Way-Too-Early Big 12 Football Power Rankings For 2025 Season
Jan 8, 2025, 3:23 PM | Updated: 3:33 pm
Who will be the top teams in Big 12 football for the 2025 season? A way-too-early power ranking that includes BYU and Utah. (Isaach Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaach Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – When one Big 12 football season ends, it’s time to begin counting the days to the next one.
Who isn’t counting down to “Farmageddon” (K-State vs. Iowa State) in Ireland on August 23?
For the first time since 2022, the Big 12 will not have league membership changes. This creates an opportunity for programs to establish themselves as the league’s consistent top programs.
However, as we know, in the Big 12, if a team is projected near the bottom, we should not be surprised if they climb toward the top. All 16 teams in the Big 12 for 2025 have the potential to win big.
We understand that rosters and coaching staffs are fluid in college football. However, with the winter transfer portal window closed, this is a great opportunity to lay out the way-too-early forecast for year two of the 16-team era in the Big 12.
Way-Too-Early 2025 Big 12 Football Power Rankings
To get a head start on the 2025 Big 12 football season, individuals from the KSL Sports team (KSLsports.com, KSL 5 TV, and the KSL Sports Zone) submitted ballots for how they see the new Big 12 stacking up as we get into the thick of the offseason.
The following is how the way-too-early Big 12 football power rankings from the KSL Sports team for 2025 turned out.
1. BYU
2024 Record: 11-2 (7-2 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at Colorado, at Iowa State, Utah
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 1
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 3
11 wins later—the 2024 BYU Football season comes to a close.
Cougar Nation, the best is yet to come. pic.twitter.com/5neYFWlZ6I
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 29, 2024
Look at that: BYU is the way-too-early No. 1 team in our Big 12 power rankings for 2025.
Last season, BYU was out to prove themselves right while proving the doubters wrong. The expectations are going to climb in 2025. BYU brings back QB Jake Retzlaff, RB LJ Martin, and WR Chase Roberts, plus a linebacker unit that could be the best in the Big 12.
The Cougars finished 2024 with the Big 12’s No. 1 defense, only allowing 19.6 points per game.
Kalani Sitake is entering his 10th season as head coach, and he might have his deepest team to date.
2. Arizona State
2024 Record: 11-3 (7-2 Big 12; Defending Big 12 Champion)
Notable games in 2025: at Baylor, at Iowa State, Texas Tech
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 1
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 5
Where else would I rather be?! 🔱#forksup @SunAngelNIL pic.twitter.com/sBy4tBXErp
— Sam Leavitt (@S_leav10) January 7, 2025
How will the defending Big 12 champion Arizona State Sun Devils fare without Cam Skattebo? It’s going to be the question everyone is asking heading into 2025.
Having Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Sam Leavitt back at quarterback and Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Jordyn Tyson returning at wide receiver helps the cause.
So who replaces Skattebo at RB? The early favorite would appear to be Army transfer Kanye Udoh, who rushed for 1,117 yards last season for the Black Knights.
Arizona State brings back a lot of key personnel on the defensive side.
ASU can kick the door down on the “sleeping giant” moniker they’ve had for years if they follow up a Playoff run with another big season in 2025.
3. Iowa State
2024 Record: 11-3 (7-2 Big 12; Lost Championship Game)
Notable games in 2025: Kansas State (Aug. 23; Dublin, Ireland), Arizona State, BYU
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 1
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 4
Gamer. pic.twitter.com/5lTbes0RTK
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) December 29, 2024
The Cyclones accomplished something they’ve never done before: win 10+ games. They capped off the season with a win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl over Miami.
QB Rocco Becht gears up for his third year as the Cyclones starting signal-caller. He loses his top pass catchers, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. However, their top running backs, Carson Hansen and Abu Sama, return.
The Cyclones have five home games and only four on the road next season.
A big question this offseason: is this the year after landing a lengthy contract extension where head coach Matt Campbell makes a run at vacant NFL jobs?
4. Kansas State
2024 Record: 9-4 (5-4 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: vs. Iowa State (Aug. 23; Dublin, Ireland), at Arizona (Sept. 13, Nonconference), at Kansas
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 3
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 7
2024 was one for the books
Here’s to 2025 🙏 pic.twitter.com/dlX4qX4y7K
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) December 31, 2024
It could be easy to look at K-State’s 2024 season as a “disappointment,” but then you look at the final record and see a nine in the win column. That’s not easy to come by.
The Wildcats have reached nine wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since Bill Snyder’s memorable run from 1993 to 2000.
If K-State is going to get back at the top of the Big 12, QB Avery Johnson has to be great. In three of K-State’s four losses, he had at least two interceptions and completed less than 60% of his passes.
K-State was 6-1 in games where Johnson completed 60% or more of his passes.
5. Texas Tech
2024 Record: 8-5 (6-3 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at Arizona State, at Kansas State, at Utah
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 3
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 8
A sneak peek inside the Womble Football Center.
More to come ⏳🔜 pic.twitter.com/qNUA4LgqGs
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 18, 2024
Joey McGuire led Texas Tech to eight regular season wins for the first time since Mike Leach was the head coach last year. The Red Raiders haven’t had that breakout season yet on McGuire, but one thing is clear: he can land talent.
According to 247Sports, Texas Tech has the No. 2 transfer portal class nationally. Many of Tech’s talented transfers are reinforcements in the trenches, with Georgia Tech transfer Romello Height and former UCF standout Lee Hunter as some of the notables.
Something to monitor this offseason is how quickly QB Behren Morton recovers from his shoulder surgery that occurred in December. Plus, who will replace Tech’s all-time leading rusher Tahj Brooks? Sophomore J’Koby Williams would appear to be the favorite as he earned the start in the Liberty Bowl.
Tech made an impressive hire, landing Shiel Wood away from Houston to be the new defensive coordinator.
6. Baylor
2024 Record: 8-5 (6-3 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: Auburn (Aug. 30), at SMU (Sept. 6), at TCU
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 2
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 9
Fifth in the country in Total QBR: @SawRobertson12 #SicEm pic.twitter.com/z5dFc666Hd
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) December 5, 2024
Baylor had one of the best offenses in the Big 12 in 2024 and pulled off an impressive turnaround, closing out the regular season on a six-game winning streak. The turnaround kept Dave Aranda as the Bears head coach.
Now that they’ve shown they can return on a winning track, how can they break through and get back to the top of the Big 12?
The bowl performance against LSU wasn’t great. However, QB Sawyer Robertson was a star for the Bears in 2024, and he’s back along with RB Bryson Washington and former walk-on WR Josh Cameron.
7. Colorado
2024 Record: 9-4 (7-2 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: Georgia Tech (Aug. 30), BYU, Iowa State
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 2
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 11
Signed. Sealed. Delivered. ✍️ #GotEm | #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/ZwsHQoFBhN
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 4, 2024
Seeing how Colorado fares without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will be interesting to watch. But the Buffs are no stranger to eyeballs on their program.
All eyes will be on freshman quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, who will step in for Sanders. However, the Buffs made sure to have a veteran quarterback in Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, so the pressure wasn’t completely on Lewis.
As you would expect from Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders the Buffs have done well in the portal, putting together the No. 2 transfer portal class in the Big 12.
8. TCU
2024 Record: 9-4 (6-3 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at North Carolina (Aug. 30), SMU (Sept. 20), Iowa State
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 5
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 10
𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗠𝗩𝗣 – Josh Hoover pic.twitter.com/Jq5jwtDOmk
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) December 28, 2024
TCU had one of the quietest nine-win seasons in the country last year. They had one of the best offenses in the Big 12 and a middle-of-the-road defense in the first year with DC Andy Avalos.
The Horned Frogs won’t have dynamic Savion Williams back next season due to graduation, but they did add Jordan Dwyer from Idaho and Houston’s Joseph Manjack IV out of the portal.
QB Josh Hoover returns after a sophomore season where he was 51 yards away from passing for 4,000 yards.
TCU is due for an unexpected breakout year every couple of years. They will be a sleeper to monitor.
9. Utah
2024 Record: 5-7 (2-7 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at UCLA (Aug. 30), Arizona State, at BYU
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 8
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 10
𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐇‼️ Join us in welcoming our new Offensive Coordinator @Coach_Beck7 and his family to Salt Lake City‼️
📰: https://t.co/lFhtFR3xyD#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/tdwAbMp2X8
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 6, 2024
After Utah’s first losing season in 11 years, many wondered if that would be the end for head coach Kyle Whittingham. The winningest coach in Utah history announced he would return in 2025.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t changes.
Most of the change comes from the offensive side. Utah hired Jason Beck from New Mexico as its new offensive coordinator.
Beck secured a commitment from his New Mexico QB, Devon Dampier. Dampier was the First Team All-MWC QB last year for the Lobos. Another notable pickup in the portal was former Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker.
10. Kansas
2024 Record: 5-7 (4-5 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at Missouri (Sept. 6), Kansas State, West Virginia
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 4
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 12
Views from above 😍 pic.twitter.com/ExvNUav6eF
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) December 18, 2024
Kansas was snake-bit for a majority of the season in close games. Then, they were the giant killers in the Big 12 in November, knocking off Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado in consecutive weeks.
Replacing RB Devin Neal will be challenging. Neal exits Lawrence as the program’s leading rusher. But having QB Jalon Daniels back for one final season gives reason to believe the Jayhawks, who will return to a renovated David Booth Memorial Stadium this fall, can return to the Bowl Season.
Kansas promoted Jim Zebrowski as offensive coordinator to replace Jeff Grimes, who took the same position at Wisconsin.
11. West Virginia
2024 Record: 6-7 (5-4 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: Pitt (Sept. 13), at Arizona State, Texas Tech
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 9
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 14
𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘.
The head football coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘇!
🔗 https://t.co/Ws7lN9l4C0#HailWV pic.twitter.com/5nJZBlGY4d
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) December 12, 2024
Rich Rodriguez is back at West Virginia. Much has changed in 17 years since Rich Rod’s last stint in Morgantown. However, one thing that doesn’t change is that Rodriguez continues producing high-powered college football offenses.
Last year at Jacksonville State, Rodriguez’s Gamecocks squad had the 20th-ranked offense in the country (441.6) and was 12th nationally in scoring (36.0).
WVU QB Nicco Marchiol, who started three games over the past two seasons, announced that he would return in 2025.
12. Arizona
2024 Record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: Kansas State (Sept. 13, Nonconference), at Arizona State, at Colorado
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 7
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 14
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 19, 2024
One year ago, many viewed Arizona as a favorite to compete for a title in the Big 12. But then Nick Saban’s sudden retirement caused a ripple effect that led to Tucson with Jedd Fisch leaving for Washington.
Arizona hired Brent Brennan from San Jose State and many believed he would have instant success as he was able to retain QB Noah Fifita and star WR Tetairoa McMillan.
Those projections didn’t play out as Arizona stumbled to a four-win season. To make matters worse, their rival Arizona State won the league.
Once again, Noah Fifita is locked in to return, and calling the offensive plays is former Texas Tech QB Seth Doege, who was most recently the offensive coordinator for Sun Belt Champ Marshall.
13. UCF
2024 Record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: North Carolina (Sept. 20), at Cincinnati, at BYU
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 11
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 15
Welcome Back to UCF, Scott Frost 🌴❄️https://t.co/dtz2esmknS pic.twitter.com/gTtPKbjB8W
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 8, 2024
“Sometimes, you’ve got to go back to actually move forward.”
UCF took Matthew McConaughy’s quote to heart and hired Scott Frost as its new head coach after Gus Malzahn left to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State.
Frost led UCF to its greatest season in program history in 2017, an undefeated season that’s currently recognized on the FBC Mortgage Stadium press box as a National Championship year.
Frost will be tasked with making the Knights an innovative program again. He’s hired former Boise State assistant QB coach Steve Cooper as his offensive coordinator, who he worked with at Nebraska. Frost also hired former Wisconsin and USC DC Alex Grinch to run the defense.
14. Oklahoma State
2024 Record: 3-9 (0-9 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at Oregon (Sept. 6), K-State, at Texas Tech
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 12
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 15
Welcome to the Cowboy family, Coach Grantham! 🤠
🔗: https://t.co/fCOF33Qi6B pic.twitter.com/Lg0NZ7f6pM
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) December 11, 2024
No one would have expected to see a Mike Gundy-led Oklahoma State team go winless in Big 12 play. But that’s what happened in 2024.
Where do the Pokes go from here?
The first matter of business for Gundy was hiring coordinators.
Doug Meacham is Oklahoma State’s new offensive coordinator. He most recently worked as an inside wide receivers coach at TCU and coached with Gundy before at OSU from 2005 to 2012.
For the defensive coordinator spot, Todd Grantham was hired. Grantham was a DC at Florida, Mississippi State, Louisville, Georgia, and the Cleveland Browns during his coaching career, which dates back to the early 1990s at Virginia Tech with Frank Beamer.
15. Houston
2024 Record: 4-8 (3-6 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: at Oregon State (Sept. 27), TCU, at UCF
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 11
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 16
Welcome to Houston, @ConnerWeigman!#GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/z3Pz90fB7E
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) December 29, 2024
Despite a 4-8 overall record, Houston showed progress in their second year in the Big 12, the first under head coach Willie Fritz. If the Coogs found some offensive success, they were within striking distance of a bowl game.
Fritz fired Kevin Barbay as the OC and hired Slade Nagle, recently the Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends coach at LSU.
One week after hiring Nagle, Houston had a nice pickup from the Transfer Portal in Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman.
Houston hired Austin Armstrong from Florida as the new DC to replace Shiel Wood, who left for Texas Tech.
16. Cincinnati
2024 Record: 5-7 (3-6 Big 12)
Notable games in 2025: vs. Nebraska (Aug. 28, Kansas City), UCF, Arizona
Highest vote on KSL Sports ballots: No. 14
Lowest vote on ballots: No. 16
.@dontaycorleone2 @Brendan_Sorsby2 @JoeRoyer25 🔒 https://t.co/mqiu9OVxvY pic.twitter.com/l3K1g4PJSw
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) December 14, 2024
After defeating eventual Big 12 Champion Arizona State on October 19, Cincinnati closed the regular season on a five-game losing streak and missed a bowl game again for the second consecutive year.
The good news for Cincinnati is that QB Brendan Sorsby is returning, along with first-team All-Big 12 tight end Joe Royer, who broke Travis Kelce’s Cincinnati record for most receptions by a Bearcat TE in a season (50).
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
