The Red Raiders once again had plenty of national attention ahead of a prove-it season, including five All-American selections.
LUBBOCK - The season has yet to start for Texas Tech, but that has not stopped the praise from rolling in for a handful of Red Raiders.
Athlon Sports unveiled its 2026 Preseason All-America Teams and the program from Lubbock sent five Red Raiders onto the exclusive list, with representation on both sides of the ball.
The list of Texas Tech selections included defensive lineman A.J. Holmes Jr. and corner Brice Pollock on the second team, as well as linebacker and reigning Big 12 Championship Most Valuable Player Ben Roberts on the third team.
Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. joined Roberts on the aforementioned third team and finally newcomer linebacker Austin Romaine, who transferred from Kansas State, was the final nod for the Red Raiders on the fourth team.
In addition to the All-America Teams, Texas Tech had another 20 names on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, which was the most of any team in the conference.
Although the accolades are undoubtedly appreciated by the Red Raiders, they were arguably not unexpected.
Texas Tech burst onto the scene last year in not only the Big 12 but the national conversation after posting a 12-1 record, earning the first Big 12 Championship in program history and making its debut trip to the College Football Playoff.
Despite the less-than-magical ending to this storybook season, Joey McGuire and company were adamant that the run was less of a fluke and more of a wake-up call for those around the country.
And the program looked to make good on these claims by bringing a new class of marquee talent to Lubbock while ensuring that the key pieces from last year were staying put, such as Roberts and Carter.
The Red Raiders had hoped to get stronger at the quarterback position as well following an offense that simply ran out of gas at the worst possible time and appeared to find an answer in Brendan Sorsby before he left the time in a saga that truthfully warrants no more time in the spotlight.
Even though Sorsby will not suit up for Texas Tech, the team still profiles as head and shoulders above the rest of the Big 12 and could very well make another run to the postseason tournament, which is due in small part to the five aforementioned All-Americans.
It will take more than five standouts for Texas Tech to make the eventual next step toward a deep stint in the CFP, however, the Red Raiders will undoubtedly be at the forefront of the sport once again this year, with those core pieces assumedly being most of the reason why.
