Texas Tech University Athletics
Brooks, Rodriguez headline Red Raiders in All-Big 12 Awards
December 05, 2024 | Football
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
LB – Jacob Rodriguez
ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM
RB – Tahj Brooks
WR – Josh Kelly
TE – Jalin Conyers
PK – Gino Garcia
BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
OL – Caleb Rogers
KR/PR – Drae McCray
DB – C.J. Baskerville
The first team consisted of linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who also picked up an honorable mention nod for defensive player of the year. Rodriguez is the third Texas Tech linebacker to ever earn first-team All-Big 12 honors and the first since Jordyn Brooks in 2019, who is in his fifth NFL season. Rodriguez wrapped up the regular season as the Big 12 leader in total tackles with 118. He ranks tied for 11th nationally in tackles and tied for 13th nationally in tackles per game averaging 9.83. Rodriguez reached double-digit tackle figures seven times this season, including a career-high 17 stops in the Red Raiders' game versus Colorado. His season also included being honored as the Bednarik National Linebacker of the Week (Oct. 8/at Arizona) and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 4/at Iowa State).
Red Raiders on the second team included three players from the offense - running back Tahj Brooks, wide receiver Josh Kelly and tight end Jalin Conyers - and placekicker Gino Garcia.
Brooks, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and a finalist for the NFF Campbell Trophy, ranks third in the FBS, and No. 1 in the Big 12, in rushing yards per game with 136.82 per game. Brooks ranks fifth in the FBS in rushing yards with 1.505 despite playing in just 11 games. He ranks second overall in the conference for total rushing yards, trailing R.J. Harvey (UCF) by 72 yards after he played in all 12 regular season games this year.
Brooks is one of only two FBS players this season (min. 7 games) to have rushed for at least 100 yards in every game he's played and the lone player to do so from a power conference. His 11 100-yard games this season set a Texas Tech single-season record for most 100-yard games in a single season while also breaking the Texas Tech career record for most 100-yard games with 23. His 23 career 100-yard games placed him in solo fourth in Big 12 history in that category, most recently passing Adrian Peterson, (22; OU, 2004-06) while trailing Cedric Benson (24; UT, 2001-04), Darren Sproles (24; KSU, 2001-04) and Ricky Williams (25; UT, 1996-98) for the most-ever.
Brooks also earned an honorable mention nod for offensive player of the year and was tabbed the Big 12 Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year alongside Jalon Daniels (Kansas).
Kelly, also on the second team, is one of 20 players nationally to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving this season and was the first Texas Tech receiver to surpass 1,000 yards in a single season since Antoine Wesley in 2018. Kelly ranks 17th nationally with 1,023 receiving yards and his 89 receptions this season ranks eighth nationally. Kelly, who was in his first year donning the Scarlet and Black, received an honorable mention nod for offensive newcomer of the year, in addition to his All-Big 12 second-team honor. It was the first appearance of his career on a first or second-team all-conference team; his only previous appearance on a postseason awards list was an All-Mountain honorable mention vote in 2021.
After the last three seasons in the Pac-12, Jalin Conyers also earned his first career appearance on a first or second all-conference team. He is also the first Texas Tech tight end to appear on a first or second Big 12 all-conference team since Jace Amaro held first-team honors in 2013.
Texas Tech tight ends account for only 50 of the 316 completions in a wideout-heavy offense but Conyers leads the group with 29 receptions for 308 yards and five touchdowns. The versatile player who lines up in wildcat packages has also passed for a touchdown and accounted for 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His run-blocking grades were first in the Big 12 between all tight ends and wide receivers; highlights included springing Brooks loose for the game-winning rushing TD at Iowa State in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in Ames and a two-touchdown game versus Colorado that matched a single game career-high.
Last but not least on the All-Big 12 second-team, Garcia, who was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, finished the regular season 18-of-19 (94.7%) on field goals with his only miss coming on a 53-yard attempt, into the wind, in the waning seconds of the first half versus Colorado. The miss snapped a streak of 16 consecutive made field goals, dating back to 2023, that broke the previous school record of 13 consecutive made field goals. His 94.7 successful field goal percentage ranks tops in FBS football for kickers who own 15 or more attempts during the 2024 season. His percentage ranked third in all of the FBS behind a pair of players that own 100.0 conversion rates on season attempts of 11 and 13, respectively. In addition to second-team honors, he earned an honorable mention for Special Team Player of the Year.
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ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB – Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
RB – Cam Skattebo (Arizona State)
RB – RJ Harvey (UCF)
FB – Jared Casey (Kansas)
WR – Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
WR – Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
WR – Travis Hunter (Colorado)
TE – Joe Royer (Cincinnati)
TE – Brant Kuithe (Utah)
OL – Leif Fautanu (Arizona State)
OL – Caleb Etienne (BYU)
OL – Luke Kandra (Cincinnati)
OL – Spencer Fano (Utah)
OL – Wyatt Milum (West Virginia)
PK – Will Ferrin (BYU)
KR/PR – Josh Cameron (Baylor) / Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Tyler Batty (BYU)
DL – Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati)
DL – B.J. Green (Colorado)
DL – Brendan Mott (Kansas State)
DL – T.J. Jackson (West Virginia)
LB – Matt Jones (Baylor)
LB – Keaton Thomas (Baylor)
LB – Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech)
DB – Xavion Alford (Arizona State)
DB – Travis Hunter (Colorado) #
DB – A.J. Haulcy (Houston)
DB – Cobee Bryant (Kansas) #
DB – Mello Dotson (Kansas)
P - Palmer Williams (Baylor)
ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB – Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)
RB – DJ Giddens (Kansas State)
RB – Tahj Brooks (Texas Tech)
FB – Stevo Klotz (Iowa State)
WR – Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)
WR – Jack Bech (TCU)
WR – Josh Kelly (Texas Tech)
TE – Chamon Metayer (Arizona State)
TE – Michael Trigg (Baylor)
TE – Garrett Oakley (Kansas State)
TE – Jalin Conyers (Texas Tech)
OL – Logan Brown (Kansas)
OL – Michael Ford (Kansas)
OL – Bryce Foster (Kansas)
OL – Easton Kilty (Kansas State)
OL – Sam Hecht (Kansas State)
PK – Gino Garcia (Texas Tech)
KR/PR – Keelan Marion (BYU)
ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – C.J. Fite (Arizona State)
DL – Lee Hunter (UCF)
DL – Keith Cooper Jr. (Houston)
DL - Dean Miller (Kansas)
DL – Van Fillinger (Utah)
LB – Keyshaun Elliott (Arizona State)
LB – Nikhai Hill-Green (Colorado)
LB – Austin Romaine (Kansas State)
DB – Tacario Davis (Arizona)
DB – Jakob Robinson (BYU)
DB – Jeremiah Wilson (Houston)
DB – Jontez Williams (Iowa State)
DB – Malik Verdon (Iowa State)
DB – Bud Clark (TCU)
P – Jack Bouwmeester (Utah)
Ties in voting resulted in extra tight ends and a defensive back on the Second Team
Players listed at each position alphabetically by school
# - Unanimous selection
BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Quarterbacks: Rocco Becht, Iowa State ... Josh Hoover, TCU ... Jake Retzlaff, BYU
Running Backs:Â Devin Neal, Kansas ... Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Wide Receivers:Â Josh Cameron, Baylor ... Kobe Hudson, UCF ... LaJohntay Wester, Colorado ... Jaylin Noel, Iowa State ... Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State ... Savion Williams, TCU
Tight Ends:Â Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State ... Kole Taylor, West Virginia
Offensive Line:Â Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona ... Ben Coleman, Arizona State ... Omar Aigbedion, Baylor ... Braden Keim, BYU ... Weylin Lapuaho, BYU ... Amari Kight, UCF ... Jordan Seaton, Colorado ... Jarrod Hufford, Iowa State ... Jalen Travis, Iowa State ... Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas ... Hadley Panzer, Kansas State ... Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State ... Jake Springfield, Oklahoma State ... James Brockermeyer, TCU ... Bless Harris, TCU ... Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech ... Nick Malone, West Virginia ... Tomas Rimac, West Virginia
Kickers:Â Tyler Loop, Arizona ... Alejandro Mata, Colorado ... Kyle Konrardy, Iowa State
Kick Returners/Punt Returners:Â Dylan Edwards, Kansas State ... JP Richardson, TCU ... Drae McCray, Texas Tech ... Preston Fox, West Virginia
Defensive Line:Â Treven Ma'ae, Baylor ... Jackie Marshall, Baylor ... Blake Mangelson, BYU ... Ricky Barber, UCF ... Nyjalik Kelly, UCF ... Chidozie Nwanko, Colorado ... Dominique Orange, Iowa State ... J.R. Singleton, Iowa State ... Jereme Robinson, Kansas ... Devean Deal, TCU ... NaNa Osafo-Mensah, TCU ... Junior Tafuna, Utah ... Keanu Tanuvasa, Utah ... Sean Martin, West Virginia
Linebackers: Caleb McCullough, Arizona State ... Isaiah Glasker, BYU ... Jack Kelly, BYU ... Jared Bartlett, Cincinnati ... Jake Golday, Cincinnati ... Michael Batton, Houston ... JB Brown, Kansas ... Johnny Hodges, TCU ... Josiah Trotter, West Virginia
Defensive Backs:Â Dalton Johnson, Arizona ... Myles Rowser, Arizona State ... Lorando Johnson, Baylor ... Marque Collins, BYU ... Preston Hodge, Colorado ... Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, Colorado ... D.j. McKinney, Colorado ... Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State ... Beau Freyler, Iowa State ... Darien Porter, Iowa State ... Jacob Parrish, Kansas State ... VJ Payne, Kansas State ... Korie Black, Oklahoma State ... Abe Camara, TCU ... C.J. Baskerville, Texas Tech
Punters:Â Mason Fletcher, Cincinnati ... Mark Vassett, Colorado ... Wes Pahl, Oklahoma State
BIG 12 OF THE YEAR INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
Defensive Player of the Year
Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
Defensive Newcomer of the Year
B.J. Green (Colorado)
Offensive Freshman of the Year
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)
Defensive Freshman of the Year
Josiah Trotter (West Virginia)
Co-Special Teams Players of the Year
Will Ferrin (BYU), Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)
Offensive Lineman of the Year
Wyatt Milum (West Virginia)
Defensive Lineman of the Year
Brendan Mott (Kansas State)
Co-Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Tahj Brooks (Texas Tech), Jalon Daniels (Kansas)
Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year
Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State)
– TECH –
