Colorado picked near bottom of Big 12 despite promising offseason

Post-spring power rankings are coming fast and furious, with many projecting the Colorado Buffaloes as one of the Big 12's worst teams entering 2026.

Noted college football insider Jon Wilner (subscription required) is in a similar boat, placing the Buffs as the No. 15 team in the Big 12 Conference. Many, including Wilner, seem to struggle to evaluate Colorado, given the 40-plus transfers and an almost entirely new coaching staff.

Here's what Wilner had to say about his Colorado ranking:

Speaking of downward trajectories, the Buffaloes collapsed in 2025 and now enter a crucial year for coach Deion Sanders. They need better play from the offensive line — stop us if you’ve heard that before — but losing star tackle Jordan Seaton (to LSU) won’t help matters. We find it notable that CU didn’t produce an NFL Draft pick last month. Perhaps the talent evaluation and development isn’t as strong as Sanders’ reputation suggests. (Previous: 13)

Coming off a 3-9 season, CU does not receive the benefit of the doubt, but it does feel like this roster and coaching staff are in a much better spot than a year ago. While yes, the Buffs must prove it on the field, their offseason is being overlooked by several national analysts.

Wilner does place Colorado ahead of Iowa State, which had its entire roster poached by former head coach Matt Campbell, which isn't saying much. Up the rankings a bit, BYU surprisingly leads the way, followed by Houston and Texas Tech, which took a hit with quarterback Brendan Sorsby's off-field issues.

Jon Wilner's full post-spring Big 12 power rankings

1. BYU Cougars
2. Houston Cougars
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders