Big 12 announces 2023 preseason football media poll

The Big 12 released the annual preseason football media poll, predicting the finishing position for each of the leagues now 14 programs. Unsurprisingly, Texas was picked by media to win the league, but five other programs earned some first-place votes.

Along with the Longhorns, defending champions Kansas State earned some first-place nods, as did Oklahoma, Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats were only a few points before Texas for the top spot in the total tally.

And among the newcomers to the league — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF — it’s the Knights getting picked to finish highest of the four. UCF was picked to finish eighth in the league, while BYU, Houston and Cincinnati are 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively.

See the full 2023 preseason Big 12 media poll below.

Big 12 2023 preseason media poll

1. Texas (41 first-place votes)
2. Kansas State (14)
3. Oklahoma (4)
4. Texas Tech (4)
5. TCU (3)
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma State (1)
8. UCF
9. Kansas
10. Iowa State
11. BYU
12. Houston
13. Cincinnati
14. West Virginia

The Big 12 released the preseason all-conference team on Wednesday

The Big 12 announced its 2023 preseason all-conference team and awards on Wednesday with plenty of surprises. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels has been named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford claimed Defensive Player of the Year.

Kansas State running back Treshaun Ward, who transferred in from Florida State, was dubbed the preseason Newcomer of the Year.

Daniels returns to the Jayhawks after leading them to a 5-0 start to last season and their first AP poll ranking since 2009. Unfortunately, that hot start was cut short when he suffered an injury and missed more than a month. He returned near the end of the season and broke the KU record with 544 yards in the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas while also scoring six total touchdowns.

Ford is the Big 12’s leading returning tackler with 119 this past season. Not only that, he finished with four interceptions, three forced fumbles and two sacks. He returns to anchor a Longhorns defense with its sights set on a conference championship in their last year of Big 12 play.

Ward comes to K-State after finishing this past season as the Seminoles’ second-leading rusher with 628 yards and seven touchdowns. He expects to step in to fill the void left behind by Deuce Vaughn, who is on to the NFL.

Texas leads all schools in the conference with five players to make the Big 12 preseason all-conference team. Kansas and Kansas State were right behind the Longhorns with four apiece. Among the four new schools to join the conference for this season, Cincinnati leads with two players while BYU has one. Neither Houston nor UCF had any players listed.

See the full preseason All-Big 12 teams here.