ESPN Includes Four Big 12 Teams in Future Power Rankings for 2025–26

In a recent future power rankings piece, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg projects four Big 12 programs to be among the nation’s Top  25 over the next two seasons.

The four teams included on the list—Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State, and BYU—are among the nation’s top programs, and Rittenberg sees big things ahead for each.

The qualifications for making the list were broken down into six categories: returning quarterback, likelihood of a multi-year QB, offensive line and defensive line outlook, roster management, star power, and coaching staff.

NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE

Arizona State was listed as the top-ranked Big 12 team overall in Rittenberg’s list, and it’s easy to see why. A combination of young and budding stars like Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, paired with an elite coach like Kenny Dillingham, things are looking up in Tempe.

NO. 19 IOWA STATE

While Iowa State’s NIL backing may not be as strong as other schools in the Top 25, Matt Campbell’s rock-solid leadership has made all the difference in the world. Rocco Becht enters his junior season in 2025, and while the jury is still out about his NFL upside, the program is in a great spot going forward.

NO. 21 KANSAS STATE

Shortly behind Iowa State is their Week 0 rival, Kansas State, which earned Top 25 honors for similar reasons. The Wildcats are led by one of college football’s rising stars, Avery Johnson, and they made it their mission in the offseason to surround him with talent. Chris Klieman is as consistent as they come, and it’s made Kansas State incredibly solid.

NO. 25 BYU

The fourth and final team to earn a spot on Rittenberg’s list was BYU. While they remain a stable team with a wealth of talent under Kalani Sitake, the legal situation with Jake Retzlaff clouds the future somewhat. Regardless, the team finds itself in a great spot and edged out multiple Top 25-calibre programs for their place.

As the dust settles on conference realignment and the College Football Playoff expands, the Big 12 is quietly building one of the most competitive and unpredictable landscapes in the country.

With four teams cracking ESPN’s Future Power Rankings—two of them newcomers in Arizona State and BYU—the league is proving it’s not just surviving in the new era of college football, it’s thriving.