The Big 12 has become one of the nation’s deepest conferences when it comes to defensive back play. Veteran safeties, lockdown corners and transfer portal additions have reshaped several secondaries heading into the 2026 season, but not everyone sees the conference the same way.
Using a 16-point voting system—16 points for a first-place vote, 15 for second place and so on down to one point for 16th—we combined the ballots from Caleb, Matt and Zack to create a consensus ranking of every defensive back unit in the Big 12.
Before diving into the consensus rankings, here’s a look at each writer’s individual ballot and their reasoning for the top three and bottom two teams.
Caleb
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders return one of the nation’s premier cornerbacks in Brice Pollock, while their experienced safety group gives Texas Tech perhaps the conference’s most complete secondary.
2. BYU | Evan Johnson and Faletau Satuala headline one of the Big 12’s most experienced defensive backfields, combining elite ball skills with veteran leadership.
3. TCU | Jamel Johnson leads a talented and athletic secondary that possesses the upside to finish with the conference’s best pass defense.
4. Kansas State
5. Arizona State
6. Baylor
7. Utah
8. Arizona
9. Iowa State
10. Houston
11. Cincinnati
12. Colorado
13. UCF
14. Oklahoma State
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers are rebuilding after losing several experienced contributors and will rely heavily on unproven talent.
16. Kansas | The Jayhawks lack proven production and depth, leaving major questions entering the season.
Matt
1. BYU | The Cougars boast perhaps the nation’s best safety tandem in Evan Johnson and Faletau Satuala, giving them unmatched cohesion on the back end.
2. Texas Tech | Brice Pollock anchors one of the conference’s most aggressive secondaries, allowing defensive coordinator Shiel Wood to dial up pressure.
3. TCU | Veterans Jamel Johnson and Bud Clark headline one of the Big 12’s most experienced defensive back groups.
4. Houston
5. Arizona State
6. Arizona
7. Utah
8. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Baylor
11. UCF
12. Kansas
13. West Virginia
14. Cincinnati
15. Colorado | The Buffaloes have talent at cornerback, but concerns remain about safety depth and overall structure.
16. Iowa State | Massive roster turnover and a coaching change leave the Cyclones facing a complete rebuild.
Zack
1. BYU | The Cougars return two preseason All-Big 12 selections in Evan Johnson and Faletau Satuala, giving them the conference’s deepest secondary.
2. Texas Tech | Brice Pollock and Brenden Jordan bring elite experience to one of the Big 12’s most battle-tested defensive backfields.
3. TCU | TCU returns key contributors and added experienced transfers to dramatically improve last season’s pass defense.
4. Colorado
5. Arizona State
6. Arizona
7. Houston
8. Kansas State
9. Cincinnati
10. UCF
11. Utah
12. Baylor
13. Oklahoma State
14. Iowa State
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers are expected to start multiple transfers and a true freshman in a secondary that struggled in 2025.
16. Kansas | Limited returning production leaves the Jayhawks with major questions entering the season.
Consensus Rankings
| Rank | Team | Caleb | Matt | Zack | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU | 2 | 1 | 1 | 47 |
| 2 | Texas Tech | 1 | 2 | 2 | 46 |
| 3 | TCU | 3 | 3 | 3 | 42 |
| 4 | Arizona State | 5 | 5 | 5 | 36 |
| 5 | Kansas State | 4 | 8 | 8 | 31 |
| 5 | Arizona | 8 | 6 | 6 | 31 |
| 7 | Houston | 10 | 4 | 7 | 30 |
| 8 | Utah | 7 | 7 | 11 | 26 |
| 9 | Baylor | 6 | 10 | 12 | 23 |
| 10 | Colorado | 12 | 15 | 4 | 20 |
| 11 | Cincinnati | 11 | 14 | 9 | 17 |
| 11 | UCF | 13 | 11 | 10 | 17 |
| 13 | Oklahoma State | 14 | 9 | 13 | 15 |
| 14 | Iowa State | 9 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 15 | 13 | 15 | 8 |
| 16 | Kansas | 16 | 12 | 16 | 7 |
Biggest Agreements
The Clear Top Four
All three voters agreed on the conference’s elite tier.
- BYU: 2nd, 1st, 1st
- Texas Tech: 1st, 2nd, 2nd
- TCU: Unanimous No. 3
- Arizona State: Unanimous No. 5
The top of the conference appears remarkably settled entering the season.
Complete Agreement
No team generated more consensus than:
- TCU: Ranked third on all three ballots.
- Arizona State: Ranked fifth on all three ballots.
- West Virginia: Finished between 13th and 15th.
- Kansas: Ranked either 12th or 16th.
Biggest Disagreements
Colorado (11-spot difference)
- Caleb: 12th
- Matt: 15th
- Zack: 4th
No team generated more disagreement. Zack believes Colorado’s transfer additions will immediately transform the secondary, while Caleb and Matt remain skeptical.
Iowa State (7-spot difference)
- Caleb: 9th
- Matt: 16th
- Zack: 14th
Matt and Zack view Iowa State’s coaching change and roster overhaul as too significant to overcome, while Caleb is much more optimistic.
Baylor (6-spot difference)
- Caleb: 6th
- Matt: 10th
- Zack: 12th
Caleb sees a potential breakout secondary, while Matt and Zack believe there are still too many unanswered questions.
Houston (6-spot difference)
- Caleb: 10th
- Matt: 4th
- Zack: 7th
Matt is considerably higher on Houston’s veteran talent and believes the Cougars are one of the conference’s most underrated secondaries.
Kansas (4-spot difference)
- Caleb: 16th
- Matt: 12th
- Zack: 16th
Matt believes the Jayhawks’ returning experience gives them a higher floor than the other guys do.
Overall Thoughts
The three ballots reveal four distinct tiers entering the 2026 season.
Tier One: Championship-Caliber
BYU, Texas Tech and TCU have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the conference. All three programs boast elite safety play, veteran leadership and proven production.
Tier Two: Serious Challengers
Arizona State, Kansas State, Houston and Arizona form the conference’s next tier. Each possesses enough talent to climb into the top three with a strong season.
Tier Three: The Wild Cards
Baylor, Colorado, Utah, Cincinnati and UCF generated significant disagreement among the panel. These teams could realistically finish anywhere from the middle of the conference to the bottom half.
Tier Four: Rebuilding Projects
Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Kansas enter the season facing major questions about depth, experience or roster turnover.
Final Takeaway
The biggest storyline isn’t the tie at the top between BYU and Texas Tech—it’s the unanimous belief that TCU belongs in the elite tier as well.
The real debate begins in the middle of the conference, where teams like Colorado, Baylor and Houston generated wildly different evaluations.
If these rankings tell us anything, it’s that the Big 12’s defensive back race remains wide open behind the consensus top three. By November, the middle tier could look dramatically different than it does entering fall camp.