Ten roster moves that shaped the Big 12 football offseason
If the newest era of college football has taught us anything, it's that roster management is now the most critical task for a coaching staff.
From the transfer portal to recruiting, it's a constant numbers game for coaches hoping to strike the perfect balance to field the most competitive team possible.
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The Athletic is examining 10 key roster developments that shaped the offseason in each Power 4 conference. Up Monday: The Big 12.
Let's dive in.
No school in the Big 12 was more productive in the portal than Texas Tech. Coach Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders brought in 20-plus commits, including 13 four stars, as ranked by 247Sports.
Outside linebacker David Bailey comes to Lubbock by way of Stanford, where he played three seasons and finished 2024 with seven sacks. Howard Sampson returns to his home state after spending the 2024 season at North Carolina, where he logged more than 800 snaps and started 12 games at left tackle. Linebacker Romello Height is a fellow former ACC starter, having helped anchor Georgia Tech's defense a season ago. And former five-star wide receiver recruit Micah Hudson is back with the program after transferring (briefly) to Texas A&M.
Thanks to this influx of talent, along with the return of quarterback Behren Morton, the Red Raiders should be among the favorites to win the league.
The Sun Devils were one of the fun surprises of the 2024 season, reaching the College Football Playoff and taking Texas into double overtime at the Peach Bowl. Just six days after the loss, Leavitt announced he'd be returning to the Sun Devils for another year. Leavitt — who set a school record for total offense by a freshman in 2024 with 3,328 yards — lost his star running back, Cam Skattebo, to the NFL but will be in good company in the backfield with Army transfer Kanye Udoh (1,117 rushing yards in 2024).
Where else would I rather be?! 🔱#forksup @SunAngelNIL pic.twitter.com/sBy4tBXErp
— Sam Leavitt (@S_leav10) January 7, 2025
Avery Johnson, the exciting, young Kansas State quarterback, would have had plenty of suitors had he decided to leave the Wildcats and enter the transfer portal. But Kansas State retained him and should be a contender to win the conference as a result. Johnson, a former four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, finished the 2024 season with 2,712 yards and 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He'll need to improve his accuracy, but should feel extra comfortable in the system now that quarterbacks coach Matt Wells has been promoted to offensive coordinator.
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Kansas State also added a key offensive piece in Linkon Cure, a top-40 national recruit who signed with the home-state Wildcats despite a late push by Oregon. Cure, the program's highest-rated signee of the modern era, is also a state championship-winning hurdler who gives Kansas State an athletic presence in the passing game.
A 5 star who stayed in high school to set state records did just that on Saturday in Wichita! Linkon Cure ran a 14.36 to be the new 3A boys state record holder in the 110 meter hurdles! Take a look at history! @goodlandAD @sportsinkansas @KSHSAA @kansasrunning pic.twitter.com/ffA8WnuExG
— KCMCsports (@KCMCsports) June 2, 2025
Cam Rising, who led Utah to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, announced last month that he was medically retiring from football after a tumultuous few years dealing with injuries. The Utes have their next quarterback in place, though. Devon Dampier transferred into the program in December from New Mexico, where he became the first QB in program history to earn first-team All-Mountain West honors.
Dampier, like Johnson at K-State, will need to be more accurate in 2025 after throwing 12 interceptions and completing under 60 percent of his attempts in 2024. But he is a legit dual-threat who threw for 2,768 yards and ran for 1,166 with 31 total touchdowns last season. Even better: His offensive coordinator from New Mexico, Jason Beck, also made the move to Utah this season and is the team's new play caller.
All eyes are on Colorado and coach Deion Sanders, who must replace his son, QB Shedeur Sanders, along with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The Buffs have a couple of options.
Kaidon Salter, the likely starter, transferred from Liberty after throwing for 1,886 yards and rushing for 579 in 2024. Four-star quarterback Julian Lewis also enrolled in December after flipping from USC to Colorado in November. Lewis, the nation's No. 50 prospect and No. 6 quarterback, is considered the future of the program.
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Coach Rich Rodriguez's return to West Virginia was one of the more fascinating developments of the offseason. The Mountaineers will have an entirely different roster in 2025, with 40-plus players having transferred out and 30-plus transferring in. That's in addition to the 25 high school prospects the program signed.
Defensive linemen Jimmori Robinson from UTSA and Eddie Kelly Jr. from Missouri, as well as offensive lineman Carson Lee from Eastern Michigan, headline the transfer class. Robinson was particularly disruptive for the Roadrunners a season ago, finishing with 10 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. On the high school front, four-star cornerback Dawayne Galloway and four-star defensive lineman Taylor Brown are the two blue-chippers in the class. Rodriguez is looking at 50-plus new players in his first season back with the Mountaineers.
Iowa State lost its top two receivers from 2024 in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, who are now both with the Houston Texans. The hope is that Chase Sowell, a transfer from ECU, can slide in and give the Cyclones a big-play threat. Sowell dealt with a hamstring injury late last season but still had 678 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Perhaps most impressive: his 19.9 yards-per-catch average.
In case you missed it, the 2024 season was a rough one for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys won just three games, the fewest in coach Mike Gundy's 20 seasons at his alma mater. The response? Gundy cleaned house with his staff and beefed up his roster.
Markell Samuel should be able to provide immediate help up front after starting 11 games at left tackle for Appalachian State in 2024. Wide receiver Terrill Davis set single-season records at Central Oklahoma last year with 1,609 receiving yards and 15 TD catches. Quarterback Hauss Hejny comes to Stillwater by way of TCU, and former Marshall wide receiver Christian Fitzpatrick finished 2024 as the Thundering Herd's leading receiver with 576 yards.
Defensively, look for end Kyran Duhon to make some noise. The UTEP transfer earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from The Athletic in 2024 after recording seven sacks in 12 games.
Arizona knew it would need some help at running back after its leading rusher, Quali Conley, wrapped up his eligibility last season and headed to the NFL. Enter Ismail Mahdi, a first-team All-Sun Belt selection last season who comes to Arizona from Texas State. Mahdi rushed for 2,322 yards and caught 44 passes for 470 yards in two seasons with the Bobcats. He should be an enticing plug-and-play option for the Wildcats, who ranked No. 120 nationally in rushing a season ago.
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Conner Weigman, the 2022 five-star prospect, had a tough time with the Aggies, largely due to injuries. But at his best — and healthiest — he's still a productive quarterback with plenty of tread on the tires. He and Houston need each other, which could make this a nice little marriage. The Cougars finished No. 128 nationally in total offense and No. 126 in passing offense in coach Willie Fritz's first season. They need some help, and Weigman needs a fresh start.
Fritz also brought in a handful of players around Weigman, including Dean Connors from Rice at running back and Tanner Koziol (Ball State) and Luke McGary (Tulsa) at tight end. Slade Nagle is the new offensive coordinator, which reunites him with Fritz from their Tulane days after Nagle spent the 2024 season at LSU.
(Photo of Devon Dampier: Jake Crandall / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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