5 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
Ben Roberts
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Fourth year in the Texas Tech linebacker corps. The first career honor came in 2025: All-Big 12. On tape: 11 tackles against Arizona, Week 9, 2026.
60 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
60 tackles. 4 passes defended. 1 interception. 6.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
Arizona Daily Star Oct 28 · 1 outlet
from 7 outlets
Arizona Daily Star Oct 28 · 1 outlet
On3‘This team is tough, resilient’: Ben Roberts opens up after Texas Tech survives scare at Oregon StateSep 13
Lubbock Avalanche-JournalTexas Tech football LB Austin Romaine discusses Ben Roberts' pick-6 - Lubbock Avalanche-JournalOct 20On3John Curry, Ben Roberts discuss Texas Tech’s defensive challenges ahead of Arizona matchupOct 29Arizona Daily StarTexas Tech's Ben Roberts returns an interception for a touchdown against Arizona State during a Big 12 Conference football game,Oct 28Arizona Daily Star
FOX SportsEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas Tech | 60 | 31 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | Texas Tech | 88 | 43 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 |
| 2024 | Texas Tech | 79 | 36 | 4.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Texas Tech | 105 | 56 | 7.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 |
| Career | 332 | 166 | 22.0 | 2.0 | 9 | 6 |
Last game (Wk 9): 11 tackles, 1 pass breakup.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-10vs Abilene Christian | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-24@ Oregon State | 10 | 7 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 28-26vs No. 22 Houston | 10 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 49-14vs Sam Houston | 4 | 4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | W 29-7@ Colorado | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | W 53-25vs Arizona State | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 24-37@ Cincinnati | 11 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 9 | W 34-26vs No. 22 Arizona | 11 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 60 | 31 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 4 |
Oct. 31 · W 34-26 vs Arizona, play by play
11 tackles, including 1 pass broken up. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 12 for him; the box score credits 11.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 6 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Texas Tech’s defense played that day
Arizona’s 12 drives: 7 stopped · 5 scored. While the game was within a score they held 7 of 11. His hurry came with Texas Tech down 3.
11 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
A defensive touchdown: his interception went 24 yards for the score. 5 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 6 for him; the box score credits 5.
Intercepted, returned 24 yards for the score. First quarter, made it 7-0.
4 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
4 tackles, including 2 more for loss, 1 pass broken up. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
10 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 11 for him; the box score credits 10.
10 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 3-yard loss. Third quarter, up 21-13.
5 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Forced a fumble. Third quarter, up 20-3.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -18 to +16 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
60tackles this seasonTFL rate
11%6 TFLSack rate
2%1 sackPD rate
7%4 pass breakups60 tackles · 6.5 for loss · 1 sack · 1 interception.
4 seasons under Joey McGuire — 34-14 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 7.0 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Road3g | 8.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 6.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 11.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Joey McGuire
Pass share
43.2%
236 pass / 310 run
Plays / game
68.2
8 games
Team sack rate
4.2%
260 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #7 of 73 Big 12 LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 35% of returning players who ranked #4–10 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 31–38%).
The No. 1,156 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 47 games over four seasons.
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG 12
All-Big 12 mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Joey McGuire.
