Even though one may not think of defense in the Big 12 Conference, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any great defenses in the league. After all, people always say that defense wins championships.
Going into this upcoming season, several defenses in the conference are loaded with no shortage of talent and returning production. Earlier this week, CBS released a list of teams with the most proven, efficient production entering 2026. Here’s where each team in the Big 12 stands.
Returning Ranked Big 12 Production Going Into 2026
#1 Texas Tech
#3 Oklahoma State
#8 Kansas
#10 UCF
#13 Arizona State
#18 Houston
#19 Colorado
#20 BYU
#22 Baylor
#23 Arizona
#24 Cincinnati
#48 TCU
#49 West Virginia
#61 Utah
#68 Iowa State
#81 Kansas State
The first thing that sticks out to me, of course, is Texas Tech taking the top spot. The Red Raiders had one of the best defenses in the country last season, and the guys they kept and brought in keep them at the top.
Not only is Texas Tech high, but just look at the other Big 12 schools in the top ten: Oklahoma State, Kansas, and UCF. The Cowboys underwent a major overhaul with new head coach Eric Morris, while Kansas and UCF had to revamp their defenses through the portal.
Then you have seven teams between 13 and 24, which is very interesting to me. I am not surprised to see Arizona State, Houston, or BYU there at all. However, to see Baylor, Arizona, Cincinnati, and Colorado, there is something I wasn’t expecting at all.
After Cincinnati at 24, there is a huge drop-off. TCU and West Virginia barely crack the top 50, which isn’t great, but then there is another drop-off with Utah and Iowa State, who are bringing in new coaches.
Rounding out the list is Kansas State, at 81. Much like Utah and Iowa State, they also have a new head coach with Collin Klein, who is an offensive guy. But still, it’s hard for me to see a Kansas State team that isn’t respectable defensively.
