Could these 3 ‘hidden gem’ transfers impact the Big 12 race? – Deseret News

Last year, one of Arizona State’s top incoming transfers — quarterback Sam Leavitt — ended up playing a pivotal role in the Sun Devils’ Big 12 championship run.

Leavitt, then a sophomore, progressed as the season went on and helped Arizona State, which had been projected to finish last in the league, win the conference championship and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Now, he’s being projected as a potential high draft pick in 2026, if Leavitt can take another step in his development this season.

Who could be this year’s key transfer that impacts the Big 12 race this season?

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford recently took a look at 12 potential transfer “hidden gems” across the country recently, and of those 12, three are headed to Big 12 programs.

Crawford identified players who could outperform their transfer ranking.

There’s Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, who was one of the nation’s most dynamic dual-threat signal callers at New Mexico last season and is being asked to revitalize the Utes offense. The 5-foot-10 quarterback is rated a three-star transfer with an 87 rating by 247 Sports.

Another on Crawford’s list was Texas Tech cornerback Brice Pollock, who comes to the Red Raiders after being an all-conference corner at Mississippi State. Pollock has a 90 rating and is a four-star transfer, one of 13 four-star transfers joining Texas Tech this offseason as part of the second-highest rated transfer class, per 247 Sports.

The third Big 12 transfer on Crawford’s list is new Iowa State wide receiver Chase Sowell, who heads to the Cyclones from East Carolina. Sowell, a four-star transfer with a 93 rating, is being asked to help replace Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who were drafted in the second and third rounds, respectively, in April.

Here’s what Crawford said about each of these three…

Source link : https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/06/29/big-12-hidden-gem-transfers/

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Publish date : 2025-06-29 22:31:00

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