FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt’s preseason Top 25 is out, and the Big 12 is well-represented with six teams making the cut.
Kansas State headlines the group at No. 15, followed by Arizona State at No. 18, Texas Tech at No. 19, Iowa State at No. 20, Baylor at No. 23, and Utah at No. 25.
Kansas State leads the way after a 9–4 season and a Rate Bowl victory. Quarterback Avery Johnson returns alongside a veteran offensive line, and Chris Klieman’s program enters 2025 with stability and proven depth. Klatt identified the Wildcats as the Big 12’s most complete team going into the fall.
Arizona State checks in next, coming off a season where they surged late behind quarterback Sam Leavitt and a defense that improved every week. Texas Tech lands one spot behind them, bolstered by an experienced backfield and a defense that has been trending upward since the second half of 2024.
Iowa State, ranked at No. 20, brings back one of the league’s most disciplined defenses and a coaching staff led by Matt Campbell that has been a model of consistency. Baylor, sitting at No. 23, features quarterback Sawyer Robertson and running back Bryson Washington, a duo Klatt believes could be the best in the Big 12. Utah rounds out the conference’s presence at No. 25, with the Utes expected to rely on veteran leadership and physical play to compete in their first year in the league.
Klatt’s ballot reflects the conference’s depth heading into 2025. With six programs inside his Top 25, the Big 12 has more preseason-ranked teams than any other season in the CFP era. If these projections hold, the race for the conference championship will run through multiple campuses with playoff hopes still alive deep into November.
