Texas Tech took on BYU for the Big 12 championship game, and it played out as everyone predicted. The Cougars showed some early fight, but the Red Raiders simply crushed them in the last three quarters, winning 34-7. The win had a lot of heroes for Joey McGuire, and LB Ben Roberts shone the most with what he accomplished despite enduring an injury scare in the first half.

Roberts returned to the game in the second half and immediately impacted the game. With the score at 13-7, the LB intercepted the Cougars’ QB Bear Bachmeier. The Red Raiders got the possession and went on to score. Roberts again had an interception in the 4th quarter. When all eyes were on LB Jacob Rodriguez, Ben’s impressive performance earned him the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player honor.

Who is Ben Roberts?

Born to John Roberts and Carrie, he grew up in Haslet, attending Eaton High School in Texas. He has an elder sibling, Lowell. With constant support from his family, the LB is making his mark at Texas Tech.

Playing safety in high school, he helped his team to a 9-4 record towards the regional finals.

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Currently, he is majoring in kinesiology, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist, while also pursuing his dreams of playing in the NFL.

Ben Roberts’ collegiate career

As a three-star recruit out of Eaton High School, Haslet (Texas), Ben Roberts picked the Red Raiders as his program. At that time, head coach Joey McGuire was on Baylor’s coaching staff. Yet Roberts was 100% committed to the Red Raiders.

“He actually told me I recruited him, and he committed to Texas Tech,” McGuire said per Heartland College Sports. “I was at another school [Baylor], and he said, ‘Hey, coach, I love you, man, but I’m a Red Raider no matter what. So, whether you’re the head coach or not, I’m going to be a Red Raider.”

Since his freshman season, the Raiders have felt his impact on the roster. In his debut season, he recorded 107 tackles, earning the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honor. The following season was as impressive, with 83 total tackles. Being an integral part of the defense, the junior linebacker remains humble.

“The biggest thing that I think helps is all three of us are pretty close going and just being in the linebacker room already,” he says, crediting locker room chemistry for his growth per On3. “So we know how to communicate with each other.”

So far in the 2025 season, Ben Roberts has recorded 69 tackles over 12 games.

Ben Roberts wins the Big 12 honor

BYU may have gained early momentum against Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. But a 10-yard touchdown run was the only action they saw over a 60-minute showdown. Among the many faces that helped stop the Cougars from just 115 passing yards, Ben Roberts shone the brightest. After snagging two interceptions off QB Bear Bachmeier, he wrote history, becoming the only player in the Big 12 championship series to do so.

However, he nearly faced an injury scare before making an explosive performance. During the first half, he went down on one knee and moved to the sidelines.

“I just did everything I could to stretch it out and fix it up,” Roberts said. “The trainers really helped me at halftime. They got it all heated up and relaxed.”

Following the injury scare, he returned to the game after halftime. In the third quarter, on 3rd & 4th, Bachmeier threw an interception picked off by Roberts and returned nine yards. On the next play, the Raiders scored a touchdown. For the Cougars, what followed was a string of punts and fumbles before Roberts plucked off an interception again at the first down, 7-24.

Post-game, head coach Joey McGuire had nothing but praise for his linebacker.

“His ab/hip was really bothering him, and (the training staff) got it loosened up,” McGuire said. “And then all of a sudden we got two picks by this guy.”

Throughout his collegiate career at Texas Tech, Ben Roberts has had a significant impact, leading the Red Raiders to a top-six defense nationally.