Big 12 football post-spring power rankings: Where does Arizona fit in?

With spring practice complete, here are new Big 12 football power rankings

Arizona has a proven leader in quarterback Noah Fifita returning for the upcoming season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The end of spring practice brings us one step closer to the start of the college football season.

Another transfer portal window has all but closed, which means we can start re-looking at power rankings for the Big 12 Conference.

The league experienced plenty of change over the past few months in terms of rosters, even as players who left their school during the winter transfer window re-entered it this past spring.

With that being said, and teams mostly breaking camp until later this year, here is the updated Big 12 Conference power rankings from No. 1 to No. 16:

Big 12 Conference Football Post-Spring Power Rankings

1. Arizona State
2. Iowa State
3. BYU
4. Kansas State
5. Texas Tech
6. Utah
7. Baylor
8. Kansas
9. Arizona
10. TCU
11. Houston
12. Colorado
13. West Virginia
14. Oklahoma State
15. UCF
16. Cincinnati

Why Arizona State is at the top

For now, you have to beat the champ to become the champ, right? The Sun Devils lost some key pieces from a year ago, but they have quarterback Sam Leavitt returning and head coach Kenny Dillingham looks like the next big star in his profession.

Arizona State’s schedule will be a tough one to grind through, but the Big 12 will likely be a league that almost pillages itself. 

Iowa State has all the right pieces to stay relevant

The Cyclones, like Arizona State who topped them for the title last year, returns quarterback Rocco Becht and head coach Matt Campbell. That alone would place them in the top-half of the league.

But Iowa State has a schedule that, as long as they can survive Kansas State in Ireland, sets up nicely for them. And while they didn’t hit the transfer portal extremely hard, they did add in key athletes at the wide receiver position.

Who from the lower-half could challenge and surprise

Look out for Kansas, as the Jayhawks struggled last season before putting together a run late that included several upsets. Jalon Daniels opted to return for a fifth season, and Lance Leipold is a proven winner. 

If not Kansas, maybe Houston makes a push. The Cougars and head coach Willie Fritz brought in former Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman, who could end up being one of the top at his positions in the league.