Week 0 is here, and the Big 12 is set to open with TCU facing North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. With the season about to get rolling, here’s a look at one forecast for the conference race and the players who could finish atop a few major stat categories.
Texas Tech is the pick to win the Big 12 again. The Red Raiders look capable of becoming the first team since Oklahoma in 2019 and 2020 to win back-to-back conference titles.
Even with some top defensive talent gone to the NFL, the defense is expected to stay dominant. And whatever happens with the Brendan Sorsby drama, it should not get in the way of what looks like another College Football Playoff push for Texas Tech.
At quarterback, the passing yardage race could belong to Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State. He led the NCAA with 4,379 passing yards last season, and following his head coach to Oklahoma State should set him up for more production now that the Cowboys are in the Big 12.
The competition gets tougher, but Mestemaker still put up more than 300 passing yards per game in his two games against ranked opponents in 2025. Oklahoma State also draws Oregon and Texas Tech, two defenses that were among the most dominant in the country last season, and those could turn into games where the Pokes are forced to throw constantly just to keep pace.
Noah Fifita also has a real path to the top of the passing chart. He enters the season as the league’s most experienced quarterback and should help Arizona contend for a Big 12 Championship Game spot.
He is coming off a career-high 3,200 passing yards and will try to top that mark this season. A lot of the conference’s other top quarterbacks are dual-threat players who can make plays through the air, but they also split time on the ground, which could keep them from piling up enough passing yards to lead the league.
On the ground, LJ Martin of BYU is the name to beat. He was the Big 12’s rushing leader last season and there is little reason to think he cannot do it again in 2026. Martin finished 2025 with 1,305 rushing yards and should again handle a heavy load for the Cougars.
Caleb Hawkins at Oklahoma State is another runner worth watching. He transferred from North Texas, led the nation with 25 rushing touchdowns last season, and also ran for more than 1,400 yards, a total that would have topped the Big 12 a year ago. Matching that production in a tougher league will be difficult, but Oklahoma State’s offense should be one of the most entertaining in the conference.
The receiving yards race could go to Amare Thomas of Houston. He finished last season just under 1,000 yards and has improved every year of his college career.
Now entering his senior season, he has a chance to post his best numbers yet. His chemistry with quarterback Conner Weigman should help the Houston offense find a rhythm in 2026, and Thomas’ 12 touchdowns last season were tied for sixth in the NCAA.
There are other receivers to keep on the radar, starting with Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Young. Another North Texas transfer, he finished the 2025 season with 1,264 yards, which was third most in the NCAA, and added 120 touchdowns.
That Cowboys offense should be explosive, and Young will be a major piece of it. Arizona State’s Omarion Miller, a transfer from Colorado, could also have a big year, though he will be working with transfer quarterback Cutter Boley, so their connection still has to prove itself.
TCU’s Jordan Dwyer was up and down last season and will be catching passes from a new quarterback this year, but he still has the upside to become a 1,000-yard receiver for the Horned Frogs.
At linebacker, Ben Roberts of Texas Tech stands out as the favorite to lead the conference in tackles. He posted 90 total tackles last season and has already gone over 100 in a previous year.
The last time he played in a game, he racked up 16 tackles against Oregon. If that carries into this season, he could finish as the Big 12’s top tackler while anchoring the Red Raiders’ defense.
A few more linebackers could make a run at the top of that list. Kansas’ Trey Lathan broke out with 86 tackles last season, including a 13-tackle performance against Iowa State late in the year.
He is expected to take on a bigger role for the Jayhawks this season, and 100-plus tackles is on the table. Arizona’s Taye Brown is another player to watch after finishing with 93 tackles last season and emerging as a leader for the Wildcats defense.
The season is almost here, and the Big 12 could still throw a few surprises into these races before it’s all said and done.
In Other News...
Sonny Dykes Finally Addressed The TCU Incident That Changed The Roster
TCUs buildup to its trip to Ireland carried an unexpected off-field wrinkle when a locker room altercation involving safety Jacob Fields and wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma forced the program to deal with a situation no coach wants to explain. Fields was dismissed from the team in the aftermath, and Ezukanma did not travel with the Horned Frogs, leaving Sonny Dykes to manage the football fallout while also trying to keep the focus on the season ahead.
Dykes said the incident was out of character and framed the team as resilient enough to move forward, but the episode still altered the roster in a meaningful way. For TCU, the bigger question now is less about the confrontation itself than how quickly the Horned Frogs can settle back into a normal rhythm after a disruption that reached well beyond the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Just Added A Major Twist To UNC's TCU Test
North Carolinas trip to face TCU is already getting an early-season layer of intrigue, and now the Tar Heels are leaning even more heavily on Bill Belichicks game-day influence. With defensive coordinator Steve Belichick still on medical leave, the staff has spent the buildup working together on the plan, with defensive line coach Bob Diaco helping lead the effort. The arrangement was set in motion after Steve Belichicks leave was announced Aug. 6, and the team has yet to offer a timeline or further details.
For TCU, the bigger immediate takeaway is simple: the matchup now comes with Bill Belichick taking over defensive play-calling duties for North Carolina on game day. Even with the collaborative preparation behind him, the change puts a new wrinkle on how the Tar Heels will present themselves on the sideline and on the field. It also adds another layer of uncertainty for an opener that was already going to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Opens With A New Offensive Twist In Dublin Weather
TCU landed in Dublin with a different look on offense and a setting that could make the opener feel even more unfamiliar. Jaden Craig, the Harvard transfer, is set to make his first start at quarterback after Josh Hoover moved on to Indiana, giving the Horned Frogs a new face at the position as they get ready for North Carolina.
The bigger question may be how quickly TCU settles into Gordon Sammis zone-run approach and how smoothly it fits with Sonny Dykes air raid roots. Add in the possibility of rain and cooler conditions on game day, and the opener could test more than just a new quarterback. It may also offer the first real glimpse of how adaptable this offense can be when the weather and the opponent both change the feel of the game. [Read more 🡒]