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Former Texas Tech standouts NiJaree Canady and Jacob Rodriguez have been named as the Red Raiders nominees for the 2025-26 ‘Big 12 Athlete of the Year’ award, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Each of the Big 12’s 16 full-member institutions nominated one male and one female athlete who competed during the 2025-26 academic year.
The conference is revealing each school’s nominees in alphabetical order from July 13-22, with the Big 12 Athletes of the Year set to be announced Thursday, July 23.
NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech Softball
Canady, the million-dollar arm, continued to add to an already insanely decorated collegiate career during her final season at Texas Tech.
The Topeka, Kansas, native earned Consensus All-America recognition, receiving First Team honors from D1Softball and Softball America and Second Team recognition from the NFCA.
Canady was also named Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Big 12, All-Big 12 Defensive Team, All-Big 12 Tournament Team and Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team honors, during the 2026 season.
Lastly, Canady was the only active player with 1,000 career strikeouts and 100 career wins and helped lead Texas Tech to its second consecutive appearance in the Women’s College World Series Championship Series.
Off the field, Canady was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential athletes of the year and earned CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year honors for the second consecutive season.
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech Football
Rodriguez capped his Texas Tech career with one of the most decorated individual seasons in the history of college football.
The Wichita Falls, Texas, native was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Big 12 honors for the second consecutive season. Rodriguez served as the captain of the Texas Tech defense and helped lead the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance in program history.
Rodriguez collected four major national awards, winning the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award and Lombardi Trophy. He became the first player in Texas Tech history to win four national awards and just the third player in college football history to capture the Butkus, Bednarik and Nagurski awards in the same season.
Rodriguez became the first FBS player since 2005 to record at least five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in a single season and led the nation with seven forced fumbles while totaling 128 tackles.
Off the football field, Rodriguez was the recipient of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
Full list of 2025-26 Big 12 Athletes of the Year nominees
Arizona: Sydney Stewart and Jay Friend
Arizona State: Kenzie Brown and Jonny Kulow
Baylor: Tyler Isgrig and Devin Badenhorst
BYU: Jane Hedengren and AJ Dybantsa
UCF: Sierra Humphreys and Themus Fulks
Cincinnati: Juliette Laracuente-Huebner and Quinton Coats
Colorado: Maddie Shoup and Hunter Swanson
Houston: Michelle McLeod and Kingston Flemings
Iowa State: Mercyline Kirwa and Joshua Jefferson
Kansas: Shiyun Lai and Tyson LeBlanc
Kansas State: Shaylee Myers and Tah Chikomba
Oklahoma State: Billah Jepkirui and Preston Stout
TCU: Olivia Miles and Duncan Chan
Texas Tech: NiJaree Canady and Jacob Rodriguez
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