LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The Big 12 Conference released this year’s All-Big 12 honors on Wednesday with a few Red Raiders landing on teams with two picking up top awards. The Big 12 awards are voted on by all 14 head coaches and they are not allowed to vote for their own players.
Punter Austin McNamara was named the Big 12′s Special Teams Player of the Year – the first Red Raider to win the award since it first became an honor in 2005, according a Texas Tech Athletics news release. He’s also the first punter to win the award since 2018.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Ben Roberts was named co-Defensive Freshman of the Year alongside Texas’ linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. Roberts’ 100 tackles on the year is second amongst freshmen in the nation and leads the Red Raiders. The team’s second highest tackler is 27 tackles behind Roberts.
Since 1980, according to the release, Roberts’ 100 tackles is the second highest by a freshman in program history behind Donald Harris’ 104 tackles set in 1987. He is the second Red Raider to be named conference Defensive Freshman of the Year joining Brock Stratton in 2003.
McNamara was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team along with running back Tahj Brooks.
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson picked up All-Big 12 Second Team honors as well.
In total, 20 Red Raiders received honorable mention nods. Among those 20, the league also lists players who received votes for Big 12 Player of the Year awards.
Brooks hauled in votes for Offensive Player of the Year and Taylor-Demerson received some votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
DB C.J. Baskerville saw some coaches vote him in as Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Jaylon Hutchings grabbed some votes for Defensive Lineman of the Year and Drae McCray rounded things out picking up votes for the Offensive Newcomer of the Year award.
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