Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was named the Associated Press’ Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday when he was one of seven first-team players from the playoff-bound Red Raiders named to the all-conference team.
BYU’s Kalani Sitake was named the Big 12 Conference’s top coach, and Cougars running back L.J. Martin, the conference’s leading rusher, was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year. BYU’s two losses this season have come to Texas Tech, including last Saturday’s conference championship game.
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The Red Raiders (12-1) won their first Big 12 championship and earned a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff before playing in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. Unanimous selection Rodriguez and defensive end David Bailey are among five first-team players on Tech’s defense, along with tackles Lee Hunter and AJ Holmes Jr., and cornerback Brice Pollock. Running back Cameron Dickey and placekicker Stone Harrington were also named to the first team.
Rodriguez had 117 tackles and led the bowl subdivision with seven forced fumbles. He is the first FBS player since 2005 to have at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season. His national awards already include the Bronco Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player), Lombardi Award (best linebacker) and Butkus Award (best linebacker).
Bailey, a transfer from Stanford, had a league-high 13 1/2 sacks and was the Big 12 Transfer Player of the Year.
TCU receiver Eric McAlister had 64 catches for 1,121 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the Big 12 with an average of 93.4 yards per game, according to a poll of 17 media members covering the league.
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Martin, who has 1,305 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, is one of four BYU first-team recruits, along with center Bruce Mitchell, safety Tanner Wall and versatile player Parker Kingston. Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier was named the league’s Freshman of the Year.
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The 2025 Associated Press All-Big 12 teams are selected by a panel of 17 media members who regularly cover the league. Players at each position are listed in alphabetical order, including name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” indicates unanimous selection:
first team attack
WR — u-Eric McAlister, TCU, 6-3, 205, Sr., Azell, Texas.
WR — Amar’e Thomas, Houston, 6-0, 205, Jr., Birmingham, Ala.
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OT — Spencer Fano, Utah, 6-6, 308, Jr., Spanish Fork, Utah.
OT — Caleb Lomu, Utah, 6-6, 308, So., Gilbert, Ariz.
OG — Omar Aigbedion, Baylor, 6-3, 310, Sr., Katy, Texas.
OG — Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, 6-3, 320, So., Dayton, Ohio.
Center — Bruce Mitchell, BYU, 6-4, 305, Jr., Camas, Utah.
TE — Michael Trigg, Baylor, 6-4, 240, Sr., Tampa, Fla.
QB — Noah Fifita, Arizona, 5-10, 195, Jr., Huntington Beach, Calif.
RB — u-LJ Martin, BYU, 6-2, 220, Jr., El Paso, Texas
RB — .Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech, 5-10, 215, So., Austin, Texas.
PK — Stone Harrington, Texas Tech, 6-3, 200, Jr., Colleyville, Texas.
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All-Purpose — Parker Kingston, BYU, 5-11, 185, Jr., Layton, Utah.
first team defense
DE — u-David Bailey, Texas Tech, 6-3, 250, Sr., Irvine, Calif.
DE — John Henry Daley, Utah, 6-4, 255, So., Alpine, Utah.
DT — Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-4, 330, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
DT — AJ Holmes Jr., Texas State, 6-3, 300, Jr., Houston.
LB — u-Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 235, Sr., Wichita Falls, Texas.
LB — Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU, 6-2, 230, Sr., Hayward, Calif.
LB — Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4, 240, Sr., Arlington, Tenn.
CB — Keith Abney II, Arizona St., 6-0, 190, Jr., Dallas.
CB — Brice Pollock, Texas Tech, 6-0, 195, Jr., Snellville, Ga.
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S — Tanner Wall, BYU, 6-1, 205, Sr., Arlington, Va.
S — Dalton Johnson, Arizona, 5-11, 198, Sr., Katy, Texas.
Punter – Palmer Williams, Baylor, 6-2, 203, Jr., Advance, North Carolina.
second team attack
WR — Jordyn Tyson, 6-2, 200, Jr., Arizona St., Allen, Texas.
WR — Josh Cameron, Baylor, 6-1, 224., Jr., Cedar Park, Texas.
OT — Max Iheanachor, Arizona St., 6-6, 330, Sr., Los Angeles.
OT — Joe Cotton, Cincinnati, 6-6, 317, Jr., Sioux Falls, SD.
OG — Davion Carter, Texas Tech, 6-0, 295, Sr., Pearl, Mississippi.
OG — Kobe Baynes, Kansas State, 6-4, 315, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Center — Sam Hecht, Kansas St., 6-4, 300, Sr., Shawnee, Kansas.
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TE — Tanner Koziol, Houston, 6-7, 250, Sr., Bloomingdale, Ill.
QB — Sawyer Robertson, Baylor, 6-4, 220, Sr., Lubbock, Texas.
RB — Raleek Brown, Arizona Street, 5-9, 195, Stockton Jr., Calif.
RB —Carson Hansen, Iowa State, 6-2, 220, Jr., Lakeville, Minnesota.
PK — Noe Ruelas, UCF, 6-1, 195, Sr., West Hartford, Conn.
All-purpose — Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas, 6-1, 190, Sr., Hartford, Ala.
second team defense
DE — Malachi Lawrence, UCF, 6-4, 260, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
DE — Romello Height, Texas Tech, 6-3, 240, Sr., Dublin, Ga.
DT — Dontae Corleone, Cincinnati, 6-1, 335, Sr, Cincinnati.
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DT – Carlos Allen Jr., Houston, 6-1, 295, Sr., Atlanta.
LB — Jack Kelly, BYU, 6-2, 242, Sr., Kearns, Utah.
LB – Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona St., 6-2, 235, Sr., Richmond, Mo.
LB – Keaton Thomas, Baylor, 6-2, 229, Jr., Jacksonville, FL.
CB — Treydan Stukes, Arizona, 6-2, 200, Sr., Litchfield Park, Arizona.
CB — Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston, 6-1, 185, Sr., Austin, Texas
S — Bud Clark, TCU, 6-2, 190, Sr., Alexandria, La.
S — Jamel Johnson, TCU, 6-1, 200, Jr., Arlington, Texas.
Punter – Wes Pahl, Oklahoma St., 6-5, 205, Sr., Columbus, Ga.
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personal honor
Offensive Player of the Year – LJ Martin, RB, BYU.
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Defensive Player of the Year – Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech.
Coach of the Year – Kalani Sitake, BYU.
Freshman of the Year – Bear Bachmeier, Brigham Young University.
First-Year Transfer of the Year – David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech.
All Big 12 voting groups
Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Brice Cherry, Waco Herald-Tribune; David Collier, KAMC-TV, Lubbock, Texas; Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle; Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette; Henry Greenstein, Lawrence World Magazine; Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera; Nick Jacobs, KSHB 41-TV, Kansas City; Sean Keeler, The Denver Post; Tyler Kennedy, The Charleston Gazette-Mail; Michael Lev, The Arizona Daily Star; Matt Muschel, Orlando Sentinel; Jerry Ramsey, The Team 107.7 Oklahoma City; Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post; Zach Smith, The Waco Herald-Tribune; Justin Spears, The Arizona Daily Star; Sean Walker, KSL.com.
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