Big 12 Football Media Days
College football is right around the corner for everyone. That means the traditional conference football media days are about to begin. The Big 12 Football Media Days go through July 8-9 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The Ford Center is the practice facility of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The 2025 season for the Big 12 Conference is shaping up to be a competitive season. With teams like Arizona State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State among the favorites to win the Big 12. There is also a wealth of teams that could be surprises to win the conference. Those teams include BYU, Baylor, Iowa State, Utah, and TCU. However, the difference between the defending Big 12 Champs Arizona State and the top seven or eight teams is tiny.
Last season, the Big 12 Conference showed everyone that surprises can happen when you least expect it. We all know that the Sun Devils were picked to finish dead last in the conference. However, we also know that Arizona State showed everyone what culture and believing in yourselves can do for a football team. Arizona State head coach, Kenny Dillingham, took his team to the Big 12 Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Is there another team in the Big 12 Conference that can take the league by storm?
Big 12 Top Tier Teams
Arizona State: Many people may think that last season was lighting in a bottle for Coach Dillingham’s squad. That is not the case though. I believe this Sun Devil team has staying power. Arizona State will not surprise anybody in 2025. The target is squarely on the back of ASU. The question people have is if Arizona State can withstand the pressure of being the hunted and not the hunter. The mindset for ASU is Big 12 Conference Championships and a berth in the CFB Playoff, again.
Offensively, the Sun Devils return quarterback, Sam Leavitt. Leavitt will garner some early season Heisman hype and more if the season goes the way of expectations. The number one target for Sam Leavitt will be Jordyn Tyson who had a great breakout season in 2024. Tyson will be coming off a separated shoulder that he suffered in the season ending win against Arizona. Replacing Cam Skattebo will be a committee of running backs. Army transfer, Kanye Udoh has garnered a lot of talk in Tempe, but Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown will also be sharing the running back load for the Devils. Four starters return on the offensive line which will benefit the offense as well.
Kansas State: The Wildcats have been the model of consistency since head coach Chris Klieman took over the program. In the last four seasons the Wildcats have won at least eight games. Coach Klieman has guided the Cats to a 18-9 record since 2022 too. The schedule is favorable for Kansas State and having an experienced team returning should keep the Wildcats focused on getting to the conference championship game.
With quarterback Avery Johnson returning the Wildcats will be looking to make life difficult for Big 12 defenses. Johnson averaged 255 yards per game and was responsible for 32 scores last season. Joining Avery Johnson will be a great backfield in Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson. Top receiving target, Jayce Brown is also back. However, one of the question marks will be the offensive line where there are three new starters.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders come into the 2025 season looking to make some noise and maybe even a berth in the playoff. With an influx of NIL money into the program, Texas Tech improved their roster and they are hoping that will bring more wins, a Big 12 Football Championship, and a berth into the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech had a respectable 6-3 record in league play last season and will be looking to improve on that.
Red Raider quarterback, Behren Morton, returns from off season shoulder surgery to guide the offense. The Red Raiders don’t have running back, Tahj Brooks anymore. However, J’Koby Williams and Quinten Jayner will keep the running game up to par for the Texas Tech offense. Wide receivers, transfer Reggie Virgil (Miami/Ohio) and Micah Hudson will keep the air attack balanced. The one area where the Red Raiders have tried to improve is the offensive line. It’s been a bone of contention for fans for a while, but the program has brought in four transfers to help solidify the line. Howard Sampson (North Carolina) and Will Jados (Miami/Ohio) are some of the upgrades on the line that’ll hopefully give Behren Morton time to throw the ball downfield.
Iowa State: Last season was a special one for the Cyclones. Iowa State won 11 games for the first time in program history. The Cyclones also finished with a final ranking of No. 15 which was the second highest final ranking in program history. Head Coach Matt Campbell has 12 returning starters which gives the program a ton of confidence heading into 2025.
Cyclone quarterback, Rocco Becht, is back to lead the Cyclone offense. Becht averaged 273 yards a game for Iowa State last season. Unfortunately, Becht lost two of last season’s receivers to the NFL. Transfers, Chase Sowell (East Carolina) and Xavier Townsend (UCF) will be expected to slide into their starting roles on the outside for the Cyclones. In the backfield, Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III will continue to keep the opposition on their toes. Fortunately, for the Cyclones, they will also have three returning starters on the offensive line to help keep their quarterback upright.
Big 12 2025
Big 12 football is competitive. This season will be no different. Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Texas Tech are the frontrunners, but teams like BYU, Baylor, Utah, and TCU can make things real interesting for the top tier teams. I believe another chaotic season is staring us right in the face heading into 2025. There were many teams that had a chance to get to the championship game going into the last two weeks of the season in 2024. 2025 could be a repeat of that and I am here for it.
Michael J. Wilson-The Daily Waiver
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