We have finally reached Week 0, and the Big 12 will kick off the season with TCU taking on North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. The wait is almost over, and in the spirit of one final preseason article from yours truly, let’s take a look at who could win the Big 12 and who could be some of the statistical leaders in the conference by the end of the season.
Big 12 Champion: Texas Tech
This isn’t a hot-take pick here to start things out, but Texas Tech seems like they have what it takes to be the first team since Oklahoma in 2019 and 2020 to win back-to-back conference championships. The defense is still going to be dominant despite losing some top talent to the NFL. The Brendan Sorsby drama shouldn’t distract from what should be another college football playoff run for the Red Raiders.
Passing Yards: Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Drew Mestemaker led the NCAA in passing yards last season with 4, 379 yards, and following his head coach to Oklahoma State should mean more success is on the way as they make their way into the Big 12. Yes, the competition will be tougher, but even in his two games against ranked opponents in 2025, Mestemaker led the Mean Green to over 300 yards per game. They will play two of the most dominant defenses in the country from last year in Oregon and Texas Tech, but those could be games where the Pokes may need to be throwing the ball a ton to play catch-up, adding to those stats.
You could make a case for Noah Fifita, who is the most experienced quarterback in the league and should be helping Arizona compete for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game this year. He is coming off a career-high 3,200 yards passing and looks to improve on that number this season. Many of the other top quarterbacks in the league are dual-threat guys who can certainly sling the ball but split their time between passing and running, and they likely won’t stack up the passing yards needed to lead the league by the end of the season.
Rushing Yards: LJ Martin, BYU
LJ Martin is the reigning Big 12 rushing leader, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t repeat that feat in 2026. He finished the 2025 season with 1,305 yards rushing and should continue to dominate the workload for the Cougars again in 2026.
A name to keep an eye on: Caleb Hawkins at Oklahoma State. He’s another North Texas transfer, and he led the nation in rushing touchdowns with a whopping 25 last season. He also had over 1,400 rushing yards, and that would have led the Big 12 last season. It will be tough to duplicate those numbers in the Big 12, but the Cowboys will be a fun offense to watch this season.
Receiving Yards: Amare Thomas, Houston
Amare Thomas finished the season just shy of 1,000 yards last season and has continued to get better in each of his collegiate seasons. He is back for his senior season and a chance to push for his best season yet. There’s a comfort level with his quarterback, Conner Weigman, and their rapport should go a long way to making that Cougar offense hum in 2026. His 12 touchdowns were tied for 6th in the NCAA last season, and that production should continue going into this season.
There are several names to keep an eye on, including Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Young, who is another transfer from North Texas. He finished the 2025 season with 1,264 yards, good enough for third most in the NCAA. He also added 120 touchdowns. That Cowboy offense should be electric, and Young will be a big part of that. Arizona State’s Omarion Miller, a transfer from Colorado, could have a big season as well. He will be working with a transfer quarterback, Cutter Boley, so it’s yet to be seen if their chemistry will translate to huge numbers. Jordan Dwyer of TCU was boom or bust last season and will be working with a new quarterback this year, but he has the potential to be a 1,000-yard receiver for the Horned Frogs.
Tackles: Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
The Red Raider linebacker is coming off a 90 total tackle season and has had over 100 tackles in a season previously. The last time we saw Ben Roberts in a game, he had 16 tackles against Oregon. He could very well be the Big 12’s leading tackler in 2026 if he keeps that momentum going into the season as he leads the Texas Tech defense.
A couple of other guys to keep an eye on include Kansas Jayhawk Trey Lathan, who broke out with 86 tackles last season, including a 13-tackle game against Iowa State late in the season. Lathan is expected to take on an even larger role with the Jayhawks defense this season, so 100+ tackles is definitely on the table. Taye Brown of Arizona is another linebacker expected to be right there at the top of the list. He finished last season with 93 tackles and is a leader on the Wildcat defense.
Will we see any surprises among the statistical leaders by the end of the season? We won’t have to wait much longer for Big 12 football, and the excitement couldn’t be more palpable!
