Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was named The Associated Press Big 12 defensive player of the year Thursday, when he was among seven first-team picks on the all-conference team from the playoff-bound Red Raiders.
BYU's Kalani Sitake was named the Big 12's top coach and Cougars running back LJ Martin, the league's leading rusher, was picked as offensive player of the year. Both of BYU's losses this season are to Texas Tech, including in the conference championship game last Saturday.
The Red Raiders (12-1) won their first Big 12 title and have a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff before playing in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. Unanimous picks Rodriguez and defensive end David Bailey are among five first-teamers on defense from Tech, joined by tackles Lee Hunter and A.J. Holmes Jr., and cornerback Brice Pollock. Running back Cameron Dickey and place kicker Stone Harrington are also first-team selections.
Rodriguez has 117 tackles and is the Bowl Subdivision leader with seven forced fumbles. He is the first FBS player since 2005 with at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season. His national awards already include the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player), the Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker) and Butkus Award (top linebacker).
Bailey, a transfer from Stanford, has a league-high 13 1/2 sacks and is the Big 12's first-year transfer of the year.
TCU receiver Eric McAlister, who has 64 catches for 1,121 yards and 10 touchdown to lead the Big 12 with 93.4 yards per game, and Martin were unanimous picks on the first-team offense, as determined by the votes of 17 media members who cover the league.
Martin, who has 1,305 yards and 12 TDs rushing, is one of four first-team picks for BYU, along with center Bruce Mitchell, safety Tanner Wall and all-purpose player Parker Kingston. Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier was named the league's freshman of the year.
The 2025 Associated Press All-Big 12 team, as selected by a panel of 17 media members who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous selections:
First team Offense
WR — u-Eric McAlister, TCU, 6-3, 205, Sr., Azle, Texas.
WR — Amare Thomas, Houston, 6-0, 205, Jr., Birmingham, Alabama.
OT — Spencer Fano, Utah, 6-6, 308, Jr., Spanish Fork, Utah.
OT — Caleb Lomu, Utah, 6-6, 308, So., Gilbert, Arizona.
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., Kamas, Utah.
TE — Michael Trigg, Baylor, 6-4, 240, Sr., Tampa, Florida.
QB — Noah Fifita, Arizona, 5-10, 195, Jr., Huntington Beach, California.
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.
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, California.
DE — John Henry Daley, Utah, 6-4, 255, So., Alpine, Utah.
DT — Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-4, 330, Sr., Mobile, Alabama.
DT — A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Texas, 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, California.
LB — Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4, 240, Sr., Arlington, Tennessee.
CB — Keith Abney II , Arizona St., 6-0, 190, Jr., Dallas.
CB — Brice Pollock, Texas Tech, 6-0, 195, Jr., Snellville, Georgia.
S — Tanner Wall, BYU, 6-1, 205, Sr., Arlington, Virginia.
S — Dalton Johnson, Arizona, 5-11, 198, Sr., Katy, Texas.
Punter — Palmer Williams, Baylor, 6-2, 203, Jr., Advance, North Carolina.
Second team offense
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WR — Jordyn Tyson, Arizona St., 6-2, 200, Jr., 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, South Dakota.
OG — Davion Carter, Texas Tech, 6-0, 295, Sr., Pearl, Mississippi.
OG — Kobe Baynes, Kansas, 6-4, 315, Jr., Jacksonville, Florida.
Center — Sam Hecht, Kansas St., 6-4, 300, Sr., Shawnee, Kansas.
TE — Tanner Koziol, Houston, 6-7, 250, Sr., Bloomingdale, Illinois.
QB — Sawyer Robertson, Baylor, 6-4, 220, Sr., Lubbock, Texas.
RB — Raleek Brown, Arizona St., 5-9, 195, Jr. Stockton, California.
RB —Carson Hansen, Iowa St., 6-2, 220, Jr., Lakeville, Minnesota.
PK — Noe Ruelas, UCF, 6-1, 195, Sr., West Hartford, Connecticut.
All-purpose — Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas, 6-1, 190, Sr., Hartford, Alabama.
Second team defense
DE — Malachi Lawrence, UCF, 6-4, 260, Sr., Louisville, Kentucky.
DE — Romello Height, Texas Tech, 6-3, 240, Sr., Dublin, Georgia.
DT — Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, 6-1, 335, Sr, Cincinnati.
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, Missouri.
LB — Keaton Thomas, Baylor, 6-2, 229, Jr., Jacksonville, Florida.
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, Louisiana.
S — Jamel Johnson, TCU, 6-1, 200, Jr., Arlington, Texas.
Punter — Wes Pahl, Oklahoma St., 6-5, 205, Sr., Columbus, Georgia.
Individual honors
Offensive player of the year — LJ Martin, RB, BYU.
Defensive player of the year — Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech.
Coach of the year — Kalani Sitake, BYU.
Freshman of the year — Bear Bachmeier, BYU.
First-year Transfer of the year — David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech.
All-Big 12 voting panel
Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Brice Cherry, Waco Tribune-Herald; David Collier, KAMC-TV, Lubbock, Texas; Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle; Rob Gray, The Cedar Rapids Gazette; Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World; Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera; Nick Jacobs, KSHB 41-TV, Kansas City; Sean Keeler, The Denver Post; Taylor Kennedy, Charleston Gazette-Mail; Michael Lev, Arizona Daily Star; Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel; Jerry Ramsey, The Franchise 107.7 Oklahoma City; Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post; Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald; Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star; Sean Walker, KSL.com.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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