Big 12 Football: Breaking Down the Conference Ahead of the 2026 Season

The Big 12 enters 2026 with a point to prove. A lot of drama has surrounded the conference this offseason, and that will need to be put to rest as teams vie for their chance to reach the College Football Playoff. It’s an important season, and there’s a lot to get into. With that said, we’re going into a deep dive on each team within the conference entering the 2026 season.

Sources Used:

• Bill Connelly Returning Production
• Phil Steele College Football Preview
• Punt and Rally

Big 12 Football: Breaking Down the Conference Ahead of the 2026 Season

Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-2 2025), 13.2 – .7 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 6 Offense, 5 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 20 (8 P4, 10 G6, 2 FCS), 20 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 67-percent OFF (#20), 64-percent DEF (#17), (#11) OFF Snaps, (#6) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
=	+	=	=	–	–	=	=

Offense

Everyone knows the quarterback controversy that happened in the off season regarding Brendan Sorsby. However, Will Hammond, who played during stretches last season, does return. Even though he’s coming off of a torn ACL he suffered last October. Kirk Francis also transfers in from Tulsa.

The running back room is stacked. The top two players return (2000 yards and 20 TDs). Quinten Joyner also returns from missing all of 2025. There’s a lot to be excited about here.

The top two wideouts depart, leaving 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns up for grabs. The next five pass catchers from last year’s team came back. They also added in transfers from Auburn, Pitt, Liberty, and Alabama State – all have experience.

The offensive line lost two starters. They added in a part-time starter from Louisville, with two other All-Big 12 linemen returning.

Defense

The trenches lost David Bailey to the first round, Lee Hunter to the second round, and Romello Height to the third (27 total sacks).  Transfers come in from Wake Forest, Miami (OH), San Diego State, Oregon State, Washington, Kent State, and Akron.

The linebacker unit lost Jacob Rodriguez (top tackler) to the second round and defensive captain Bryce Ramirez. However, two starters return and transfers come in from Kansas State, Houston, and San Diego State.

Two full-time starters return to the secondary, and another who was a part-time starter. 

Final Thoughts

If Hammond is healthy, he should have no problem playing QB1. He had experience last season, leading the team to a win at Utah. In fact, the reason Sorsby even came into Texas Tech was because of the health of Hammond. Texas Tech wants to utilize a mobile QB to open up the field. It will be interesting to see how mobile Hammond is after an ACL injury, although he is supposedly going to be ready by Week 1. 

The running back room is absolutely stacked. The wideout group brings in productive portal players and returns a lot of talent outside of their top two from last season. Finally, the offensive line should still be in good shape, bringing back a couple of talented players. The offense could be better than last season, but that will all rest upon the health of Hammond. 

The defense should be pretty good again, too. However, how much of a drop-off is expected after losing so much talent? The trenches see plenty of returning experience and transfers with real playing time and production. However, the linebacker unit is in the same boat as the trenches in terms of production going forward. There is just so much top notch production that is hard to replace in one offseason. The defense should still be a contender atop the Big 12. However, it will be hard to tell exactly what to expect without seeing live action. A home game in Week 3 versus Houston will definitely be the first test to see where the defense stacks up in 2026.

Team: Utah Utes (11-2 2025), 11.2 – 1.7 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 3 Offense, 3 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 18 (5 P4, 9 G6, 4 FCS), 21 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 55-percent OFF (#64), 55-percent DEF (#53), (#45) OFF Snaps, (#76) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: HC, OC, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	=	–	–	–	=	+

Offense

Devon Dampier returns to the Utes this season. Last year he threw for 2500 yards with 25 touchdowns to five interceptions. He added 800 yards and 10 TDs on the ground, as well. Backup QB Byrd Ficklin also returns, adding another 500 yards and 10 TDs on the ground from last season.

Top running back Wayshawn Parker returns this season. He had nearly 1000 yards rushing and six TDs last season. However, last year’s RB2 does exit (11 TDs).

The top three wideouts are gone (1800 yards combined), but everyone else returns. Utah also added starter-level transfers from Utah State and San Jose State. They also added in two tight ends and another WR from Mississippi State.

All five starting offensive linemen are gone. One transfer comes in from OSU and Montana State. Most of the returning players have played, just lack experience.

Defense

The defensive line lost its top five players. Transfers come in from North Texas, San Jose State, Tennessee, and Wyoming (only 13 out of 34 sacks return).

Three starting linebackers from last year are gone, but the top tackler from the group returns. They’ve added in a starting transfer from Akron.

Two starters return to the secondary, two exit, and one returns from a season-ending injury. USF, Oklahoma, and two Lamar transfers come in.  

Final Thoughts

New head coach Morgan Scalley has been waiting his turn here for a while. He’s served as the team’s defensive coordinator for the past decade, so there should still be good continuity between the players and staff. The new offensive coordinator comes in from Utah State, also leading an offense where the quarterback was the leading rusher. It seems like an exceptional fit for the personnel they have this season. 

The offense looks dangerous. Both QBs may be on the field at the same time, and both are legit running threats, along with Parker. The only thing that may hamper the offense is the new offensive linemen. Losing five starters is brutal (only 14 sacks surrendered), but having mobile QBs that can get themselves out of trouble will help. The WR group has decent depth and added some players with real production to take over for those that left. 

The defense is going to be the question on this team. Only three starters from last year’s team return. And, the front seven lost quite a bit of production and experience. The secondary should be fine, as Utah gets the benefit of the doubt for this position group. 

Utah’s offense shouldn’t have any problem continuing to score in the upper 30’s and low 40’s this season, assuming the OL can come together. Yet, they may have to if the defense doesn’t perform like it should. The front of the defense still surrendered 180 yards on the ground per game last season, so that will also need to be an area that shapes up.  

Houston Cougars (10-3 2025), 8.3 – 4.6 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 5 Offense, 6 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 19 (9 P4, 7 G6, 3 FCS), 16 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 71-percent OFF (#7), 58-percent DEF (#44), (#13) OFF Snaps, (#50) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	=	+	=	+	+	–

Offense

Connor Weigman returns at quarterback. Houston also brought in top overall recruit, Keisean Henderson, as well.

Running back Dean Connors left, posting 1000 rushing yards and six TDs last season. The second-leading rusher was Weigman.  Last year’s RB3 returns with 300 yards under his belt. Transfer Makhi Hughes (Oregon/Tulane) comes in after limited playing time at Oregon last season.

Wide receiver Amare Thomas returns for this season, bringing back 1000 yards of production, paired with 12 TDs. The next three wideouts left (1000 yards combined). Everyone else returning had less than 10 total catches, with one player returning from injury.  Transfers come in from Oregon State, Florida, and Texas Tech, with a TE coming in from UTSA.  

Two OL starters return. Three transfer starters come in from Miami OH, Tulane, and Toledo.

Defense

Two defensive linemen exit (seven sacks). Transfers come in from Yale, Oregon, and Oklahoma State.

Four linebackers are gone, but three starters return and Ole Miss and Tulane transfers come in.

Final Thoughts

Weigman returning provides a lot of stability at the most important position. Henderson will see time, just how much time remains to be seen. Henderson’s athleticism and arm talent are true weapons, but the only thing he lacks is experience. It will be worth noting how playing time is divided as the season progresses and what packages Houston draws up for him early on. 

The RB room looks great, even without the leading back returning. Hughes didn’t get much of a shot at Oregon after leaving Tulane, but his former head coach Willie Fritz wasn’t shy about offering him the RB1 role on this team, and he should fill it well. Meanwhile, the receiver room does lose some decent players, but the transfers that were brought in should fill in nicely. The OL also looks to be in good shape, picking up three starters, one being a First Team MAC player. 

The defense did a good job replacing players with experienced transfers on the line, and even moreso at linebacker. The secondary has the continuity to progress as well, bringing back three starters.

The Tulane connection with Fritz was very evident in this portal cycle. He knew exactly who to get, and more importantly, what he is going to get from most of these portal players. The offense should be dynamic and the defense should still continue to improve. The talent and coaching is enough to compete for a College Football Playoff entry, but the question will be the schedule. There are tough road games at Texas Tech, Kansas State, Utah, and West Virginia, which could be tricky spots. That’s especially true for a team that played in six one-possession games last season, going 5-1. Will negative regression show its face this season or do they have enough talent to avoid putting themselves in those positions again?

BYU Cougars (12-2 2025), 10.6 – 3.3 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 5 Offense, 7 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 12 (10 P4, 1 G6, 1 FCS), 13 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 59-percent OFF (#50), 69-percent DEF (#6), (#27) OFF Snaps, (#39) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	=	–	=	=	=	+	–

Offense

Bear Bachmeier returns for his sophomore season after putting together an excellent freshman campaign.

Top running back LJ Martin also returns to the program (1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns). Bachmeier was the second-leading rusher, while five others from the room return with limited production.

Top wide receiver Parker Kingston was dismissed in February due to legal issues. The No. 2 and 3 wideouts also departed from the program. Martin was the fourth-leading pass-catcher on the offense. One wide receiver transfers from Oregon, along with tight ends from Oregon and Southern California.

Three starting offensive linemen are gone; four return with starting experience. Transfers arrive from Washington (two), Utah State and Stanford.

Defense

The defensive line lost two starters and have no transfers coming in.

Two starting linebackers are out and just one starter returns. The top LB was one-third of the sack production last season and the fourth-leading tackler on the team. Transfers come in from Cal (Cade Uluave), Kansas State, and Eastern Washington.

Three starters are back in the DB room and the unit added in a transfer from Mississippi State.

Final Thoughts

The offense looks to pick up right where they left off last season. Bachmeier should continue to improve, and the RB room looks good at the top, but has questionable depth. The OL should once again be very solid even after losing three starters, adding in a full-time starter from Washington. The main question is going to be the WR room.

The wide receiver unit lost a ton of production, and not much came in through the portal. The group only returns three players with a combined 300 yards. This raises the question about the QB play. Will Bachmeier be able to make the room look good, or will his play, compared to last season, decline because of the caliber of players that were lost? The offense also struggled at times last season when they had to throw the ball to keep up – albeit both times were versus Texas Tech. Still, both are something to keep an eye on. 

The defense looks solid once again and will challenge for a top spot in the conference. There is plenty of production back, returning nine out of the top-12 tacklers from last season, seven total starters, and adding in transfers with meaningful playing time and production.

Special teams is also going to be a big question heading into the season. The Cougars lost both punter and kicker, but had no portal players coming in at those positions.  

Arizona Wildcats (9-4 2025), 9.9 – 3.0 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 4 Offense, 5 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 23 (9 P4, 10 G6, 4 FCS), 22 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 66-percent OFF (#24), 55-percent DEF (#56), (#47) OFF Snaps, (#7) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	–	–	=	+	–	–	–

Offense

Noah Fifita returns for his senior year after posting a great statistical season in 2025. The quarterback threw for over 3000 yards, but also added 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

The team’s 900-yard running back, Ismail Mahdi, exits (but will now return due to the fifth-year ruling). Yet, their RB2 and RB3 both return, with around 400 yards apiece and 11 combined TDs. Arizona also added a transfer from Marshall.

The top three wideouts are gone (1500+ yards, 16 TDs). Transfers come in from USC, West Virginia, and Colorado State, with the addition of three transfer TEs as well from Southern Miss, San Diego State, and Illinois.

Three OL starters exit, one will return from injury, and two others return. Transfers come in from BYU, Washington, and San Jose State come in.  

Defense

The line lost three players, but not a lot of production. One transfer comes in from Cal Poly and one DL also returns from injury.

Arizona’s linebacker room lost a couple of their top players. Yet, they added in transfers from Memphis, Nebraska, and Georgetown.

All four DB starters exit, three being drafted. Transfers are from Oregon, Wyoming, UConn, Northern Colorado, Nebraska, Charlotte, and Howard.

Final Thoughts

The offense is going to be headed up by Fifita, and they will need him to be “the guy” again, as well. The offense looks fine, but doesn’t look as good on paper as last season. The RB room is deep and the production they have returning will increase with more attempts. However, there isn’t a true RB1 yet. Meanwhile, the WR group looks questionable, losing a lot of production and only returning three total players from last year’s group. The OL looks fine, bringing back plenty of players with experience from last season and some in the portal, too. 

The defensive line should continue to improve, bringing back half of the production from last season (21 total sacks). The LB and DB units is where things get shaky, especially in the secondary. The unit lost three players from last year’s team to the NFL draft. The portal players added do have significant playing time. However, it is incredibly hard for a team like Arizona to replace that kind of talent in one offseason, as last season the secondary held teams to a 54-percent completion rate. 

Special teams also brought in some portal players, a kicker and a punter. The kicker last season was only 19-31, so the kicking game will be one to keep watch over. 

Arizona gets a warmup game versus an FCS team in Week 1. That game’s followed by a road trip to BYU, which might show how much the defense improved up front or if the back seven are going to be in trouble moving forward.

TCU Horned Frogs (9-4 2025), 7.9 – 5.0 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 5 Offense, 5 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 12 (4 P4, 6 G6, 2 FCS), 12 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 44-percent OFF (#100), 58-percent DEF (#42), (#77) OFF Snaps, (#42) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: OC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
–	–	–	=	+	–	+

Offense

Josh Hoover transferred to Indiana, so a new quarterback transfers in from Harvard to take over. Everyone else in the room is a freshman.

TCU’s RB1 returns, but only had around 600 rushing yards last season. Two others return with around 200 combined. One transfer player comes in from Colorado School of Mines. It’s a tough room to look at on paper.

The team’s top wideout exited with 1000 yards last season. However, their WR2 had 700 yards and returns for 2026. Three others return with minimal production, with one transfer coming in from South Alabama.

Three offensive line starters are gone. They bring in transfers, who were starters, from Oklahoma State and FIU.

Defense

One defensive lineman exits while everyone else returns. Transfers come in from Texas Tech and WKU.

Three starting linebackers are gone, two being drafted. One transfer comes in from Virginia Tech.

Two defensive backs are gone, yet two return. One of the players went in the second round of the draft. Two corners come in from CMU and Colorado that were starters. Another comes in from Louisiana Tech, who was an all-conference player.

Final Thoughts

Jaden Craig transfers in to start at quarterback. He is the all-time leading passer at Harvard, for what it is worth. The obvious question will be the jump up in competition and the inexperience waiting behind him. It should be interesting to see how he plays, but TCU thinks he is ready. 

The RB room returns the top rusher, but behind that, it is pretty thin. The same goes with the wide receiver group. TCU’s OL looks like it can pick up where it left off. The team’s new offensive coordinator comes in from UConn, who had an offensive resurgence last season. It should be interesting to see how the group looks with many new pieces and a few returning starters. 

The defense may actually be the strength of this TCU team, which isn’t usually what the Horned Frogs are known for. The line brings back plenty of players, and added some experience through the portal. The secondary also looks good, adding three portal players with significant experience and stats. Linebacker is the only real question on the team, as replacing two draft picks and their top tackler will not be easy. 

Week 0 will be a perfect opportunity to see what the offense can do against a tougher UNC defense. And, we’ll see if the defense has the makeup to live up to high expectations.

Kansas State Wildcats (6-6 2025), 6.6 – 5.3 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 6 Offense, 2 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 27 (13 P4, 11 G6, 3 FCS), 32 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 65-percent OFF (#25), 51-percent DEF (#73), (#63) OFF Snaps, (#56) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: HC, OC, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	=	–	–	–	+	=

Offense

Avery Johnson returns at quarterback after throwing for over 2000 yards last season with 18 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also added 500 yards and eight scores on the ground

Top running back Joe Jackson also comes back, returning 900 yards and eight touchdowns. No one returns behind them, but they added transfers from Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Memphis.

Three of the top four wideouts depart. However, last year’s WR2 returns with 500 yards and three TDs. Their top freshman TE also returns, but only had a passing attempt and no catches last season. Transfers come in from Missouri, Hawaii, and Texas A&M.

Four OL starters are out, with the center being drafted. Six transfers come in from all three levels and a projected starter returns from injury.

Defense

Seven linemen exit (17 sacks). Transfers come in from Oklahoma State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, and Gardner Webb.  

The top two tacklers are gone from the LB unit, plus another starter. Two former starters transfer in from UVA and Louisiana Tech, plus another comes in from OSU and Oklahoma State.

One DB starter was drafted, but the rest return to the unit. Transfers come in from Illinois and Miami (OH).

Final Thoughts

Last year was kind of a disaster by Kansas State standards. Now, former QB and offensive coordinator-turned head coach Collin Klein takes over with a new staff and reinstalls some of the Bill Snyder philosophies. Johnson returning definitely helps, as he hasn’t really played up to snuff after telling Will Howard to hit the bricks two seasons ago. Johnson has the tools and has played well, but he will need to find another level his senior season. It will be interesting to see if the new coaching staff can get him there. 

The run game should be good, as the top rusher returns while adding in some productive transfers. However, this might depend on how the OL performs with a makeshift group that was portal-built. The OL did only give up 13 sacks last season, so it will be tough to top that with some uncertainty here. The receiving group should be on par with last season, with improved TE play. 

On defense, the line will need to be better against the run and find production from the portal to make up for the lost sacks. The LB unit loses quite a bit, but did a good job finding experienced players to come in and step into the starting roles. The backfield looks talented and deep, which may help open up some opportunities for the line to find pressure. 

Kansas State has a real chance to start 4-0 before an October date with Houston, having one of the softer football schedules in the Big 12.

Arizona State Sun Devils (8-5 2025), 6.9 – 6.0 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 1 Offense, 2 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 25 (16 P4, 5 G6, 4 FCS), 21 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 53-percent OFF (#70), 49-percent DEF (#79), (#51) OFF Snaps, (#56) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
=	–	=	–	–	–	–	=

Offense

Sam Leavitt transfers out to LSU, while Cutter Boley comes in from Kentucky after starting the season as a backup and playing pretty well. Mikey Keene also transfers in from Michigan after not playing last season.

The team’s top running backs in Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh are both gone. Combined with the quarterback leaving, and the team’s top rushers are nowhere to be found. However, transfer from Villanova and Delaware State come in.

Three leading pass catchers depart (1400 yards and 12 touchdowns combined), with Jordyn Tyson getting drafted in the first round. Portal players come in from Boston College, Washington, and Colorado, with a TE transfer from Tulane.

Four OL starters are gone, losing 50 career starts. Transfers come in from Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, and the JUCO level.

Defense

Five starters are out on the DL and take 18 sacks with them. Players from Michigan State and Baylor transfer in on the edge.

Three LBs exit, two were the top tacklers on the team. A productive transfer from Colorado State comes in along with a Northern Arizona player.

The secondary lost all four starters from last year’s team. Several transfers come in from LSU, Kansas, Penn State, Michigan State, Texas, and Arkansas. Three were starters at their former schools.

Final Thoughts

It is tough to say exactly what Arizona State will be this year. Last year seemed like a season where they would continue to build, but Leavitt was injured, the backup played a lot, and the talented offensive backfield was wasted on an 8-5 season. There is a lot of production gone from the offense at every level. Boley actually played well last season stepping into the starting role, but he has to work on cutting down on the picks. There is young, but unproven talent in the RB room, while the receiving unit lost their top wideout and tight end. However, they brought in some productive portal players that should be able to pick up the slack with the help of some returning players.  The OL looks rough and inexperienced at the starting level. 

On defense, the line lost quite a few sacks, and the LB group lost its top two tacklers from last season. The secondary will practically be all transfers, so that group needs to gel immediately. 

Also of note, the kicking and punting units on the special teams was a disaster last season, collectively raking at the bottom of the FBS. Yet, the team added a new kicker and punter through the portal. 

Overall, the offense should be better in the passing game, as Simms was mostly a runner to end the year last season. This almost seems like a stop-gap year for the Sun Devils. The defense is going to need the portal players to show up or they could be in for a long season.

Baylor Bears (5-7 2025), 5.6 – 6.3 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 1 Offense, 4 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 32 (14 P4, 16 G6, 2 FCS), 32 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 44-percent OFF (#102), 62-percent DEF (#22), (#52) OFF Snaps, (#54) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
=	=	–	–	+	+	+	–

Offense

Sawyer Roberston departs and DJ Lagway transfers in from Florida. The team’s top running back also exited. However, the RB2 and RB3 return with about the same production combined. No transfers come into the running back room. Baylor’s top returning pass-catcher is one of the running backs. No one else with significant stats returns to the wide receiver unit. The team lost 3000+ yards and 25 TDs from the top five alone. Transfers come in from Colorado, Oklahoma State, Charlotte, and Florida.

Five OL are gone, four were starters. Transfers come in from Texas, Memphis, Toledo, South Alabama, UAB, Incarnate Word, and Colorado. The five projected starters were all starters for their respective teams last season.

Defense

Four defensive linemen exit, with portal players coming in from UTSA, Kansas State, South Carolina, Texas State, Marshall, Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, and Indiana. The LB unit lost three players, one who was the team’s top tackler. Transfers are from Kansas State, Georgia State, Southern Miss, and Arkansas.

Two players from the DB unit are gone, returning three players who made starts.

Final Thoughts

Lagway should be a good fit for the offense and seems to be healthy and in shape. He is going to need to work on accuracy and cutting down on interceptions, as he was almost at a 1:1 ratio last season. He probably isn’t on the same level passing-wise as Sawyer Robertson last season, but brings in different traits.

The RB room looks solid and should put up good numbers if they stay on the field all season. Meanwhile, the WR room is a huge question. They lost a lot of production and significant players from a deep room last year. The OL also lost quite a few starters as well, but did a pretty good job in the portal picking up players with experience and creating some depth. 

It looks like the offense may take a run-first approach, so the tempo may decline some. However, new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital isn’t really known for slowing down the tempo. 

The defense should also make some strides, bringing in the former DC of Kansas State and a good mix of returning players and transfers.  The DL should improve upon the nearly 200 rushing yards per game allowed last season. And, the secondary should continue their improvement as well. The LB room looks somewhat questionable, but they brought in some experienced transfers and three starters from last year’s team back from injury. We will get to see right away if the defense has made any early improvement, as they take on Auburn (watch for tempo on a fast track) in Atlanta the first week.

Baylor has a real shot at sitting with a respectable record after the first nine games before a brutal three-game stretch to end the year (at BYU, Texas Tech, at Houston).

UCF Knights (5-7 2025), 6.2 – 5.7 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 4 Offense, 6 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 34 (14 P4, 13 G6, 7 FCS), 34 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 61-percent OFF (#41), 60-percent DEF (#37), (#37) OFF Snaps, (#11) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	–	+	=	–	+	+	=

Offense

The 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year, Alonza Barnett III, transfers in to start at quarterback. Keyone Jenkins also transfers in after starting the last three seasons at FIU. No player with rushing stats returns to UCF this season. Transfers come in from Louisville and Central Arkansas.

The top three WRs do return with 1200 combined yards and five TDs. ULM and Monmouth players transfer in. Meanwhile, the OL lost six total players. Four transfers are in and most have started before at the G6 level.

Defense

The DL lost three starters and five players overall. Transfers are from Tennessee, Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Akron, Kansas, Miami FL, and FSU (2). Two LBs exited, but the top tackler from the group returns. They also added transfers from Missouri, Old Dominion, UMass, and Wisconsin. Three starters are back in the secondary, while adding transfers from Idaho, Wayne State, Missouri, Colorado, and Harvard.  

Final Thoughts

Having both Barnett and Jenkins at quarterback is going to help this team a lot. The QB situation was a mess for quite some time here last season and the stats were pretty poor overall. Barnett is coming off of an undisclosed injury and missed all of the spring. However, UCF head coach Scott Frost stated he is a full go for the regular season.

The RBs that are coming in from the transfer portal can both be productive. However, one was at the FCS level, while the other was hurt at Louisville last season. Overall, the position group seems like an unresolved question as of now. The receiving unit looks good, bringing back some actual production. And, that should only improve more this season simply because of QB play. Meanwhile, the OL has a bunch of players who have played and started, but is still somewhat rebuilt. 

On defense, the team needs to hit on their transfer acquisitions. This is specially true with Sincere Edwards and another DL still on the mend (both missed the spring) and most of the sack numbers leaving. The rest of the unit looks pretty good and should have continued success this season.  

West Virginia Mountaineers (4-8 2025), 3.6 – 8.3 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 3 Offense, 0 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 37 (14 P4, 20 G6, 3 FCS), 50 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 57-percent OFF (#55), 46-percent DEF (#86), (#17) OFF Snaps, (#33) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: None

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	–	+	–	–	–	=

Offense

Michael Hawkings transfers in from Oklahoma. Scotty Fox also returns after starting six games last season. Fox threw for over 1000 yards and had seven touchdowns to six interceptions. All rushers from last season are gone except for the aforementioned Fox. However, Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook transfers in to play for his former HC. Cook had almost 1700 yards last season at Jax State.  Another 1000-yard rusher transfers in from the JUCO ranks, and they also added two fairly high freshman. A fullback also transfers in from Arizona.

The receiving room was decimated, no one posting any stats of significance returns. Transfers come in from LSU, UConn, USC, and Troy.  Three TEs also come in from Arizona, Mississippi State, and Clemson.

Five OL are out, three of whom were starters. Two transfers come in from Jax State, with others coming in from UConn, Wyoming, and Kansas State. 

Defense

The DL lost four starters from last year. Transfers come in from Coastal Carolina, Oregon, WKU (2), Bowling Green, and Texas Permian Basin. Three LB starters from last year are out, too. Transfers are in from UNLV, Illinois, Villanova, FAU, Oklahoma, and Georgia State.

Four starters also depart from the DB unit, with a bunch of transfers coming in from LSU, Wisconsin, Kent State, UNLV, Stephen F. Austin, Memphis, and the JUCO ranks.

Final Thoughts

The offense should be exciting, and the players coming in fit exactly what Rich Rod wants to do. Hawkins flashed at Oklahoma, but never really got a shot. Meanwhile, Scotty Fox played decent for a freshman in what was a tough season. The running game, in general, should be very good, especially behind a revamped OL that has 120 career starts. Pass catchers made up of transfers and young players should be able to match the production from last season in a passing game that struggled. 

The defense was decimated by the portal, bringing back no starters from last year’s team. It is almost entirely rebuilt by the portal, and it’s really hard to say what is expected here. Rich Rod has stated he prefers portal players who have production and they do have that coming in. However, it’s hard to project how that unit will perform. The defense wasn’t great by any metric last season, so there still could be positive progress made on that side of the ball. 

West Virginia’s first real test will be early versus portal-built offenses in Virginia and Oklahoma State. Both of those games should answer some questions for all teams involved.  

Kansas Jayhawks (5-7 2025), 6.3 – 5.6 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 3 Offense, 4 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 34 (19 P4, 10 G6, 5 FCS), 25 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 49-percent OFF (#79), 67-percent DEF (#10), (#45) OFF Snaps, (#21) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: OC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
–	=	–	=	=	+	+	–

Offense

Jalon Daniels exits as Kansas’s second all-time leading passer. Cole Ballard comes in with just 22 pass attempts last season. Chase Jenkins also transfers in from Rice.

The team’s top four rushers are gone, and the top returning RB had just 100 yards last season. Transfers come in from Colorado State and Syracuse, also adding Dylan Edwards from Kansas State.

Two receivers return with around 500 combined yards – pretty much everyone else is gone. Transfers are in from Middle Tennessee and Buffalo, also adding TEs from Buffalo and Albany. All non-FCS transfers have experience and were full-time starters.

Three OL starters exit, with portal transfers from Cal, Texas, Oklahoma State, Wayne State, and Missouri.

Defense

The DL lost four starters, but their top sack-earner returns. Two transfers from Tulane and UAB were starters come in, while others come from Grand Valley State (2) and Arkansas.

Two LB starters leave as two starters come in through the portal from Boston College and Marshall. Kentucky, New Mexico State, and South Carolina transfers also come in.

Three starters return to the DB room, one exits. Transfers also come in from Georgia Tech, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Georgia, and Louisville (2).

Final Thoughts

Kansas gets back Andy Kotelnicki, who led all of those high flying KU offenses in years past. He probably didn’t get a fair shake at things during his time at Penn State, so it will be interesting to see if the Jayhawks’ offense can get back to those levels. However, they’ll have to do it without the help of Jalon Daniels. The QB room looks thin with little experience and an ongoing battle for the starting gig. The running backs look to have a solid top three, but Dylan Edwards has had a hard time staying on the field for other teams. The WR room got demolished in the portal, losing three of their top four receivers. However, the OL looks to still be in decent shape, although somewhat unsettled. 

The defense, overall, has been progressing the last few years and that should continue this year as well. It wasn’t long ago that Kansas was giving up between 35-40 points per game. They’ve had plenty of nice portal finds on the DL and and LB, while the secondary looks like it might have some depth, even if there aren’t a lot of top playmakers. Stopping the run and getting pressure will likely be top of the agenda for the front of the defense, while also bringing down the six yards per play allowed average from last season. The Jayhawks face a tough schedule this season, so there may be little progress in the win loss column.

Cincinnati Bearcats (7-6 2025), 7.7 – 5.2 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 3 Offense, 2 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 22 (4 P4, 12 G6, 6 FCS), 23 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 57-percent OFF (#57), 56-percent DEF (#50), (#75) OFF Snaps, (#18) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: Co-OC’s, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
–	=	–	+	–	=	–	=

Offense

JC French transfers in from Georgia Southern as the team’s starting quarterback. Last year he eclipsed 3000 passing yards with 20 TDs and eight interceptions. He also added 300 rushing yards and six TDs on the ground. Sophomore Samaj Jones returns as the backup, billed as the same kind of player as Sorsby and French.

The top three RBs are gone, and the top returning back had just 100 yards last season. Transfers come in from Stanford, Notre Dame, and Louisiana.

The top returning wideout had just 200 yards last season. Essentially everyone else in the room departed (2000+ yards and 20 TDs combined). Transfers come in from Kent State, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Central Arkansas, and Colorado School of Mines.

Two starting OL are out, while three return. A couple players with game experience return, but weren’t starters last season. No transfers come in.

Defense

The defensive line lost three starters from last year’s team. Transfers come in from NC Central, UTSA, California (PA), and Southern Illinois.

Three LB starters exit (one drafted in the second round), while three return. Transfers come in from Illinois State, Northern Illinois, and Georgia State.

The DB unit has four starters that left. Transfers come in from Bowling Green, Northern Illinois (2), South Alabama, and UTSA.

Final Thoughts

It seems like head coach Scott Satterfield really likes the mold of quarterback that former Brendan Sorsby was, considering JC French is somewhat the same player, just the lite version. In fact, the same goes for the backup, who may have a better arm. 

The running back room should be fine, as they bring in some transfers with some production and one with a higher ceiling. This should pair well with an OL that looks pretty solid. The wideouts look thin and inexperienced, which may not help with some turnover issues from the quarterbacks. 

The defense basically lost every starter from last season, and more importantly, all of the real contributors. However, the sack numbers weren’t great and the defense was pretty average. The linebacker core is by far the best unit on the defense. Yet, that’s because there are bigger areas of concern on the line and their run-stopping ability, and the brand new room of defensive backs made mostly of MAC players. Many of the players do have significant experience, which is a plus. Cincinnati brought in a new DC with some fresh faces, which is probably a positive considering the defense only forced 10 total turnovers last season.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-11 2025), 1.3 – 10.6 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 0 Offense, 0 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 60 (23 P4, 28 G6, 9 FCS), 66 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 62-percent OFF (#35), 53-percent DEF (#65), (#9) OFF Snaps, (#43) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: HC, OC, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	+	+	+	+	+	=

Offense

No starters return to Oklahoma State’s offense from last year. FBS passing leader Drew Mestemaker follows his coaches from North Texas and is the new starting quarterback. Joining him is Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young. The team also made a plethora of good transfer portal additions including Tre Page from Tarleton State.

Multiple OL transfers come in from Michigan State, North Texas (4), Oklahoma, Kansas, Portland State (2), Coastal Carolina, and Indiana State.

Defense

Four DL return as three transfers come in from UNT. Others transfers come in from Troy, Washington, SMU, Penn State, Texas Tech, and Louisville.

The primary linebacker starters will be from North Texas, Liberty, and Arizona State this season. Other transfers come in from UCLA, UNT, Central Oklahoma, Tulane, and a few that return from Oklahoma State.

Four transfers come in from UNT into the secondary. Others come in from Liberty, Washington, Miami FL, Missouri, Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Vanderbilt.  

Final Thoughts

This is pretty much the North Texas team, transferred over to the Oklahoma State sideline. The big question will be, can these players play up a level from G6 to the P4? Another key question will be how the depth fills out behind the many transfers? There are a ton of players (excluding the UNT transfers) coming in, so how will that translate? 

Oklahoma State’s season was so bad last year, it would almost be hard to not improve, especially the offense. The offense is basically going to be the North Texas offense from last season, outside of the transfers that came in to fill out the roster. And, the OL has players with starting experience, but none from the program itself. 

The defense actually does bring back some OKSU players. However, most of the starting roster will also be transfers. Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity was able to make huge defensive improvements at Sam Houston State and North Texas in the past couple of years. It will be interesting if he can do the same thing here. More importantly, it will be interesting to see if any of that progress happen this year.  

Colorado Buffaloes (3-9 2025), 3.4 – 8.5 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 4 Offense, 1 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 45 (19 P4, 20 G6, 6 FCS), 38 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 57-percent OFF (#60), 53-percent DEF (#66), (#6) OFF Snaps, (#1) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: OC, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
+	+	+	=	+	+	+	=

Offense

Julian Lewis returns at quarterback after starting two games as a true freshman last season. Isaac Wilson (brother of Zach Wilson) also transfers in from Utah.

The top running back returns from last year, but only had 400 rushing yards. Everyone else from the group is gone. Transfers come in from Alabama and Sacramento State (2).

Three players return to the receiving group, including the WR2, who had 500 yards and four TDs last season. The rest of the unit is transfers from a litany of programs.

Four OL starters depart, and four starters come in from the portal. It’ll be a completely new line for the offense in 2026.

Defense

The DL lost all four starters (only 13 sacks), and get a lot of transfers from varying levels of football. All three starters also exit the LB unit. Transfers come in from Texas, JMU, Vanderbilt, Bowling Green, and New Mexico State.  

Three DBs are out, three come in through the portal with starting experience (Oklahoma, NM St., and Vanderbilt). Others join from Notre Dame, App State (2), JMU, Utah, and Tennessee.

Final Thoughts

New offensive coordinator Brennan Marion brings the fun go-go offense to Boulder this season, fresh off a head coaching stint at Sacramento State. Julian Lewis seems like a good fit for this offensive system and showed some flashes last season, but is still highly inexperienced. Last year, the QB room was nothing to write home about, as Kaidon Salter did not work out and Ryan Staub wasn’t the guy either. The new offense and potentially more talented QB should help fix that problem. 

The RB room should lead to a more productive backfield, paired with the new offensive scheme. However, Colorado has had trouble running the ball in the past. The wideout room actually looks excellent as far as portal players. However, there are four players who were on the spring injury report, so something to keep an eye on.

The OL is a question, as it was last year. With many new faces, we will have to wait and see how they perform, since the unit is full of transfers. 

The defense has the potential to improve at all three levels heading into 2026. That shouldn’t be too tall of an order after surrendering 30 PPG and 420 offensive yards per game. The defense is pretty much totally portal-built and reliant. Only one actual starter from last season’s team returns, which might be a case of addition by subtraction.

Interesting to note: this year’s roster is one of the oldest by age in college football this season.

Iowa State Cyclones (8-4 2025), 8.0 – 3.9 PYTHAG

• Returning Starters: 0 Offense, 0 Defense
• Portal: Incoming 49 (10 P4, 25 G6, 14 FCS), 59 Outgoing 
• Returning Production: 44-percent OFF (#104), 46-percent DEF (#85), (#42) OFF Snaps, (#34) DEF Snaps
• HC/DC/OC Changes: HC, OC, DC

2026 Position Group Outlook

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST
–	–	–	–	+	–	–	+

Offense

No starters return to the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor transfers in from Arkansas State, along with Zane Flores from Oklahoma State. One player returns to the RB room (58 yards last season), as transfers come in from Oregon State (who’s already out for the season) and Bowling Green, with other freshman recruits.

One wideout returns with seven total catches. Transfers at wideout and tight end come from a litany of programs.

All five offensive line starters are gone. One player returns with games played, and five transfers come in from the FCS level. FBS transfers are from Washington State, Oklahoma (2), Auburn, Michigan State, and Akron. None of the P4 players were full-time starters at their previous schools.

Defense

No starters return to the defensive side of the ball. The trenches brought in five Washington State players. Montana and Arizona transfers come in, as well.

One LB returns to this unit, as the top three tacklers are gone along with everyone else. Transfers are in from Washington State, Texas Permian Basin, and Austin Peay.

One player also returns to the secondary (played in nine games). Other projected starters are from Montana (2), Washington State, and Toledo (another player already out for the season).

Final Thoughts

New head coach Jimmy Rogers comes in from Washington State. He brought his defensive coordinator with him, where they both did a really nice job in just one season for a team that was expected to be rebuilding.

Raynor played very well at Arkansas State, but he was a top-end QB talent there. How will that look transferring up a level playing football in the Big 12? Raynor has also had issues with turnovers throughout his career (35:21 ratio the last two seasons). However, he is also a running threat, which helps the offense. 

The RB room looks really thin, especially with a transfer already down for the season. On top of that, most of the wideouts lack experience and production. Further, the OL is completely rebuilt with a mix of FCS and FBS part-time starters, although almost all coming in have some experience. 

The defense is the same story as the offense. However, defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit saw a similar story last season and did a fine job. He may be able to do the same thing here, but will have to execute at the Big 12 level instead of facing a semi-independent schedule. 

Overall, this is an incredibly tough situation to step into, especially considering the 70 new players coming in and the overall staff still being somewhat unsettled. The hire of Rogers is decent for the time being. However, how much leeway will he get moving forward in what looks like a definite year zero rebuild and how will success be defined for this season?