Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez torments Georgia
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Xavier Andrade,
- October 19, 2026
Elijah Melendez leads weekly recap of Latinos in College Football
Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez put his fingerprints all over the biggest upset of Week 7 in College Football. The sophomore from Kissimmee, Fla., ended Georgia’s first drive of the second with his first interception of the season.
As Georgia tried to regain momentum, Melendez helped end the Bulldogs’ next possession with his fourth sack of the season.
The 6-foot, 240-pound Boricua finished with a team-high nine tackles to help Auburn beat then-No. 1 Georgia 27-24 for the biggest upset victory in a week of major upsets in College Football.
For his stellar performance against Georgia, Melendez was named Our Esquina’s Latino Player of the Week for Week 7 of College Football. Here’s how the other Latinos performed in College Football. If we missed a player who identifies as Latino, please email CarlosLeon@OurEsquina.com.
Rodriguez duo shine
Missouri linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez had a team-high 13 tackles in a 31-3 loss against Ole Miss. Willie Rodriguez had two touchdowns to help Kentucky beat Oklahoma 21-13. He made five catches for 38 yards.
Texas A&M’s David Olano hit a pair of field goals and five PATs in a 41-0 victory over The Citadel. Gavin Garcia led the Bulldogs with 46 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Yale tight end Jaxton Santiago had three catches for 45 yards and one touchdown in a 41-23 loss to Rhode Island. He also had three punt returns for 31 yards.
Brown’s Jadon Garza-Pendor had six receptions for 51 yards in a 16-10 loss against Princeton. EJ Perez had five tackles for Brown. Esteban Nunez Perez made three field goals and a PAT for Princeton. Harvard’s Dante Torres had a nine-yard carry for Harvard in a 30-7 victory over Holy Cross.
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Wide receiver Jasen Lopez caught a 39-yard pass in Florida State’s 43-35 loss to Miami. Even without top target Carlos Hernandez, Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez still put on a show against Cal. Lopez threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant 41-7 win.
Steven Perez made one sack and four tackles in Wyoming’s 41-23 win over Northern Illinois. Defensive back Alexander Perez recorded five tackles in Air Force’s 41-31 win against UNLV.
Alberto Mendoza throws for 335 yards
Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-24 loss to Virginia Tech. Stanford linebacker Jahsiah Galvan recorded two tackles in a 34-7 win over Elon.
Senior kicker Carlos Arreola made a 47-yard field goal in UTEP’s 24-11 loss to San Jose State. Cornerback Jahmir Torres made two tackles and two pass deflections in New Mexico’s 21-10 win against Hawaii.
Houston kicker Jonathan Dimas made five extra point kicks in the Cougars’ 35-32 win over Oklahoma State. Luis Rodriguez made all four of his field goal attempts along with three extra points for Kansas State in a 35-24 win over Kansas. Defensive end David Santiago recorded six tackles for the Jayhawks in the loss.
Washington kicker Tyler Robles made a 25-yard field goal and five extra point kicks in a 38-26 win against Purdue. Kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano made two field goals and two extra point kicks in Purdue’s loss.
Cornerback Devin Sanchez recorded six tackles and one pass deflection for Ohio State in a 19-15 win over Indiana. UCLA’s Mason Rivera made one sack and two tackles in a 17-7 win over Wisconsin. Nikai Martinez recorded five tackles in Michigan State’s 24-21 loss to Northwestern.
Tony Rojas secures dozen
Tony Rojas had a game-high 12 tackles while adding one sack for Penn State in a 21-18 loss to Michigan. Central Michigan quarterback Angel Flores rushed for 117 yards on 31 carries and threw for 162 yards along with one touchdown in a 21-14 loss to Western Michigan.
Hector Gonzalez made four tackles in Eastern Michigan’s 34-14 loss to Toledo. Cornerback Joel Cordoba recorded three tackles while defensive lineman Josue Cordoba made two tackles and a sack in Kent State’s 29-2 loss to South Florida.
Sacramento State backup quarterback Brian Salazar Jr. completed four passes for 71 yards and threw the first touchdown of his college career in a 48-7 loss to Ohio. Sophomore defensive lineman Raymond Macias made two tackles for UAB in a 30-17 win against East Carolina. Kicker Noah Perez converted a 43-yard field goal and tight end Ismael Smith Flores caught two passes for 22 yards in the Pirates’ loss.
Linebacker Curly Ordonez recorded one sack and eight tackles in Temple’s 38-31 loss to Charlotte. UTSA wide receiver David Amador II caught seven passes for 71 yards in a 38-24 win over Navy. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez did everything he could in the loss. He threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Gutierrez also rushed for 139 yards and two scores on the ground while also adding a 63-yard reception.
Featured art by Auburn Athletics.
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.
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