RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesUtah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) passes the ball just before BYU linebacker Bodie Schoonover (48) gets to him as they play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Choosing talent, making something of it and converting it into wins is an art form.
It can’t be taken lightly.
Many blue-blood programs have the talent and get by. But if you don’t have a top 10 recruiting class, a school must take talent and elevate it. This is the way of the Big 12.
The Big 12, led by BYU, has the best player development and win conversion in the country, according to an evaluation by the leading media prognosticator Brett Ciancia in his “Pick Six Previews” of the 2026 college football season.
“So a program lands a strong recruiting class, and even starts to stack consecutive top-rated classes over a few years. What’s next?” Ciancia writes. “Player development and converting the raw talent into wins on the field.”
Ciancia uses two formulas to produce a ranking of college teams in this regard. What he found is the Big 12 has five of the top 10 win conversion teams and four of the top 12 teams in player development.
In win conversion, BYU ranks No. 2 in the country behind SMU. Kansas State is No. 3, Texas Tech is No. 4, Utah is No. 7, followed by Houston at No. 10.
Ciancia explains his win conversion this way:
He takes the recruit rank from 247Sports from 2017 through 2025 and compares it with total wins through 2021-2025.
“This stat compares the program’s recruiting level to their actual output in the win column. Some programs sign top-rated and still can’t win games. That speaks volumes to the staff’s coaching style, play-calling, system, in-game adjustments, and overall ability,” according to Ciancia.
And, I’d add culture to the mix.
It is interesting to see in these rankings that Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Alabama, Penn State, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Texas and Texas A&M — all tremendous recruiters — are not in the top 10 in the player development matrix.
In player development, Texas Tech is ranked No. 2 in this analysis, followed by Kansas State at No. 3, Arizona at No. 5, and No. 7 TCU.
This is complete domination by the Big 12.
Ciancia defines the player development rankings as recruit rankings from 2019 through 2022 compared to NFL draft picks from 2023 through 2026. Illinois ranks No. 1 in this category.
For the Cougars and Utes, the win conversion ranking bodes well, at least for the Kalani Sitake and Kyle Whittingham eras. Morgan Scalley hopes to mimic the trends and successes of his predecessor in Salt Lake City.
Brett McMurphy of On3 Sport ranks Sitake as the top Big 12 coach. “In the past two years in the Big 12, no one has done it better than Kalani Sitake. The BYU alum has led the Cougars to a 15-3 record in Big 12 play, the league’s best mark. ... Sitake’s success has garnered notice nationwide.”
Brandon Marcello (CBS Sports) ranked Sitake as a top-five FBS coach (No. 5 overall behind names like Kirby Smart and Ryan Day). He praised him as a major overachiever: “Sitake has done a spectacular job under difficult circumstances ... (coming) very close to making the CFP despite having a total of two NFL draft picks in those two seasons.”
Defensive tackle Justin Kirkland (transfer from Oklahoma State) told the media that the maturity and culture under Sitake at BYU is the big difference between the Cougar and Cowboy camps. “The biggest difference ... is just the culture at BYU. And everybody is so much older ... a little bit more mature ... the spiritual aspect of BYU. ... It’s just a little bit of a higher standard.”
Sitake will host media members on Thursday for a golf outing at Timpanogos Golf Club in Provo. It’s kind of a laid-back fun day for his staff, a few players and the talking heads and writers that follow his program.
There will be interview opportunities throughout the day and more pre-camp football fodder will be produced.
Not a bad cultural move for the man.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake watches his ball after a swing during the Coaches Legacy Golf Invitational at Hidden Valley Country Club in Sandy on Monday, June 7, 2021.
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Annie Barker, Deseret News
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