The Most Important Player in the Big 12

Putting together a list of the most important players in the Big 12 may be just as futile a task as picking a Big 12 champion. Who would’ve had Cam Skattebo or Sam Leavitt at the top of their list last April?

Alas, I’m going to take a stab at it. These are the players I think will most tell the story of the Big 12 football season–good or bad. While quarterbacks certainly dominate the list, I tried to branch out as much as possible. 

Honorable Mention

Jordan Tyson – Arizona State WR
David Bailey – Texas Tech Edge
Jordan Seaton – Colorado OT
Jake Retzlaff – BYU QB

Without Skattebo, defenses will focus more on shutting down ASU star wideout Jordan Tyson, who had over 1,100 yards receiving last year. 

Colorado won’t have Shedeur Sanders working miracles in the midst of dreadful offensive line play anymore, so keeping quarterback Kaidon Salter upright becomes paramount for former five-star Jordan Seaton. 

If BYU wants to replicate its eleven-win season, it’ll need more from quarterback Jake Retzlaff this year. 

David Bailey is arguably the crown jewel of Texas Tech’s portal class and should spearhead the best pass rush in the league on paper. 

#5 – Iowa State WRs Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend 

I know I’m already cheating right out of the gate by listing two players in one spot. However, Iowa State has to replace a pair of 1,100-yard receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and Sowell and Townsend were brought in from the portal to do just that.

Quarterback Rocco Becht is a budding star, but for Iowa State’s offense to stay dynamic this year, he will need some legitimate firepower to step up in the receiving corps. 

Sowell had over 1,200 yards receiving in two seasons at East Carolina and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch in 2024. The Cyclones beat out schools like Florida, Ole Miss, and Arizona State to land his services. 

Townsend originally committed to Iowa State out of high school, but flipped to stay home with UCF. After two seasons of modest production, he sat out the final eight games of last season to preserve his eligibility. 

#4 – Utah Quarterback Devon Dampier

Devon Dampier was my favorite portal pickup for any Big 12 team. 

Utah desperately needed new blood at quarterback, and they found the most exciting option available in Dampier. 

Dampier racked up 2,750 yards passing and 1,150 yards rushing with 31 total touchdowns at New Mexico last season. His accuracy needs work, but the playmaking ability is there in spades. 

Utah Head Coach Kyle Whittingham even doubled down on ensuring Dampier's success with the Utes by hiring New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck. 

I think Utah is poised for a big bounce-back season. They always have a stellar defense, but they need much better and more reliable quarterback play than they’ve gotten the past two seasons. 

Dampier is the key to unlocking everything in Salt Lake City. 

#3 – K-State Quarterback Avery Johnson

Chris Klieman has steadily infused the K-State roster with more and more talent over the last three seasons by greatly improving his high school recruiting and staying consistently efficient in the transfer portal. 

But for that to pay off with Klieman’s second trip to a Big 12 championship game, Avery Johnson has to take a significant step forward. 

Johnson showed flashes of absolute brilliance in his first season as the starter, but there was way too much inconsistency. 

The offense came completely unglued in losses at BYU and Houston, and K-State was 90th in the country at avoiding three-and-outs. 

Johnson has legitimate Big 12 Player of the Year and College Football Playoff upside. The Wildcats need him to take a couple of steps closer toward realizing that this fall. 

#2 – Arizona State Quarterback Sam Leavitt

The hype has been building all offseason for Sam Leavitt. 

He’s a near-consensus top-five returning quarterback in the country and was recently named the eighth-best player in college football by CBS Sports. 

That’s the good news. The bad news is that life without Cam Skattebo begins this fall. 

Skattebo was responsible for nearly 40% of the Sun Devils’ offense last year and almost single-handedly willed them to a win over Texas in the College Football Playoff. 

Leavitt should take a big step forward in year two of Kenny Dillingham’s system, though. And star wideout Jordan Tyson is back to be his go-to target. 

The cupboard is far from bare in Tempe, and a three-headed monster of Dillingham, Leavitt, and Tyson could propel ASU back to the playoff if all goes well. 

Leavitt should start the season on the edge of the Heisman race and will quarterback the most high-profile team in the league after their accomplishments last season. That’s enough to earn a top two spot on this list. 

#1 – Texas Tech Quarterback Behren Morton

This might be a controversial pick. 

Morton gets the nod at number one for me because Texas Tech has given him everything a quarterback could possibly ask for around him. It’s now on him to make it work. 

The Red Raiders landed arguably the number one portal class in the country. They ruffled feathers in the SEC and Big Ten by splashing money around like there was no tomorrow. 

Tech was already within striking distance of a ten-win season last year. They’ve stocked the shelves with more talent than anyone else in the league, but they will only go as far as Morton can realistically take them. 

Is he up to the task of delivering on the promise of this roster? If he’s not, it will have been a wild waste of resources by multi-billionaire booster Cody Campbell and a 17th straight Red Raider football season without double-digit wins. 

I’m fascinated to find out if Morton is ready.

What You Need to Know

• Tennessee tried to come after TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to replace Nico Iamaleava, but Hoover is staying in Fort Worth, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Hoover could be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 this year after throwing for 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore. 

• Former Texas Tech and Texas A&M wide receiver Micah Hudson is in the portal again, and a different Big 12 school is hosting him on a visit this weekend. A reunion with Texas Tech is still possible, but his latest rumored destination is very intriguing. 

• There has been plenty of controversy in Boulder this week over Colorado’s decision to retire the jerseys of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter next season. Deion Sanders defended the decision and had a stern message for anybody who disagreed. Many former Buffaloes, including Fox analyst Joel Klatt, went public with their frustration over the decision. 

• It’s a poorly kept secret that Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark wants to eventually decouple the league’s basketball media rights to sell separately from football. The San Jose Mercury News’ Jon Wilner has some significant numbers that support Yormark’s theory that decoupling would bring extra money to the Big 12. If you’re stuck by a paywall, I broke it all down in this video. 

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