It’s time, once again, to work our way through the summer with our Big 12 position rankings. With these posts we give our opinions on each of the offensive and defensive position groups and rank them from first to worst. We only defend our top three and bottom two in the rankings and while we’re sure to say something that’s out of this world crazy it’s also a great way to get football conversations going. So, enjoy and make sure to sound off with your opinions in the comments section below.
This time around the Heartland Sports writers give their take on the defensive backs across the conference, ranking them from first to worst. Then they are asked to defend their top three and bottom two rankings.
The consensus rankings below come from a points system. A first place selection is worth 14 points, second place is 13 points, and they continue in descending order with tenth place equaling 1 point.
Heartland Sports Consensus Defensive Back Rankings
| RANKING | POINTS |
|---|---|
| 1. TCU | 42 |
| 2. Texas | 38 |
| 3. Kansas | 34 |
| 3. Oklahoma | 34 |
| 5. Iowa State | 30 |
| 6. Texas Tech | 27 |
| 7. Oklahoma State | 23 |
| 8. Kansas State | 20 |
| 9. Baylor | 19 |
| 9. Cincinnati | 19 |
| 11. West Virginia | 10 |
| 12. UCF | 9 |
| 13. BYU | 8 |
| 14. Houston | 3 |
Unanimity – We agreed at the top (TCU) and the bottom (Houston) and in between them we agreed across the board on absolutely nothing else.
Almost Agreed – We were really close on seven different programs only to have one of us throw off the mojo.
All Over The Place – We didn’t agree on where Kansas, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, UCF, and BYU belonged.
Individual Thoughts And Rankings
Craig
1. TCU | The Frogs will greatly miss Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson in their secondary this season, but they are still the most loaded team in the conference. They’re returning three guys who made the All-Big 12 team a year ago. In addition they’re adding four-star DB Avery Helm from Florida. The Horned Frogs will be the most talented team in the secondary and will also have the most depth.
2. Texas | The Longhorns will be returning 3rd team All-Big 12 DB Jahdae Barron and a couple of guys who landed on the honorable mention list. They’re also getting a few key transfers from Wake Forest and Arkansas to strengthen their depth and physicality.
3. Oklahoma | The Sooners will be returning Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman in 2023. They’ll also have Justin Harrington who is expected to make a big jump from a year ago. This group underperformed last season, but still led the Big 12 in interceptions. Reggie Pearson will be coming in from Texas Tech and should make an immediate impact. Another immediate impact player is 5 star safety Peyton Bowen who come into Norman with a ton of hype.
4. Kansas
5. Texas Tech
6. Baylor
7. Iowa State
8. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Cincinnati
11. West Virginia
12. UCF
13. BYU | The Cougars allowed over 230 yards per game through the air last year. On top of that they lost their two most experienced defensive backs. But, they are adding a couple of guys from the portal to help with depth. They will be entering their first year with a new defensive coordinator, so placing BYU near the bottom seems like the best place for them at the moment.
14. Houston | Houston ranked 122nd in the nation last year in pass defense. It’s hard to imagine that number improving after joining the Big 12. It’s safe to say Houston might get carved up during their inaugural season in the Big 12. They will be returning Antonio Brooks and Alex Hogan from injury, so hopefully they can make a strong return.
Zack
1. TCU | The Horned Frogs have a stacked secondary. Josh Newton was First Team All-Big 12 a year ago, and Millard Bradford and Bud Clark were honorable mentions. In a conference known for moving the ball through the air, offenses should look out when they play TCU.
2. Kansas | The Jayhawks are rarely at the top of a list, but with the quality and experience in this secondary group, it should not come as a shock. Cobee Bryant is a playmaker, and Kenny Logan is a tackling machine. If Kansas is going to improve on an already solid season a year ago, then this group will be a big part of that.
3. Texas | Jhaddae Baron, Ryan Watts, and Jerrin Thompson were All-Big 12 Honorable Mention last season, and transfers Gavin Holmes and Jalen Catalon bring some experience with them. If this group is able to play with chemistry, they could do some serious damage against opposing offenses.
4. Iowa State
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma State
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas State
9. Cincinnati
10. Baylor
11. West Virginia
12. BYU
13. UCF | UCF barely has any returning experience with most of their defensive back starters made up of transfers, but they could end up being a good group. It really just depends how well they can work together.
14. Houston | Like UCF, inexperience and new faces are going to make it difficult for the Cougars in their first year in the Big 12.
Matt
1. TCU | Josh Newton, Bud Clark, and Millard Bradford all return after making the All-Big 12 team last year. The key for the Frogs is going to be how Avery Helm adjusts to being the only newcomer to this unit in 2023.
2. Texas | The Longhorns are relying on Wake Forest transfer Gavin Holmes (Corner) and Arkansas transfer Jalen Catalon (Safety) to have immediate impacts on what could end up being the best defensive backfield in the conference.
3. Oklahoma | It may surprise you to know that Oklahoma’s defensive secondary led the conference in interceptions in 2022 with 17. They’ve added hard-hitting Texas Tech transfer Reggie Pearson to the starting unit in 2023 which should serve to make them even better.
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas
6. Texas Tech
7. Cincinnati
8. Oklahoma State
9. Kansas State
10. Baylor
11. UCF
12. BYU
13. West Virginia | A pair of transfers in CB Beanie Bishop (Minnesota) and Anthony Wilson (Ga Southern) should help improve a unit that ranked ninth in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed (262.3 ypg), and last in interceptions (4) and average yards per reception (8.2).
14. Houston | The Cougars will feature two players returning from season-ending injuries (Antonio Brooks and Alex Hogan) and three transfers Malik Fleming (ECU), AJ Haulcy (New Mexico), and Isaiah Hamilton (Texas Southern). Things could get interesting in Morgantown.
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