The 2023 recruiting cycle is entering crunch time and teams around the country are finalizing their respective recruiting classes. This week we're looking at each conference and predicting which team will win the conference recruiting title, which team will be the biggest surprise, what the conference's biggest recruiting win will be and which player's decision will cause major changes in the conference recruiting standings.
Up next is the Big 12.
*****
RELATED: Four predictions about the ACC for the 2023 class
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
The Big 12 recruiting champion will be ... Texas.
Texas already has a big lead in the recruiting rankings in the Big 12, and it will most likely only go up before National Signing Day. The Longhorns are closing in on multiple targets, including five-star linebacker Anthony Hill, that could put them in front for good.
If Texas closes the season on a negative note which causes some members of the class to bounce out, then maybe Oklahoma would have a shot to take the conference title. But a lot of things would have to not go the Longhorns' way down the stretch.
*****
The Big 12's most surprising class will be ... TCU.
TCU currently sits with two four-stars committed in its 2023 class, but that number will almost certainly grow before National Signing Day. The Horned Frogs remain in pursuit of uncommitted four-stars such as Mikal Harrison-Pilot and Randon Fontenette as well as multiple commits such as Baylor commit Austin Novosad, Louisville commit Rueben Owens II and Notre Dame commit Braylon James.
It may not come as big of a surprise with the context of TCU's 10-0 start to the season, but coming into the fall, even the most optimistic TCU fans could not have envisioned the position that the Horned Frogs are in both on and off the field.
*****
The biggest recruiting victory will be ... Texas signing Arch Manning.
It's hard to argue that there has been a bigger recruiting win in the entire country than Texas landing Arch Manning over the summer. Georgia gave the Longhorns a hard fight and Alabama threw its best punch as well, but Steve Sarkisian and his offensive staff were able to show enough to Manning and his family to earn his commitment in late June.
Officially receiving his signature on National Signing Day will lock up Texas' biggest win on the recruiting trail in at least 20 years, and some could make the argument that it's Texas' biggest ever.
*****
The player's decision that will impact the Big 12 rankings the most will be ... Peyton Bowen.
Despite being committed to Notre Dame, Denton (Texas) Guyer four-star safety Peyton Bowen will have a decision to make before National Signing Day because of the heavy communication that he has had with the staffs at Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Alabama.
If Oklahoma will have any chance at catching Texas in the Big 12 rankings, it will be imperative that the Sooners flip Bowen from the Fighting Irish down the stretch while also adding a couple of key pieces towards the top of the rankings.
