Linebacker play helped define the Big 12 last season, with Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez and TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr setting the standard at the top of the league.
Now the conference is in the middle of a reset. Eight of last year’s 12 All-Big 12 linebackers are gone, and that opens the door for a new wave of names to take over.
Some programs are leaning on proven returners. Others went shopping in the transfer portal for immediate help.
And in Fort Worth, TCU is betting on a player who spent last season mostly waiting his turn.
The Horned Frogs believe Max Carroll can be one of the league’s breakout linebackers.
Carroll is slotted 13th in the Star-Telegram’s Big 12 linebacker rankings, but the number beside his name doesn’t tell the whole story. Last season, behind Elarms-Orr and Namdi Obiazor - both NFL draft picks - Carroll was mostly a reserve.
Even so, he showed enough in his limited chances to make TCU comfortable with its decision to take just one linebacker from the portal. That kind of move says plenty about how the staff views the redshirt junior.
At the top of the list, Texas Tech’s Austin Romaine stands alone as the only returning All-Big 12 linebacker from a year ago. Romaine posted 66 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery and 0.5 sacks last season at Kansas State, and he arrives in Lubbock as the plug-and-play answer to replace Rodriguez. The Red Raiders don’t have to ask him to do it alone, either, with third-team All-Big 12 linebacker Ben Roberts also back.
BYU made a similar move to bolster the middle of its defense, bringing in Cade Uluave from California. Uluave had 97 tackles, four passes defended and three sacks last year and was voted first-team All-ACC. He led the Golden Bears in multiple defensive categories and should step in right away for the Cougars, who also return third-team All-Big 12 linebacker Isaiah Glasker.
Arizona State’s Owen Long comes next after a monster year at Colorado State, where he piled up 151 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He led the country in tackles at 12.6 per game, earned All-American and first-team All-Mountain West honors, and now is expected to be the anchor in the middle for the Sun Devils.
Arizona’s Taye Brown checks in fourth after helping fuel a defense that played a big role in the Wildcats’ improved win total. Brown finished with 93 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception, and his third-team all-conference nod reflected how steady he was against the run and in coverage.
UCF’s Lewis Carter rounds out the top five after a strong 2025 season in which he totaled 92 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defended. He finished ninth in the league in tackles and is one of only three players returning from that group’s top 10.
Kansas has a rising piece in Trey Lathan, who transferred in from West Virginia and posted 86 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception. He came just short of All-Big 12 recognition, but the Jayhawks are encouraged enough by what he showed to believe the defense can take a step forward.
Oklahoma State’s Ethan Wesloski arrives from North Texas after a productive season that included 113 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. He was a second-team All-AAC selection and one of the best Group of Five linebackers in the country.
Colorado brought in Liona Lefau from Texas to help stabilize a defense that allowed more than 30 points per game last season. Lefau had 68 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and three passes defended, and the former four-star recruit is being counted on as a leader for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
Kansas State turned to Mekhi Mason after Romaine left for Lubbock. Mason, who played at Louisiana Tech, had 68 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four passes defended last season and was a second-team All-Conference USA pick after leading the conference in tackles for loss.
Utah’s Johnathan Hall also brings a well-rounded resume, with 67 tackles, four passes defended, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. He was a disruptive piece for a Utes defense that underperformed, and the expectation is for even more in 2026.
Cincinnati’s Jonathan Thompson earned the biggest role of his career last season and responded with 73 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. He finished second on the roster in tackles and led the team in tackles for loss, and with Jake Golday gone, his workload could grow again.
Houston’s Sione Fotu is another name to watch after a breakout debut with the Cougars. After being a rotational player at Utah, he started 12 games and finished with 56 total tackles and three fumble recoveries. He led the Big 12 in fumble recoveries and ranked second nationally, while Houston also brings back Brandon Mack in a hybrid linebacker/edge role.
The rest of the list includes Carson Willich at Iowa State, Kaleb Burns at Baylor and Ben Cutter at West Virginia.
In Other News...
Kenneth Davis Still Stands Out In TCU History For One Painful Reason
Kenneth Davis remains one of the most memorable backs in TCU history, the kind of player whose production still jumps off the page decades later. Over four seasons in Fort Worth, he rushed for 2,994 yards and 23 touchdowns, and his breakout junior year was good enough to put him fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, a rare level of national recognition for a Horned Frogs runner.
Even so, his TCU story has always carried a painful edge because his college career never quite got the full finish it seemed headed toward. Davis still went on to be a second-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 1986 NFL Draft and played nine seasons in the league, but the missing piece from his final year at TCU is what keeps his name tied to one of the program's most complicated chapters. [Read more 🡒]