Players to watch next season in the Big 12 Conference
Players in the Big 12 Conference this spring who could have big impacts for their teams in the fall:
Arizona
QB Noah Fifita had a superb first season after becoming the starting quarterback in 2023, throwing for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions while setting a school record with a 72.4% completion rate. He threw for 2,958 yards with 18 TDs last season, but his interception total doubled and he completed only 60.5% of his passes.
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Arizona State
WR Jordyn Tyson was one of the Big 12's best wideouts last season, but missed the conference championship game and CFP quarterfinal game after a left shoulder injury in the regular-season finale. He had 29 catches for 444 yards the last three games, finishing with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs overall. He went through spring practice after surgery.
Baylor
LB Keaton Thomas played one game at West Virginia in 2022, then went to junior college for one season before having 114 tackles last year for the Bears. The linebacker had four games with at least 10 tackles while teaming up with Matt Jones to give the Bears their first duo of 100-tackle players since 2012. Jones is now gone after six seasons in Waco.
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BYU
QB Jake Retzlaff made major strides at quarterback last season, throwing for 2,947 yards with 20 touchdowns and showing a knack for putting together late game-winning drives on multiple occasions. BYU can challenge for a Big 12 title if Retzlaff can improve on his accuracy. He had 12 interceptions last season while only completing 57.9% of his pass attempts.
Cincinnati
Nose tackle Dontay Corleone has 110 tackles (55 solo) and 9 1/2 sacks in his 34 games the past three seasons, and played last year after dealing with a blood clots in his lungs that forced him to miss the opener. The 6-foot-1, 325-pounder known as 'The Godfather' opted to return for his senior year with Cincinnati, part of the four-team College Football Playoff in 2021 but 8-16 in its two Big 12 seasons.
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Colorado
Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis are believed to be the frontrunners at QB from the departed Shedeur Sanders. The Buffaloes will need multiple players to replace Heisman Trophy winner and two-way standout Travis Hunter, the second overall pick in the NFL draft. RJ Johnson, who played mostly on special teams last year after transferring from Arkansas, appears to be in line to be Hunter's replacement at cornerback. Among the receivers who could try to fill Hunter's void on offense are Omarion Miller, who missed the last seven games in 2024 due to injury, and Dre'lon Miller, who as a true freshman last season started the opener.
Houston
Former five-star QB recruit Conner Weigman is getting a fresh start while being among a dozen players added to Houston's offense. He passed for 2,694 yards with 19 TDs and seven interceptions in 15 games with Texas A&M the past three seasons, but had a season-ending foot injury two years ago and sustained a shoulder injury in the opener last year. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
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Iowa State
East Carolina transfer WR Chase Sowell is a major addition to an Iowa State offense that lost a pair of 1,000-yard receivers: Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were both drafted by the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Sowell is out of the Higgins mold. The redshirt junior had 81 catches for 1,300 yards and four TDs the past two seasons with the Pirates after starting his career at Colorado.
Kansas
QB Jalon Daniels has had a history of meteoric success and injury-filled low points while starting 33 games for the Jayhawks the past five seasons. He did start all 12 games last season and struggled before leading the Jayhawks to three consecutive wins over ranked opponents, but also was limited in spring practice after what was called a minor knee surgery. He threw for 2,454 yards and 14 TDs, but also had 12 interceptions last season. He will be behind an offensive line that lost a lot of experience.
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Kansas State
Avery Johnson showed flashes of brilliance in his first season as K-State's starting quarterback, throwing for 2,712 yards with 25 TDs, and also running for 605 yards and seven scores. But he struggled with inconsistency. Can he thrive with Matt Wells taking over as offensive coordinator? Johnson will be relying on a new group of wide receivers this season with transfers Jaron Tibbs, Jerand Bradley and Caleb Medford.
Oklahoma State
Rodney Fields had a 74-yard touchdown run in Oklahoma State's spring game. The running back had 21 carries for 99 yards, and two catches for 23 yards in four games last year, maintaining his freshman status while Ollie Gordon II played his final season. Fields' quickness and versatility should be a good fit in new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham's system, and a boost for a team with only one returning offensive starter.
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TCU
Idaho transfer Jordan Dwyer could fill a big hole for the Horned Frogs, who had receivers Jack Bech and Savion Williams both taken in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Dwyer had 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 TDs for the Vandals last season, with at least 100 yards receiving in four of the last five games. He had 11 catches for 189 yards and two TDs in an FCS playoff game last fall.
Texas Tech
Terrance Carter Jr. was the top tight end in the Sun Belt last season before transferring to Texas Tech, where he has two seasons of eligibility. Carter had 76 catches for 944 yards and seven TDs the past two seasons for the Ragin' Cajuns at Louisiana-Lafayette. The Red Raiders' top two tight ends last season exhausted their eligibility.
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UCF
Myles Montgomery, now in his fifth college season, gets his shot at being the top running back. He first backed up 1,000-yard rusher Corey Kiner at Cincinnati before transferring to UCF last season behind 1,577-yard rusher R.J. Harvey, who also ran for 22 TDs. Montgomery had 293 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.7 yards on his 51 carries last season for the Knights. He also had three catches for 66 yards and a score.
Utah
Dual-threat QB Devon Dampier followed offensive coordinator Jason Beck from New Mexico, and beat out Isaac Wilson for the Utes' starting job in spring practice. Dampier had a breakout season with the Lobos last year, throwing for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 1,166 yards with 19 TDs. Dampier will need to improve his accuracy to give Utah's offense a similar boost this fall. He completed just 58% of his passes last season while also throwing 12 interceptions.
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West Virginia
DL Jimmori Robinson. The 6-5 Robinson amassed 10 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for loss as a linebacker at UTSA last season, and was named the American Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year. He had 15 sacks and 30 TFLS in 42 games over the past four seasons in San Antonio.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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