For so much of the season, Jacob Rodriguez served as the face of the Texas Tech Red Raiders defense. And for good reason. Rodriguez was an instrumental piece right in the heart of the defense and really helped glue things together for Shiel Wood and Joey McGuire.
He appeared on a number of watch lists and was considered by many as a do-everything linebacker that earned the attention associated with the Heisman Trophy and a long list of other high profile awards. Heck, he even took a few snaps on offense and scored a few touchdowns.
Because of everything he accomplished, and everything he represented, the Red Raiders made sure to highlight Rodriguez ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.
WATCH: Jacob Rodriguez’s highlight reel is a great reminder of just how much he did for the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2025 season
I think it’s pretty important to go right back over everything that Rodriguez did this past season as he helped lead Texas Tech from a middle of the pack Big 12 team to the conference championship and into the College Football Playoff.
There were so many great performances, but the way he shined in the Big 12 championship game against the BYU Cougars to the tune of 14 total tackles probably deserves a ton of attention. And then there’s the 12 tackles against the Arizona State Sun Devils and the eight tackles against the Houston Cougars.
During the four years that he spent with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Rodriguez managed to total 316 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, six interceptions (four of which were from the 2025 season), two fumbles recovered, and seven forced fumbles.
That’s not bad for a guy who started his career as a quarterback for the Virginia Cavaliers.
It’ll be fascinating to see how the NFL looks at everything that Rodriguez has accomplished this season and where he ends up landing following his time in Lubbock.
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