Former Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks is heading into his seventh season in the NFL with a shot at a piece of history.
Brooks, now with the Miami Dolphins, is trying to lead the league in combined tackles for a third time in his career. If he does it, he would join Bobby Wagner as the only player to hit that mark three separate times. Wagner did it with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, 2019 and 2023.
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 placed Brooks at No. 67 overall.
Brooks was everywhere for Miami last season, finishing with a league-high 183 combined tackles, including 99 solo stops. Even with that production, the Dolphins went 7-10, finished third in the AFC East and missed the postseason. Their rough 2-7 start was one of the reasons Brooks stood out so much, and it still ended with him earning First Team All-Pro honors.
Miami looks different now. Mike McDaniel is gone, and the front office has been overhauled as well. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan arrived from Green Bay and brought Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in to lead the Dolphins.
The offense is also getting a reset in 2026. De’Von Achane now has help from Oklahoma State alum Ollie Gordon, while quarterback Malik Willis is in from Green Bay.
On the other side of the ball, Brooks remains one of the key pieces of a defense that needs to take a step forward. He’ll be working alongside second-year defensive end Chop Robinson and veteran tackle Zach Sieler after Miami finished 24th in points allowed at 24.9 per game and 22nd in total yards allowed at 348.8 per game.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Just Got Pulled Deeper Into The Sorsby Fallout
Texas Techs handling of the Brendan Sorsby eligibility dispute has now picked up an off-field layer that goes well beyond the Big 12s usual conference business. Cody Campbell, the schools Board of Regents chairman, donated $274,300 to a fundraising committee supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons U.S. Senate campaign one day before Paxtons office sent a letter to the Big 12 defending Texas Tech in the case, according to the facts at hand. The timing puts the Red Raiders in the middle of a mess that already involves wagering violations, conference discipline and legal maneuvering.
Sorsbys ineligibility stems from sports betting issues that have already drawn serious attention, and the broader fight has now become a test of how far the conference can go without inviting more legal trouble. Paxtons office warned the Big 12 against sanctioning Texas Tech, while the underlying dispute continues to sit at the intersection of school governance, conference authority and a player case that has not gone away quietly. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs Nonconference Slate Just Set Up A Big Early Debate
Texas Techs 2026-27 mens basketball schedule has started to take shape, and the nonconference portion already gives the Red Raiders plenty to sort through before Big 12 play begins. The season opens Nov. 2 against Jackson State, with home dates against New Orleans and Omaha also on the slate, plus a return trip from Illinois after last years four-point result in that matchup. There is also a trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era 16 tournament from Nov. 24-28, adding a national-stage stretch that should tell a lot about where this team stands early.
The bracket in Vegas is where the early conversation could really get interesting, because Texas Techs path may quickly turn into a measuring-stick week against some familiar power programs. Even before the Big 12 grind arrives with home-and-away dates against Houston, UCF and Cincinnati, the Red Raiders will have a chance to test themselves against a schedule that mixes a few manageable home games with a tournament that could reshape how the rest of the season is viewed. [Read more 🡒]