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BYU running back LJ Martin (4) is stopped as he runs the ball by Texas Tech defensive lineman E’Maurion Banks (8) and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) as David Bailey (31) looks on in the second half of a Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
BYU\u2019s Kalani Sitake was named the Big 12\u2019s top coach and Cougars running back LJ Martin, the league\u2019s leading rusher, was picked as offensive player of the year. Both of BYU\u2019s losses this season are to Texas Tech, including in the conference championship game last Saturday.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Bailey, a transfer from Stanford, has a league-high 13 1\/2 sacks and is the Big 12\u2019s first-year transfer of the year.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s freshman of the year.<\/p>\n
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; \u201cu-\u201d denotes unanimous selections:<\/p>\n
First team Offense<\/p>\n
WR \u2014 u-Eric McAlister, TCU, 6-3, 205, Sr., Azle, Texas.<\/p>\n
WR \u2014 Amare Thomas, Houston, 6-0, 205, Jr., Birmingham, Alabama.<\/p>\n
OT \u2014 Spencer Fano, Utah, 6-6, 308, Jr., Spanish Fork, Utah.<\/p>\n
OT \u2014 Caleb Lomu, Utah, 6-6, 308, So., Gilbert, Arizona.<\/p>\n
OG \u2014 Omar Aigbedion, Baylor, 6-3, 310, Sr., Katy, Texas.<\/p>\n
OG \u2014 Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, 6-3, 320, So., Dayton, Ohio.<\/p>\n
Center \u2014 Bruce Mitchell, BYU, 6-4, 305, Jr., Kamas, Utah.<\/p>\n
TE \u2014 Michael Trigg, Baylor, 6-4, 240, Sr., Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n
QB \u2014 Noah Fifita, Arizona, 5-10, 195, Jr., Huntington Beach, California.<\/p>\n
RB \u2014 u-LJ Martin, BYU, 6-2, 220, Jr., El Paso, Texas<\/p>\n
RB \u2014 .Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech, 5-10, 215, So., Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n
PK \u2014 Stone Harrington, Texas Tech, 6-3, 200, Jr., Colleyville, Texas.<\/p>\n
All-purpose \u2014 Parker Kingston, BYU, 5-11, 185, Jr., Layton, Utah.<\/p>\n
First-team defense<\/p>\n
DE \u2014 u-David Bailey, Texas Tech, 6-3, 250, Sr., Irvine, California.<\/p>\n
DE \u2014 John Henry Daley, Utah, 6-4, 255, So., Alpine, Utah.<\/p>\n
DT \u2014 Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-4, 330, Sr., Mobile, Alabama.<\/p>\n
DT \u2014 A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Texas, 6-3, 300, Jr., Houston.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 u-Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 235, Sr., Wichita Falls, Texas.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU, 6-2, 230, Sr., Hayward, California.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 Jake Golday, Cincinnati, 6-4, 240, Sr., Arlington, Tennessee.<\/p>\n
CB \u2014 Keith Abney II , Arizona St., 6-0, 190, Jr., Dallas.<\/p>\n
CB \u2014 Brice Pollock, Texas Tech, 6-0, 195, Jr., Snellville, Georgia.<\/p>\n
S \u2014 Tanner Wall, BYU, 6-1, 205, Sr., Arlington, Virginia.<\/p>\n
S \u2014 Dalton Johnson, Arizona, 5-11, 198, Sr., Katy, Texas.<\/p>\n
Punter \u2014 Palmer Williams, Baylor, 6-2, 203, Jr., Advance, North Carolina.<\/p>\n
Second team offense<\/p>\n
WR \u2014 Jordyn Tyson, Arizona St., 6-2, 200, Jr., Allen, Texas.<\/p>\n
WR \u2014 Josh Cameron, Baylor, 6-1, 224., Jr., Cedar Park, Texas.<\/p>\n
OT \u2014 Max Iheanachor, Arizona St., 6-6, 330, Sr., Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
OT \u2014 Joe Cotton, Cincinnati, 6-6, 317, Jr., Sioux Falls, South Dakota.<\/p>\n
OG \u2014 Davion Carter, Texas Tech, 6-0, 295, Sr., Pearl, Mississippi.<\/p>\n
OG \u2014 Kobe Baynes, Kansas, 6-4, 315, Jr., Jacksonville, Florida.<\/p>\n
Center \u2014 Sam Hecht, Kansas St., 6-4, 300, Sr., Shawnee, Kansas.<\/p>\n
TE \u2014 Tanner Koziol, Houston, 6-7, 250, Sr., Bloomingdale, Illinois.<\/p>\n
QB \u2014 Sawyer Robertson, Baylor, 6-4, 220, Sr., Lubbock, Texas.<\/p>\n
RB \u2014 Raleek Brown, Arizona St., 5-9, 195, Jr. Stockton, California.<\/p>\n
RB \u2013Carson Hansen, Iowa St., 6-2, 220, Jr., Lakeville, Minnesota.<\/p>\n
PK \u2014 Noe Ruelas, UCF, 6-1, 195, Sr., West Hartford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n
All-purpose \u2014 Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas, 6-1, 190, Sr., Hartford, Alabama.<\/p>\n
Second team defense<\/p>\n
DE \u2014 Malachi Lawrence, UCF, 6-4, 260, Sr., Louisville, Kentucky.<\/p>\n
DE \u2014 Romello Height, Texas Tech, 6-3, 240, Sr., Dublin, Georgia.<\/p>\n
DT \u2014 Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, 6-1, 335, Sr, Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
DT \u2014 Carlos Allen, Jr., Houston, 6-1, 295, Sr., Atlanta.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 Jack Kelly, BYU, 6-2, 242, Sr., Kearns, Utah.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona St., 6-2, 235, Sr., Richmond, Missouri.<\/p>\n
LB \u2014 Keaton Thomas, Baylor, 6-2, 229, Jr., Jacksonville, Florida.<\/p>\n
CB \u2014 Treydan Stukes, Arizona, 6-2, 200, Sr., Litchfield Park, Arizona.<\/p>\n
CB \u2014 Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston, 6-1, 185, Sr., Austin, Texas<\/p>\n
S \u2014 Bud Clark, TCU, 6-2, 190, Sr., Alexandria, Louisiana.<\/p>\n
S \u2014 Jamel Johnson, TCU, 6-1, 200, Jr., Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Punter \u2014 Wes Pahl, Oklahoma St., 6-5, 205, Sr., Columbus, Georgia.<\/p>\n
Individual honors<\/p>\n
Offensive player of the year \u2014 LJ Martin, RB, BYU.<\/p>\n
Defensive player of the year \u2014 Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
Coach of the year \u2014 Kalani Sitake, BYU.<\/p>\n
Freshman of the year \u2014 Bear Bachmeier, BYU.<\/p>\n
First-year Transfer of the year \u2014 David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
All-Big 12 voting panel<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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