The Big 12 is going to be as exciting a conference as any in 2026. Last year, there were few star running backs. Of the 44 players who eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground, only three came from the Big 12. Fast forward to 2026, one of those players transferred to the SEC, but the other two running backs are returning.
Continuing Last Word‘s best returning players ranking for the Big 12, let’s take a look at the best running backs returning to the conference. This ranking will feature players who are returning to their school. Transfers into or within the conference will not land in our top spots, though there are a few worth mentioning as they are expected to have big seasons this fall.
The Best Running Backs Returning to the Big 12 in 2026
Honorable Mentions
This is just a top-three ranking, so it was hard to draw a line, but it had to be done somewhere. There are a few running backs returning who are worth keeping an eye on, led by Joe Jackson out of Kansas State. Last year, he took over the backfield due to an injury to Dylan Edwards. With that opportunity, he was decent for most of the year before running for 435 yards and six touchdowns in his final two games. Edwards transferred to Kansas, so Jackson is expected to lead a running back room full of incoming transfers.
Another returning back worth keeping an eye on for a breakout is TCU’s Jeremy Payne. In 11 games, Payne led the Horned Frogs with 623 yards and five touchdowns. TCU should be a bit more run-centric this year with the hire of Gordon Sammis, so Payne could be an under-the-radar breakout watch candidate.
Finally, there are two incoming transfers worth mentioning since they cannot be officially ranked in the top three. First, Caleb Hawkins was one of the many North Texas-to-Oklahoma State transfers. Alongside the FBS leader in passing yards, Hawkins still managed to run for an American Conference-leading 1,434 yards and an FBS-best 25 touchdowns.
The other transfer came from Jacksonville State to West Virginia. Cam Cook led the FBS with 1,659 yards and scored 16 touchdowns in his lone season with Jax State. He was alright in his two seasons at TCU, so time will tell if he’s a CUSA player or if he’s finally hit his stride.
3. Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech
Texas Tech lost a lot to the draft last year, but its leading rusher is back for more. After leading the Red Raiders on the ground as a second-year breakout player, Cameron Dickey is one of the top running backs in the Big 12, regardless of whether he is returning or transferring in.
In his breakout season, Dickey amassed 1,124 yards and a Big 12-best 14 touchdowns. He only finished with two games with over 100 yards, but one of those was historic. In the win over Kansas, Dickey dominated with 263 yards and two touchdowns. That mark is good for the fifth-most yards in a single game in program history.
He’s not a guy who was trusted to wholly carry the load in 2025, and he will likely continue to split carries with J’Koby Williams (155 carries, 868 yards, six touchdowns). However, in the four games in which Dickey carried the ball at least 20 times, he ran for 548 yards and four touchdowns for 6.4 yards per carry.
2. Wayshawn Parker, Utah
Last year, Wayshawn Parker had a breakout campaign in his first season with the Utes after transferring in from Washington State. In 13 games, Parker rushed for a total of 981 yards and six touchdowns. His 6.6 yards per carry led the Big 12, and he finished fourth in the conference in rushing yards. In his breakout season, Parker finished with four 100-yard performances in four consecutive games.
Over his final six games, including the bowl win over Nebraska, Parker averaged 103.8 yards per game with three touchdowns. In the games in which he reached double-digit carries, he averaged 91 yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry. In those other four games? He averaged 40.25 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. The long and the short of it is that when he was given the opportunity to shine, he did.
His job this year may be a bit more difficult, however. Kyle Whittingham retired/left for Michigan, and so did his entire offensive line. With Devon Dampier taking some pressure off, Parker could have a good season, but it’s going to be a bit harder this year.
1. LJ Martin, BYU
The consensus top returning running back in the Big 12 is BYU’s star, LJ Martin. He was solid in his first two seasons with the Cougars after running for 1,236 yards and 11 touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons. He took his game to a completely different level as a third-year player in 2025.
Alongside a first-year quarterback, defenses were selling out to stop Martin. Despite that, in 13 games (he missed the Pop-Tarts Bowl after shoulder surgery), Martin led the Big 12 with 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. He sustained that injury in the first quarter of the win over Iowa State, resulting in just 15 yards and a touchdown on five carries. So, in his 12 full games, Martin averaged 107.5 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry.
He broke out with six 100-yard performances, capped off with a 222-yard, two-touchdown game in the win over Cincinnati. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year isn’t a one-trick pony, either. As a receiver out of the backfield, Martin added 255 yards on 36 receptions.
BYU has the second-best odds to win the Big 12 behind Texas Tech. With another strong season from Martin, the Cougars will be back to play for the conference title at A&T Stadium on November 4.
Main Image: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
