Gill-Howard tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
September 08, 2025 | Football
Red Raider senior becomes first interior defensive lineman in school history to win a Big 12 weekly award
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech senior defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard was named a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following his performance last weekend in the win over Kent State.
Gill-Howard was credited with four tackles in only 17 defensive snaps against the Golden Flashes, which included a third-down stop for a one-yard loss midway through the first quarter. He, like many of Texas Tech's starters, departed the game at halftime after the Red Raiders built a 48-0 lead.
Before that, Gill-Howard made one of the most-impressive plays in the country for week two as he hauled in a batted pass from A.J. Holmes Jr. and returned the interception 55 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score midway through the second quarter pushed Texas Tech's lead to 38-0 with 8:35 remaining to the break.
It was the first career interception and first career scoring play for Gill-Howard, who became the first Red Raider defensive lineman to return an interception for a touchdown since Adell Duckett went five yards into the end zone against SMU to start the 2003 season. Quincy Ledet Jr. was the last Texas Tech interior defensive lineman to record an interception as he did so in last season's road win at Arizona.
Gill-Howard is the first Red Raider to garner a Big 12 weekly award this season and the first to be recognized for a defensive performance since Jacob Rodriguez on Nov. 4 last season following Texas Tech's road victory over Iowa State. He is the first Red Raider interior defensive lineman to earn a Big 12 weekly award since Texas Tech joined the conference in 1996.
In addition to Gill-Howard, the Big 12 recognized Iowa State's Tamatoa McDonough with its other defensive honor. A full list of the Big 12's weekly award winners can be found here.
Big man TD ?? Big 12 Defensive POTW pic.twitter.com/shVKREAXw3
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 8, 2025
THICC SIX ??
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 6, 2025
?? TNT & MAX https://t.co/mpiBdG51va pic.twitter.com/82IX3dbLnl
