Pro Football Focus just dropped its All-Big 12 team, and it’s a good reminder of who really made noise in the league this year. While the conference had its usual chaos, one thing that wasn’t unpredictable was how loaded Texas Tech’s roster turned out to be. The Red Raiders landed seven players on this list, and that’s not a typo.
PFF’s top quarterback is Brendan Sorsby, who quietly put together one of the most efficient seasons in the conference. He finished with more than 300 yards of total offense and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27-5. In the backfield, LJ Martin was the pick at running back, and rightfully so. He’d already been named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for his dominant season.
At wide receiver, Eric McAlister and Amare Thomas both earned spots after doing damage all year long. They’ve been a problem for Big 12 secondaries, and it feels like every time their teams needed a big play, they were the ones coming through. Michael Trigg locked up the tight end slot, which came as a shock to absolutely no one, and Jordyn Tyson got the flex tag for doing a little bit of everything.
On the offensive line, it’s Howard Sampson at left tackle, Evan Tengesdahl at guard, Bruce Mitchell at center, Omar Aigbedion at right guard, and Spencer Fano rounding it out at tackle. That’s a group that gave quarterbacks time to operate and opened up running lanes against some nasty fronts, all year long.
One of the craziest groups to look at comes when focusing on the defensive line. All four of the featured names, David Bailey, Romello Height, A.J. Holmes, and Lee Hunter, happen to play for the same squad. You guessed it! Texas Tech.
Linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Jake Golday were two of the most consistent tacklers in the conference, and their instincts made a big difference for their units. At corner, Keith Abney and Treydan Stukes were the lockdown guys, while safeties Dalton Johnson and Tanner Wall played clean and physical on the back end. Brice Pollock was the defensive flex, a do-it-all piece for Texas Tech who always seemed to be around the ball.
The headline here? Texas Tech. Seven dudes on the All-Big 12 team is no joke, and it tells you how quietly they’ve built something real out in Lubbock.
PFF OFFENSE
- QB – Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
- RB – LJ Martin, BYU
- WR – Eric McAlister, TCU
- WR – Amare Thomas, Houston
- TE – Michael Trigg, Baylor
- OL – Howard Sampson, Texas Tech
- OL – Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
- OL – Bruce Mitchell, BYU
- OL – Omar Aigbedion, Baylor
- OL – Spencer Fano, Utah
- FLEX – Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
PFF DEFENSE
- ED – David Bailey, Texas Tech
- ED – Romello Height, Texas Tech
- DL – A.J. Holmes, Texas Tech
- DL – Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
- LB – Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
- LB – Jake Golday, Cincinnati
- CB – Keith Abney, Arizona State
- CB – Treydan Stukes, Arizona
- S – Dalton Johnson, Arizona
- S – Tanner Wall, BYU
- FLEX – Brice Pollock, Texas Tech
