We’re continuing our 2025 preseason previews with our Big 12 defensive back rankings — and for the first time in our defensive positional breakdowns, Texas Tech does not hold the top spot. Using a weighted system where the top-ranked team receives 16 points, second place gets 15, and so on down to one point for last place, we’ve compiled a consensus ranking based on the individual submissions from Craig, Matt, and Zack. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find our full rankings list, where you can see how each team stacked up and where we agreed — or wildly diverged.
Interestingly, we didn’t reach a unanimous No. 1 pick agin this time, but we came close. Arizona State, boosted by a deep and versatile secondary led by Keith Abney II, Javan Robinson, and several experienced transfers, earned top-three placements from all three of us, thus claiming the top spot in the overall rankings. We also had a handful of ties that reflect just how tight things are this year: Iowa State and TCU share the No. 2 spot, Texas Tech and Utah are locked at No. 5, and Houston and West Virginia round things out in a tie at the bottom. We had some strong consensus around teams like BYU, Baylor, and Arizona, while others — including Kansas, Kansas State, and UCF — saw major gaps between our individual ballots. Scroll down to view the complete rankings and see where your team landed in our preseason breakdown of the Big 12’s defensive backfields.
Heartland Sports Consensus Big 12 Defensive Back Rankings
| RANKING | POINTS |
|---|---|
| 1. Arizona State | 44 |
| 2. Iowa State | 43 |
| 2. TCU | 43 |
| 4. Colorado | 36 |
| 5.Texas Tech | 35 |
| 5. Utah | 35 |
| 7. Arizona | 27 |
| 8. BYU | 25 |
| 9. Kansas | 23 |
| 10. Baylor | 22 |
| 11. Kansas State | 19 |
| 12. Oklahoma State | 18 |
| 13. Cincinnati | 13 |
| 14. UCF | 10 |
| 15. Houston | 15 |
| 15. West Virginia | 15 |
Individual Rankings
Craig
1. Iowa State | The Cyclones secondary unit will be led by Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper. Both guys had an amazing season a year ago. They’re also both named to the preseason Big 12 All Conference team.
2. TCU | The Horned Frogs only allowed 185 passing yards per game last season and they will be returning a majority of their secondary. Bud Clark is one of the best safeties in the conference and is set to have a breakout season after making a ton of improvements last year.
3. Arizona State | The Sun Devils’ secondary unit will be in great hands with Xavion Alford leading the way. He will be joined by Myles Rowser and Keith Abney who all had significant playing time last season.
4. Colorado
5. Texas Tech
6. Utah
7. Arizona
8. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Baylor
11. BYU
12. UCF
13. Kansas
14. Cincinnati
15. Houston | The Cougars will see a lot of new faces in their secondary in 2025. They will have one familiar face in Kentrell Webb who has some potential to be a solid defender.
16. West Virginia | The Mountaineers land at the bottom of my list due to their secondary room being completely rebuilt this off season. They brought in seven new players from the portal to try and turn things around from a year ago.
Matt
1. Arizona State | The Sun Devils enter the 2025 season with a defensive backfield that could be among the best in the Big 12, thanks to a strong blend of returning starters, experienced transfers, and high-upside newcomers. Juniors Keith Abney II and Javan Robinson are set to anchor the cornerback positions, bringing both physicality and leadership to the unit. Arizona State added SEC and Big Ten experience through transfers Nyland Green and Kyndrich Breedlove, who are expected to provide immediate depth and potentially lock down key roles in nickel and rotational packages. Freshman Dajon Hinton, one of the top signees in ASU’s class, brings local talent and long-term potential, while Houston transfer Joseph Albright adds a physical edge at safety. This combination of maturity, depth, and young talent makes the Sun Devils’ secondary a unit to watch in 2025.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raider defense enters the 2025 season with a renewed focus under new defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, whose top priority will be fixing a porous secondary that ranked 132nd nationally against the pass and struggled to generate consistent pressure. To help spark improvement, the Red Raiders aggressively reloaded their defensive backfield through the transfer portal, bringing in cornerbacks Brice Pollock (Mississippi State), Tarrion Grant (Purdue), Dontae Balfour (Charlotte), and Amier Boyd (UTEP), along with safety Cole Wisniewski from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. These additions are expected to bring much-needed talent, depth, and competition to a unit aiming for a major turnaround.
3. Kansas | The Jayhawks enter the 2025 season with a retooled cornerback room that blends veteran experience with emerging young talent. Although the Jayhawks must replace standout starters Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, they’re optimistic about the players stepping into larger roles. Veteran transfer DJ Graham, who brings leadership and experience from Utah State, is a strong candidate to secure a starting job. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Jalen Todd is expected to take a major step forward after impressing late in 2024 as the team’s nickel corner. Together, this mix of newcomers and developing players will look to stabilize a secondary in transition.
4. TCU
5. Utah
6. Iowa State
7. Colorado
8. BYU
9. Baylor
10. Cincinnati
11. Arizona
12. West Virginia
13. Oklahoma State
14. Houston
15. UCF | The Knights’ cornerback unit is undergoing a major transition entering the 2025 season, following the departure of key players like starter Corey Thornton and changes within the coaching staff. With former defensive coordinator Addison Williams now focusing more on the secondary and Trovon Reed stepping in as cornerbacks coach, the Knights are relying on a revamped mix of transfers and young talent. Key additions include experienced transfers Mac McWilliams (UAB) and Antione Jackson (East Carolina), while freshman Jaylen Heyward brings promising upside. Returning players like Ja’Cari Henderson and Brandon Adams will also be counted on to stabilize the reshaped secondary.
16. Kansas State | The Wildcats enter the 2025 season aiming to bolster its cornerback play within a secondary built around the 3-3-5 scheme. While the unit is reliable overall, improving depth and enhancing coverage and run support remain key priorities. Keenan Garber brings experience but needs to sharpen his zone coverage and physicality. Versatile safety VJ Payne could shift to corner if needed, while Jack Ferris has shown promise as a dependable tackler. Redshirt sophomore Wesley Farah is another name to watch as the Wildcats look to solidify their defensive back rotation.
Zack
1. Iowa State | The top pass defense in the Big 12 from a season ago remains at the top heading into 2025 despite losing 4 of their top 6 defensive backs from last year. They’re still an incredible unit led by preseason All-Big 12 Selections Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams.
2. TCU | The Horned Frogs were another one of the top pass defenses in the Big 12 last season, and they should be right back up there with a secondary chalked full of seniors. Bud Clark was a Second-Team All-Big 12 selection last season, and he leads the group as a Preseason First-Team selection ahead of this season.
3. Arizona State | Xavion Alford is a Preseason All-Big 12 pick, and he leads the Sun Devils as one of the most experienced defensive backs in the entire conference from a season ago. Javan Robinson and Myles Rowser also started every game last season, and they are joined by Kyndrich Breedlove, a solid transfer from Purdue. After finishing in the middle of the pack last season, the Sun Devils should be one of the top pass defenses in the conference.
4.Colorado
5. Utah
6. Arizona
7. BYU
8. Kansas State
9. Texas Tech
10. Baylor
11. Oklahoma State
12. Kansas
13. Cincinnati
14. UCF
15. Houston | The Cougars were surprisingly solid against the pass a season ago, but they have a secondary unit full of transfers. A lot of questions surround this group, so it could go either way.
16. West Virginia | The Mountaineers also did some work in the offseason with bringing in transfers in their secondary, but they were pretty stinky last year. Maybe they can turn things around with some fresh talent.
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