Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has emerged as one of college football’s most compelling and unlikely Heisman Trophy candidates, according to reporting by Matt Hayes of USA TODAY Sports. Once a high school quarterback from Wichita Falls, Rodriguez’s journey from offensive standout to one of the nation’s most dominant defensive players has captured national attention, helped along by his trademark mustache and old-school toughness.
Rodriguez originally signed with Virginia to play quarterback, appearing in multiple offensive roles before transferring back home to Texas Tech. When he arrived in Lubbock, coaches told him he would need to learn to play linebacker, a position he had never played before. Surprisingly, that inexperience became an advantage. Rodriguez says starting from scratch meant he had “no bad habits,” allowing him to absorb the position’s fundamentals quickly and effectively.
After injuries derailed his 2023 season, Rodriguez broke out in 2024 with 127 tackles and continued his dominance this season, posting more than 100 tackles, multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and pass breakups. In only two full seasons at linebacker, he has compiled eye-popping numbers that rival or surpass many offensive Heisman contenders.
His story is intertwined with personal sacrifice, his wife, Emma, is a Blackhawk helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army based nine hours away in Kansas, and with Texas Tech’s historic season. The Red Raiders have achieved the first 11-win regular season in school history and remain in contention for a College Football Playoff first-round bye. Rodriguez has even returned briefly to his quarterback roots, scoring touchdowns in back-to-back games on Wildcat plays.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire calls him a player who transformed through work and resilience: “An unbelievable story of a guy who just wanted to play football, and then through hard work became so much more than that.”
With his growing national profile, highlight-reel plays, and leadership, Rodriguez has become not just a defensive star but the emotional core of a Texas Tech team chasing its most successful season ever.
Source: USA TODAY Sports
Author: Matt Hayes
Original story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2025/12/04/texas-tech-lb-jacob-rodriguez-a-legit-heisman-trophy-candidate-cfp-contender-mustache/87597572007/