A.J. Holmes Jr. holds the NT · Backup spot in Texas Tech Red Raiders’s defensive tackle room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

A.J. Holmes Jr. is a 6'3", 300-pound nose tackle from Houston, Texas, who attended Westfield High School. He spent his first three collegiate seasons at the University of Houston, appearing in 29 games with 16 starts and recording 67 tackles (37 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Holmes transferred to Texas Tech for the 2025 season, where he earned All-America honors as a junior. In his Red Raiders debut, he appeared in all 14 games, starting the final eight, and recorded 38 tackles (19 solo), 9.0 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks while adding four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. His 84.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked seventh nationally among interior defensive linemen and first in the Big 12. He now enters his senior season wearing No. 10.