, Utah returns Micah Bernard (over 1,800 total yards and a start in the secondary) and adds Idaho all-conference back Anthony Woods (1,100 yards and 16 TDs last year). This unsung group of skill players might just be the Big 12’s deepest and best.

Seven starters on defense return. Five of those starters are in the front six, led by All-American candidate Junior Tafuna. They have to replace star pass rusher Jonah Elliss, who was drafted, and leading tackler Levani Damuni, who will miss the season due to a knee injury suffered in the spring. This was a top-25 defense last season and should flirt with that mark again in 2024.

Should Utah keep its roster healthy, the Utes will be a bonafide favorite in the conference. The schedule sets up nicely, with an extremely favorable non-conference slate (Southern Utah, Baylor, at Utah State). After a back-to-back with Oklahoma State and Arizona, Utah should be favored in almost every Big 12 game.

They’re a serious contender to make the College Football Playoff.

big 12 Odds: The Contenders

Kansas Jayhawks
Big 12 Odds: Kansas Jayhawks +50000 on BetMGM

Party like it’s 2008, Kansas – you’re listed as a Big 12 contender! This season likely marks just the seventh time the Jayhawks debut in the preseason AP Top 25 in program history (since 1901!). In the other six seasons, Kansas finished a combined 37-30-1 (.552) and never ended the year ranked. Could Lance Leipold do something never before done in the 125-year history of Kansas football?

Exciting QB Jalon Daniels returns from a season where he played just three games due to injury. But gone is backup Jason Bean, who posted a top-10 QBR in his absence. Also departed is offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. His creative run game worked extremely well with the Jayhawks’ personnel. Rather than find a new face, they promoted QB coach Jim Zebrowski to lead the offense.

Defensively, Kansas gave up a bit more than desired on the ground. While it wasn’t as dire as 2022’s stop unit, that phase of the game has to be shored up. The Big 12 features many of the country’s top ground games. However, KU’s secondary should be among the league’s best – perhaps even a notable unit nationally. Corner Cobee Bryant and Mello Doston both return after outstanding seasons.

A serious hindrance to the 2024 Jayhawks is a massive renovation project going on at Memorial Stadium. This year, Kansas won’t play any true home games (much like Northwestern), instead opting to play its games in Kansas City between two locations. It’s unwise to underestimate disruptions like these to team performance.

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big 12 Odds: Texas Tech Red Raiders +15000 on BetMGM

Thanks to a favorable schedule, the outlook for Texas Tech is pretty bullish in 2024. They avoid Kansas, UCF, and Utah and have a non-conference trio of Abilene Christian, at Washington State, and North Texas. Workhorse back Tahj Brooks returns, coming off a 1,500-yard season. The receiving corps could be dynamic despite losing top dog Jerand Bradley to Boston College. They add Florida standout Caleb Douglas, who was sidelined last year with an injury.

Can Texas Tech keep its QB healthy? A string of QB injuries derailed season after season for the Red Raiders, most recently to Behren Morton, who returns this year. He played in nine games but to mixed results thanks to a nagging shoulder sprain.

Only three starters return defensively. Joey McGuire hit the portal to bring in much-needed help on the defensive front, bringing in three players with starting experience. But retooling a stop unit that finished near the top-50 for the first time in well over a decade is a tall task. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is the standout name to know, but he spent large parts of last year on the sideline thanks to injury.

Tech might finish above its win total in 2024, but the Red Raiders will be a team consistently power rated lower then their ranking or record.

Iowa State Cyclones
Big 12 Odds: Iowa State Cyclones +200 on BetMGM

Iowa State should have collapsed last year. Multiple starters were suspended in relation to an NCAA gambling investigation, notably starting QB Hunter Dekkers. But in stepped Rocco Becht, who threw for over 3,000 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight picks. SLOT Jaylin Noel turned into a legitimate threat and he returns this year. But perhaps most promising is running back Abu Sama III. He exploded onto the scene with a 273-yard outing in a blizzard against Kansas State.

Sama has the privilege of running behind an offensive line that returns all five starters. The line generated just 2.3 yards per play, worst in the nation, but Iowa State finished first in explosiveness. The Cyclones generated 13 50-yard plays, most in the country.

In case that unit was in need of more explosiveness, they added Army deep threat Isaiah Alston (29.6 yards per reception, 9 catches) and North Dakota State standout Eli Green (930 yards, 20.2 Y/R) in the portal. While Nate Steelechasse departs for the NFL, they promoted young TEs coach Taylor Mouser to keep the continuity.

Last year, the defense fell outside the top 25 in points per drive (PPD) for the first time since 2019. Losing starters before the season doesn’t help, but coordinator Jon Heacock has kept that side of the ball sturdy for seven years. Eight starters return, bolstered by a pair of transfers in Kenard Snyder (ULM) and Ryan Robinson Jr. (LSU).

The one thing keeping Iowa State from a really bullish outlook is the schedule. Aside from their annual rivalry with Iowa, the Cyclones play six of the top eight favorites in the Big 12. They close the year at Utah and against Kansas State. Ouch.

UCF Knights
Big 12 Odds: UCF Knights +50000 on BetMGM

Few teams nationally bring more contributors in from the transfer portal than UCF. The Knights upgrade at QB, bringing in Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson and Miami’s Jacurri Brown, and RB, bringing in Toledo’s Peny Boone and Cincinnati’s Myles Montgomery. The secondary was a major area of need for Guz Malzahn & Co., so UCF brings in eight defensive backs via the portal. Another transfer name to watch is former Miami EDGE Nyjalik Kelly.

Boone and Montgomery come in to complement returning back RJ Harvey. Between Harvey and Boone, the pair rushed for 31 touchdowns last season. But scoring the football wasn’t – and won’t be – the problem. That moniker goes to the defense.

In 2023, UCF finished 96th in PPD and watched its defense collapse en route to historic blown leads to Baylor and Oklahoma. They allowed 2+ touchdowns in the fourth quarter six times last season and held just two opponents scoreless in the final frame. UCF holding onto leads was akin to trying to hold water in a strainer. So, it went and hired a new defensive coordinator: Ted Roof.

Roof is an extremely well-traveled coordinator (decipher that how you may). Despite mixed results, he’s had a three-or-fewer-year stint an astounding 11 times. His only long-term position was calling Georgia Tech’s defense between 2013-17. He just never seems to stick.

The good news: UCF plays a manageable schedule. They avoid both Kansas schools and play four of the projected bottom-five Big 12 teams.

Big 12 Odds: The Middle Class

With conference realignment inflating conferences to their largest sizes ever, we have to break them down more thoroughly than ever.

West Virginia Mountaineers
Big 12 Odds: West Virginia Mountaineers +25000 on BetMGM

Last June, many were calling for Neal Brown’s job. The fifth-year coach suffered back-to-back losing seasons, a first for West Virginia in nearly 40 years. But the Mountaineers managed to get back on the wagon and finish 9-4, including a bowl win over North Carolina. A potent rushing attack led the way – the trio of QB Garrett Greene, RB Jaheim White, and TE-turned-RB CJ Donaldson accounted for over 2,400 yards and 28 TDs. WVU’s per-game average of 228.9 yards on the ground ranked third nationally.

Greene, White, and Donaldson all return behind five offensive linemen that made at least four starts last year. While NFL draft pick Zach Frazier is gone, this unit should again be strong. Phil Steele ranks the Mountaineers’ offensive front 11th nationally. Expect another run-heavy attack in Morgantown this year.

Greene led all QBs with 13 rushing touchdowns, tied for the nation QB lead with eight 15+ yard carries, and was second with just a 5.5% pressure-to-sack ratio. While his accuracy struggled (62.8% completion adjusted for drops), he led the country with a 10.4% big time throw rate, attempted the fourth-highest average depth of target (13.7 yards), and threw 15 touchdowns versus just four interceptions. The star potential is real with Greene.

WVU’s biggest hurdle is its schedule. It plays 10 Power Conference opponents – highlighted by regional rivals Penn State and Pitt outside of Big 12 play – and an FCS semifinalist. The Mountaineers face six of the top seven projected finishers in the Big 12. The middle third is particularly brutal: Kansas, bye, at Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Kansas State, at Arizona.

TCU Horned Frogs
Big 12 Odds: TCU Horned Frogs +20000 on BetMGM

After years of defensive dominance under Gary Patterson, TCU watched its stop unit crumble to bits. While Joe Gillespie raised the Horned Frogs from 125th in PPD to 60th, he couldn’t improve again in 2023, topping out at 61st. Gillespie was relieved of his duties. Instead, Sonny Dykes brought in a familiar name to college football to lead the defense: Andy Avalos.

Captain Johnny Hodges returns at LB after missing most of last year with an injury. Apex defender Namdi Obiazor, TCU’s most versatile piece, also returns. They must replace departing NFL draft pick corners in back-to-back seasons, likely leaning into Avery Helms (a 2023 Florida transfer). On scheme alone, it’s reasonable to expect TCU’s defense to take a step forward.

Offensively, the Horned Frogs are in a nebulous void. QB Josh Hoover showed promise but was ultimately ineffective. They bring in Vanderbilt transfer Ken Seals, a career 60% passer, and freshman Hauss Hejny. Hejny projects to be the star QB of the future, but is he plug-and-play ready as a true freshman? So long as TCU doesn’t have a clear answer at QB, its offense can’t be relied on.

The receiving corps is talented, bolstered by Boise State leading receiver Eric McAllister. But if history has shown us anything, TCU only goes as far as its QB allows.

2022 is beginning to look like one of the greatest anomalies in college football history.

A Big 12 Longshot To Consider: Oklahoma State Cowboys

A stat I will forever hold when assessing the Oklahoma State Cowboys: Mike Gundy has more 10+ win seasons in Stillwater (8) than seasons with 5+ losses (5). He hasn’t missed a bowl game since Year 1, nor suffered a losing record (bowl game included). He’s 12-6 in bowl games, ranked inside the AP Top 25 every year since 2008, and appeared in two of the last three Big 12 Championships.

And yet, with 85% of his roster production returning off a 10-win season (second-most nationally), Oklahoma State’s win total opened at 6.5. They’re to win the Big 12 title this year (eighth-shortest odds).

With the conference’s two most powerful programs out of the way, Oklahoma State presents the most stable team in the league. They return all-world RB Ollie Gordon, starting QB Alan Bowman, both coordinators, and Gundy himself. All five starters along the offensive line return – a unit that paved the way for Gordon to rush for a nation-leading 1,732 yards.

The Pokes need to shore up the defense – especially against the pass (107th in success rate allowed) – in order to contend in the College Football Playoff. We likely aren’t dealing with a top-five national program here. But to take the throne in a wide-open Big 12 with four new players? Oklahoma State’s pricing is borderline disrespectful.

Oklahoma State ranks second among Big 12 teams in SP+, fourth in FPI. The schedule is manageable: Arkansas, Utah, West Virginia, and Texas Tech all come at home. Its toughest away game is Kansas State, which debuts a lot of new pieces in Week 5. They’ll likely be favored in at least nine games, with two pick ’ems. Fade the Pokes at your own risk.

A Big 12 Team To Fade: Baylor Bears

Oftentimes, the first sign of a coach on his last legs is the firing of coordinators and assuming of play calling duties. Dave Aranda takes over the defense this coming season in hopes of salvaging a 23-25 record. After winning 12 games and the Big 12 Championship in 2021, Baylor is just 9-16 and headed in the wrong direction.

All-MAC QB Dequan Finn transfers in to try and inject some life in an offense that finished outside the top 100 in PPD. Aranda also brings in veteran OC Jake Spavital after he helped Cal overachieve offensively. Do-it-all RB Richard Reese returns, as do all five top receivers. That pass-catching corps was middling at best last season. Texas State transfer Ashtyn Hawkins looks to give it a boost this year.

It was the defense that really sunk the ship. The Bears finished an abysmal 126th in PPD and 133th in passing EPA, highlighted right off the bat in a 42-31 loss to Texas State in Week 1. The entire secondary returns, as do two of three LBs. The inability to defend the pass wasn’t entirely on the shoulders of the secondary; Baylor finished 113th in sack rate (4.6%). Unfortunately, there’s not a massive injection of talent in that unit for this season. If the defense improves, it’ll largely be the doing of Aranda’s scheme.

While the schedule isn’t overly difficult, Baylor is headed in the wrong direction. Desperation from Aranda, a lack of talent defensively, and a new play-caller offensively add up to a rough season inbound in Waco.

The Newbies

Arizona Wildcats
Big 12 Odds: Arizona Wildcats +50000 on BetMGM

Jedd Fisch completed one of the biggest turnaround acts in all of college football. He brought Arizona up from a 1-16 record in 2020-21 to 10-3 by 2023. That turnaround job earned him a spot at Washington. The Wildcats went and plucked Brent Brennan from San Jose State to fill the vacancy. He hired former Syracuse head coach Dino Babers to call the offense and elevated Duane Akina to call the defense.

Brennan led San Jose State to three bowls in four years – equal to the number of bowls the Spartans went to in the previous 25 seasons. A 7-1 season in 2020 saw San Jose State finish ranked in the AP Top 25 for just the second time in program history.

More reason for optimism in Tucson: the two biggest causes for the 10-3 season, QB Noah Fifita and WR Tetairoa McMillan, remain. Arizona also returns Colorado transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig, a capable and explosive No. 2. Three starters on the offensive line return, though NFL draft pick John Morgan is not one of them. Under Babers – known for orchestrating some potent offenses, even as a head coach – the Wildcats likely won’t have much difficulty scoring.

But in a new league and with a notable decline in coaching quality, it’s tough to project Arizona for another 10 wins. This is likely a 7- or 8-win team with a high ceiling.

Arizona State Sun Devils
Big 12 Odds: Arizona State Sun Devils +135 on BetMGM

The cupboard was left pretty bare for Kenny Dillingham in his first year. It was an uphill battle from the start, especially when freshman phenom Jaden Rashada was injured in Week 2, leaving the Sun Devils with one of the most dire QB situations in the Power Conferences. The result was a 3-9 season that really was worse than it appears. At their worst, Arizona State was non-competitive, posting a ghastly -190 point differential against 6+ win teams.

Is there reason for optimism in Year 2 under Dillingham? Marginally.

The offense still projects to be pretty dreadful, following up a season in which they finished 122nd in PPD. Weapon Cam Skattebo returns, but with Rashada off to Georgia, ASU again is left with a dire QB situation. Michigan State backup and transfer Sam Leavitt projects to start over Jeff Sims and Trenton Bourguet. Leavitt completed 65% of his passes in limited work as a freshmen, but also had a 9.7% turnover-worthy throw rate. Sims (if you’re not familiar by now) is a walking turnover. ASU often opted to run Skattebo in the wildcat over starting Bourguet. Dire indeed.

Just three starters return from a defense that ranked 132nd in PPD. On that side, there’s almost nowhere to go but up. Bringing in Marcus Arroyo at OC is certainly an improvement, but with 93 new players in the last two seasons, it’s clear Dillingham’s reclamation project will either (a) take time or (b) fail spectacularly. Or perhaps both.

Colorado Buffaloes (Sorta)
Big 12 Odds: Colorado Buffaloes +650 on BetMGM

Welcome back to the Big 12, Colorado! The Buffs were a founding member of the Big 7 post-World War II and played in the league up until they left for the Pac-12 in 2010. Since leaving the league, Colorado has a 32% win rate. Now, they return with a circus.

I’ve been pretty transparent in my skepticism surrounding Deion Sanders. Year 1 resulted in plenty of September TV ratings, but the interest died overnight when Colorado was pasted 42-6 by Oregon. They finished the year on a largely uninteresting 0-6 slide.

They have star power, no doubt about it. Though his social media image took a big hit this offseason, Shedeur Sanders is a legitimate NFL QB; Travis Hunter is one of the top few players in the nation. The receiving corps has real threats, now including Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard. Ohio State transfer RB Dallan Hayden has talent. Deion Sanders made a concerted effort to bolster an embarrassing offensive line and defense through the portal.

But you can’t overcome a toxic locker room environment, no matter how many transfers you bring in. And that’s exactly what Colorado has. Despite top-end talent at most positions on the roster, Colorado will be fighting for bowl eligibility this year. They’ll be better than last year, but the bar was set pretty low.

Everyone Else

BYU Cougars
Big 12 Odds: Brigham Young Cougars +350 on BetMGM

BYU missed a golden window in its move to the Big 12. Year 1 was a tough watch as the Cougars finished just 2-7 in league play. Year 2 doesn’t have a much rosier outlook. WRs Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter have promise, but there’s nobody on the roster to throw them the football. Projected starter Jake Retzlaff completed 50% of his passes and struggled with turnovers as a freshman. The defense couldn’t stop the run and declined to field a pass rush. That unit turns fully over this year, probably for the better.

Cincinnati Bearcats
Big 12 Odds: Brigham Young Cougars +350 on BetMGM

All five starters along the offensive line return after leading Cincinnati to a decent rushing attack. They bring in Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby at QB and UTEP 1,000-yard WR Tyrin Smith. They bolster a pretty mediocre skill corps that returns Xzavier Henderson and leading rusher Corey Kiner. The defense was atrocious last season, finishing outside the top 100 in PPD. But new DC Tyson Veidt is a first-time FBS play caller. Dontay Corleone is a real All-American candidate at defensive tackle, but the talent at the other 10 positions is fairly underwhelming. Like BYU, Cincinnati might have missed its prime window to compete in the Big 12.

Houston Cougars
Big 12 Odds: Houston Cougars +30000 on BetMGM

Houston cleaned house after spinning its wheels under Dana Holgorsen. They hired Willie Fritz, who resurrected Tulane to beat USC in the 2022 Cotton Bowl. Fritz brings most of the Tulane staff with him, including DC Shiel Wood. He hired OC Kevin Barbay, previously of Appalachian State and Mississippi State. QB Donovan Smith returns, but the Cougs lose most of their receiving talent to the NFL and the portal. Smith missed all of spring after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum. Neither offense nor defense showed any life in Houston’s 4-8 Big 12 debut. Fritz should fix this program, but it’ll take time, just like it did at Tulane.

Big 12 All-Transfer Team

QB: KJ Jefferson (Arkansas to UCF); Dequan Finn (Toledo to Baylor)
RB: Peny Boone (Toledo to UCF); Dylan Edwards (Colorado to Kansas State)
WR: Caleb Douglas (Florida to Texas Tech); Eli Green (North Dakota State to Iowa State); Will Sheppard (Vanderbilt to Colorado)
TE: Jaylin Conyers (Arizona State to Texas Tech)
OT: Isaiah Jatta (Colorado to BYU); Vinny Sciury (Toledo to Texas Tech)
IOL: Justin Mayers (UTEP to Colorado); Tyler Johnson (Houston to Colorado); Omar Aigbedion (Montana State to Baylor) 

DL: Devean Deal (Tulane to TCU); Rayyan Buell (Ohio to Colorado); Samuel Okunlola (Pitt to Colorado); Jack Kelly (Weber State to BYU)
LB: Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt to UCF); Corey Platt Jr. (Tulane to Houston); Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Cal to TCU)
CB: Logan Wilson (North Texas to Cincinnati); Kenan Johnson (Georgia Tech to Utah)
SAF: Preston Hodge (Liberty to Colorado); Devynn Cromwell (Canada to Texas Tech)

Top Difference Makers To Know

We all know Travis Hunter and Ollie Gordon. Let’s take a look at some other names of big contributors to note.

Garrett Greene, QB, West Virginia: Accuracy needs improving, but Greene could be a household name by year’s end. He led in the country in Big Time Throw rate (10.4%), threw 15 touchdown passes versus just four interceptions, and a 13.7 aDOT (on par with gunslingers like Jalen Milroe). What really makes Greene dangerous is his rushing ability. He led all QBs with 13 rushing touchdowns and eight rushes of 15+ yards.

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona: T-Mac likely could have left Tucson with Fisch and secured a massive NIL deal at any program in the country. Instead, he decided to stay put with Fifita. This offseason, McMillan went viral a few times for some seriously ridiculous catches in practice and training. That’s not just fluff – the 6-foot-5 star hauled in over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati: The Godfather returns to Cincinnati likely for one more season. In his first two seasons, Corleone made 51 run stops and 25 QB pressures; he’s a true menace in the interior defensive front. Corleone graded out as the top defensive tackle in 2022, per PFF. Despite taking a massive step up in competition – and he no longer being a secret – he finished as the third-highest graded DT in the Big 12, behind only Texas’ NFL draft picks Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat.

Coaching & Coordinator Changes In The Big 12

Most Impactful Hires

Willie Fritz, Houston: What would have been a lateral step just two years ago turns into a step up for Fritz. He led Tulane to five bowls in six seasons (save for a hurricane-interrupted 2021). The real capstone of Fritz’s career was upsetting USC in a wild Cotton Bowl and finishing 12-2 in 2022. He took over a Green Wave program that had seen just one bowl in 13 seasons prior.

Brent Brennan, Arizona: After turning a 1-11 mess into a 10-3 bowl winner, Jedd Fisch was hired away by Washington. Arizona looked down the ladder and plucked San Jose State’s Brent Brennan for their own. Brennan led SJSU – a historically difficult place to win – to three bowl games and turned the ship around from a non-bowl team into an annual bowl contender. Along the way, he coached a potent offense in Silicon Valley.

Andy Avalos, TCU: The former Boise State head coach is a defensive whiz. He’s boosted the stop unit everywhere he goes, and while his stint as the head man in Boise delivered underwhelming results, he’s a good addition for a struggling TCU defense. The scheme will be familiar to Frog fans – Avalos runs a 4-2-5 reminiscent of Gary Patterson. Turnovers and disruption along the defensive front are Avalos’ specialty. The team needs dire improvement in those departments.

Check out every Big 12 coaching and coordinator change this offseason!

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