Big 12 football tiers: Sorting teams by best transfer portal addition
In this week’s edition of Big 12 tiers, we take a look at each team’s highest-graded 2023 transfer, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s team of senior analysts grades every player on every play in college football.
Keep in mind that these tiers don’t account for the best overall transfer classes, only the top transfer portal addition for each Big 12 school.
Let’s get to it.
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Tier 1: All-conference additions
Kansas: DE Austin Booker (Minnesota)
Booker is tied for the Big 12 lead with five sacks. He has 11 quarterback hurries. The Jayhawks found a gem in the 6-foot-6, 245-pound edge rusher.
PFF grade: 81.1
TCU: WR JP Richardson (Oklahoma State)
The former Cowboy receiver, who went by John Paul, had six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown against BYU. He’s the top-graded wide receiver in the Big 12.
PFF grade: 80.3
West Virginia: CB Beanie Bishop Jr. (Minnesota)
The sixth-year cornerback spent four seasons at Western Kentucky and one at Minnesota before landing with the Mountaineers. He has two interceptions and seven pass break-ups. By the way, not a good sign for Minnesota that two of the first three players on this list are ex-Golden Gophers.
PFF grade: 80.0
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Tier 2: High-level playmakers
Oklahoma: WR Andrel Anthony (Michigan)
Losing Anthony to a season-ending knee injury is a big blow to the Sooners’ offense. The Michigan transfer was having a breakout season, leading OU with 429 receiving yards, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. Anthony was averaging almost 16 yards per catch.
PFF grade: 78.6
Kansas State: RB Treshaun Ward (Florida State)
Ward is second on the team in carries behind DJ Giddens, which speaks to the talent in the Wildcats’ running back room. Ward is 11th in the Big 12 with 67 rushing yards per game. Giddens is fifth with 90 yards per game.
PFF grade: 78.3
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Tier 3: Help in the trenches
Cincinnati: G Luke Kandra (Louisville)
A Cincinnati native who played under Scott Satterfield at Louisville, and then followed Satterfield back home to Cincinnati. Kandra is the third highest-graded guard in the Big 12.
PFF grade: 76.6
Kight is UCF’s highest-graded offensive lineman. The 6-foot-7, 318-pound tackle was a four-year backup at Alabama.
PFF grade: 76.4
Baylor: C Clark Barrington (BYU)
Barrington is the highest-graded center in the Big 12, according to Pro Football Focus. He and his brother, Campbell, both transferred from BYU to Baylor, and both are starters on the Bears’ offensive line.
PFF grade: 76.1
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Tier 4: Solid contributors
Houston: QB Donovan Smith (Texas Tech)
The only quarterback on this list. Smith has thrown for 266.8 yards per game, third most in the Big 12 behind OU's Dillon Gabriel and Texas' Quinn Ewers. He has 13 touchdowns, three interceptions and has completed 66% of his passes.
PFF grade: 75.3
Oklahoma State: DE Anthony Goodlow (Tulsa)
Goodlow has the best grade on the Cowboys’ defense (minimum 200 snaps). He’s yet to record a sack, but he’s forced 12 quarterback hurries.
PFF grade: 74.8
Iowa State: WR Jayden Higgins (Eastern Kentucky)
Higgins is the highest-graded player on Iowa State’s offense. The 6-foot-4 receiver has 23 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns.
PFF grade: 73.3
BYU: DT Jackson Cravens (Boise State)
Cravens is from Provo, but he went to Utah and Boise State before heading back home to BYU. He has the sixth-best grade on BYU’s defense.
PFF grade: 71.5
Texas: CB Gavin Holmes (Wake Forest)
Strange for Texas’ highest-graded transfer to be the second lowest-graded on this list. Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, a Georgia transfer, has had a more noticeable impact but doesn’t grade out as well. Holmes played a season-high 53 snaps against OU.
PFF grade: 70.7
Texas Tech: OLB Steve Linton (Syracuse)
Linton has three sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. A defensive end at Syracuse, Linton has transitioned to an outside linebacker/edge rusher at Texas Tech.
PFF grade: 68.4
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Sorting Big 12 teams by best college football transfer portal addition
