Heisman Trophy early results prove Jacob Rodriguez should be in New York

Why isn't Jacob Rodriguez in New York this weekend?

The senior linebacker from Wichita Falls has cleaned up on the awards circuit in the following days after helping Texas Tech win the Big XII championship and earn a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoffs. 

But despite all the accolades, Rodriguez could not get in the mix as a Heisman finalist. The Heisman Trophy Trust released the voting for spots five through 10, and it confirms what we all thought — Rodriguez should be part of the Heisman Finalist group with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Paxia and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

Rodriguez finished fifth in Heisman voting. He and Ohio State's Caleb Downs (9th) are the first defensive players to finish top-10 in Heisman voting since 2021 and Rodriguez is the first defensive player to finish top-five in the voting since 2021 when Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson finished second and Alabama linebacker Will Anderson finished fifth.

The Red Raiders defensive captain is the first Texas Tech player in the top 10 of the Heisman voting since Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in 2008. 

The fans actually got it right

Rodriguez inexplicably couldn't get on the stage Saturday night because the Heisman Trophy Trust decided to only invite four this year, but he will be known as America's Heisman winner after taking first place in the fan vote.

Sometimes the fans know best and when they saw Rodriguez flying around the field, it was clear he was the best player in the country. We know the Heisman voters like rewarding defensive players as much as they like pulling teeth, but Rodriguez had one of the best seasons for a linebacker in the history of the game. 

Rodriguez still has plenty to celebrate. His accolades include the Bronko Nagurski Award for the top defensive player in the country, the Butkus Award for the top linebacker in the country, Big XII Defensive Player of the Year, and he's almost a lock to be a Unanimous All-America. 

But despite all of those honors, the Heisman Trophy Trust didn't believe that Rodriguez belonged in New York among the rest of the finalists. Red Raider fans can only hope he'll use this snub as motivation during the playoffs to show any non-believers why he's the best player in the country.