Texas leads the Big 12 preseason polls with 41 of the 67 first-place votes.

Texas is the favorite to win Race 12 in 2023, according to The preseason conference media poll was released Thursday afternoon.

Although often the subject of preseason hype, the Longhorns finished first in the poll for the first time since the conference eliminated divisions in 2011. The last time they were a pre-selection to win the Big 12 South was in 2009. Texas received 41 of 67. voted for first place in the poll.

Texas brings back quarterback Quinn Ewers and 14 freshmen from last year’s 8-5 team, including five players who made the preseason Big 12 team. Linebacker Jaylan Ford was named the Big 12’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday. This is the Longhorns’ final season in the Big 12 before they join Oklahoma in entering the SEC in 2024.

Kansas State, the defending Big 12 champion, ranked second in the poll, receiving 14 first place votes. Oklahoma is No. 3 after going 6-7 in coach Brent Venables’ first season. The Sooners have been #1 in the preseason poll in nine of the past 13 years. They are followed by Texas Tech in fourth place, which went 8-5 last season under first-year head coach Joey McGuire.

After winning 13 games and playing in a national championship last season, TCU was picked to finish fifth by the conference media. The Horned Frogs must replace Heisman quarterback Max Duggan and seven others from the NFL Draft entering coach Sonny Dykes’ sophomore year.

New Big 12 members UCF (8), BYU (11), Houston (12) and Cincinnati (13) made their first appearances in the preseason poll going into their first season in the conference. The Big 12 will hold its first Media Days involving 14 schools July 12-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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(Photo by Steve Sarkisian and Dashon Jamison during the Texas spring game: Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)