2024 Big 12 Football Preview

2024 Big 12 Football Preview

Vendetta Sports Media has been bringing you conference previews leading up to week zero on Saturday! If you’d like to take a look at those conferences and other College Football content, click here .

In this one, we will be taking a look at the Big 12. With the departures of Texas and Oklahoma and the influx of PAC 12 teams, this conference, to me, feels wide open. The media consensus is Utah will run away with the conference, but in this 2024 Big 12 preview, do we have a different winner? Let’s talk about it.

1. Kansas State

The running backs for Kansas State could carry the Wildcats to a conference title. Transfer Dylan Edwards and DJ Giddens have the potential to be one of the most lethal duos in the country. 59th in SOS is comforting for a team that lost some key pieces to the transfer portal and the draft, but sophomore QB Avery Johnson I believe is talented enough to lead this team to the top and potentially a College Football Playoff berth.

2. Utah

How long has Cam Rising been in school? My goodness, it feels like he’s been in school for eight years now. Kyle Whittingham is a coach you can never count out. Hopefully, folks realize this year that Brant Kuithe was better than Dalton Kincaid when they played together. However, the OL is going to need to take a major step forward after a less-than-stellar 2023. Their 64th-ranked SOS certainly helps their case to win the conference.

3. Kansas

This is where things get a bit interesting in this 2024 Big 12 preview. It feels like Kansas State and Utah are the presumed top two teams, and then I’ve seen a bunch of teams third. For me, Kansas is the clear three and a team that has been slept on this offseason. Jalon Daniels is one of the better QBs that’s not being talked about, this offense returns their RBs, top three WRs and three starters on the OL. On defense, Cobee Bryant I’m predicting will have a Quinyon Mitchell type of elevation in draft stock this season. Heed the warning, he’s stellar.

4. Arizona

I believe two teams can make a major jump up from their 2024 Big 12 rankings, one of them is Arizona. This Wildcats team won 10 games a season ago and returned a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. WR Tetairoa McMillian made my Stallions list , QB Noah Fifita is primed for a true breakout year, CB Tacario Davis is a matchup nightmare, and they have one of the best OTs in the country in Jonas Savaiinaea. I wouldn’t totally be shocked if this Arizona team messed around and won the conference.

5. Oklahoma State

While Ollie Gordon II might be a bit of a knucklehead off the field, there’s no denying that he is one of the premier RBs in the country. A 10-win season a year ago resulted in a Big 12 Championship berth, and they’ll look to build off that success. However, their secondary was not great a season ago and did not improve this off-season. The key will be being able to keep up with opposing offenses as they’ll likely be allowing a lot of yards through the air in 2024.

6. UCF

The other team that could finish well above their 2024 Big 12 preview projection is UCF. What could get them there is elite production on the ground. RBs RJ Harvey and transfer Peny Boone will be joined by transfer QB KJ Jefferson, all of whom are production monsters. Jefferson has over 2,000 yards on the ground since 2021 and will look to keep that pace up in his new home. The Golden Knights’s lack of pass rush and interior defensive depth might be a problem, but if they can dominate TOP they could be a sneaky good team this year.

7. West Virginia

This team exceeded all expectations a year ago, and it’s thanks in large part to the out-of-nowhere breakout of QB Garrett Greene . Greene was electric on the ground last season, leading the country in rushing touchdowns by a QB with 13. His passing stats leave a lot to be desired, but if he can limit the turnovers the offense should be very good. The major issue with his Mountaineer team is the pass rush. One of the worst units in the conference last season did not improve this offseason.

8. Iowa State

I’ll give Matt Campbell credit. This was a 4-8 team in 2022 and many expected the Cyclones to regress again in 2023, but they finished 7-6. However, this offensive line is still a major issue. This team is returning 13 starters combined from a year ago, which plays into their favor. I’m just not convinced they have enough talent to be a real difference-maker in the Big 12.

9. TCU

The hangover was REAL for TCU last season. National Championship berth in 2022 to 5-7 the year after. Didn’t help getting punked by a bad Colorado team at home in week one. I like the receiver room this year with two returning starters and two solid transfers, but QB Josh Hoover was far too inconsistent last season to put a ton of stock in the Horned Frogs in my 2024 Big 12 preview.

10. Texas Tech

This Red Raiders defense lost 8 starters from a year ago to the draft and transfer portal. This could be their undoing, however, if they can limit the time their opponent has the ball it may not matter much. They can do this by leaning on Senior RB Tahj Brooks . Brooks finished last season with over 1,500 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. This defense will be Swiss cheese but expect Brooks to feast again.

11. Baylor

6.4 yards allowed per play last season from this defense. It was atrocious last season and nothing got much better this offseason. The offensive line returns most of their starters which should help the passing game specifically, but this team should struggle in 2024.

12. BYU

Jake Retzlaff being the expected starter for the Cougars should terrify fans. In four games last season, he looked AWFUL (648 yards, 50.4%  completion, 3/3 TD-INT, and a QBR of 40.9). A blessing for him is four starters returning on the offensive line and one of the easier schedules in this 2024 Big 12 preview.

13. Colorado

This team might be really bad again this season. I’m starting to sour a little on Shedeur Sanders as a prospect, I’m not totally sold on Travis Hunter being a bonafide superstar, the offensive line is makeshift once again, and the defense has holes at all three levels. Deion Sanders is below average as a HC, and I wouldn’t totally be shocked if he’s not the HC of the Buffaloes in 2025, by choice or not.

14. Cincinnati

Dontay Correlone being sidelined with blood clots is brutal for this program (we wish him a speedy recovery). The run defense was already a huge issue for this Bearcats team but without their anchor, it could get ugly. Luckily for them, the offensive line returns all five starters from a year ago for transfer QB Brendan Sorsby .

15. Houston

New Head Coach Willie Fritz has his work cut out for him, that’s for sure. Taking over a program that went 4-8 a year ago and should take another step back this year. QB Donovan Smith is actually kind of intriguing as a prospect, but turnovers killed him and this Cougars team last season. He’s got some tools you can work with, and we’ll see if Fritz can turn chicken you-know-what to chicken salad this season.

Linktree !

The post 2024 Big 12 Football Preview appeared first on Vendetta Sports Media .