The Big 12 sent just one team to the College Football Playoff last season, the Arizona State Sun Devils, who fell in the quarterfinals. Looking ahead to 2025, are there any teams that could surprise the nation like ASU, which was projected as one of the worst teams in the conference, and make a push for a Big 12 title and CFP berth?
We graded every Big 12 team based on their performance this offseason, including player retention, coaching staff changes, and, of course, the biggest one of all: transfer portal additions and losses.
Texas Tech Football Offseason Grade
The Red Raiders enjoyed one of the best offseason’s in all of college football, throwing money around and bringing in a defensive transfer class headlined by former Stanford Cardinal EDGE David Bailey (seven sacks and five forced fumbles last season), former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Romello Height (34 total tackles and 2.5 sacks) and former UCF Knights defensive tackle Lee Hunter (19 solo tackles).
In all, it’s one of the best fronts in the country that’ll add to a defense headed by LB Jacob Rodriguez, who led the team in tackles with 127 last season.
The offense, led by returning QB Behren Morton, who tossed 27 touchdowns last season, returns second-leading receiver Caleb Douglas (877 receiving yards and six touchdowns) and will be aided by the return of five-star WR Micah Hudson, who briefly left the program but is now back in the fold.
Though the Red Raiders likely won’t enter as the favorite to win the Big 12, head coach Joey McGuire and the program have a roster that’s certainly worthy of the top spot. They just have to show it on the field.
Texas Tech Red Raiders Offseason Grade: A
Arizona State Football Offseason Grade
Coming off a year in which the Sun Devils made a surprise run to win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff, head coach Kenny Dillingham followed it up with an excellent offseason.
Minus several players who departed via the NFL, the core of the team is back. QB Sam Leavitt is the catalyst after he threw 24 touchdowns versus just six interceptions in his first full season as the starter. They also retained top WR Jordyn Tyson (1,101 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns), top tackler in safety Myles Rowser (98 total tackles) and top interceptors in CBs Javan Robinson and Keith Abney II (three interceptions apiece).
Star RB Cam Skattebo will be missed, but last year’s backup Kyson Brown showed talent in limited time and should be able to step up.
Arizona State fans should be ecstatic, as Dillingham has completely turned this program around. They should be amongst the top teams in the Big 12 and challenge for a CFP berth once again.
Arizona State Sun Devils Offseason Grade: A
BYU Football Offseason Grade
Following up an 11-win season won’t be easy for head coach Kalani Sitake, especially considering a large core of the starters either transferred or graduated, but he did everything he could to set his team up for another double-digit season.
QB Jake Retzlaff is back — although off-the-field issues have arisen — after an excellent 2024 campaign in which he threw 20 touchdowns. His top receiver Chase Roberts (854 receiving yards and four touchdowns) is back, as is top RB L.J. Martin (718 rushing yards and seven touchdowns). The addition of former Stanford Cardinal WR Tiger Bachmeier adds depth to the receiving room.
The defense is replacing several starters, but Sitake has shown his superb ability to coach that side of the ball. BYU can firmly be placed among the top contenders in the conference.
BYU Cougars Offseason Grade: B+
Iowa State Football Offseason Grade
Head coach Matt Campbell went to work this offseason to replace his two best departing players, WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. He added former East Carolina Pirates receiver Chase Sowell and UCF Knights’ Xavier Townsend. Both are talented and will presumably step into starting roles from Day 1.
The retention of QB Rocco Becht was also a significant win, as he’s turned himself into one of the top QBs in the conference. Top RB Carson Hansen, who ran for 752 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, will be by his side again.
The defense brought back top LB Kooper Ebel, who amassed 69 total tackles in his first full season as the starter. Defensive lineman Tamatoa McDonough, formerly of the Yale Bulldogs, will bring his productivity of 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles from a season ago to the Cyclones, bolstering their front.
Campbell’s culture, built in his nearly decade at the helm, can take another victory lap, as the 2025 Iowa State squad has set itself up to compete for the conference title.
Iowa State Cyclones Offseason Grade: B+
Kansas State Football Offseason Grade
Retaining QB Avery Johnson had to have been the Wildcats’ main goal heading into the offseason, and they did just that. They got him some more weapons as well, adding former Texas Tech Red Raiders WR Jerand Bradley (744 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2022) and several other pass-catchers to pair with returner Jayce Brown, who led the team with 823 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Fifth-year senior safety Gunner Maldonado was a huge get for the defense, as he’s been around the block and been a key contributor to several defenses. Leading tackler LB Austin Romaine is back after amassing 96 total tackles and three forced fumbles as a sophomore.
With another year of Johnson at the helm, head coach Chris Klieman’s team joins the long list of teams that have a legit chance of winning the Big 12.
Kansas State Wildcats Offseason Grade: B+
TCU Football Offseason Grade
The Horned finished last season with wins in six of their final seven games and will look to replicate that across the entire 2025 season. They didn’t lose a ton of production, leaving the door open for that possibility.
QB Josh Hoover is back. The most important piece to the puzzle, he threw for just under 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns in his second season as the starter. He’ll have some new targets at the WR position in former Idaho Vandal Jordan Dwyer, who had 1,192 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last season at the FCS level. Former UTSA Roadrunners RB Kevorian Barnes will also factor into the starting position in the backfield. He has amassed 1,803 career rushing yards.
Back with the defense is top tackler LB Johnny Hodges (89 total tackles) and top sacker Devean Deal (5.5 sacks). They’ll lead a unit that remains largely intact aside from a few depth additions.
Head coach Sonny Dykes knows what it takes to win and he made winning moves this offseason. Behind Hoover, the Horned Frogs should be a contender for the conference title amongst several others.
TCU Horned Frogs Offseason Grade: B+
Baylor Football Offseason Grade
An 8-5 record last season was a major win for head coach Dave Aranda and his staff after winning just two games the season prior. Now returning 14 starters, they’ll be looking to contend for a Big 12 title.
It all started with the retention of QB Sawyer Robertson, who was brilliant in his first season as the starter, throwing for 3,071 yards and 28 touchdowns. Beside him in the backfield will be standout RB Bryson Washington, who ran for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman. His top receiver, Josh Cameron, is also back after catching 10 touchdowns a season ago.
The defense retained much of its core and added Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year LB Travion Barnes, who totaled 129 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions for the Florida International Panthers.
Aranda and Co. should be ecstatic about their offseason. They’ve set themselves up to contend with the top teams in the conference and have an outside shot of a CFP berth via the automatic conference championship bid.
Baylor Bears Offseason Grade: B+
Utah Football Offseason Grade
The Utes’ 5-7 record last season was a major disappointment, as they were the preseason favorite to win the Big 12. After a successful roster overhaul, they’ll look to be in the upper half of the conference in 2025.
Former New Mexico Lobos QB Devon Dampier was the big addition, as he was dynamic last season in rushing for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns while also passing for 12 scores. He’ll have talented former Washington State Cougars RB Wayshawn Parker beside him, who ran for 735 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. The offensive line is especially good, returning all five starters and sporting potential first-rounders in tackles Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano.
The defense will be led by 2024’s leading tackler, LB Lander Barton. They didn’t add as much defensively, leaving depth as a question mark, though head coach Kyle Whittington repeatedly puts together a tough and physical product.
An offseason of improvement should spark a bowl appearance and keep the Utes competitive in conference play, something that alluded them in 2024.
Utah Utes Offseason Grade: B
West Virginia Football Offseason Grade
New head coach Rich Rodriguez has his work cut out for him after watching 47 players enter the portal, including several of last season’s top performers.
But they also recruited hard in the portal to replace outgoing production and landed several major wins in former UTSA Roadrunners LB Jimmori Robinson (10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last season) and former Jacksonville State Gamecocks RB Cam Vaughn (803 rushing yards and five touchdowns).
Rodriguez also brings back QB Nicco Marchiol, who showed promise last season in limited time, and RB Jaheim White, who ran for a team-high 845 yards and seven touchdowns. Their receiving core is largely filled with newcomers.
It’ll almost feel like an entirely new team for Mountaineers fans minus White as the starting RB, but Rodriguez did about as well as he could’ve been expected to do after inheriting a barren roster.
West Virginia Mountaineers Offseason Grade: B
Cincinnati Football Offseason Grade
It wasn’t a particularly loud offseason for the Bearcats, as they watched just 16 players depart through the portal.
They secured the retention of QB Brandon Sorsby (18 touchdown passes last season) and his top target, TE Joe Royer (522 receiving yards and three touchdowns). Talented former Texas A&M WR Cyrus Allen highlights several portal additions at that position that could have a major impact in the fall.
On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Dontay Corleone is back after his third straight season of disruption on the perimeter. A number of portal additions will help the defense.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 5-2 start last season before faltering down the stretch and missing bowl eligibility altogether. Head coach Scott Satterfield is largely bringing back the same core and is surely hoping the start of 2024 is more representative of this group than the finish.
Cincinnati Bearcats Offseason Grade: B
Colorado Football Offseason Grade
Potentially the biggest development that occurred for the Colorado program was in head coach Deion Sanders signing a five-year, $54 million extension to stay with the program for the rest of the decade.
That being said, the Buffaloes lost 17 starters, nine of which on offense, from a team that won nine games a season ago. Sanders didn’t add a boatload of players as he had in recent years, instead opting for his younger players to grow and develop into bigger roles, especially offensively.
That wasn’t the case at QB, however, as they landed the commitment of four-star 2025 QB recruit Julian “Juju” Lewis and reeled in former Liberty Flames starter Kaidon Salter, who has 76 career touchdowns. They’re expected to compete for the starting job.
Repeating contention for the conference title late in the season may be too much to ask, considering most of the Buffaloes’ starters will be entering their first season in that role; but Coach Prime has shown he wins, so we’ll have to see.
Colorado Buffaloes Offseason Grade: B-
Houston Football Offseason Grade
Cougars QBs combined to throw just eight touchdowns versus 17 interceptions last season, making head coach Willie Fritz’s top priority heading into the offseason to grab an accomplished passer who could right the ship.
They got their guy in Conner Weigman, who’s talented (No. 1 QB recruit in 2022) yet doesn’t quite have the production to show for it with only 19 passing touchdowns in three seasons. He’ll be aided by the arrival of former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns WR Harvey Broussard (486 receiving yards and three touchdowns) and former Ball State Cardinals TE Tanner Koziol (839 yards and eight touchdowns). They’ll join Stephon Johnson, who led the team in receiving a year ago.
The defense is essentially relying on transfers to step up, making this largely a transition year for the program after winning just four games last season.
Houston Cougars Offseason Grade: B-
Kansas Football Offseason Grade
A 1-5 start to last season was shocking, considering the talent on the Jayhawks’ roster. But the team’s fight down the stretch, beating three consecutive top-25 teams to finish 5-7, was inspiring for the culture that head coach Lance Leipold has created.
While there wasn’t a mass exodus of transfers, the departed senior class made their mark on the program with the likes of RB Devin Neal and WR Luke Grimm. But sixth-year senior QB Jalon Daniels will be back for one more run after a disappointing 12-interception campaign last year.
The addition of talented former Alabama Crimson Tide WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. will help on the outside, as will former West Virginia Mountaineers LB Trey Lathan on the defensive interior after registering 79 total tackles last season.
Leipold and the Jayhawks weren’t as bad as their 5-7 record may suggest, but with the looks of this roster, it seems like they’re headed in a similar direction.
Kansas Jayhawks Offseason Grade: C+
Arizona Football Offseason Grade
After dropping from 10 wins to four wins in head coach Brent Brennan’s first year, the snowball continued to roll in the wrong direction in the months after the season.
In all, 37 scholarship players left in the transfer portal, leaving behind an especially barren defense. LB Jacob Manu (206 career total tackles), CB Tacario Davis (six passes defensed last season), and defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (33 total tackles and 2.5 sacks) were the leaders of the defense but decided to rejoin the previous coaching staff with the Washington Huskies.
Though QB Noah Fifita — who had a down year in 2024 but is talented — is back, the Wildcats seem to be in an even worse position than they were a year ago.
Arizona Wildcats Offseason Grade: C
UCF Football Offseason Grade
The addition of new head coach Scott Frost, who led the team to an undefeated season in 2017, looks to be a positive in the long run—but not quite come the 2025 season, as a large number of scholarship players departed via the portal.
The offensive backfield, manned by star RB R.J. Harvey, will be left for former Western Michigan Broncos RB Jaden Nixon, who rushed for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The quarterback position remains a question mark, as several transfers will compete for the spot.
16 new transfers on the defensive side of the ball will have to gel in order for the unit to be successful. It’s more likely that it will take them one more year to reach average to above-average.
Expectations are low after a 4-8 season and welcoming in Frost, who rebounded well but ultimately didn’t do enough in replacing key transfers. It’s not necessarily his fault, but it’s the reality with the Knights facing the potential for a last-place finish.
UCF Knights Offseason Grade: C
Oklahoma State Football Offseason Grade
After a colossal failure of a 3-9 season in 2024, it was no surprise for head coach Mike Gundy to change nearly every aspect of the program. Almost every assistant is gone and replaced with fresh blood, as are many starters. In fact, 38 transfers were welcomed in to try to turn the program around.
There’s uncertainty at the QB position, as youngsters Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny have been battling for the spot. Neither has thrown a pass in college. The offensive line in front of them should help, as they brought in several players who started at their previous schools.
The defense welcomed impact players at the line of scrimmage in former UTEP Miners defensive lineman Kyran Duhon (seven sacks last season) and former UCLA Bruins CB Jaylin Davis (30 total tackles and two passes defended).
KEEP READING: Top 5 Must-See Big 12 Games in the 2025 College Football Season
It wasn’t a great offseason for Gundy and Oklahoma State, as it’s extremely hard to see them reaching bowl eligibility. They’ll likely have another year as a bottom-feeder in the increasingly competitive Big 12.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Offseason Grade: C-
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