Will Positional Value Hurt Jacob Rodriguez's Heisman Chances? History Says Yes
In this story:
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez added more highlights to his Heisman campaign in the Red Raiders dominant 48-9 win over UCF on Saturday, Nov. 15.
A rushing touchdown as a wildcat quarterback and an interception have put him on pace for one of the best seasons by a linebacker in recent memory.
However, history has shown that the Heisman voting committee is not fond of giving the award to a defensive player, let alone a linebacker. In fact, no full-time linebacker has ever won the Heisman since its inception in 1936. Travis Hunter, who played receiver as well, and Charles Woodson are the only defensive players to win it in the last 30 years.
The closest linebacker to win it was Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o in 2012, when he finished second to Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. Te’o received 321 first-place votes to Manziel’s 474.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez with his FIRST CAREER OFFENSIVE TD for @TexasTechFB ‼️
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 15, 2025
And he hit the Heisman as his celebration 👀 pic.twitter.com/zzOWSXR1Qr
“The one linebacker [Te’o] that was considered and got to New York, our numbers are better than his,” Tech head coach Joey McGuire said. “... I kind of made the joke we let him play quarterback today, so maybe that helps him out since they want to bring quarterbacks.”
Rodriguez leads the nation with seven forced fumbles and has four interceptions, 97 tackles, and two total touchdowns (one offensive and one defensive) with just one game to go.
Te’o’s seven interceptions in 2012 eclipse Rodriguez's by three, as he finished with 111 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
That’s back-to-back games with an INT for J-Rod
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 15, 2025
His 4th INT of the year to go with an FBS-leading 7 forced fumbles.
📺 @CFBONFOX | https://t.co/tYTVhMUNPi pic.twitter.com/uucGIWr9JE
A concern for Rodriguez’s Heisman case is the lack of respect voters showed to former Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. in 2021. He racked up 17.5 sacks and 101 tackles during his sophomore season, but he was not among the four finalists in New York, finishing fifth.
The silver lining for Rodriguez is that there were three exceptional quarterback seasons in 2021, with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud all exceeding 40 touchdown passes.
So far in 2025, the two Heisman hopeful quarterbacks, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, are both unlikely to eclipse the 40-touchdown mark with two weeks left.
However, BetMGM has Rodriguez with the ninth-shortest betting odds for the Heisman (+12500). Mendoza sits alone as the betting favorite with -115 odds, and Sayin right behind him at +225 odds.
McGuire gave his respect to both Mendoza and Sayin after Tech’s first 10-win season since 2008, but said he hopes the national media attention will continue to push Rodriguez’s campaign that a non-quarterback should win the Heisman this year.
“I think [Sayin] is playing at a very high level right now. The throw [Mendoza] made to beat Penn State was elite.” McGuire said. “... One good thing is you got some Heisman trophy winners that are talking about him [Rodriguez]. RGIII [Robert Griffin III] has been really vocal about it. I know some others will get behind it. We’re just gonna let it play out.”
The Red Raiders have one week to rest before a season finale trip to a 4-7 West Virginia squad on Nov. 29. With one game left to pad Rodriguez’s stats, we will have to wait to see what McGuire has drawn up for him next.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More From Texas Tech On SI
Stay up to date on Texas Tech Athletics by bookmarking Texas Tech On SI.
Andrew is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI. He has interned at Front Office Sports in New York and is now a freelance contributor for the outlet. Andrew got his start in sports covering Texas Tech teams with the student newspaper The Daily Toreador.