Texas is the favorite to win the Big 12 in 2023, according to the preseason conference media poll released Thursday afternoon.
Though often the subject of hype in the preseason, the Longhorns took first place in the poll for the first time since the conference eliminated divisions in 2011. The last time they were picked to win the Big 12 South preseason was in 2009. Texas received 41 of 67 first-place votes in the poll.
Texas is returning quarterback Quinn Ewers and 14 other starters from last year’s 8-5 team, including five players who made the preseason All-Big-12 team. Linebacker Jaylan Ford was named the Big 12 preseason Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday. This is the Longhorns’ final season in the Big 12 before entering the SEC alongside Oklahoma in 2024.
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Kansas State, the defending Big 12 champion, placed second in the poll and received 14 first-place votes. Oklahoma is No. 3 after going 6-7 in coach Brent Venables’ debut season. The Sooners have held the top spot in the preseason poll for nine of the last 13 years. They are followed at fourth place by Texas Tech, which finished 8-5 last season under first-year coach Joey McGuire.
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After winning 13 games and playing for a national championship last season, TCU was ranked fifth by the conference media. The Horned Frogs must replace Heisman finalist quarterback Max Duggan and seven other NFL draft picks entering coach Sonny Dykes’ sophomore year.
New Big 12 members UCF (8th), BYU (11th), Houston (12th) and Cincinnati (13th) made their debuts in the preseason poll early in their first season in the conference. The Big 12 will hold their first Media Days with all 14 schools on July 12th and 13th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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(Photo of Steve Sarkisian and D’Shawn Jamison during the Texas Spring Game: Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)