2026 Big 12 Preseason Rankings: Texas Tech & BYU Lead Athlon’s 1–16 Breakdown

Well, it is that time of year again when the preseason rankings of the Big 12 come out. So let’s look at them.

The Rankings

Who is the top dog to beat this year? Which team will have to work its way up from the bottom? Here is a table of the rankings.

2026 Big 12 Pre-Season Rankings

Ranking	Team	Thoughts
1	Texas Tech Red Raiders	Retains elite defensive depth; young QB Will Hammond takes the reins.
2	BYU Cougars	Strongest returning core in the league led by RB LJ Martin & S Faletau Satuala.
3	Houston Cougars	Massive Year 3 surge under Willie Fritz with portal upgrades across the board.
4	Utah Utes	Reloaded in the front seven; breaking in a new starting quarterback.
5	Kansas State Wildcats	Avery Johnson enters his second full year leading a run-heavy offense.
6	Arizona Wildcats	High-powered passing game anchored by star QB Noah Fifita.
7	TCU Horned Frogs	Highly experienced offensive line and veteran secondary depth.
8	Oklahoma State Cowboys	Rebuilt front seven aiming to bounce back in conference play.
9	Baylor Bears	Dave Aranda’s squad faces one of the toughest early-season slates.
10	Arizona State Sun Devils	Sam Leavitt leads a reloaded offense following portal additions.
11	Kansas Jayhawks	Jalon Daniels returns for his final campaign behind a solid OL.
12	Cincinnati Bearcats	Quietly assembling one of the most underrated front sevens in the league.
13	West Virginia Mountaineers	Reliance on explosive running plays to control time of possession.
14	Colorado Buffaloes	Rebuilt offensive line featuring Kaidon Salter under center.
15	UCF Knights	High-speed offense working to solve key defensive retooling questions.
16	Iowa State Cyclones	Retooling roster following significant key starters leaving for the NFL.

The rankings before the start of the 2026 season. According to the following website:

https://www.on3.com/news/athlon-sports-releases-2026-preseason-big-12-power-rankings/

Not the one I was looking for; however, it will do.

The link to the above website

The Bottom

Yes, the Iowa State Cyclones take the bottom spot this year. That means that they don’t have to keep that spot. They can work their way up to the top. It will be an interesting year.

My Thoughts

Well, since I got this from the following website. That is what the power rankings suggest. But I have my thoughts on the rankings. I wouldn’t put Utah up that high. They have a lot of work to do. They were a powerhouse in the Pac-12, but they have struggled in the Big 12 for the first two years. I thought they could possibly win the Big12 this year. But the whole coaching thing really messed that up.

I think Colorado should be a bit higher. But I am not sure where. However, the rankings are just about what someone thinks about the offseason and how the teams will perform. It does give an insight into what teams to watch.

But it is all about the game and how it is played.

These rankings will change on Sept. 12, 2026. That is when the first conference game is played. But with one winning the game, one will be at the top. One will be at the bottom. So it should be an interesting year indeed.