TCU's 2026 Big 12 Schedule is Packed with Season Wreckers
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FORT WORTH – TCU’s 2026 Big 12 schedule doesn’t offer many places to hide.
If Sonny Dykes’ Horned Frogs are going to reach the conference championship and push for the College Football Playoff, they’ll have to survive a weekly parade of quarterbacks, runners and defenders capable of detonating a game.
And TCU on SI made note of the toughest players TCU will face in-conference in 2026.
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Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita is the most obvious threat. He threw for 3,204 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions last season, and he enters 2026 with legitimate Heisman expectations.
TCU can’t afford to let him settle in, especially with Tre Spivey emerging as a dangerous target after posting 381 receiving yards a year ago.
Kansas State’s Avery Johnson presents a completely different problem. He accounted for 31 touchdowns last season while throwing for 2,385 yards and rushing for another 477.
His mobility has already given TCU trouble, and new head coach Collin Klein should only make the Wildcats’ offense more comfortable playing through him.
The rivalry game with Baylor suddenly looks more volatile because of DJ Lagway.
The Florida transfer completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. He wasn’t always consistent in the SEC, but his arm talent and ability to escape pressure could make him dangerous with a fresh start.
BYU may own the conference’s nastiest backfield combination. LJ Martin rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns on his way to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier added 3,033 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns as a freshman. If TCU can’t control the line of scrimmage, that duo could turn the afternoon into a track meet.
Texas Tech brings problems everywhere. Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. caught 55 passes for 624 yards and five scores. Cornerback Brice Pollock intercepted five passes, while defensive lineman AJ Holmes produced 15 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
That’s elite talent on both sides of the ball, and it could be especially dangerous against an offense expected to lean heavily on the run.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier also belongs on the danger list after leading the Big 12 with 835 rushing yards and finishing with 24 total touchdowns.
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Former TCU running back Cam Cook, now at West Virginia, is another wild card after rushing for a national-best 1,659 yards at Jacksonville State.
Dykes wants 10, 11 or even 12 victories. The ambition is real, but so is the gauntlet. TCU won’t need to stop every star completely. It just can’t let one of them hijack the season.
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