5 Big 12 Football Teams to Watch as Sleepers Over the Next Decade

The Big 12 doesn’t have a true long-term powerhouse right now, but that’s not going to last forever. Right now, all the money is on the Texas Tech Red Raiders to become “the team” in the Big 12 Conference. And while there’s no doubt that Tech is well positioned to be a team that, at the very least, is highly competitive atop the Big 12, what about the teams we aren’t talking about?

I went ahead and picked five Big 12 sleeper picks to watch over the next decade as a program that could rise to the top of the Big 12 as a consistent contender. All of these teams have one thing in common: They have either never won a Big 12 title, or haven’t won one in over 10 years. Many might point to BYU, Arizona, Utah or Arizona State. But those are not sleepers. They’re obvious picks. And in recent years, Big 12 Champions include Baylor, Kansas, Arizona State and Texas Tech, so they’re off the list. So here are the five sleepers.

1. West Virginia Mountaineers

Big 12 fans don’t remember the most recent heyday of West Virginia football with Pat White, Steve Slaton and more. They had a brief moment with Dana Holgorsen in 2016 (10-3) and 2018 (8-4) where they were great, but this program has a proud history going back to Rich Rodriguez‘s first tenure, highlighted by the 2006 and 2007 season.

WVU is hoping that RichRod can be that guy again, and while he’s only one mediocre year in, the ceiling is high, the recruiting is improving, with a heavy high school emphasis, including 49 recruits in the Class of 2026, which ranked 3rd in the Big 12, and the 2027 class currently ranks 4th.

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Cowboys have the history, the passion, and now we know, the money, to compete atop the Big 12 again under new head coach Eric Morris, who brought in the top transfer portal class in the country with him from North Texas. It was unclear what exactly the NIL situation was in Stillwater, and if they would be able to compete with some of the top-tier programs, but based on this off-season haul, it looks like that is not going to be an issue. And with winning will come more resources. It can be a snowball effect that brings Stillwater back to being a consistent winner in the Big 12.

And for those wondering, this program has not won a Big 12 title since 2011, so the Pokes qualify for this list.

3. Colorado Buffaloes

This might seem crazy to some of you, but Coach Prime has totally changed his strategy this off-season. He’s got a staff that is less about big-time NFL names, and rather guys who have actually coached college football, worked their way through the industry, and have a track record that can make a difference at a program like CU. Also, his transfer portal strategy has changed. It’s not just about grabbing the four or five-star prospect who has been riding the bench at a big-time SEC program. He’s now looking for producers at the lower levels who can make that jump to the Power 4 level: San Jose State’s
Vili Taufatofua and Sacremento State’s Ernest Campbell are just two examples of this strategy.

And the upside is still tremendous in Boulder. Deion Sanders is the biggest brand in the conference, and if he can unlock a strategy and plan that makes them annual contenders, Colorado can be a consistent winners in this conference.