Was Texas Tech Snubbed Of A Pre-season All-American Selection?

Despite the Influx of talent, the Red Raiders were left off all three teams of the AP's pre-season All-American list.

Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) battle for a few yards as getting tackle by Texas Tech Red Raiders' linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) and defensive back Bralyn Lux (0) during the first quarter in the week-10 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Earlier today, the pre-season All-American, voted on by the Associated Press, was released, and the Red Raiders failed to have a single player named on both teams.

Despite their talented additions from the transfer portal and fielding the most expensive roster in college football for the 2025 season, Joey McGuire's squad failed to earn any individual recognition. While the hype continues to build surrounding the team's success, the players are highly regarded; the AP views otherwise.

No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Penn State each had three players selected for the preseason AP All-America team. The Southeastern Conference had 12 players on the 27-man first team. https://t.co/G4nnwyG9IW

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 18, 2025

There was one player specifically who was snubbed, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

Getting Snubbed

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Rodriguez is viewed not only as the leader of the Red Raiders' defense but also as its heartbeat. The rest of that group will follow his lead as long as he goes. They rally around him, feed off his energy, and expend every ounce of his energy on the field, every game, no matter the score.

Yes, the AP doesn't vote on heart; they vote on stats, and a projection of stats for the upcoming season makes the argument of Rodriguez being snubbed even greater. While not trying to take anything away from linebacker Aiden Fisher from Indiana, Rodriguez is better than him.

He finished with 19 more solo tackles, three more sacks, one more interception, and three more passes defended than Fisher, and now, while his supporting cast around him will take more pressure off of him, they will also improve him.

He finished with three more tackles for loss and was disruptive in the backfield. PFF ranked Rodriguez as the 51st-ranked linebacker in the country last season, while Fisher was ranked 389th. He was worse in every category they tallied.

While pre-season accolades mean nothing until the end of the season, and team success trumps all, Rodriguez earned his name by being listed. Regardless, he will play a big role in the Red Raiders' success, and should the season play out as they hope, his recognition will follow.