While the 2026 college football season is still six months away, the chaos of the transfer portal kept the news cycle churning throughout the winter.
Now that the dust has settled and rosters are set, it's time to begin every football fan's favorite time of the year: offseason discourse. No matter how the portal season went, this is a time for fans to ramp up their optimism before their nerves set in on gameday.
To help with raising the hype levels, here is every Big 12 school's top-ranked transfer portal player that they landed this offseason.
Texas Tech - QB Brendan Sorsby
One of many inter-conference transfers, Sorsby was nothing short of spectacular for Cincinnati in 2025, making him the No. 2 prospect in the portal by 247Sports. The longtime starter completed 61% of his passes to the tune of 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and only five interceptions. However, Sorsby's ability to keep plays alive and use his legs is what makes him such a tantalizing prospect, as he ran for nine touchdowns and 580 yards last season.
Oklahoma State - QB Drew Mestemaker
The Big 12 had the honor of landing the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects, with the former being Mestemaker. The North Texas gunslinger follows his head coach, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State after a dominant season. Mestemaker rattled off a school record 4,379 passing yards and 34 touchdowns in his first season starting. The Austin, Texas native completed 69% of his passes and will need to stay excellent to lead the Cowboys to a bounce-back year.
Arizona State - WR Omarion Miller
Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham was tasked with finding a replacement for star wideout Jordyn Tyson and went back to the well of Colorado football to find another game-changer. Miller was often the only bright spot in a struggling Buffaloes' offense. Despite a carousel of quarterbacks, Miller was still able to grab 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 45 catches.
Baylor - QB DJ Lagway
Lagway struggled to find consistency with Florida, yet his athletic abilities remain among the best in the nation. Through his two seasons as a Gator, Lagway threw for 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions and was sacked a whopping 32 times. Maybe returning home to where his father played will give Lagway a solid foundation. In 2026, Baylor will be tasked with unlocking the highest upside prospect in the nation.
Colorado - WR DeAndre Moore Jr.
After losing Omarion Miller, finding a target for young quarterback Julian Lewis was the top priority heading into the Buffaloes' portal season. Bringing in Moore should provide just that for the renovated Buffs' offense under new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
While his stats don't jump off the page, he only grabbed 77 passes for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Longhorns. However, he was the master of consistency, grabbing at least one ball in every game for Texas in 2025. An athletic safety blanket for Lewis will allow for the Buffs' speedy wideouts to unlock the "Go-Go" offense.
BYU - LB Cade Uluave
Uluave has the honor of being the best defensive transfer heading into the Big 12 Conference next year, and for good reason. In his three seasons with the California Golden Bears, he wrapped up 235 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions. Last season was by far his best effort, falling just three tackles shy of the century mark and totaling 12 tackles for loss en route to an All-ACC first team honor. BYU has a long history of quality off-ball linebackers, and that trend looks to continue with the addition of Uluvae.
Kansas State - EDGE Wendell Gregory
Another inter-conference transfer, Gregory heads north to become a Wildcat. A transfer from South Carolina, Gregory totaled four sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2025. Although three of his sacks came in the Cowboys' first game against FCS-opponent UT Martin, he was one of the lone playmakers on an Oklahoma State team that went 1-11. With a new head coach at the helm, an athletic pass rusher who can anchor the edge would go a long way for Kansas State.
Utah - WR Braden Pegan
Utah looked in-state for their top transfer, bringing in the Aggies' top wide receiver from a year ago. In his lone season with Utah State, the 6-foot-3 wideout nearly crossed 1,000 yards on 60 catches. Peagan ended the season with five touchdowns, two coming in his monster performance against Air Force, where he caught seven passes for 147 yards.
Cincinnati - WR Cade Wolford
The 5-foot-10 wideout was a walking highlight reel for Kent State in 2025. While he had limited opportunities, only catching 19 passes, he made the most of every touch, averaging 26.8 yards per catch and racking up 509 yards and seven touchdowns. Cincinnati might have found a diamond in the rough if it can keep his production up throughout the next season.
TCU - IOL Noah McKinney
The next inter-conference transfer is the first offensive lineman to make the list. The developing interior offensive lineman primarily plays at right guard and projects as a strong run blocker for TCU next season. McKinney heads to Fort Worth to block for Harvard transfer Jaden Craig and revive an inconsistent Horned Frogs offense.
Kansas - RB Dylan Edwards
The situation around Edwards' time at Kansas State was confusing, but one thing remains clear as he heads to the Sunflower State rivals: he's a quality back. The Jayhawks seem to be on the brink of a breakout season every year under Lance Leipold, but they've failed to deliver much in the way of postseason success. Edwards' strong running style and big-play ability should give Kansas a clear identity moving forward into 2026 that they have lacked.
Houston - RB Makhi Hughes
Hughes was rarely seen on the field as an Oregon Duck, but flashing back to his time at Tulane, there's a chance Houston might have walked away with the steal of the 2026 transfer portal class. In two seasons with the Green Wave, Hughes used his shiftiness and speed to total over 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns. A dominant running back with the ability to create chunk gains could be the missing piece for the Cougars, fresh off a breakout year.
Arizona - TE Cole Rusk
Arizona wasn't very active in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in only 23 players. Rusk was consistent with Illinois, catching 19 passes for 217 yards and a score in 2025, and should provide a nice safety blanket for quarterback Noah Fifita. The former Fighting Illini should bring veteran leadership to a team on an upward trajectory after a solid 2025.
Iowa State - EDGE Isaac Terrell
Losing Matt Campbell to Penn State was utterly disastrous for the Cyclones, which saw an exodus of talent in the offseason. Terrell was a bright spot, landing one of the best edge players on the West Coast. With the Cougars, Terrell racked up seven sacks, including two against Ole Miss, and forced a fumble in 2025. The pass-rush specialist will be key to establishing a tone in Iowa State's new era.
West Virginia - RB Cam Cook
Former Horned Frog Cook absolutely balled out in his one season with Jacksonville State in 2025. On nearly 300 touches, Cook racked up 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Gamecocks, in addition to some solid receiving stats. West Virginia lost running back Jaheim White to North Texas in the portal, bringing in Cook solidifies the position and looks to have significant upside for the rebuilding Mountaineers.
UCF - RB Duke Watson
After rebuilding their roster last season, the Knights' transfer portal class ranked dead last in the Big 12 according to 247Sports. The Louisville running back was their top-ranked transfer but missed significant time due to injuries during a down year in 2025. However, in 2024, Watson ranked among the nation's best running backs by yards per carry, averaging nearly nine yards per carry on 67 carries. If he can return to form, UCF could have a star on its hands.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 football transfer rankings: Every team's best portal addition