Is the Big 12 back as the league of QBs? With 9 returning starters, expect ‘high-scoring games'

New York Times

3 days ago

FRISCO, Texas — Rocco Becht remembers how it was back in the day.
He was only 12 years old when he watched Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes duel in Lubbock, Texas, combining for 125 points, 1,279 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes in a 66-59 Oklahoma victory over Texas Tech in 2016. To hear Becht, Iowa State's starting quarterback, tell it, you would think the halcyon days of black and white television broadcast the contest.
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'One of the craziest things I've ever seen,' he said.
The Big 12 built its reputation in its proudest eras on the strength of its quarterbacks. Before Mayfield and Mahomes, Texas' Colt McCoy and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford dueled for national titles, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell took Mike Leach's offense to new heights and Heisman contention, and Missouri's Chase Daniel and Kansas' Todd Reesing redefined what was possible at their programs. Baylor's Robert Griffin III won a Heisman Trophy and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden led his program to its first Big 12 title, both setting passing records along the way.
Now, in a rebuilt version of the league, the Big 12 looks poised in 2025 to call back to the conference's heyday. Nine of the league's 16 teams bring back a productive, experienced starting quarterback, headlined by Sam Leavitt, who helped lead Arizona State to the College Football Playoff as a freshman last season.
In The Athletic's quarterback tiers, a ranking of all 136 FBS quarterbacks released this week, four Big 12 quarterbacks ranked in the top 14: Leavitt, TCU's Josh Hoover, Baylor's Sawyer Robertson and Becht. Eight are in the top 27.
'It's gonna go back to how it was, those high-powered offenses back in the day,' Becht said. 'That's what we're going to be able to start seeing in the Big 12: High-scoring games.'
Mahomes, a respected, wildly talented but relatively unheralded Big 12 quarterback in his day, has blossomed into arguably the NFL's best player. He's also an icon and a through line for the deepest class of Big 12 quarterbacks since even before Mahomes' time.
Mahomes is mentoring current Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson bought (on sale, he noted) a Sleep Number bed because Mahomes uses it and represents the brand.
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Hoover can see Mahomes occasionally work out at TCU's facility, which is located near his private coach Jeff Christensen's home.
'I give him tips and stuff,' Hoover said with a laugh.
Baylor coach Dave Aranda, who watched Robertson break out midseason in 2024, spent a decade as a defensive coordinator at four programs before being hired by the Bears.
When he was preparing for opposing offenses, he knew if they had inexperience at quarterback, he could spend less time game-planning for certain plays because he knew an offensive coach would be hesitant to call them if they asked a lot from the player under center.
He sees the opposite in this year's Big 12.
'Right out of the gate, you're gonna get the shots to the heart,' he said. 'You have all these explosive offenses run by quarterbacks with a lot of savvy. Some of these guys are sawed-off dudes, but are smart, can see everything, get in the right play, and they have this innovative scheme. And then it's like you're playing Army or Navy because they're gonna go for it on all these fourth downs. … It becomes a difficult proposition.'
It all adds up to a nightmare for defensive coaches across the league.
Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby is in the group of established returners, throwing for more than 2,800 yards and accounting for 27 total touchdowns in 2024. Sorsby ranked 20th in The Athletic's recent QB tiers and fifth in the Big 12.
'I saw someone put out their top quarterbacks (in the Big 12), and Sorsby was like ninth. What? But I started looking, and I'm thinking, Well, OK, that guy is pretty good. He's pretty good. He's pretty good,' Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. 'I can see why. I think Sorsby could be right up there at the top. I think he's got that kind of talent. But there are a lot of great quarterbacks in this league.'
Outside of the top eight QBs in the conference, there are even more intriguing talents. Colorado added Kaidon Salter, a two-year starter who led Liberty to an undefeated regular season in 2023, to help replace Shedeur Sanders. Salter threw for 32 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023, along with 12 rushing touchdowns.
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Jalon Daniels at Kansas threw for 18 touchdowns and four picks in 2022. Injuries shortened his 2023 season, and he struggled for much of 2024 before helping the Jayhawks rally to beat three ranked teams in consecutive games late in the season.
Arizona's Noah Fifita threw for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions under Jedd Fisch in 2023 before taking a slight step back under new coach Brent Brennan in 2024.
All three are hopeful for rebound seasons in 2025 and give their programs proven, experienced options at the team's most important position. The most unsettled quarterback situations in the league are at BYU, which saw Jake Retzlaff withdraw from the university following reports he could face a suspension for violating the school's honor code, and Oklahoma State, where none of the quarterbacks have started a game.
'My guess is whoever is gonna win the league is going to keep their quarterback healthy,' TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said.
Dykes lived it in 2022. At one point, TCU's top six skill players were injured, but quarterback Max Duggan stayed healthy. TCU won its way into the College Football Playoff and played for a national title after beating Michigan.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, meanwhile, lived what he called a 'nightmare' the past two seasons, juggling quarterback Cam Rising's health on a near-weekly basis.
'When he was healthy, we won two Pac-12 championships back to back. Had he been healthy the last couple years, woulda, coulda, shoulda, but I'm telling you we would have been a whole different football team entirely,' Whittingham said.
Utah will now put Devon Dampier, who threw for 2,768 yards and ran for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns at New Mexico last season, behind one of the nation's best offensive lines.
The vibrant crop should make for must-see TV.
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The one prerequisite for any team hoping to hoist the Big 12 title trophy and book a ticket into the Playoff is simple: Score.
'It's a deadly conference to be in,' said BYU coach Kalani Sitake, another former defensive coordinator. 'And it's gonna be a lot of fun this year.'
(Top photos of ASU's Sam Leavitt and ISU's Rocco Becht: Butch Dill, Sam Hodde / Getty Images)