If you haven’t been paying close attention to the Big 12 Conference or college football in general lately, you might not be aware of the conference realignment that has taken place. There have been major changes to all the top conferences, and you may no longer recognize the college football landscape. The short version is that geography no longer matters, and the “Power 5” conferences are now “Power 4.”
As for the Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah joined from the dying Pac 12. The new Big 12 teams are Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, and West Virginia. If you’re counting, that’s 16 teams for the “Big 12.”
Rather than analyzing the impact of conference realignment, the goal is to help you familiarize yourself with the top handful of players likely to play on Sundays in 2025. If you’re like most dynasty players, you’ve got one eye on the future. You’ll want to know these top five names for the 2024 college football season from the Big 12 Conference.
Travis Hunter | WR | CB | Colorado | 6’1” | 185 lbs.
University of Colorado star Travis Hunter is one of the most unique and intriguing college football prospects. After transferring to Colorado before the 2023 season, Hunter showed that his two-way skillset translates to the Power 5 level. Hunter averaged over 114 snaps per game in 2023 (for context, Malik Nabers averaged about 54 plays per game in 2023).
There are two significant questions for Hunter. Will he play both sides of the ball at the NFL level? And if so, will he play enough on offense to be a fantasy asset? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, another hurdle will be if he can withstand the rigors of the NFL game at his size. He is listed at 185 lbs.; on the field, he looks thinner than that.
As for his game, Hunter has elite athleticism. His leaping ability and ball skills are near the top of the class. He can create separation with his quickness and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. If you could guarantee that he was primarily going to play wide receiver in the NFL, there’s a case to be made for Hunter as the top wideout in the class. Hunter is projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft but will likely be one of the most polarizing players in the class.
Shedeur Sanders | QB | Colorado | 6’2” | 215 lbs.
Speaking of polarizing players – let’s talk about Shedeur Sanders. After transferring in with Hunter, the University of Colorado quarterback was flying high early in the 2023 season. Sanders likely would have been a first-round draft pick in 2024 if he had declared but decided to return to Boulder, CO, for one more season. Sanders is now projected as a top-5 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Sanders has a very strong arm that allows him to make NFL-level throws with ease. His athleticism allows him to extend plays, and he does a great job keeping his eyes downfield when a play breaks down. One knock on Sanders is that he holds on to the ball far too long and will take unnecessary sacks. The 2025 QB class is projected to be a little thinner than the group we saw in 2024. But there are still some very talented players at the top. Shedeur Sanders is squarely in the competition for QB1 in the class.
Ollie Gordon | RB | Oklahoma State | 6’1” | 211 lbs.
After posting 1,732 yards rushing and 21 TDs with 39 catches for 330 yards and a score, Ollie Gordon captured the Doak Walker award as the nation’s top running back. He’s primed for another incredibly productive season for the Cowboys. The 2025 RB class is extremely talented, with Gordon battling for the top spot.
The biggest concern with Gordon is a recent arrest on suspicion of DUI. The NFL’s discipline policy does not allow them to suspend rookie players for things that occur while they are in college, but this is certainly not a good look for Gordon. So long as he can stay out of any more trouble off the field, he should be drafted early in 2025. As for his on-the-field skills, Gordon possesses a great size, speed, and power combination and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s entering the season as my RB3 in the upcoming class.
Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona | 6’5” | 210 lbs.
Another player who has a chance to be the top wide receiver in the 2025 class is Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan. He has one thing that no other top-tier receiver in this class possesses: size. At 6’5″, he is an imposing physical specimen. McMillan’s hands may be the best in the class, as he has shown phenomenal ball skills and contested catch ability. He routinely shows he knows how to use his size well.
My biggest concerns with McMillian are that he lacks the elite speed (sometimes struggling to create separation) and relies too heavily on his size and contested catch skills. We’ve seen WRs be successful at the NFL level without elite speed and separation traits, but this is a major concern for me. Heading into the 2024 season, “Tet” is my WR4.
Devin Neal | RB | Kansas | 5’11” | 215 lbs.
The final player I will highlight from the Big 12 is the University of Kansas’ senior running back, Devin Neal. He is the ideal size for a three-down back and has shown plenty of talent that can translate to the NFL level. Neal’s best skills are his vision behind the line, acceleration through the hole, and elusiveness at the point of tackle. He isn’t the most powerful runner but can set up and follow his blocks well.
Neal is a tier down from the top for me, but he could move up with a strong 2024 season. He’s currently my RB6 for 2025 draft-eligible backs, which says more about the strength of the projected RB class and less about not liking Neal. He will succeed best in a one-cut-and-go scheme at the next level. Neal also possesses above-average receiving skills out of the backfield and can contribute on all three downs.
Honorable Mentions
- Jalon Daniels | QB | Kansas
- DJ Giddens | RB | Kansas State
- Tahj Brooks | RB | Texas Tech
- Monaray Baldwin | WR | Baylor
- Brant Kuithe | TE | Utah
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