Projecting Where Arizona State Lands in Big 12 Contender Tiers

Big 12 football season is just under three months away from kicking off - with the opening game in the conference Arizona State won just months ago set for August 23.

As the season fast approaches, now is the time to evaluate how the respective programs stack up to each other - today we will look at projected tiers within the conference. For simplicity, there will be five major tiers with explanations behind each program's placement.

The tiers directly below:

Tier 5 (Bottom Tier) - UCF Knights, West Virginia Mountaineers, Oklahoma State Cowboys

UCF could shoot back into national prominence once again in the second stint with Scott Frost leading the program - however, it seems as if those hopes won't come to fruition right away - ditto for the Mountaineers under Rich Rodriguez. There are too many questions surrounding the Cowboys' quarterback room to feel confident about Mike Gundy's squad.

Tier 4 (Frisky Bowl-Level) - Arizona Wildcats, Houston Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats

Arizona could be improved in 2025 with a revamped coaching staff, but Noah Fifita gives them a chance. Willie Fritz's squad in Houston has potential to be the surprise of the conference this season, while Cincinnati has too many questions to be placed higher.

Tier 3 (Conference Sleepers) - Utah Utes, Kansas Jayhawks, Colorado Buffaloes, TCU Horned Frogs

Utah will once again possess an elite defense - the ceiling of the team comes down to the development of starting QB Devon Dampier. Lance Leipold could lead Kansas to a bounce-back season after disappointing in 2024, while Deion Sanders and Sonny Dykes are putting forward talented offenses that are countered by serious questions on defense.

Tier 2 (Legitimate Contenders) - BYU Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas State Wildcats

BYU - much like Utah - will have a great defense once again, however the uncertainty surrounding the status of Jake Retzlaff could further hamper an already tepid offense. The Cyclones have to replace a pair of receivers that are now in the NFL, and Kansas State will need to get over the top in massive games to jump to the top tier.

Tier 1 (Top of the Class) - Baylor Bears, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Arizona State Sun Devils

Baylor's Dave Aranda rebuilt the defense over the off-season - and QB Sawyer Robertson returns as one of the very best players in the conference. The Red Raiders could be a completely new team in 2025 after boasting one of the best transfer classes in the nation. The Sun Devils are the top squad until proven otherwise - headlined by elite NFL prospects in Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson.

Read more about the current state of affairs within the Sun Devil football program here and here.

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