The transfer portal is open in college football and players are finding new homes every minute. In the Big 12, there are players coming and going, and it’s time to list some winners and losers based on how things have played out over the last several days since the transfer portal window opened on January 2nd. This despite four teams still competing for a National Championship. But such is the awful calendar that is college football.
Winner: Oklahoma State
It’s a total revamp in Stillwater for Eric Morris, and he’s brought much of his highly-productive offense from North Texas to Oklahoma State with him. The Cowboys are currently ranked No. 2 in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings in the country. Now a big part of that is just the volume, as the Pokes have 32 players incoming, however they have some of the top-ranked players at their position, led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Toss in Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young for this offense, and Cowboys fans might get reminiscent of the heyday of the Mike Gundy era if this offense can take off in the Big 12 in 2026.
Loser: Baylor
The Bears have lost 30 players to the transfer portal this offseason. Theoretically, the point of bringing back Dave Aranda was to have some continuity. That’s clearly not happening in Waco. Nine players have come in, including former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions last season. Is he really the answer? I’m not sold. All of their additions are ranked as three-star transfer prospects on 247Sports. Meantime, they’ve lost four-stars like Bryson Washington, Colton Thomasson and Emar’rion Winston. This has been a rough week for the Bears.
Winner: Texas Tech
Of course, right? That West Texas oil money is still flowing, and to be clear, there’s nothing to apologize for in Lubbock. Behren Morton will be replaced by former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. They’ve added high-quality talent to replace some of the talent lost on the defense line, including Adam Trick and Mateen Ibirogba. The Red Raiders have a Top 5 ranking in the 247 rankings, so they’re definitely raking it in as they try to defend their Big 12 Championship next fall.
Loser: Iowa State
Matt Campbell left, and most of his top talent joined him in State College. 52 players hit the portal from Iowa State. And while new head coach Jimmy Rogers has brought in 30+ players, he’s not replacing the talent of Benjamin Brahmer, Carsen Hansen, Brendan Black and Chase Sowell with comparable talent. Based on the average score of each recruit, Iowa State’s 84.96 ranks last in the Big 12. 25 of their incoming transfers are three-star prospects, with zero four or five-stars. Hopefully for coach Rogers, a lot of his new talent he’s bringing from Washington State can make that transition to the Big 12.
Winner: Arizona State
Arizona State is having success, and is most notably having that success with players within the Big 12. Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller is the crown jewel of this class. Also, Kansas safety Lyrik Rawls is joining the Sun Devils, as another inside-the-Big 12 transfer. While the Sun Devils lost a lot of talent in Sam Leavitt and Raleek Brown, they have found solid replacements. Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley committed, bringing high upside as a consensus four-star prospect with a 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. Wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright (Washington) and running back David Avit (Villanova) committing on Sunday gave ASU two skill players for Boley and the offense to work with.
Loser: Cincinnati
A big part of this is just the loss of Brendan Sorsby. It felt like Cincinnati finally made some strides in the Big 12 this season under Scott Satterfield. It was a strong strong, but a weak finish. However at least they got to a bowl game. And then came the portal hits, led by Sorsby, who goes to Texas Tech for a reported $5 million. Add in Evan Pryor and a bunch of defensive talent, and it’s a major setback for this program. Hopefully, Satterfield can hit on some of his incoming players, most notably Georgia Southern QB JC French IV.
