A look at Big 12 football teams’ biggest losses and gains in the transfer portal

yards per carry.

Losses: WR Jordan Hudson, QB Sam Jackson

Hudson, a former fourstar, had potential for a big role at TCU before taking his talents across town to SMU. Hudson was ranked as the sixth-best wide receiver in the transfer portal by 247Sports.

Life in college football with the transfer portal is still new.

While some teams saw the portal take away starting-caliber players, others used the portal to replenish lost talent.

Almost every team in the Big 12 had major losses and big gains from the portal this offseason, but the teams that can replace starters could rise to the top of the new-look Big 12. Here’s a look at Big 12 portal movement.

TCU Gains: WR JoJo Earle, OT Tommy Brockermeyer, RB Trey Sanders Earle is an undersized, but effective wide receiver with blazing speed and twitchy athleticism. Earle recorded 12 catches each of the last two seasons at Alabama and also made a difference in the return game.

Brockermeyer, like Earle, brings three years of eligibility from Tuscaloosa to Fort Worth. Brockermeyer didn’t get much playing time with Alabama, but as a former top-10 recruit, he projects as an NFL Draftlevel tackle and has the ability to fortify the edge for the Horned Frogs.

Sanders was a five-star recruit but never consistently got on the field at Alabama. When he did get on the field, though, he averaged four

Jackson, a 5-foor-11 athlete was listed as a quarterback, but many thought he would turn out to be a receiver in college, but it never quite materialized for him. Jackson transferred to Cal and has three years of eligibility.

Kansas State

Gains: RB Treshaun Ward, WR Keagan Johnson

The reigning Big 12 Champions were relatively quiet in the portal, losing only two players and taking on only four.

Ward totaled 1,100 yards the last two season at Florida State at an average of 6.6 yards a carry. With the Wildcats in need of a replacement for program legend Deuce Vaughn, Ward, two years of eligibility left, could be that guy. Johnson has been in an offensive desert for the past few years in Iowa, while also missing much of last year with an injury. He has three years of eligibility remaining and with long-time star Malik Knowles moving on, Johnson could fill in.

Losses: LB Krew Jackson Only a freshman, Jackson has an elite frame, standing 6-foot-5, weighing 204 pounds, but with multiple years to fill out, Jackson has the physical potential to be a really good player off the edge. He only had two tackles and one sack last season and is now at Arizona State.

Texas

Gains: WR Adonai Mitchell, CB Gavin Holmes Mitchell, who spent the first two seasons of his career at Georgia, recorded 65 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions in this year’s College Football Playoff and was one of the top wide receivers in the portal.

Holmes, 5-11, 168 pounds, spent his first two seasons at Wake Forest and is very sound technically with many snaps over the past two seasons.

Losses: WR Brenan Thompson, QB Hudson Card Thompson now at rival OU, still has four years of eligibility left and is the definition of a burner. Thompson was the most likely to take over for Xavier Worthy, who will likely leave for the NFL after this season. Card heads to Purdue after throwing for more than 1,500 yards the last two seasons.

Texas Tech

Gains: EDGE Steve Linton, WR Deandre McCray

Linton, a former Syracuse edge rusher, had four sacks and a forced fumble last season in his first year of starting every game. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

McCray is a little bit more of an unknown. He spent the last few years at Austin Peay, where he was a star for the Governers, totaling nearly 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns the past two seasons.

Oliver’s

Football season is creeping up, and the Big 12 welcomes four new teams.

The O’Colly will rank position groups in the conference each week. Previously, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, offensive lines, special teams and defensive lines were ranked. This time, it’s the linebackers.

No. 1: Texas

The Longhorns have one of the best linebackers in the nation. Jaylan Ford received first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-American honors following a 2022 season with 119 tackles and four interceptions. High school All-American Anthony Hill Jr. is expected to fill in as a starter alongside 2022 reserve David Gbenda. Jahdae Barron is expected to continue as starter at SPUR.

No. 2: TCU

The Horned Frogs return two of the best linebackers in the conference. Johnny Hodges is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and is a member of the preseason All-Big 12 team. Jamoi Hodge had 82 tackles on his way to an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season.

No. 3: OSU

The Cowboys lost Mason Cobb to the portal but reinforced the position with the move of one of their best players. Collin Oliver is transitioning from the defensive line to the linebacker. Oliver is a twoyear starter and a former freshman All-American. Xavier Benson is returning after 76 tackles as a starter in 2022, and the Cowboys add Justin Wright from Tulsa, where Wright had 101 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.

No. 4: Kansas State Kansas State returns two All-Big 12 performers from a season ago. Austin Moore and Daniel Green earned All-Big 12 honorable mention last season. Moore led the team in tackles and Green has played in 50 career games.

No. 5: Oklahoma

The Sooners added one of the best freshman linebackers in the country. Dasan McCullough transferred in from Indiana after his freshman year where he earned Freshman All-American honors. Danny Stutsman returns after an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2022.

No. 6: Kansas

The Jayhawks return all three starters from 2022. Taiwan Berryhill Jr., Rich Miller and Craig Young will be back in the secondary this season. Miller was an All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2021 and Young had 60 tackles at the hybrid linebacker/defensive back position.

No. 7: Baylor

The Bears return two of their starters and add a solid starting linebacker. Mike Smith Jr. joins Baylor after a year at Liberty where he had 85 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. Garmon Randolph and All-Big 12 honorable mention Matt Jones are the two returners. The two combined for 108 tackles in 2022.

No. 8: UCF

The Knights return one of the best linebackers from the American Athletic Conference last season. Jason Johnson had 126 tackles on his way to an All-AAC first-team selection. Rian Davis is expected to be a starter following a backup role in 2022.

No. 9: BYU

BYU returns its leading tackler and adds another linebacker through the transfer portal. Ben Bywater has led the team in tackles the past two seasons, and AJ Vongphachanh trans- ferred in from Utah State following 101 tackles last season.

No. 10: Iowa State

The Cyclones lost two starters and will look to a transfer and backup to replace them.

Will McLaughlin and Missouri transfer Zach Lovett are expected to fill in. The two combined for 14 tackles last season.

Gerry Vaughn returns as starter, last season he led the team with 71 tackles.

No. 11: West

Virginia

Lee Kpogba returns to the linebacker spot with new starters surrounding him.

Kpogba led the team in tackles with 92 and was named as All-Big 12 honorable mention.

Jario Faverus and Lance Dixon are expected to fill in. Both had a handful of starts last season.

No. 12: Texas

Tech

The Red Raiders are needing to fill two starting spots for 2023. 2022 backups Bryce Ramirez, Jacob Rodriguez and Syracuse transfer Steve Linton are expected to be the contenders to replace the starters. Jesiah Pierre is the lone returning starter and finished eighth on the team in tackles with 40.

No. 13: Houston

The Cougars lost their top three linebackers from 2022. Malik Robinson is expected to take back his starting spot after a seasonending injury in Week 2 last season. Trimarcus Cheeks made five starts last season, and incoming freshman Latreveon McCutchin is expected to start.

No. 14: Cincinnati sports.ed@ocolly.com

Two of the Bearcats’ best linebackers in 2022 will not be returning. Backup Jack Dingle and Louisville transfer Dorian Jones are expected to step in. The duo combined for 48 tackles last season. Deshawn Pace will be the lone returning starter and ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 62.

With Big 12 Media Days starting Wednesday, here are five storylines to pay attention to this week and beyond.

Is Texas really back?

Texas received the No. 1 spot on the Big 12’s preseason media poll. Recently, the selected preseason champion hasn’t hoisted the trophy since OU in 2020. But the last time Texas was picked first, 2009, the Longhorns did win the conference.

The Longhorns are tasked with a big exit party from the Big 12 that is projected to end with the conference championship trophy in hand. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is one of the best in the conference, and the offensive line is expected to repeat top-of-theconference production. The biggest question is if the Longhorns can come close to replacing star running back Bijan Robinson.

If they can, the Longhorns just might be back.

Who will start at quarterback for OSU?

Spencer Sanders transferred to Ole Miss, and the Cowboys are the last Big 12 team to announce their starter. The decision is down to four quarterbacks – Michigan transfer Alan Bowman, Garret Rangel, Gunnar Gundy and freshman Zane Flores. Mike Gundy has started just one true freshman in his time at OSU and started

Rangel over Gunnar Gundy down the stretch of last season when Sanders was hurt. Bowman sat on the bench for two years at Michigan, but had a solid starting career at Texas Tech.

How will the four new teams adjust?

Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and BYU are entering Year 1 in the Big 12, but each has a different situation. According to the preseason media poll, UCF is projected to be the best of the four this year, picked eighth. The other three were picked No. 11-13. Cincinnati enters the conference with a new coach and was decimated by the transfer portal. Houston and BYU had down years last season and are trying to gather themselves while entering a new league.

Can the Big 12 continue parity in the conference championship game?

In the past three seasons, the conference has seen six different teams compete in Jerry’s World in the Big 12 Championship game. Oklahoma versus Iowa State in 2020, OSU versus Baylor in 2021 and Kansas State versus TCU last season. As picked by the media members, Texas is predicted to win the conference, but Kansas State is picked as runner-up.

Can OSU win with so many transfers?

OSU is playing with more transfers than it ever has. After last season, OSU suffered 18 portal entries, but was able to add 14 to reinforce the team. OSU coach Mike Gundy never liked using the portal, but he’s had to adjust to the always-changing game of football. If he can be successful this season, it might lead Gundy to utilize it more in the future.

201 S. Perkins Rd · 405-372-7170

Losses: QB Donovan

Smith, S Reggie Pearson Jr.

Smith played a lot of Red Raider football. Over the past two years, Smith threw for 2,600 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, along with a viable run threat. Smith was not slated to be the starter at TTU, so he moved on to new Big 12 rival Houston for his final year.

Pearson on the other hand, was likely to be a starter for the Red Raiders but instead headed to OU for his final year. Pearson record at least 54 tackles each of the past three years.

Oklahoma State Gains: QB Alan Bowman, WR De’Zhaun Stribling, EDGE Anthony Goodlow

Few teams in the Big 12 have faced as much turnover as the Cowboys.

Bowman has had an interesting college career. He had a solid few years at Texas Tech before he left for Michigan after his junior year. Two years later, he finds himself in Stillwater.

One of Bowman’s main targets will be former Washington State standout De’Zhaun Stribling, a Hawaii native who had 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns his first two seasons.

Goodlow made his way to OSU after spending four years at Tulsa. Goodlow, an Oklahoma native, adds a pass rusher to the Cowboy defense line after Collin Oliver’s move to linebacker. Goodlow accumulated 12 sacks over the past three years.

Losses: QB Spencer

Sanders, LB Mason Cobb

Simply put, Sanders is one of the best quarterbacks in OSU history, and losing him left the Cowboys scrambling, which led to Bowman heading to OSU. Replacing Sanders won’t be easy, and the quarterback position is a big question mark heading into the season.

Cobb put together a spectacular season for the Cowboys last season, recording 96 tackles, along with forcing a fumble and picking off one pass. Cobb joined USC in the portal.

Baylor

Gains: RB Dominic Richardson, WR Ketron Jackson Richardson heads to Waco after a productive three years at OSU, where he rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns. He heads to BU where he and Richard Reese will form a formidable backfield duo.

A former four-star, Jackson comes to the Big 12 after a productive sophomore campaign at Arkansas, where he had nearly 300 receiving yards on only 16 receptions.

Losses: DB Alfahiym

Walcott, IOL Micah Mazzccua Walcott is a big loss for the Bears on the back end. The senior defensive back accumulated more than 80 tackles for BU last season, along with two sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception.

Mazzccua also left BU for the SEC, heading to Gainsville to join the Florida Gators. Losing a quality interior lineman in Mazzccua, who has three remaining years of eligibility, could hurt Baylor’s attempt at a revamped run game.

Kansas

Gains: OT Logan Brown, CB Damarius McGhee Brown, a former five-star recruit, heads to Lawrence after spending two years at Wisconsin. Originally ranked as a top-10 prospect out of high school, Brown never truly caught on with the Badgers but could be a Day 1 starter for the Jayhawks.

McGhee, formerly of LSU, still has three years of eligibility, and with his long, lanky frame, he has the physical upside to be a very good player for the Jayhawks. The tandem of McGhee and Cobee Bryant has the potential to be one of the best corner duos in the nation.

Losses: None

Perhaps the most impressive thing accomplished by this program in recent memory, KU somehow managed to not have a major player enter the transfer portal.

Oklahoma

Gains: LB Dasan McCollough, OT Walter Rouse

Coming off its worst season in recent memory, Oklahoma hit the transfer portal hard. The Sooners are brought in 17 new players, including McCollough, who still has four years of eligibility left. He was a star as a freshman at Indiana, where he had four sacks and nearly 50 tackles.

Rouse spent multiple years at Stanford before moving to OU, and he only has one year of eligibility left. Rouse will likely be a starter on the offensive line right away.

Losses: WR Theo Wease, CB Jaden Davis

Wease was one of the few remaining holdovers from the Lincoln Riley era, but now he heads to Mizzou. Wease was a solid option the last two years, hauling in nearly 60 passes for almost 800 yards. Wease was on pace to be OU’s WR1 for the upcoming season. Davis is a talented player at a critical position, and one that the Sooners typically have struggled at, even before Davis decided to go to Miami for his final year. Davis played significant snaps for the past four years for OU, recording at least 20 tackles each season.

Iowa State

Gains: RB Arlen Harris Of the three transfers headed to Ames this season, former Stanford running back Arlen Harris is the biggest. With both Cartevious Norton and Jihrel Brock dealing with injuries last year, Harris could be called upon to fill a major role on the Cyclone offense.

Losses: DB Tayvonn Kyle ISU didn’t lose much in the portal either, but Kyle was a rotational defensive back, and with the Cyclones losing a few players from last year’s elite defense, an experienced veteran like Kyle on the back end could have been helpful.

West Virginia Gains: WR Devin Carter, CB Montre Miller

In last year’s season finale against North Carolina, Carter, an NC State transfer, exploded for six catches and 160 yards, along with a touchdown. Carter is a big-bodied, explosive deep threat, who has a ton of natural ability.

Miller, a Kent State transfer, stand 5-10 and weighs 168 pounds, but despite his frame, he is at his best in man coverage. Miller performed well enough at Kent State to raise his portal status to a fourstar.

Houston Gains: WR Stephon Johnson Jr., LB Ish Harris

Johnson, a sophomore from OSU, had one catch for 84 yards and a touchdown in OSU’s bowl game and was expected to be a major contributor for the Cowboys before entering the transfer portal. The second-year wideout is a burner on the outside who has decent size at 6-foot, 175 pounds. Harris, 6-2, 205, heads to Houston after spending his first year at Texas A&M, and he has four years of eligibility left as he didn’t get on the field for the Aggies last season.

Losses: RB Alton McCaskill, OT Cam’Ron Johnson McCaskill, who transferred to Colorado, was spectacular as a freshman, toting the rock 189 times for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns. McCaskill was certain to be an offensive engine for UH before he took his talents to the Pac12. Johnson, who left for

Missouri, is a bruising tackle, standing 6-4, weighing 304 pounds. He would’ve helped alongside McCaskill in establishing a potent rushing attack during its first season in the Big 12.

BYU Gains: RB Aidan Robbins, CB Eddie Heckard Robbins heads to Provo after a breakout season at UNLV where he rushed for over 1,000 yards and broke into the end zone nine times. Robbins will likely slot into the starting role after last season’s leading rusher Christopher Brooks is with the Miami Dolphins. Heckard, is making a sizeable jump in competition after spending five seasons at Weber State. At just 5’10, Heckard has solid muscle mass at 190 pounds. Last season, Heckard had two interceptions, seven passes broken up and 50 tackles.

Losses: EDGE Logan Fano, LB Keenan Pili Fano, who didn’t suit up for BYU last season, takes all four years of eligibility to Utah. Fano has a great frame for an edge rusher, standing 6-4, weighing 240, and boasting enough power to bull over opposing blockers.

Pili recorded double-digit tackles each of the past four years, establishing himself as one of BYU’s best defensive players on the defensive side of the ball. Pili is headed to Tennessee.

UCF

Gains: DB Decorian Patterson, LB Rian Davis

Patterson, a Middle Tennessee State transfer, intercepted seven passes last season, more than tripling his career total up to that point. Still, Patterson must show he can translate his ability to pick off passes on a bigger stage. Davis doesn’t have much production to his name, recording just 16 tackles in his two seasons at Georgia, but increased playing time could lead to a spike in production for a player with all the physical tools to be an elite college linebacker.

Losses: IOL Matt Lee, CB Davonte Brown Lee is a big interior guard, weighing nearly 300 pounds and standing 6-4. Lee’s absence will be felt as UCF tries to establish the run in a bigger, more physical conference than the AAC. He transferred to Miami.

Brown played a major role for the UCF defense each of the past three years tallying more than 20 tackles in each. Brown also batted down four passes last season and picked off two passes, but he joins Lee in Miami.

Cincinnati sports.ed@ocolly.com

Gains: WR Xzavier Henderson, QB Emory Jones Henderson heads to Cincy following a solid showing at Florida last season. The sophomore receiver tallied 400 yards and two touchdowns on 38 receptions for the Gators last season.

Emory Jones has had quite the career. Once a highly ranked recruit, Jones never really caught on at Florida and transferred to Arizona State, which didn’t work out. Jones can use his feet, but his accuracy has never been consistent. Still, he could be a good option for the Bearcats.