Texas Tech football's 2025 list of all-America honorees
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Texas Tech football players David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez are unanimous all-America honorees, being chosen by each of the five outlets used by the NCAA in determining consensus and unanimous all-America status.
Bailey, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge defender, and Rodriguez, a 6-1, 235-pound linebacker, made the teams selected by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America. The five teams were released over the past week.
Bailey and Rodriguez are the sixth and seventh Tech players to achieve unanimous all-America status, following punter Mark Bounds in 1991, linebacker Zach Thomas in 1995, running back Byron Hanspard in 1996, wide receiver Michael Crabtree in 2007 and 2008 and tight end Jace Amaro in 2013.
After Bailey and Rodriguez had made the first four teams, Rodriguez was asked Thursday, Dec. 17, what being unanimous choices would mean to him.
“It would be unbelievable,” he said. “I don’t know how many times that’s been done, two guys on the same side of the ball in the same season.”
Bailey and Rodriguez are the first pair of Texas Tech defensive players honored as first-team all-Americans in the same season since outside linebacker Marcus Coleman and inside linebacker Zach Thomas in 1995. It’s the Red Raiders‘ first season with multiple defensive players achieving some level of all-America recognition since 2001 with defensive end Aaron Hunt, linebacker Lawrence Flugence and safety Kevin Curtis.
Bailey has 13 1/2 sacks, second most in the FBS and most among power-conference players. Rodriguez has been credited with 117 tackles, including an FBS-high 7 forced fumbles, 6 pass breakups and 4 interceptions.
“I think the world of David and the way he prepares every single day to come out to practice, getting his body right, the way he treats himself with nutrition and recovery,” Rodriguez said. “He’s always in the training room. He’s always doing things right, and I think it’s a great thing to see for everybody in that room who’s younger and can see that this is what it takes to be the best. I think he is the best, and he deserves all the awards that come to him.”
Four Texas Tech players made at least one all-America team, the most for the program since 2008, when five were honored — quarterback Graham Harrell, Crabtree and offensive linemen Brandon Carter, Rylan Reed and Louis Vasquez.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL ALL-AMERICA HONOREES
Here are Texas Tech football players who made at least one of the five teams recognized by the NCAA. Each of the players listed was a first-team selection unless indicated otherwise.
David Bailey, 6-3, 250, senior, edge defender: Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF), The Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Sporting News (TSN), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
Jacob Rodriguez, 6-1, 235, senior, linebacker: WCFF, AP, AFCA, TSN, FWAA.
A.J. Holmes, 6-3, 300, junior, defensive tackle: AP (second team).
Lee Hunter, 6-4, 330, senior, defensive tackle: AP (third team), FWAA (second team).
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football’s 2025 list of all-America honorees
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