Tahj Brooks leads Texas Tech football honorees on The AP All-Big 12 team
Workhorse running back Tahj Brooks is a first-team honoree on The Associated Press All-Big 12 team, and three of his teammates on the Texas Tech football team are second-team selections.
Brooks, a 5-foot-10, 230-pound senior from Manor, carried 268 times for 1,443 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season, helping the Red Raiders go 6-6. He's second in the Big 12 and fourth in the FBS in rushing yards and rushing yards per game.
Tech's second-team honorees are linebacker Ben Roberts, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and punter Austin McNamara.
Roberts, a 6-3, 230-pound redshirt freshman from Haslet Eaton in a Fort Worth suburb, is fourth in the conference in tackles with 100. He's also been credited with five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Taylor-Demerson, a 5-11, 195-pound senior from Oklahoma City Carl Albert, has 66 tackles, tied for third on the team. He has six pass breakups, four interceptions and a sack.
McNamara, a 6-4, 210-pound senior from Gilbert (Ariz.) Highland, is averaging 46.50 yards on 50 punts, second in the Big 12 behind Brigham Young's Ryan Rehkow and 11th in the FBS. McNamara's had 20 punts of 50 yards or more and put 20 inside opponents' 20-yard line.
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Tech and California, both 6-6, meet at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Taylor-Demerson and McNamara complete their eligibility in that game. Brooks has not said for sure whether he will declare for the NFL draft or stay with Tech in 2024 on the COVID-bonus year.
Steve Sarkisian, who led Texas to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff, is the coach of the year, and Longhorns defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, an Outland Trophy finalist, is the defensive player of the year.
Doak Walker Award finalist Ollie Gordon II, a 1,600-yard rusher for Big 12 championship game participant Oklahoma State, is the offensive player of the year. The newcomer of the year is Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia who caught 10 touchdown passes.
Big 12 champion Texas led the first-team selections with six, including Xavier Worthy, selected as both a wide receiver and the all-purpose player. Oklahoma was next with four honorees, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Two spots apiece went to players from Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
The team was selected by a panel of 23 media members in nine states who cover the conference on a daily basis.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL TEAM
u-unanimous selection
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Wide receivers: Drake Stoops, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-10, 189, Norman, Oklahoma; Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California. Tight end: Ben Sinnott, Kansas State, Jr., 6-4, 245, Waterloo, Iowa.
Tackles: Dominick Puni, Kansas, Sr., 6-5, 320, St. Charles, Missouri; Patrick Paul, Houston, Jr., 6-7, 315, Houston Jersey Village. Guards: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr., 6-4, 335, Kansas City, Missouri; Luke Kandra, Cincinnati, Jr., 6-4, 320, Cincinnati, Ohio. Center: Zach Frazier, West Virginia, Jr., 6-3, 310, Fairmont, West Virginia.
Quarterback: Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-11, 204, Mililana, Hawaii. Running backs: u-Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, So., 6-1, 211, Euless Trinity; Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-10, 230, Manor.
All-purpose: Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California.
Kicker: Bert Auburn, Texas, Jr., 6-0, 183, Flower Mound.
Defense
Ends: Austin Booker, Kansas, So., 6-6, 245, Greenwood, Indiana; Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, Central Florida, Sr., 6-2, 245, Richmond, Virginia; Tackles: u-T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, Sr., 6-4, 362, Huntsville; Byron Murphy, Texas., Jr., 6-1, 308, DeSoto.
Linebackers: u-Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-4, 236, Windermere, Florida; Nickolas Martin, Oklahoma State, So., 6-0, 215, Texarkana Pleasant Grove; Jaylan Ford, Texas, Sr., 6-3, 242, Frisco Lone Star.
Cornerbacks: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia, Sr., 5-10, 184, Louisville, Kentucky; T.J. Tampa, Iowa State, Sr., 6-2, 200, St. Petersburg, Florida. Safeties: Billy Bowman, Oklahoma, Jr., 5-10, 192, Denton Ryan; Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State, So., 6-0, 185, El Paso Andress.
Punter: Ryan Rehkow, Brigham Young, Jr., 6-5, 235, Veradale, Washington.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Wide receivers: Javon Baker, UCF, Sr., 5-11, 170, Atlanta, Georgia; Adonai Mitchell, Texas, Jr., 6-4, 196, Antioch, Tennessee. Tight end: Jared Wiley, TCU, Sr., 6-7, 260, Temple.
Tackles: Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, So., 6-4, 324, Humble Summer Creek; Kingsley Suamataia, BYU, So., 6-6, 325, Orem, Utah. Guards: Michael Ford, Kansas, Jr., 6-3, 305, Homewood, Illinois; Willis Patrick, TCU, Jr., 6-4, 338, Mansfield. Center: Andrew Raym, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-4, 305, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Quarterback: Quinn Ewers, Texas, So., 6-2, 195, Southlake Carroll. Running backs: Devin Neal, Kansas, Jr., 5-11, 215, Lawrence, Kansas; Jonathon Brooks, Texas, So., 6-0, 207, Hallettsville.
All-purpose: Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State, Sr., 5-8, 175, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kicker: Alex Hale, Oklahoma State, Sr., 6-0, 205, Point Frederick, New South Wales, Australia.
Defense
Ends: Nelson Ceaser, Houston, Jr., 6-3, 250, Fort Bend Ridge Point; Tyler Batty, BYU, Jr., 6-5, 273, Payson, Utah. Tackles: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, So., 6-2, 318, Cincinnati, Ohio; Jamaree Caldwell, Houston, Jr., 6-1, 325, Newberry, South Carolina.
Linebackers: Jason Johnson, UCF, Sr., 6-2, 235, Chicago, Illinois; Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State, Jr., 6-2, 235, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Ben Roberts, Texas Tech, Fr., 6-3, 230, Haslet Eaton.
Cornerbacks: Cobee Bryant, Kansas, Jr., 6-0, 170, Evergreen, Alabama; Josh Newton, TCU, Sr., 6-0, 190, Monroe, Louisiana. Safeties: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-11, 195, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Beau Freyler, Iowa State, Jr., 6-2, 220, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Punter: Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, 6-4, 210, Gilbert, Arizona.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Offensive player of the year: Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State.
Defensive player of the year: T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas.
Coach of the year: Steve Sarkisian, Texas.
Newcomer of the year: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas.
ALL BIG 12 VOTING PANEL: Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal; Brice Cherry, Waco Tribune-Herald; Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman; Darnell Dickson, (Provo) Daily Herald; Arne Green, Topeka Capital-Journal; Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World; Travis Hines, Des Moines Register; Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Eric Kelly, KWKT-TV, Waco, Texas; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel; Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle; Carlos Silva, Jr., Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald; Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer; Jacob Unruh, The Oklahoman; John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald; Sean Walker, KSL-TV, Salt Lake City; Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Scott Wright, The Oklahoman.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tahj Brooks leads Texas Tech football honorees on The AP All-Big 12 team
