The Big 12’s Draft Problem

Watching the SEC and all its hypothetical wins get stuck with just three College Football Playoff berths last year was… satisfying.

For once, the SEC media machine and its army of terminally online fans didn’t get the benefit of the doubt—because in 2024, they didn’t earn it.

Their meltdown was beautiful.

But this year’s NFL Draft reminded us that the SEC propaganda isn’t going anywhere. 

The SEC and Big Ten combined for 26 of 32 first-round picks, and 150 of 257 picks overall (58%). 

The Big 12? A distant fourth with 31 picks total.

That’s up from 2024, when the Power Two claimed 101 of 242 picks (42%). The gap is growing. 

Yes, adding Oregon, Washington, and USC (sorry, UCLA) makes the Big Ten even stronger. But the narrative problem for the Big 12 is now backed by even more damning data.

Josh Pate is one of the country's most influential national college football voices. Listen to how he frames it:

That kind of rhetoric will only get louder in light of these numbers.

And yes, I hear you shouting at your phone: “Draft numbers don’t win football games!”

I agree!

Arizona State had 11 fewer draft picks than Texas, but they were one play away from beating the Longhorns in the CFP.

Still, that argument won’t carry weight when the next at-large debate hits. SEC and Big Ten teams will get the benefit of the doubt, and Big 12 fans like you and me will be stuck screaming into the void.

That’s why Arizona State’s missed opportunity was so costly.

If the Big 12 wants to change the narrative, it has to do two things:

1. Win playoff games against the SEC and Big Ten

2. Produce more NFL Draft picks and climb the recruiting rankings

And that second point? There might only be one program in position to actually move the needle.

Can Texas Tech Save the Big 12?

Texas Tech may be the league’s best shot at building a true NFL talent factory.

The Red Raiders just landed the best transfer portal class in the country, which should translate to more draft picks (they had just two this year).

If the current NIL system stays the same, Tech could ride Cody Campbell’s billions to build a top-tier roster every season. But what happens when the revenue-sharing model kicks in?

Under the current proposal, schools would have a $20+ million cap, and all NIL deals outside of that must be “fair market value.” In theory, that limits the influence of mega-boosters like Campbell. 

It could actually level the financial playing field, forcing a return to more traditional recruiting strategies and advantages. 

But there’s widespread skepticism about how strictly that “fair market” rule will be enforced, and many expect a return to the shady under-the-table cash deal days.

So, we truly don’t know if Tech’s current model is sustainable in the long term. 

If the league can’t come close to matching the Big Ten and SEC in sheer volume of NFL players, it would help to have more Big 12 star power to join Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. 

That means even the most fervent Colorado haters should join me in rooting for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders to become bona fide stars. 

Long story short: there’s no quick fix to even the talent gap. The best thing the Big 12 can do is start finishing when league teams have the SEC and Big Ten on the ropes on the field.

What You Need to Know

• Here’s Ross Dellenger’s latest update on the College Football Playoff after last week’s meetings. No major decisions were made, but Dellenger says Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark and the ACC and Group of Five schools are still holding the Big Ten and SEC’s feet to the fire with a strong leverage play regarding the future format. 

• ESPN corroborated reports that K-State quarterback Avery Johnson turned down an offer from Tennessee to come to Knoxville to play for the Volunteers. Check out this wild quote from a K-State source that told ESPN’s Heather Dinich just how confident the Wildcats were that Johnson would stay. 

• CBS Sports says the Big 12 has the best collection of quarterbacks of any conference in the country. CBS’ Brandon Marcello says the Big 12 edges out the SEC for the honor, while the Big Ten is further behind. 

• The hype continues to build for 2025-26 BYU basketball. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released a way-too-early Bracketology this week, and the Cougars are the highest-seeded Big 12 team outside of Houston. Seven other Big 12 teams are included. 

• Oklahoma State added some much-needed depth to its quarterback room this week. Tulsa signee Banks Bowen committed to the Cowboys via Twitter earlier this week. Last week, OSU lost quarterbacks Garret Rangel and Maealiuaki Smith to the transfer portal.

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