The Big 12's Most Valuable Transfers of 2026, Ranked by NIL Value

Updated 2026-07-30

Texas Tech won the Big 12 in 2025 by outspending the conference in the portal, then answered every departure with another check. Six of the nine players on this list are new Red Raiders. The rest of the conference's marquee moves came from unexpected directions: a Harvard record-holder taking over at TCU, and BYU raiding USC, Cal and Oregon for starters.

These are the highest-valued players joining a new Big 12 program for 2026 among the conference schools in our database (Texas Tech, TCU, BYU and Oklahoma's former conference mates are covered separately). Ranges are shown here; exact figures live on each player's page. Valuations blend published figures from services such as On3 and The NIL Standard with our own modeled estimates.

The top Big 12 transfers by NIL value

1. Adam Trick, edge rusher, Miami (Ohio) to Texas Tech. Range: $1.25 million to $1.7 million. Trick posted 12.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in the MAC in 2025 and projects as the starting rush end on a rebuilt front.
2. Trey White, edge rusher, San Diego State to Texas Tech. Range: $1.25 million to $1.7 million. A two-time first-team All-Mountain West pick with 19.5 career sacks, White inherits the pass-rushing production Texas Tech lost to the NFL in David Bailey and Romello Height.
3. Kenny Johnson, wide receiver, Pittsburgh to Texas Tech. Range: $850,000 to $1.15 million. Johnson caught 48 passes for 695 yards and five touchdowns for the Panthers in 2025 and projects to start at the Z.
4. Bryce Butler, defensive lineman, Washington to Texas Tech. Range: $800,000 to $1.1 million. The Toronto native gives the Red Raiders a plug-and-play nose tackle.
5. Jaden Craig, quarterback, Harvard to TCU. Range: $700,000 to $950,000. Craig left Harvard as its all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards, set single-season program records in 2025 and steps into the Big 12 as TCU's projected starter.
6. Austin Romaine, linebacker, Kansas State to Texas Tech. Range: $500,000 to $700,000. Romaine averaged better than seven tackles a game in an injury-shortened 2025 and graded among the Big 12's best linebackers the year before.
7. Walker Lyons, tight end, USC to BYU. Range: $325,000 to $450,000. Lyons brings 20 college catches and one of the biggest social followings on BYU's roster, with more than 100,000 followers on both Instagram and TikTok.
8. Cade Uluave, linebacker, Cal to BYU. Range: $300,000 to $425,000. Rated the top linebacker in the portal after a 97-tackle season in Berkeley, Uluave arrives with preseason All-Big 12 billing.
9. Kyler Kasper, wide receiver, Oregon to BYU. Range: $150,000 to $210,000. The 6-foot-6 son of former NFL receiver Kevin Kasper was once a top national recruit and gets his first extended runway in Provo.

The deal that defined the cycle never counted

The most expensive Big 12 transfer of the winter is not on this list because he never played a down. Texas Tech landed Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby on a package reported near $6 million, then lost him before the season amid an NCAA eligibility fight that turned into the sport's most closely watched NIL lawsuit. We covered the full saga here.

The other lesson in the numbers: Big 12 money runs a full tier below the SEC and Big Ten. The conference's top transfer valuation would rank sixth in the SEC's portal class and fourth in the Big Ten's.

Look up the exact numbers

Every player above has a profile with his current valuation and range. Browse the database or estimate any player in the calculator.

Ranges reflect current valuations in our database as of late July 2026. They are estimates of 12 month earning potential, not confirmed salaries or contract amounts.

Sources

• On3 NIL Valuations
• On3 Transfer Portal rankings
• The NIL Standard team valuations