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The Big 12 expansion will see four teams added to the conference ahead of the 2024 season. These four programs are Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. These teams will add an additional level of competition and rivalry in the future.
With the addition of these four programs and the departure of Oklahoma and Texas this year, fans will be wondering which teams can do the most damage this season. Here is a look at the top five scariest-looking programs after the Big 12 expansion.
Top 5 scariest looking college football programs after the Big 12 expansion
#5. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will have an excellent opportunity to build on their successful 10-4 season in 2023 by bringing back 20 starters this season. The biggest name among the returning starters is running back Ollie Gordon II.
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Gordon is on pace to be the top running back in the conference even after the Big 12 expansion. He led the NCAA in rushing yards last season, going for 1,732 yards on 285 carries and leading the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns.
He will return to the backfield for his junior season alongside redshirt senior Alan Bowman at quarterback. Gordon and Bowman will be working with one of the top offensive lines in college football, and the team's top two receivers from last season will be returning this year as well.
#4. Kansas State Wildcats
The Kansas State Wildcats will be losing last year's starting quarterback, Will Howard. However, their new starter for 2024, Avery Johnson, is expected to have a massive season after an impressive performance in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State.
Johnson threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns in that game and added seven carries for 71 yards with one rushing touchdown. Another reason Kansas State will be so dangerous after the Big 12 expansion is their talent in the backfield, which includes the returning DJ Giddens and Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards.
Giddens was a 1,000-yard rusher last season, and Edwards ran for 321 yards and finished with 299 yards receiving.
#3. Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks finished 9-4 last season despite losing their standout quarterback, Jalon Daniels, for the majority of the year. Daniels looks ready to make his return in the fall after the Big 12 expansion.
Daniels is a player fans should have on their Heisman Trophy watch if he can stay healthy in 2024. He threw for over 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022 and still managed to throw for 705 yards and five touchdowns last season despite only appearing in three games.
Last season's leading rusher, Devin Neal, will return for another season, along with all three of Kansas' leading receivers from last season. The defensive front will need to show some improvement, but the team will feature many returning players on that side of the ball, and that experience should help.
#2. Arizona Wildcats
Brent Brennan will take over as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, who are coming over from the Pac-12 as part of the Big 12 expansion. Star quarterback Noah Fifita is a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in 2024 after throwing for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns with a completion rate of 72.4%.
Fifita's top target, Tetairoa McMillan, will also be returning for another season after finishing last season with 1,402 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns. San Jose State transfer Quali Conley will join Rayshon Luke in the backfield.
The Wildcats lost a few key players on defense to the transfer portal, including Russell Davis II, Ephesians Prysock, Bill Norton and Isaiah Ward. However, they did manage to bring in UC Davis transfer Chubba Ma'ae to join their defensive line.
#1. Utah Utes
Cam Rising's return from injury will be a welcome sight for Utah fans after their move from the Pac-12 amid the Big 12 expansion. Rising will be playing in his final college football season at Utah after missing last season due to injury.
Rising was one of the top quarterbacks in the nation during the 2022 season when he threw for 3,034 yards and 26 touchdowns. Rising will also be dangerous for Big 12 defenses once he gets out of the pocket, running for 465 yards and six touchdowns in 2022.
The Utes will feature many returning players on defense, along with the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Kenan Johnson at linebacker and Stanford transfer Alaka'i Gilman at safety.
Which program do you think will be scariest after the Big 12 expansion? Let us know in the comments.
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