Previewing Big 12 Conference football going into the 2024 season.
The Big 12 conference has a new look in college football going into 2024. Two juggernaut teams have exited to the SEC, three new teams are making their debut, and one team is coming back to the promised land. So what will the new Big 12 look like? Let’s take a look at a few of the teams below.
Arizona Wildcats
Fresh off a third place finish in the Pac-12, the Arizona Wildcats enter the Big 12 Conference with a lot of preseason hype surrounding their football team. Some early polls have them in the top 25, with ESPN ranking them at number 20. And according to Vegas odds, Arizona is predicted at 7.5 wins.
But what about the team?
New head coach Brent Brennan was able to retain some important aspects of the 2023 team. The offense brings back junior quarterback Noah Fifita. Last year, the sophomore threw for more than 2,800 yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He’s paired with his leading receiver from last year, Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan was close to breaking school records, reeling in 10 touchdowns and accumulating more than 1,400 yards. Although the lead running back from 2023 transferred to Washington, Brennan brought along San Jose State back Quali Conley to be the lead for the team.
As for the defense, the 2023 leading Pac-12 tackler Jacob Manu is back to be the captain of the group. He’s joined by a new starting defensive line after three players transferred to Washington.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Introducing another newcomer to the Big 12 for the 2024 season. Arizona State had a down year last season, going 3-9 in the Pac-12 and only winning two games in the conference. Second year head coach Kenny Dillingham looks to right the Sun Devils, but has an uphill battle. Vegas odds have Arizona State as finishing bottom three in the conference in 2024.
Arizona State has had a rough few years, and it’s not looking good for 2024. Three of the four quarterbacks on the roster transferred out in the off-season. All that is left is Trenton Bourguet, along with two transfers. Depth at the quarterback position could be a problem for the offense.
Defensively, the Sun Devils seem to be a bit better after losing several key players to the portal. Sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite looks to continue his fantastic campaign he began as a true freshman, where he earned honorable mention as the Pac-12 freshman defensive player of the year. He is paired with two edge rushers Prince Dorbah, who is a redshirt senior, and Clayton Smith, a redshirt junior.
Baylor Bears
To say the Baylor Bears’ 2023 team was disappointing would be an understatement. Baylor finished the year at 3-9, with only two wins in the Big 12 conference. With a coaching change at offensive coordinator, Baylor hopes to get back to form. Although the Vegas lines only have the Bears winning a total of five games for the 2024 season.
Head coach Dave Aranda is on the hot seat. The Bears brought the coach back for what could be his final year if he doesn’t turn it around. He brought on a new offensive coordinator and running backs coach, as well as the MAC Player of the Year in quarterback DeQuan Finn from Toledo. He’s surrounded by returning talent in a deep running back room, as well as wide receiver corps.
The defense is once again being called by Aranda. The defensive guru looks to get back to his 2021 defensive form when the Baylor Bears won a Big 12 Championship. Last years defense gave up more than 6 yards per play, and ranked in the bottom half of all FBS teams. They bring back some developing players as well as 2023 Freshman All-American Caden Jenkins to bring the Bears back to relevance.
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas was such a fun team to watch last year. The Jayhawks ended the season with a 9-4 record, including a defining win against the sixth ranked Oklahoma team. They hope to continue the momentum with a healthy quarterback in 2024. Vegas odds have Kansas winning 8.5 games this year, with ESPN ranking them in the middle of the top 25 for their early rankings.
This Kansas football team looks to bring home a Big 12 Conference Championship title with the return of 30 seniors. Senior quarterback Jalon Daniels is back and hopefully healthy. He played just three games last year before a back injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Star running back Devin Neal returns as well after racking up almost 1,500 all purpose yards and 17 touchdowns. The two are joined by a stacked receiving corps.
As for the defense, the Jayhawks look to bolster the defensive lineman after losing two of the best guys to the NFL. They still have two of the best cornerbacks in Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, both who received all Big 12 honors in 2023. They combined for a total of 80 tackles, two sacks and eight interceptions. Kansas also boosts their highest rated prospect in the modern era in Deshawn Warner. The four-star freshman edge rusher is expected to make an immediate impact for the Jayhawks in 2024.
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State is coming off a disappointing year. After winning the Big 12 Conference Championship in 2022, their football team had high hopes for their 2023 season, but they ended their year with a 9-4 record. In the early ranking polls, they look to be the favorites along with Utah to make it to the Big 12 Championship game once again.
With quarterback Will Howard transferring to Ohio State this offseason, Kansas State is all in on Avery Johnson. He led the Wildcats to a win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State, throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He’s paired with one of the best returning running backs in the Big 12 in DJ Giddens. Last year he ran for more than 1,200 yards and ten touchdowns. As for the receiving corps, they bring back their starting three receivers. Even after losing Ben Sinnott to the NFL, the Kansas State offense looks poised to take a major jump in 2024.
The defense hopes to continue their stretch of being a top five defense in the Big 12. While injuries plagued their season last year, they looked to the transfer portal for depth. They’re returning two top linebackers in Austin Moore and Desmond Purnell. Each player received all Big 12 honors last year and hope to continue that into 2024.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
The 2023 Oklahoma State team defied the odds last year. After a disappointing start to the season, they changed their game plan, leaning heavily on the run game. They made it to the Big 12 Championship game but lost to Texas. Luckily, the Cowboys bring back a staggering 21 starters from last year’s roster. Even with that much returning talent, Vegas odds have the Cowboys winning 7.5 games this season, and ESPN has them ranked in the lower half of the top 25.
Oklahoma State is known for their explosive offense. This season they bring back seven-year starter Alan Bowman at quarterback. Bowman threw for almost 3,500 yards, but his touchdown to interceptions ratio has to be better for 2024. But the main draw for the offense is junior running back Ollie Gordon. Gordon had more than 2,000 all purpose yards with 22 touchdowns. He is the reigning Doak Walker award winner, and looks to be the workhorse back for this Cowboys team. In addition to Gordon, the leading receivers are back as well in Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens. The two combined for more than 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns and look to do more of the same in 2024.
Defense is where the Cowboys struggled last year. New defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo implemented a 3-3-5 defense that struggled in the beginning of the season, but started to find their footing near the end. All Big 12 First Team linebacker Nick Martin returns for his junior year. Paired with ten returning starters to the defense, the Cowboys could surprise the league once again and catapult themselves to the top of the Big 12 in 2024.
Utah Utes
The final newcomer to the Big 12, but possible the one with the best odds to win it all in 2024. Utah went 8-5 in their last season in the Pac-12. But they were back-to-back champions the prior two years. They look to regain their footing moving into the conference this year.
They are led by arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Cameron Rising. After missing 2023 due to injury, Rising played well in the spring game and looks to get back to his pre-injury form. His top target from 2022 is also back from injury. Brant Kuithe, along with USC transfer Dorian Singer, are expected to take the Utes offense to the next level. Singer played for Arizona in 2021-2022, but never found his footing as a true number one wide receiver at USC.
The defense returns eight starters for 2024, as well as a few transfers. The 2023 unit was a solid defense despite the offensive struggles, only allowing 19.3 points per game, which was 18th in the nation. They look to stay on track to make a run for a Big 12 Championship their first year.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Coming into 2024, West Virginia fans have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. The 2023 football team posted a record of 9-4, with two of their three Big 12 conference losses coming from close scoring games. They’re projected to be in the top half of the Big 12. While their win total may not be high than last year, their ceiling is much higher for 204.
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene leads the Mountaineers. He threw for more than 2,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, and added more than 700 yards on the ground with an additional 13 rushing touchdowns. He adds in Oklahoma State transfer wide receiver Jaden Bray after losing leading receiver Devin Carter to the NFL. The running back room is stacked, and brings back a group that ranked fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game.
The defense overall had an average campaign. The group of defensive rushers though led the Big 12 in total sacks for the year. But the defense allowed 237 yards per game, and failed to hit on the big plays down the stretch. The transfers in should bolster the secondary, especially incoming corners Ayden Garnes, Jr. from Duquesne, and and TJ Crandall from Colorado State. Both expect to make an immediate impact.
Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.