Phil Steele releases Preseason All-Big 12 Teams ahead of 2025 season

With the 2025 college football season less than two months away, the Big 12 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting conferences in the sport. A Power Four conference, the Big 12 has become known for parity as it jocks for position among the upper echelon of college football.

There is, of course, means that there’s plenty of talent throughout the Big 12 that’s worth recognizing. So, ahead of the season, in his annual preseason magazine, Phil Steele has announced his Preseason All-Big 12 teams. There’s room for plenty of surprises coming from this conference, of course, but for now, there are already plenty of names to take a look at.

In total, 13 different Big 12 teams have at least one player on Steele’s Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 roster. With talent spread throughout the conference, each week should be a battle. So, it’s hard not to get excited about this conference.

Quarterback

1st Team: Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
2nd Team: Avery Johnson, Kansas State
3rd Team: Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
4th Team: Rocco Becht, Iowa State

The Baylor Bears seem to have found some stability at the quarterback position. After bouncing between several quarterbacks prior to the 2024 season, it was Sawyer Robertson who emerged. With his emergence, the Bears rapidly improved and arguably got head coach Dave Aranda off the hot seat.

Last season, Robertson completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 3,071 yards and 28 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He also rushed for 230 yards and another four touchdowns. The hope, in 2025, is that he can build on that once again.

Running Back

1st Team: Bryson Washington, Baylor; Dylan Edwards, Kansas State
2nd Team: Jaheim White, West Virginia; Jaden Nixon, UCF
3rd Team: Carson Hansen, Iowa State; Quinten Joyner, Texas Tech
4th Team: Kanye Udoh, Arizona State; Tawee Walker, Cincinnati

At running back, Steele highlighted two different running backs. The first was Bryson Washington, making for a very well rounded backfield in Waco. Last season, he went for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 22 passes for 217 yards and another score.

Joining Washington here is Dylan Edwards of Kansas State. Last year, while sharing carries, he rushed for 546 yards and five touchdowns. Now, the hope, and in Steele’s case the expectation, is that he’s going to break out in a major way next season.

Wide Receiver

1st Team: Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State; Eric McAlister, TCU; Chase Roberts, BYU
2nd Team: Josh Cameron, Baylor; Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech; Joseph Williams, Colorado
3rd Team: Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech; Chase Sowell, Iowa State; Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
4th Team: Cam Vaughn, West Virginia; Luke Wysong, Arizona; Jayce Brown, Kansas State

It’s hard for anyone to pick out three wide receivers in all of the Big 12. Steele tried to do exactly that, though, picking out Jordyn Tyson, Eric McAlister, and Chase Roberts. It shouldn’t be a surprise that all of these wide receivers are pieces of some of the conference’s most prolific offenses.

Tyson is coming off a season with 1,101 receiving yards. McAlister had 762 yards. Then, Roberts had 854 yards. They’re all looking to build on that in 2025. If they’re able to do so, then there’s a good chance that all of these teams are competitive in the Big 12.

Tight End

1st Team: Joe Royer, Cincinnati
2nd Team: Garrett Oakley, Kansas State
3rd Team: Michael Trigg, Baylor
4th Team: Tanner Koziol, Houston

At the tight end position, Steele has Joey Royer of Cincinnati as his Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 selection. He’ll be going into his fifth season playing college football.

Royer finished last year with 50 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns. After previously transferring in from Ohio State, that was a major breakout for him. Now, the veteran wants to take another leap forward.

Center

1st Team: Bryce Foster, Kansas
2nd Team: Sam Hecht, Kansas State
3rd Team: Ben Coleman, Arizona State
4th Team: Gavin Gerhardt, Cincinnati

The center position is one of the most important along the offensive line. Often tasked with calling out protections and communicating between the quarterback and the offensive line. So, at this vital position, Steele selected Bryce Foster of Kansas.

2025 will be Foster’s second with the Jayhawks. Before that, he’d spent three seasons playing for Texas A&M in the SEC. That’s given him plenty of experience, which should help to make him one of the best offensive linemen in the country.

Offensive Line

1st Team: Omar Aigbedion, Baylor; Xavier Hill, Colorado; Spencer Fano, Utah; Howard Sampson, Texas Tech
2nd Team: Davion Carter, Texas Tech; Taran Tyo, Cincinnati; Jordan Seaton, Colorado; Caleb Lomu, Utah
3rd Team: Alexander Doost, Arizona; Weylin Lapuaho, BYU; Paul Rubelt, UCF; Tyler Miller, Iowa State
4th Team: Cade Bennett, TCU; Tanoa Togiai, Utah; Joe Cotton, Cincinnati; Sidney Fugar, Baylor

Steele included both guards and tackles among the remainders of his offensive line. With that, he included four total offensive linemen among his First-Team All-Big 12 selections. Notably, each player then comes from a different team within the conference.

Howard Sampson joins Texas Tech as a key transfer. Joining him in the ranks of the transfers into the conference is Xavier Hill. Spencer Fano, meanwhile enters his third season at Utah after starting in his first two for the Utes. Finally, Omar Aigbedion returns for a second season at Baylor after thriving before that at the FCS level. With his experience, he should anchor the Bears’ offensive line.

Defensive Line

1st Team: David Bailey, Texas Tech; Domonique Orange, Iowa State; Lee Hunter, Texas Tech; Jimmori Robinson, West Virginia
2nd Team: Tre Smith, Arizona; Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati; CJ Fite, Arizona State; Nyjalik Kelly, UCF
3rd Team: Dean Miller, Kansas; Keanu Tanuvasa, BYU; Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech; Jackie Marshall, Baylor
4th Team: Logan Fano, Utah; Carlos Allen, Houston; Dallas Vakalahi, Utah; Clayton Smith, Arizona State

The defensive line includes both defensive ends and defensive tackles, who usually take on significantly different roles. They’re grouped together here, with Steele including four of them on his First-Team All-Big 12 for the preseason.

Texas Tech has two players Steele is recognizing, both of whom are transfers. First, David Bailey is coming from Stanford where he had 7.0 sacks last season. Then, Lee Hunter comes from fellow Big 12 school UCF, where he clogged up the middle and had 10 tackles for loss. Iowa State’s Domonique Orange, meanwhile is coming off three seasons with the Cyclones and had five tackles for loss last season. Then, Jimmori Robinson is coming to West Virginia after four seasons at UTSA, hoping to have success transitioning up.

Linebacker

1st Team: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech; Austin Romaine, Kansas State; Keaton Thomas, Baylor; Isaiah Glasker, BYU
2nd Team: Jack Kelly, BYU; Will McLaughlin, Iowa State; Namdi Obiazor, TCU; Lander Barton, Utah
3rd Team: Travion Barnes, Baylor; Keyshaun Eliott, Arizona State; Chase Wilson, West Virginia; Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
4th Team: Jake Golday, Cincinnati; Bryan McCoy, Oklahoma State; Kooper Ebel, Iowa State; Reginald Hughes, Colorado

Linebacker remains one of the most important positions on the defense. In the era of helmet communication, that’s even more true. Oftentimes, it’s on them to get the defense into position pre-snap. Being able to do that, and then to play at a high level, is something only a handful of players are going to be able to do.

Glasker led the conference with 15 tackles for a loss last season. Thomas led the conference with 56 assisted tackles. Rodriguez led the conference with 77 solo tackles. Then, Romaine didn’t lead the Big 12 in any individual category but did put up a massive 96 total tackles and eight tackles for a loss as a sophomore. All of those players hope to improve on that next year.

Cornerback

1st Team: Michael Coats, West Virginia; Jontez Williams, Iowa State
2nd Team: Keith Abney, Arizona State; Brice Pollock, Texas Tech
3rd Team: Mory Bamba, BYU; DJ McKinney, Colorado
4th Team: Matthew McDoom, Cincinnati; Cam Smith, Oklahoma State

At corner, Steele highlighted two Big 12 players for the First-Team. First, Michael Coats is entering his first season at West Virginia after transferring in from Nevada. There, he had four interceptions and 13 pass breakups last season.

Jontez Williams, meanwhile, has proven himself in the Big 12 and will be going into his third season with Iowa State. Last season, he had four interceptions and five pass breakups there. Add in 46 total tackles and he was a fierce defender.

Safety

1st Team: Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State; Xavion Alford, Arizona State
2nd Team: Bud Clark, TCU; Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech
3rd Team: VJ Payne, Kansas State; Fred Perry, West Virginia
4th Team: Smith Snowden, Utah; Genesis Smith, Arizona

Steele rounded out the defensive backs with a pair of safeties. First, there was Jeremiah Cooper at Iowa State. Another experienced Cyclones defensive back who has proven it within the program, Cooper had 48 tackles, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups last season.

Then, Xavion Alford of Arizona State rounds up the defensive backs. It’s his second season with the Sun Devils. After an 85-tackle season with two interceptions and five pass breakups in his first with Arizona State, it’s safe to say that expectations are high in 2025.

Specialists

1st Team: Will Ferrin, BYU; Palmer Williams, Baylor; Jeremiah Patterson, Arizona; Parker Kingston, BYU, Garrison Grimes, BYU
2nd Team: Laith Marjan, Kansas; Mason Fletcher, Cincinnati; Xavier Townsend, Iowa State; Josh Cameron, Baylor; Eli Stein, Cincinnati
3rd Team: Kyle Konrardy, Iowa State; Oliver Straw, West Virginia; Preston Fox, West Virginia; Jalen Moss, Arizona State; Drew Clausen, Iowa State
4th Team: Jesus Gomez, Arizona State; Liam Dougherty, Houston; J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech; Xavier Townsend, Iowa State; Shea Freibaum, Oklahoma State

The specialists are full of BYU Cougars going into next season. Will Ferrin is a returning kicker who had 113 total points last season. Snapping him the ball will be Garrison Grimes. Then, Parker Kingston is also a more than proven punt returner, who had two touchdowns and averaged 14.8 yards per return.

Palmer Williams of Baylor is the punter Steele selected for his Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 Team. He averaged 49.3 yards per punt. Representing the kick returners is Jeremiah Patterson of Arizona. He averaged 22.1 yards per return.