In just a few weeks, Big 12 football officially returns with fall camp, when all of our favorite teams finally hit the sled and build up their rosters in preparation for Week 1.
While yes, the quarterback position is one of the biggest question marks for any head coach, it’s ultimately the receiver corps that can give one particular candidate the right push if he can sync with two or three targets from the jump. The question lingers: Who is the best returning wide receiver in the Big 12, and what impact may they have on the season ahead?
As with my Who is the Best Returning RB in the Big 12? analysis, every player mentioned here must have played one full season of college football to be included on this list. For example, if a player redshirted in 2025 and then transferred, they’re not eligible for this list.
TCU, led by Eric McAlister (1,190 yards, 10 touchdowns), led the league last year with 312.9 receiving yards per game behind quarterback Josh Hoover, now an Indiana Hoosier. McAlister, meanwhile, went undrafted and remains unsigned largely due to a foot injury.
This fall, who will become the conference’s next top target (and potential draft pick)?
AMARE THOMAS • Houston
Thomas is coming off a First Team All-Big 12 caliber season where the Birmingham, Alabama, native recorded the most receiving yards by a Houston player since 2022. Caught 67 passes for 966 yards (14.4 ypc) and 12 touchdowns last season with returning QB Conner Weigman.
COY EAKIN • Texas Tech
A fourth-year Red Raider, Eakin’s senior sendoff is slated to be a big one. Eakin caught 48 passes for 637 yards and six touchdowns last season while learning from NFL Draft picks Caleb Rouglas and Reggie Virgil, who each led Tech with roughly 14 yards per catch last season.
JORDAN DWYER • TCU
After a breakout 2024 at Idaho, Dwyer was Hoover’s No. 2 target behind McAlister last season, with 54 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Retaining a veteran in Dwyer is a major win for Sonny Dykes and Gordon Sammis as they roll with projected starter Jaden Craig, transferring in from Harvard.
JARON TIBBS • Kansas State
The Wildcats lost top receiver Jayce Brown to the transfer portal after three seasons and 712 total yards in 2025, but Tibbs is back with some promise to make up that work. Tibbs caught 47 passes for 595 yards and three touchdowns last year, and will be Avery Johnson’s most familiar target in Collin Klein‘s deep ball concepts brought over from Texas A&M.
DUANE THOMAS JR. • UCF
Thomas led the Knights with 53 catches for 528 yards and zero receiving TDs during a 5-7 campaign that lacked firepower to compete in the Big 12. Six different quarterbacks saw the field last year, but James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett III lends hope to an improved pass game this fall, with Thomas and fellow returning target Waden Charles.
