Big 12 football power rankings after spring portal closes: Did Buffaloes get better?

Coach Prime and his family have talked a big game out all offseason in Boulder, but where do the Buffs realistically stack up in the new-look Big 12? It might not be as high as Sanders and Colorado fans hope.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) | Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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Key losses: Emani Bailey, Josh Newton, Jared Wiley, Chandler Morris Key additions: Braylon James, Ken Seals

Sonny Dykes may never be able to recreate the magic of 2022. The Horned Frogs had an inordinate amount of talent on campus that season and for all of his creative offensive schemes, Dykes cannot consistently attract that caliber of player and that will continue to hold TCU back. 

The best player on Dykes’s offense last year was Emani Bailey who ran for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns on 223 carries and in 2024, he’ll be fighting for snaps on the Kansas City Chiefs, where he signed as an undrafted free agent. I don’t see a dynamic player on this roster right now, but TCU will always have 2023 when they almost won the Big 12 and scored a touchdown in the National Championship Game. 

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