Best Player in History at Each Big 12 School
The Big 12 has gone through many changes over the years since its inception, starting with the original eight members of the Big Eight and four of the Southwest Conference’s teams. Since then, the Big 12 has dropped and added schools, changing from a 10-member conference for years to what will now be a 13-member conference in a year.
As it stands currently, the Big 12 boasts 14 members who will all feature in the 2023-24 football season, with many of the original members still a part of the current conference. There have been many talented and impactful college football players who have come through the Big 12 old and new, and following is a list of the best players from each current Big 12 school.
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1. Baylor Bears: Linebacker Mike Singletary
Singletary set the school record for tackles in a season with 232 his sophomore season, and then he did so again when he graduated by setting the Baylor career record with 662 tackles. A two-time consensus All-American, Baylor created the Mike Singletary Award for his contributions to the program soon after he graduated.
Mike Singletary presents the “Contributions to College Football Award” to Grant Teaff #CFBAwards pic.twitter.com/BI2IDAQMjJ
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 12, 2014
2. BYU Cougars: Quarterback Steve Young
As a senior in 1983, Young led the Cougars to an 11-1 record, breaking 13 NCAA records during his career at BYU. As a dual-threat quarterback, he finished his career passing for 7,496 yards and rushing for 1,095, while he set a Cougar single-season record his senior year passing for 3,802 yards and 33 touchdowns. Young’s jersey is now retired at BYU.
3. Central Florida Knights: Quarterback Daunte Culpepper
Culpepper helped put UCF on the map with his play with the Knights. He broke Young’s previous NCAA record for single-season completion percentage and holds many UCF records as well, including touchdown passes, passing yards, and completion percentage while sitting in the top 10 in many other passing and rushing categories as well.
4. Cincinnati Bearcats: Quarterback Greg Cook
Cook set or held 17 school records during his time at Cincinnati, helping lead the Bearcats to the second-ranked passing team in the nation in 1968 while also leading the NCAA in total offense. He threw for eight straight 250-yard games that season, resulting in Cook finishing the season with 3,372 yards and 25 touchdowns.
5. Houston Cougars: Quarterback Case Keenum
In his five years at Houston, Keenum set nine NCAA passing records, becoming the only quarterback in Division 1 FBS history to pass for more than 5,000 yards in three seasons. Keenum won the Conference-USA MPV twice and his jersey is now retired by the program.
6. Iowa State Cyclones: Running back Troy Davis
Davis became the first running back in NCAA history to rush for over 2,000 yards in two separate seasons, doing it in consecutive years, which resulted in him being a Heisman finalist in both of those years. During his time at Iowa State, Davis set numerous school records, including career rushing yards, single-season rushing yards, and rushing yards in a game.
Troy Davis is the only acceptable answer here. First ever player to rush for 2,000 yards in back to back seasons. He just never played on a team that won more than three games 😂😭 pic.twitter.com/P1cjVV83zN
— Average Joe (@jbadge_44) July 29, 2023
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7. Kansas Jayhawks: Running back Gale Sayers
Sayers, aka the “Kansas Comet,” is one of the Jayhawks’ most successful athletes, becoming the first FBS player to record a 99-yard rush. Sayers set a Big 8 record with his 3,917 career all-purpose yards, while he also led the conference in rushing in all three of his seasons. A two-time consensus All-American, Sayers got his jersey retired by Kansas.
8. Kansas State Wildcats: Running back Darren Sproles
Sproles brought a new type of running back to football with his small size, but he was still just as effective with his speed. A three-time All-American, Sproles still owns many of Kansas State’s rushing records, finishing his career with 4,979 rushing yards and setting the single-season rushing record his junior year with 1,986 yards.
9. Oklahoma Sooners: Running back Billy Sims
Sims won the Heisman in his junior season, rushing for 1,762 yards and 20 touchdowns, and he was just as productive his senior year, finishing with 1,506 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, resulting in him finishing as a Heisman runner-up. Sims set an NCAA record averaging seven yards per carry, while his career rushing yards and touchdowns are both second in Oklahoma’s record books.
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Running back Barry Sanders
An obvious choice for Oklahoma State, Sanders was the first Heisman winner out of Oklahoma State and remains the only winner still. Beginning his junior season by returning the first kickoff for a touchdown, Sanders followed that up with four 300-yard games in a season, a feat still not reached today. Sanders set 34 NCAA records during his Heisman campaign and he still holds the record for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a single season.
11. TCU Horned Frogs: Quarterback Davey O’Brien
Though quarterback Sammy Baugh could just as easily earn the title for the way he changed the game, O’Brien claims it after leading the Horned Frogs to an undefeated record and national championship his senior season. O’Brien also won the Heisman that year after leading the nation with 1,457 yards and 19 touchdowns, and the trophy for the NCAA’s best quarterback is now named after him.
12. Texas Longhorns: Running back Earl Campbell
One of two Heisman winners to come out of Texas, Campbell became the first Longhorn to win the award when he did so his senior season after rushing for 1,744 yards on 6.5 yards per rush. A two-time All-American, Campbell’s 4,443 career rushing yards is third all-time in school history, along with his 40 rushing touchdowns.
Only two players in Titans franchise history have rushed for 10+ TD in three straight seasons.
Earl Campbell… and Derrick Henry. pic.twitter.com/OhYuUa7EuF
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 29, 2020
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Quarterback Graham Harrell
Although quarterback Patrick Mahomes can’t be dismissed for his accomplishments in the NFL, Harrell had a stronger college career as the winningest passer in Red Raider history. Harrell sits atop the Texas Tech record books in passing yards and touchdowns, and he helped lead the team to its highest ranking ever at No. 2 nationally in 2008.
14. West Virginia Mountaineers: Quarterback Pat White
White led the Mountaineers to four straight bowl victories, including the Sugar and Fiesta Bowl, while his 35 wins as a starter is still No. 1 in program history. White’s legs were just as much of a threat as his arm, as he holds the NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,480 yards, while his 10,529 yards of total offense is No. 1 in West Virginia history.
As you can see, there have been many exciting and talented players to come through the Big 12, old and new, and as the conference shifts and new schools join, more new players will look to top the record books as well. The college football season is almost upon us, so don’t forget to head to the sportsbook to make your college football predictions on how it will all go down before Week 1 begins.
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