With Big 12 media day Tuesday and Wednesday, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez were honored with preseason awards by the conference on Monday.

Leavitt — a redshirt sophomore — was named the Big 12 2025 preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Rodriguez — a senior — was dubbed the conference’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Leavitt transferred to Arizona State after redshirting in his freshman season at Michigan State. In his first full season with the Sun Devils, Leavitt led Arizona State to a Big 12 title in the program’s first season in the conference.

Leavitt finished his first season in Tempe, Arizona, as the school’s new record holder for most total yards by a freshman with 3,328. He threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games.

Jacob Rodriguez, on the other hand, led Texas Tech’s defense in 2024 with a team-high 127 total tackles, five sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss. At season’s end, Rodriguez was named to the All-Big 12 first team by conference coaches and the Associated Press.

After losing an overtime heartbreaker to Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff last year, Leavitt seeks to lead Arizona State to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez serves as a vital piece of consistent leadership on the Red Raiders, who are bringing in the No. 2 transfer portal class in the country.

In addition to Leavitt and Rodriguez, Utah junior quarterback Devon Dampier was chosen as the Big 12’s preseason Newcomer of the Year. 

The full All-Big 12 team is below. Texas Tech and Iowa State each lead the conference with three selections each.

Preseason All-Conference Team (Offense)

Quarterback: Sam Leavitt, Arizona State, Redshirt Sophomore

Running Back: Bryson Washington, Baylor, Redshirt Sophomore

Running Back: Jahiem White, West Virginia, Junior

Fullback/Halfback: Will Swanson, Kansas State, Senior

Wide Receiver: Eric McAlister, TCU, Senior

Wide Receiver: Chase Roberts, BYU, Redshirt Senior

Wide Receiver: Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, Redshirt Junior

Tight End: Joe Royer, Cincinnati, Redshirt Senior

Offensive Lineman: Ben Coleman, Arizona State, Graduate

Offensive Lineman: Spencer Fano, Utah, Junior

Offensive Lineman: Bryce Foster, Kansas, Redshirt Junior

Offensive Lineman: Caleb Lomu, Utah, Redshirt Sophomore

Offensive Lineman: Jordan Seaton, Colorado, Sophomore

Place Kicker: Will Ferrin, BYU, Redshirt Senior

Punt Returner/Kick Returner: Josh Cameron, Baylor, Redshirt Senior

Preseason All-Conference Team (Defense)

Defensive Lineman: David Bailey, Texas Tech, Senior

Defensive Lineman: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, Redshirt Senior

Defensive Lineman: C.J. Fite, Arizona State, Junior

Defensive Lineman: Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, Senior

Defensive Lineman: Domonique Orange, Iowa State, Senior

Linebacker: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, Senior

Linebacker: Austin Romaine, Kansas State, Junior

Linebacker: Keaton Thomas, Baylor, Redshirt Junior

Defensive Back: Xavion Alford, Arizona State, Redshirt Senior

Defensive Back: Bud Clark, TCU, Senior

Defensive Back: Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State, Senior

Defensive Back: DJ McKinney, Colorado, Junior

Defensive Back: Jontez Williams, Iowa State, Redshirt Junior

Punter: Palmer Williams, Baylor, Junior

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Five-star offensive line prospect Felix Ojo put on a Texas Longhorns hat on Friday as the crowd in attendance screamed in excitement.

But Ojo took the hat off and tried to calm the crowd down.

Twenty seconds later, he made a historic announcement while picking up a hat from underneath the table.

Ojo, the No. 5 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, committed to Texas Tech over Ohio State, Texas, Florida and Michigan and will receive a blockbuster fully guaranteed revenue-sharing contract with the Red Raiders, a three-year, $5.1 million deal, according to multiple reports.

“A new ERA of CFB is coming either jump on the train or get left behind,” Felix Ojo told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

Ojo’s contract is higher than fellow offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell’s deal with Miami and is one of the richest revenue-sharing deals under the federal settlement, which was approved June 6, which allows programs to directly pay their athletes.

Ojo’s pledge also makes history for Texas Tech as he’s now the highest-rated recruit the program has ever landed. At 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, Ojo is the No. 4 offensive tackle and second-best recruit from Texas in the class with legitimate potential to play on Sundays for a long time.

Ojo was a multi-year starter at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas, and will head roughly 350 miles west to Lubbock, Texas.

For the Red Raiders — who are looking to contend in the Big 12 this season —they’ve significantly improved their roster this offseason after an 8-5 record in 2024. Texas Tech has the No. 2 transfer portal class in the country, only behind the LSU Tigers.

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