Big 12 Spotlight: Five developing recruiting storylines
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney examines five developing recruiting storylines in the Big 12 as June visits loom.
THIS SERIES: Five developing recruiting storylines in the SEC | ACC storylines | Big Ten storylines
CAN ANY PROGRAM CATCH KANSAS?
After winning nine games in the 2023 season, Kansas looked prime to break out in the Big 12 under coach Lance Leipold. That still might be the case but the Jayhawks only won five games last season and were a disappointment.
It has not crushed recruiting though. The Kansas coaching staff has been super aggressive with top targets so far this recruiting cycle and going into Manhattan, Kan., for four-star DB James Dunnigan Jr. was a shot across the bow to rival Kansas State. Adding in-state four-star edge Hunter Higgins was also big because he had some other major offers.
Kansas currently has the top class in the conference rankings. It will be a challenge to stay atop that list considering the Jayhawks have more commitments than any other team in the Big 12 but some have better average star rankings.
Either way, this is a win for Kansas. After losing some momentum following a disappointing season, the Jayhawks are doing a fabulous job again on the recruiting trail.
HENDERSON TO HOUSTON: WILL IT HAPPEN?
Five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson committed to Houston last May. It was a massive recruiting coup for coach Willie Fritz and his staff, but then the Cougars laid a dud last season winning just four games and averaging 14 points.
Keeping Henderson is huge and there has been no serious sign yet that he’s considering a flip. He was a regular at Houston basketball games this season. He met the mayor of Houston. He has the ability to come in right away and provide a serious spark to the Cougars’ offense.
But others are not going to give up, especially those programs who strike out on other quarterbacks or just see Henderson as an elite talent because he’s super special. Houston has him locked up and that’s huge, but it might be a battle until the end.
RETURNS COULD COME FROM COLORADO WEEKEND
Colorado coach Deion Sanders was apparently not on campus last weekend because of an emergency but after talking to numerous players that were in Boulder, many are now much more serious about the Big 12 program.
There have been a lot of discussions about what Colorado would look like beyond Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter there and it could be quite strong.
Georgia commit Vance Spafford loved his visit there and the Buffaloes are right there with Miami and Washington if the four-star receiver were to flip. Four-star DB Dorian Barney seems much more interested. The Buffaloes might lead for very talented tight end Julius Miles.
Even without Sanders on campus, Colorado made up a lot of ground with some high-level prospects over the weekend that could pay off down the road.
CAN BAYLOR CLOSE ON STAR RECEIVER?
At one time, it looked like Texas was a lock for four-star receiver Jordan Clay but as the Longhorns have focused on other targets, Baylor has remained a key player for the San Antonio (Texas) Madison standout.
Even from the Elite 11 last summer, Clay talked glowingly about his relationship with WR coach Dallas Baker and his NFL experience, and so the Bears look like they could be closing on a star receiver. With such a longstanding relationship in place, it would be brutal to lose Clay to a competitor.
CALIFORNIA QB WATCH TO THE BIG 12
Almost all the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class are already committed but two big ones in California remain on the market in Downey, Calif., four-star Oscar Rios and Mission Viejo, Calif., standout Luke Fahey. Both are looking at Big 12 programs.
Rios, who had been committed to Purdue, has Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Arizona and UCLA as his four favorites and while the Bruins might be tough to beat there’s at least a 50-50 shot that he ends up in the Big 12.
Stanford is the front-runner for Fahey but Colorado just offered and he could visit there. Tthe Cowboys are making a serious run at him as well so it’s certainly something to watch as the final quarterback dominoes fall.
