TCU’s lone preseason All-Big 12 honoree came on the back end of the defense.
Safety Jamel Johnson was the only Horned Frog named to the conference’s preseason team, the Big 12 announced Monday. The senior is coming off the best season of his career and was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last year after piling up 96 tackles, including 60 solo stops, along with three pass breakups and five interceptions, which tied him for the team lead.
Johnson’s return gives TCU a proven piece as the program heads into year three under Andy Avalos, and he’s expected to take on even more leadership with longtime veteran Bud Clark gone to the NFL. He was also one of TCU’s top standouts during spring camp.
The conference’s preseason honors also included a familiar name for TCU fans. Former Horned Frog running back Cam Cook, who earned preseason All-Big 12 recognition in 2025 after a breakout year at Jacksonville State, is now at West Virginia and will play TCU on Oct. 24.
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, a North Texas transfer, was voted Newcomer of the Year.
Texas Tech had the biggest haul in the preseason selections with seven, while BYU followed with six, including preseason Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin.
Martin was joined on the award list by Texas Tech defensive lineman A.J. Holmes Jr., who was named Defensive Player of the Year.
The full preseason honors list also included Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona State receiver Omarion Miller, Houston receiver Amare Thomas, Oklahoma State receiver Wyatt Young, Texas Tech tight end Terrance Carter Jr., and several others across offense, defense and special teams.
On the defensive side, the preseason team featured Texas Tech’s C.J. Fite, Wendell Gregory of Kansas State, BYU’s Keanu Tanuvasa and Cade Uluave, Houston’s Will James, BYU’s Evan Johnson and Faletau Satuala, and Texas Tech’s Brice Pollock, along with Jamel Johnson for TCU.
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A.J. Holmes Jr. Now Carries Texas Techs Biggest Defensive Burden
A.J. Holmes Jr. arrived at Texas Tech with some familiarity built in, having transferred from Houston in December 2024 after playing under defensive coordinator Shiel Wood. By the end of the 2025 season, the defensive tackle had moved into the starting lineup and turned himself into one of the Red Raiders most dependable front-line pieces, piling up production that brought both national attention and a clear sense that his role in Lubbock had grown far beyond a simple transfer addition.
That is why CFB HQ placing Holmes at No. 23 on its list of the top 25 most important players for the 2026 college football season feels less like a surprise than a reflection of what Texas Tech already knows. The Red Raiders are now counting on him to anchor a defense that cant afford many weak spots, and with the recognition he earned from the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus, the expectations around him are only getting heavier as fall approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Is Getting Major 2026 Hype Despite One Lingering Doubt
Texas Tech is drawing plenty of attention heading into 2026, and not all of it is cautious. USA Today went as far as picking the Red Raiders to win the Big 12, while also stacking its preseason all-conference teams with multiple Tech names, including Terrance Carter Jr. and several others from a roster that has clearly impressed voters around the league. For a program trying to turn last seasons momentum into something bigger, that kind of recognition is a sign the national conversation has already started to shift in Lubbock.
Still, the broader preseason picture is a little less settled than the headline suggests. National publications have placed Texas Tech all over the board, with some seeing a top-10 team and others dropping the Red Raiders outside the top 20, a spread that says as much about the roster questions as the talent. The biggest reason for the hesitation is the same one that tends to follow any team with real expectations: what happens at quarterback, and whether the pieces around him are enough to justify all the hype. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Defense Just Earned The Big 12 Respect Fans Wanted
Texas Techs defense is starting to get the kind of preseason attention that usually comes only after a unit has already forced its way into the conversation. Seven Red Raiders landed on the 2026 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, a haul that says plenty about how the league views the roster heading into the fall. The group includes familiar names like senior linebacker Ben Roberts and senior cornerback Brice Pollock, while newcomers Austin Romaine and Adam Trick are already drawing notice before taking a snap in Lubbock.
The honors also spread beyond the defensive side, with senior tight end Terrance Carter Jr earning a spot on the preseason offense team and kicker Stone Harrington recognized on special teams. For a program trying to turn respect into something more tangible, the bigger takeaway is the balance of the list: proven veterans, fresh additions and a defense that now has the leagues attention long before the first kickoff. [Read more 🡒]