By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – It may only be February, but the excitement for the 2026 college football season is evident. Today, I am going to give you my WAY-TOO-EARLY 2026 BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS. This will be a simple expectation assessment for all of the programs within the league. Aspects considered for this ranking will include returning players, portal losses, and coaching changes.
Here is how things currently stand in the Big 12 Conference:
16. Iowa State Cyclones – Cyclone Nation was devastated when Matt Campbell finally decided to leave Ames after 10 seasons. In comes Jimmy Rogers from Washington State with hopes to continue to build on that success. Unfortunately, considering the mass exodus from the program following Campbell’s departure, this roster will be lacking the talent to be competitive right away. Expect a difficult season for Iowa State.
15. Kansas Jayhawks – After a brief resurgence in 2022 and 2023, the Kansas Jayhawks have returned to reality. Gone is star quarterback Jalon Daniels, as well as running back Daniel Hishaw. The offense will struggle to find their replacements. Lance Leipold has proven to be a good coach, but expect a down season in Lawrence.
14. Colorado Buffaloes – I’ve said it since day one – Deion Sanders is not cut out to be a Power Four head coach. After a 9-win campaign in 2024, Colorado dropped to 3-9 in 2025. I expect much of the same in 2026. By November, there will be hot seat talks for Sanders.
13. UCF Knights – Another coaching hire I don’t believe in – Scott Frost is entering his second season back in Orlando. The Knights showed glimpses of competitive football in 2025, but stumbled to a 5-7 finish. Again, I expect a similar result in 2026. UCF simply doesn’t acquire the talent to be successful in the Big 12 yet. The program is still several seasons away from becoming relevant.
12. Baylor Bears – The 2026 season has the potential to be a tough one in Waco. Dave Aranda is a lame duck coach this season, and will be coaching for his job. Even with the addition of former Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway, it’s hard to fathom this team accomplishes more than bowl eligibility. Depending on how the season starts, Baylor could become one of the first head coaching positions to become available next carousel.
11. Kansas State Wildcats – Collin Klein, Manhattan’s prodigal son, is back as the head man in 2026. It will be his first head coaching job at any level. Despite having talented pieces, such as Avery Johnson, it will take Kansas State a season or two to get their feet under them. Bowl eligibility is a possibility, but higher aspirations aren’t realistic.
10. Cincinnati Bearcats – Cincinnati had a hot start to the 2025 season. However, that came to a screeching halt. The program lost their last five games of the season. Now, with the departure of Brendan Sorsby, they will be right back to square one. They still have the talent to be competitive, but Scott Satterfield has his work cut out for him. He will be coaching for his job in 2026.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers – West Virginia should be improved in 2026. But that does not necessarily mean competing for the conference championship yet. It’s always a mystery when a program has so much roster turnover. This batch of incoming players, though, is leaps and bounds better than last year’s. Bowl eligibility should be the goal for the WVU Football program at this time.
8. TCU Horned Frogs – Sonny Dykes will have to account for the loss of quarterback Josh Hoover to the transfer portal. Harvard transfer Jaden Craig will likely fill that starting quarterback role. He is good, but can he produce at the Power Four level? It remains to be seen. TCU should be fine, though, given the talent on their roster.
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys – Yes, I am higher on Oklahoma State than most. Landing Eric Morris was huge for the program. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker should make the Cowboys a tough outing for their entire schedule. This team will be have one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation.
6. Arizona State Sun Devils – Kenny Dillingham is one heck of a coach. I don’t doubt his ability to have this team competing for the top of the conference in 2026. The loss of quarterback Sam Leavitt will be difficult to overcome, though. I expect the Sun Devils to finish in the mid-to-upper tier of teams.
5. Utah Utes – Utah rebounded with a solid 2025 season. Replacing the legendary Kyle Whittingham will sting, but the Utes are in position to be competitive again in 2026. I wouldn’t be shocked if they are in the conference race come late-November.
4. Arizona Wildcats – Arizona surprised everybody last season. With quarterback Noah Fifita returning, they should once again be near the top of the league. The Wildcats are another team I expect to compete for the conference crown.
3. Houston Cougars – The Houston Cougars could easily become the darling of the Big 12 Conference this fall. With ample returning production on offense, Coach Willie Fritz will have a championship contender on his hands.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders – Oil money can buy you a roster, but it can’t buy you a number one spot on my power rankings. Sure, this team will likely be a Big 12 Championship Game participant again in 2026. The addition of quarterback Brendan Sorsby is huge. But there is another team that I believe is ready to overtake them as conference champions.
1. BYU Cougars – The BYU Football program has splashed onto the scene the last two years. With the return of Bear Bachmeier at quarterback, I fully expect the Cougars to win the Big 12 in 2026. The conference’s most-likable program and fanbase finally gets a championship.
To find out why CBS Sports writer Shehan Jeyarajah put WVU 15th in his Big 12 power ranking, check out his appearance on this recent episode of Couz’s Corner on YouTube.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
