Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez adds offensive TD to Heisman resume
-
Xavier Andrade,
- November 16, 2025
Jacob Rodriguez is Our Esquina Player of the Week in college football
While quarterbacks have dominated most of the Heisman Trophy conversation in 2025, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has quickly emerged as a Heisman candidate as arguably the best defensive player in college football.
To bolster Jacob Rodriguez’s Heisman case, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire lined up his star linebacker at quarterback on a 2nd-and-goal from the two-yard line Saturday night.
“Everybody is talking about quarterbacks for the Heisman, so we put him at quarterback today and he scored a touchdown.” McGuire told Fox Sports after the Red Raiders improved to 10-1.
The two-yard touchdown run was the first offensive score of Rodriguez’s college career.
Jacob Rodriguez, takeaway artist
Rodriguez also finished with nine tackles (six solo) and one interception in Texas Tech’s dominant 48-9 win over UCF. For his performance, Jacob Rodriguez was named Our Esquina Player of the Week for Week 12.
With his fourth interception of the season, Jacob Rodriguez tied Brice Pollock for the team lead in interceptions.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound redshirt senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, has nine takeaways in Big 12 play this season and 19 overall in his career. Rodriguez, a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Award that goes to the nation’s most outstanding college player, has lived up to his Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Rodriguez has led Texas Tech’s defense, which is No. 3 in the nation while holding opponents to less than 13 points per game. He has 100 tackles, seven forced fumbles and four interceptions this season.
Last week, he was named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, presented to the college defense player of the year. Jacob Rodriguez was also one of eight semifinalists for the Lott Impact Player of the Year Award, another top defensive player of the year award.
Here’s how other Latinos performed in Division I football:
Career day for KC Concepcion
Wide receiver KC Concepcion and captain Taurean York played crucial roles in No. 3-ranked Texas A&M’s biggest comeback in school history.
Concepcion, a Hornung Award finalist, had seven catches for a career-high 158 receiving yards as Texas A&M overcame a 27-point deficit to beat South Carolina 31-30.
Concepcion now leads the Aggies in touchdowns (10), receiving touchdowns (eight), receiving yards (787). York, who leads the Aggies with 55 tackles, had a team-high eight tackles to help shut out South Carolina in the second half.
Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina made 3 of 5 field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards. He added two PATs in the 30-24 victory over Cincinnati.
Gunner Maldonado had seven tackles to help Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 14-6. Luis Rodriguez made two PATs. He missed his lone field goal attempt.
Oklahoma State freshman Zane Flores threw for 233 yards in the loss. He was 24-of-36 with two interceptions. Flores, who lost two fumbles, also ran for 25 yards on five carries.
Fernando Mendoza shines again
Fernando Mendoza threw for 299 yards to help No. 2 Indiana improve to 11-0 for the first time in school history. The Heisman Trophy frontrunner completed 22 of 24 passes in the 31-7 victory over Wisconsin.
He was limited to -24 yards rushing over six carries. Fernando’s younger brother Alberto Mendoza completed a six-yard pass and had a two-yard run in the victory.
More from Our Esquina
Texas A&M star KC Concepcion speaks with authority
Jacob Rodriguez leads Top 26 Latinos in college football
With dad’s work ethic, Taurean York steers Texas A&M defense
Derek Eusebio had six catches for 74 yards to help Arizona State beat West Virginia 25-23. Jesus Gomez added a field goal and two PATs for the Sun Devils. Sophomore safety Peyton Woodyard had two tackles for Oregon in a 42-13 victory over Minnesota.
Pitt’s Kavir Bains-Marquez had eight tackles (five solo) in a 37-15 loss to Notre Dame. He also returned an interception 49 yards.
Ohio State freshman defensive back Devin Sanchez had one tackle in a 48-10 victory over UCLA. Rico Flores Jr. had two catches for 59 yards for the Bruins in the loss. Anthony Frias II added five rushing yards on two carries and two catches for 29 yards for UCLA.
Penn State receiver Trebor Peña had four catches for 38 yards in a 28-10 victory over Michigan State. He added 24 yards over three punt returns.
Carlos Hernandez torches UNC
Carlos Hernandez did it all to help Wake Forest beat North Carolina 28-12. He had six catches for 100 yards and one touchdown. He added a 51-yard touchdown run and a 19-yard punt return.
UNC quarterback Gio Lopez was 21-of-36 for 201 yards in the loss. He added two rushing yards on five carries.
Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos was 12-of-24 for 189 yards and a touchdown in a 34-14 victory over Virginia Tech. Linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. had a team-high five tackles for Miami in a 41-7 victory over N.C. State.
Georgia’s Joenel Aguero had four tackles in a 35-10 victory over Texas. Missouri linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez had six tackles in a 49-27 victory over Mississippi State.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was 17-of-23 for 204 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception against New Mexico State. He added 34 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on three carries in the 42-9 victory. Zedekiah Rodriguez-Brown had one tackle for New Mexico State.
Damian Ramos kicks LSU past Arkansas
LSU kicker Damian Ramos accounted for 11 points in a 23-22 victory over Arkansas. He was 3-for-3 on field goals with a long of 50 yards. Ramos added two PATs. Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas had six catches for 80 yards and one touchdown in the 23-21 loss to Oklahoma.
Yale’s Jaxton Santiago had three catches for 35 yards. He also had a four-yard punt return in a 13-10 victory over Princeton.
Kent State defensive back Joel Cordoba had a game-high 13 tackles. Running back Gavin Garcia added 39 rushing yards and a touchdown to help the Golden Flashes beat Akron 42-35. Jacksonville State linebacker Jacob Cruz had one tackle in a 35-26 win against Kennesaw State.
Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in a 17-13 loss to Western Michigan. He also passed for 70 yards with one interception. Defensive tackle Hector Gonzalez recorded one tackle for Eastern Michigan in a 24-9 loss to Ball State.
David Amador II caught four passes for 31 yards while reaching the end zone once in UTSA’s 28-7 win over Charlotte. North Texas defensive lineman Rudy Vargas Jr. recorded one tackle and half a sacks in a 53-24 win over UAB. Florida Atlantic linebacker Hector Chavez had one tackle in the Owls’ 35-24 loss to Tulane.
Xavier Andrade
Xavier Andrade, who played football at Luther College, graduated with degrees in Communications and Political Science. He previously worked in editorial and social media for Hola Cultura, a Latino publication in Washington, D.C. Andrade currently coaches football at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, Calif.
Stay in the Loop
Get the Our Esquina Email Newsletter
By submitting your email, you are agreeing to receive additional communications and exclusive content from Our Esquina. You can unsubscribe at any time.