The Texas Tech defense, coordinated by Shiel Woods, was among the best units in the country last season. During the 2025 campaign that ended in the College Football Playoff, the Red Raiders ranked No. 3 in scoring defense, behind Ohio State and Indiana, at 11.8 points allowed per game. Will they be able to match that level in the upcoming season?
It will be a huge task after losing David Bailey, Jacob Rodriguez, Lee Hunter, and Romello Height to the NFL draft. However, they were able to retool with some key transfers, including Trey White of San Diego State, Adam Trick of Miami (OH), and Austin Romaine of Kansas State. However, there are still plenty of returning players who will have a say in just how tough the defense is.
According to Brad Crawford of CBS Sports, the Tech defense will have two players among the 26 most-feared defenders in 2026. It begins with Ben Roberts.
Ben Roberts, Linebacker
Roberts landed at No. 16 on CBS Sports’ list of most feared defenders in the 2026 season. The Big 12 championship game’s Most Outstanding Player is set for another year of wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. He is the active tackles leader in college football, but Roberts can impact a game in many other ways as well. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he was named second-team All-American by The Athletic and won Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
He has to fill some big shoes with Jacob Rodriguez, now playing in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.
The Red Raiders lose Jacob Rodriguez, but have another fifth-year senior linebacker who checks every leadership box. In a conference where explosive offenses punish hesitation, Roberts serves as the glue piece, keeping Texas Tech’s defense aligned, aggressive and structurally sound from series to series. He is a stabilizing force with 279 career tackles entering his final campaign. Roberts is one of six returning starters on a defense that ranked No. 1 nationally at one point last season in total defense and scoring defense.
Brice Pollock, Cornerback
Pollock didn’t land too far behind Roberts, with CBS ranking him at No. 18. The former Mississippi State Bulldog was a welcome sight for a team that prided itself on the “take three” mantra preached by head coach Joey McGuire. Pollock hauled in five interceptions with eight passes defended to go along with 48 tackles and 4.0 TFLs. His return in 2026 proves that his side of the field will be a no-fly zone.
Pollock gives Texas Tech something it has lacked in recent defensive cycles — a true lockdown presence who allows the entire coverage structure to breathe at the back end. With Pollock on an island, Texas Tech can roll safeties, disguise pressures and play more aggressively at the second level, part of the reason he’s a potential first-rounder next cycle. Pollock pulled down three interceptions as a second-year starter over the Red Raiders’ first three games before opposing offenses realized they had to be more selective in targeting receivers under his watch.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Two defenders ranked among the most feared in college football
Reporting by Patrick Conn, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
