Kansas State Wildcats

K-State Leads Four Big 12 Teams in 247Sports’ Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2024

By Bryan Clinton

Posted on January 17, 2024

Oct 21, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (5) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 season just came to a close, but let’s be honest with ourselves — there’s no such thing as an offseason in college football anymore.

Coaching staffs, players, and fans are already peeking ahead and preparing for the 2024 season, which might be the most anticipated year that we’ve seen in quite some time.

With massive conference realignment in the Power ~~Five~~ Four conferences, the expansion to a 12-Team Playoff, and Nick Saban now out of the coaching ranks, there is more change coming to college football than we’ve ever seen in one cycle, and we can’t wait to see how it plays out.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford is looking ahead as well and recently released his Way-Too-Early Top 25 for next season. Four Big 12 teams make the list, but the first team doesn’t check in until No. 15 with Kansas State.

Avery Johnson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another during Kansas State’s Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State, a sign of things to come for the Wildcats in 2024, perhaps,” Crawford writes. “After losing multi-year starting quarterback Will Howard to the transfer portal, this Kansas State offenses showed no ill effects of his departure after Johnson handled the offense with a flare for big plays on the move. The Big 12 adds several new teams next season in what should be an exciting campaign for one of the haves under Chris Klieman.”

Just behind the Wildcats is Utah, who will join the Big 12 along with Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado.

“Utah joins the Big 12 with a couple other former Pac-12 departures in hopes of getting to the playoff under the always underrated Kyle Whittingham,” Crawford says. “The Utes get their experienced quarterback Cam Rising for another year, too, after he missed 2023. One of college football’s longest-tenured coaches, Whittingham’s been around since 2005 and has three conference titles to his merit. The 2023 campaign broke a two-year stretch of winning 10 games per as the Utes finished outside of the top 25.”

Next is Arizona, who will now have to transition under new head coach Brent Brennan after Jedd Fisch left to take the Washington job. The good news is Noah Fifita and his top target appear to be headed back to Tucson for another season, which makes the Wildcats a dangerous addition to the conference.

“Could Arizona be one of the preseason favorites in the Big 12 next season,” Crawford asked before Fisch’s exit.” Given the fact Jedd Fisch and the Wildcats ended 2023 as one of the hottest teams in college football, that league needs to prepare itself for what Arizona is bringing to the table. Noah Fifita returns after a stellar freshman showing at quarterback and Arizona will continue to press the issue offensively in hopes of breaking into the 12-team playoff in 2024.”

The final Big 12 team to break into the Top 25 is Oklahoma State, who finished as the conference runner up this past season. Despite returning the vast majority of a roster that finished 10-4 in 2023, the Cowboys are the very last team to make the list, checking in at No. 25.

The four teams to make the list are pretty much the consensus group of frontrunners to compete for a Big 12 title in 2024, but counting out teams like Kansas, Iowa State, West Virginia, and even UCF would be unwise with what each of them returns, or has added ahead of 2024. It’s going to be one heck of a race next season, and whoever wins the conference is guaranteed a chance at a national title.

Here’s a look at Crawford’s entire Way-Too-Early Top 25.