Spring is a busy time in the Big 12 Conference as the explosion of the transfer portal has set up many of the teams for fantasy fireworks in 2026. Texas Tech landed one of the best portal classes in the nation with Arizona State, Colorado, and Houston ranking not far behind nationally when it comes to incoming transfers. Keep track of all the offseason movement with our college football news and college football depth charts, which are being updated as spring rosters come in.
Other intriguing headlines include new coaches at Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Utah. All four of these coaches were hired late in the winter, so they've all had a full offseason to hit the portal and fully hit the ground running for spring practices.
With seven different champs in the conference in the last seven years, it's a wide-open title race, making this one of the deepest leagues for all of college fantasy football.
Big 12 Conference Football Spring Storylines
Let's take a closer look at the key storylines for each of the 16 programs in the Big 12 as teams gear up for the 2026 season,
Arizona Wildcats Football Spring Preview
Can Fifita take another step?
Noah Fifita's career with Arizona has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He shone in his freshman campaign, tossing 25 touchdowns and six interceptions and leading the team to a 10-3 finish. He had a major sophomore slump in 2024, throwing 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and finishing the season with a 4-8 record. He bounced back last season, though, accounting for 32 total touchdowns and six interceptions on his way to a 9-4 record. Can he continue the positive momentum heading into his fourth season as a starter?
The situation surrounding him will give him a great chance to keep producing at a high level. Every single one of his top eight passcatchers from last season looks set to return to the program in 2026, giving him a level of stability that is rare in modern-day college football. He's already put together multiple excellent statistical seasons with the Wildcats, and he started using his legs more in 2025 (222 yards and three touchdowns), which raises his ceiling beyond that of just a pocket passer. With loads of stability on both sides of the ball, Arizona looks like a darkhorse contender in the Big 12. But, this team will only go as far as Fifita takes them.
Arizona State Sun Devils Football Spring Preview
Brand new passing game
The Sun Devils' passing attack got off to a strong start in 2025, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Both Leavitt and Tyson suffered injuries and were forced to miss most of the second half of the season, and unsurprisingly, the team's success stumbled as well. Now the Sun Devils head into the 2026 season without either of those two stars, as Leavitt transferred to LSU, and Tyson looks primed to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham brought in two quarterbacks from the transfer portal to compete for the starting job in 2026. Mikey Keene served as the backup for Michigan last season and did not see the field after spending the previous two seasons as Fresno State's starter and throwing nearly 6,000 yards, 42 touchdowns and 21 interceptions across 24 games with the Bulldogs. Cutter Boley also transferred in from Kentucky after throwing for 2,160 yards, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions through 11 games last season.
The competition between these two quarterbacks is set to be the main story for the Sun Devils this offseason, and spring practice will be their first real chance to make a case for themselves on the field. Whoever wins the job will have a productive weapon on the outside in Colorado transfer Omarion Miller (45 receptions for 808 yards and eight touchdowns) who was brought in to replace Jordyn Tyson.
Baylor Bears Football Spring Preview
Lagway's transition to the Big 12
DJ Lagway's collegiate career did not get off to a great start, tossing 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions across his 24 appearances with the Gators. The former five-star recruit had much higher expectations than that coming into college, and now he'll look to deliver on that after leaving Gainesville to lead the Bears' offense.
Lagway's move to Baylor will not come without expectations, especially with how productive Sawyer Robertson was over the last two seasons.
With the departure of star running back Bryson Washington to Auburn and the graduation of a few of last season's top passcatchers, Lagway isn't inheriting the most stable situation. However, having to face Big 12 defenses (barring Texas Tech) rather than SEC defenses should benefit Lagway greatly and give him more chances to showcase his immense talent. To do that, he'll need to learn the offense and development chemistry with his receivers, though, and that all starts this spring.
BYU Cougars Football Spring Preview
Sophomore slump or title contenders?
BYU had an excellent season in 2025, finishing 12-2 with the only two losses coming against Texas Tech. The offense will look very similar in 2026, outside of star receiver Parker Kingston being kicked out of the school due to first-degree felony rape charges. Running back LJ Martin (1,560 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns) is set to return, but the major focus this spring will be on quarterback Bear Bachmeier's development.
Bachmeier burst onto the scene as a true freshman, passing for 3,033 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions and adding 527 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He did not play well in the two losses to Texas Tech, though, committing five turnovers, accounting for just one touchdown, and being held to just 10 yards on the ground. Luckily for him, the Cougars do not play Texas Tech in the regular season, but there's a good chance the Big 12 title will still go through the Red Raiders regardless. While Bachmeier's freshman season was positive, it was not good enough to make BYU a legitimate title contender. He will need to continue his development to take the program to the next level, as the rest of the roster looks ready to compete in the Big 12 and perhaps more.
Central Florida (UCF) Knights Football Spring Preview
Finding consistency at QB
The 2025 season was a mess for the Knights as five different quarterbacks attempted passes during an injury-filled season under center. The team finished 5-7, primarily led by Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher, neither of whom played well during the disappointing campaign. Both Jackson and Fancher are now gone, and the program brought in a star quarterback from the transfer portal to give some much-needed stability under center.
Alonza Barnett is coming off a dream season with James Madison, where he accounted for 2,806 passing yards, 589 rushing yards, and 38 total touchdowns as he led the Dukes to the College Football Playoff. He will look to replicate that immense production in the Big 12 and help head coach Scott Frost revive the Knights' program once again. While his supporting cast isn't elite and the competition will be much more difficult than the Sun Belt, Barnett has enough talent to lift the entire team up with him and make the program more competitive than it was last season.
Cincinnati Bearcats Football Spring Preview
Whole new offense
The Bearcats' 2025 season got off to a great start as the team was 7-1 heading into November and ranked No. 17 thanks to the excellent play of quarterback Brendan Sorsby and the rest of the offense. The program crashed down to earth, though, losing their final five games of the season, and now head into the 2026 season with a much different look.
Sorsby got a big payday to join conference rival Texas Tech, and the team's top two running backs and top five passcatchers all left via either the transfer portal or graduation.
JC French was brought in to be the presumed starting quarterback after a productive season with Georgia Southern, where he accounted for 26 total touchdowns. Zion Johnson is set to return and lead the backfield after rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown in four games as a freshman, and the receiving room will be composed of underclassmen who are returning to the program and transfers like Malachi Henry, Javonnie Gibson and Cade Wolford. It is far too early to tell how well these players will mesh and if they can produce in the Big 12, but this is a very important spring for the Bearcats to install their offense and to build chemistry with this new roster.
Colorado Buffaloes Football Spring Preview
Scudero in the Power 4
The 2025 season was a disappointing one for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, and the lone bright spot on the offense, wide receiver Omarion Miller, transferred to Arizona State. True freshman Julian Lewis showed some promise in his three starts towards the end of the season, and he heads into the 2026 season as the presumed starter under center.
Thanks to an active transfer portal window, he'll have some fun new weapons at his disposal, too.
Danny Scudero was one of the most productive receivers in the country last season, catching 88 passes (on 165 targets) for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns with San Jose State. While the competition in the Big 12 will be more difficult and he's bound to have a smaller target share, he produced well in his two games versus Power 4 conference teams last season (seven receptions for 66 yards at Texas and 11 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns at Stanford).
Coach Prime brought in two other productive weapons beyond Scudero, too, with Kam Perry (43 receptions for 976 yards and six touchdowns) transferring from Miami-OH and DeAndre Moore (38 catches for 532 yards and four touchdowns) joining from Texas. This level of investment in the receiving corps indicates his trust in Julian Lewis, who will look to build chemistry with his new receivers this spring.
Houston Cougars Football Spring Preview
Can Hughes bounce back?
Makhi Hughes' collegiate career got off to a roaring start as he rushed for 2,779 yards and scored 24 total touchdowns in his first two seasons with Tulane. He then transferred to Oregon ahead of last season, hoping to replicate that production on a bigger stage, but he was buried on the depth chart and appeared in only four games, rushing 17 times for 70 yards with the Ducks before sitting out the remainder with the intent of transferring.
He committed to Houston in early January and is now set to replace the productive Dean Connors (1,231 total yards and nine touchdowns in 2025) as the Cougars' lead back. The question is, can Hughes rediscover his form from his Green Wave days?
Hughes is undeniably talented and is easily the most experienced back on the Cougars' roster. He's proven that he's capable of putting up big numbers when given the opportunity, and head coach Willie Fritz clearly trusts him.
Fritz recruited Hughes to Tulane when he was head coach of the Green Wave, and Hughes rushed 258 times for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman and in their lone season together thus far. With those two reuniting, in addition to the return of star quarterback Conner Weigman, the Houston offense should be among the best in the conference in 2026.
Iowa State Cyclones Football Spring Preview
Roster reboot, new coach in Ames
The Iowa State Cyclones are unrecognizable heading into the 2026 season. Matt Campbell has bolted for Penn State, and new HC Jimmy Rogers comes over with most of his staff from Washington State. Pretty much the entire roster has switched over with a lot of newcomers.
The biggest transfer was dual-threat QB Jaylen Raynor, a historically productive player from Arkansas State who followed former OC Keith Heckendorf to Ames. The new-look Cyclones are going to want to lean on running the ball. Raynor has toted the rock at least 123 times in each of the last three seasons and has racked up a combined 15 rushing scores in those 37 games. He's also competent at throwing the ball, as he threw for a career-high 3,361 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.
Spring battles will decide the rest with an RB committee consisting of Cameron Pettaway (Bowling Green transfer), Salahadin Allah (Oregon State transfer), and Aiden Flora. The top receivers project to be Omari Hayes (Tulane transfer) and Carter Pabst (Washington State transfer). In a league full of portal chaos, Iowa State might be the ultimate wildcard where value can be drafted late with potential for early rewards.
Kansas Jayhawks Football Spring Preview
Jayhawks poach rival running back
With their in-state rival dealing with a coaching change, Kansas has shown stability with HC Lance Leipold entering his sixth year and reuniting with offensive wizard Andy Kotelnicki.
The Jayhawks added nearly 30 transfers, headlined by RB Dylan Edwards from Kansas State. Edwards was never really healthy during his 2025 campaign with the Wildcats and decided to make a change. He'll be the focus of the offense with new WR Nik McMillan from Buffalo. There's an expected quarterback battle between Chase Jenkins (Rice transfer), Cole Ballard, and Isaiah Marshall. If Kotelnicki and Leipold can get back to their previous chemistry when Kansas had one of the highest-scoring offenses in the nation, this up-tempo attack can be worth targeting in later rounds.
Kansas State Wildcats Football Spring Preview
Wildcat homecoming with Klein Back in Manhattan
Previous Coach Chris Kleiman's retirement brings Wildcat legend Collin Klein home as the first-time Head Coach. The former KSU star QB (and recent Texas A&M OC) installs his balanced and explosive scheme on familiar turf.
After losing a bunch of key seniors, the Wildcats struck the portal for skill-position upgrades while retaining a veteran O-line. QB Avery Johnson returns to run it back in the Little Apple. It will be interesting to see who emerges in the RB/WR pecking order in Klein's pro-spread hybrid that loves big-play shots. Potential starters at RB include Joe Jackson, Rodney Fields (Oklahoma State transfer), Jay Harris (Oregon transfer), or Makari Bodiford (Memphis transfer). Potential starters at WR include Jaron Tibbs, Josh Manning (Missouri transfer), Izaiah Williams (Texas A&M transfer) and Brandon White (Hawaii transfer).
Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Spring Preview
New sheriff in Stillwater with fantasy reset
The Cowboys are opening their first spring under new Head Coach Eric Morris, who comes over from North Texas and is breaking in an entirely new roster. Oklahoma State will provide a lot of opportunities for its newcomers as it is in full reboot mode.
The biggest fantasy storyline is at quarterback, with North Texas transfer Drew Mestemaker attempting to stabilize an offense that desperately needs some efficiency. Morris' background suggests a more modern, tempo-driven attack, which could boost play volume across the board.
At running back and wide receiver, Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young also come over from North Texas to lead the offensive attack. With over 80 new players brought in, spring reps will matter more than ever. Fantasy rosters will heavily depend on which new Cowboys emerge first in a system built for production.
TCU Horned Frogs Football Spring Preview
TCU's Fantasy Stock Hinges on the New Signal-Caller
The Horned Frogs are replacing Josh Hoover, who transferred to Indiana, and the ripple effects touch every skill player. To stabilize the offense, TCU brough in Jaden Craig (Harvard transfer), a veteran quarterback with one year left who arrives alongside new OC Gordon Sammis from UConn.
Talented receiver Jordan Dwyer returns with Jeremy Scott (South Alabama transfer) to play with Craig, who threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025. If Craig can catch on quickly, TCU becomes a volume-friendly passing game again. Other key fantasy contributors could be mainstay RB Jeremy Payne or RB Landon Walker (Colorado School of Mines transfer).
Spring will be important for the Horned Frogs, as it will be a critical signal of whether they are moving in the right direction or could face a setback in 2026.
Texas Tech Red Raiders Football Spring Preview
Fantasy ceiling going nuclear again
Texas Tech's spring 2026 fantasy outlook starts and largely ends with QB Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati transfer). After winning the conference in 2025 and reaching the College Football Playoff, the Red Raiders doubled down by landing the top quarterback in the transfer portal.
Sorsby brings proven dual-threat production (2,800 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and nine rushing scores in 2025), instantly elevating Tech's fantasy floor and ceiling at the quarterback position. The spring intrigue shifts to who benefits most around him.
The Red Raiders must replace significant NFL-bound production at receiver, creating a wide-open battle for targets between Kenny Johnson (Pittsburgh transfer), Malcolm Simmons (Auburn transfer), and Coy Eakin.
The conference favorite will return studs at RB in Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams. Unlike many Big 12 teams, Texas Tech isn't rebuilding; they're reloading and setting up for a fruitful fantasy season once again.
Utah Utes Football Spring Preview
Same tough DNA; new fantasy oversight
Utah enters spring 2026 in transition, but not turmoil. With Morgan Scalley taking over as head coach and Kevin McGiven installing a new offense, the Utes are adjusting without starting from scratch.
For fantasy players, the key constant is QB Devon Dampier, who returns as the unquestioned QB1 after powering one of the nation's most explosive rushing attacks in 2025. Utah is still expected to be a run-first offense, and Dampier is lethal on the ground.
The biggest spring fantasy swing point is the supporting cast. Wayshawn Parker anchors the backfield, but Utah lost significant offensive line experience, making spring a priority for rebuilding the trenches.
Meanwhile, the receiver room is being reworked with Kyri Shoels (San Jose transfer) and Braden Pegan (Utah State transfer) to play alongside mainstays, Ryan Davis and Larry Simmons. Utah may not be a fantasy fireworks show, but spring should clarify which Utes offer dependable volume in a new system.
West Virginia Mountaineers Football Spring Preview
Fantasy identity takes shape in ground game
West Virginia's spring fantasy storyline centers on a familiar Rich Rodriguez theme: run-first, QB mobility, and backfield volume.
The Mountaineers enter 2026 with a new quarterback in Michael Hawkins, who comes over from Oklahoma, and are pairing him with Cam Cook, the FBS rushing leader who heads to Morgantown after a one-year stop at Jax State following two seasons at TCU.
With Hawkins and Cook, the Mountaineers clearly have an identity that helps fantasy rosters. Cook should headline the backfield, but spring reps will also spotlight highly touted freshman Amari Latimer.
The passing game remains more volatile, with no established alpha receiver and a scheme unlikely to prioritize high-volume aerial production. For fantasy managers, West Virginia isn't about balance; it's about identifying the rushing pieces. If Hawkins and Cook establish themselves in new uniforms, they could be roster winners in 2026.
