Nicholas Rodriguez, Curly Ordoñez, Elijah Melendez among NCAA leading tacklers
-
Tricia Darcy, Southeast Conference correspondent
- October 7, 2026
2026 is shaping up as Year of Latino Linebacker in College Football
Jacob Rodriguez may have moved on to the National Football League, but Missouri’s Nicholas Rodriguez, Temple’s Curly Ordoñez and Auburn’s Elijah Melendez are making 2026 the year of the Latino Linebacker in College Football.
With 50 tackles apiece, Nicholas Rodriguez and Ordoñez are among four players tied for third in tackles in Division I football. Nicholas Rodriguez leads the mighty SEC in tackles, and Ordoñez leads the American Conference. Melendez is third in the SEC with 43 tackles.
Jacob Rodriguez made history last season as a tackling machine at Texas Tech. He won the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award. Considering that Nicholas Rodriguez is only a junior, and Melendez is only a sophomore, it wouldn’t be surprising if either of those linebackers make a run at the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy or Butkus Award before they’re done.
Rodriguez, Ordoñez and Melendez aren’t the only Latino linebackers having All-Conference or perhaps even All-American seasons. Penn State’s Tony Rojas, NC State’s Popo Aguirre and Wyoming freshman Steven Perez are also among the best linebackers in their respective conferences.
Here are the Top 6 Latino Linebackers to know in 2026:
Nicholas Rodriguez, junior, Missouri.
The 6-foot, 225-pounder from Miami has collected at least 11 tackles in four consecutive games, including a season-high 13 against Mississippi State on Sept. 26. He was named the co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for Week 5.
More from Our Esquina
Auburn siblings Antonio, Elijah Melendez pack punch
Texas A&M kicker David Olano made own path from Futbol to Football
Iowa receiver Tony Diaz capitalizes on mom’s sacrifices
Nicholas Rodriguez has 15 solo tackles and 35 assisted tackles with one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. After only five games, he’s 12 tackles away from tying the career-high he set last year over 13 games.
Curly Ordoñez, senior, Temple
The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder from Fort Lauderdale already has two games with 12 tackles, including one against Penn State. He is only 16 tackles away from equaling his total from last season.
He has 33 solo tackles and one sack.
Elijah Melendez destined for All-SEC
Elijah Melendez, sophomore, Auburn
The 6-foot, 240-pounder from Kissimmee, Fla., leads Auburn in tackles with 43 and three sacks as a true sophomore. After making one start over 12 appearances last year as a freshman, Melendez was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Barring injury, he appears destined for All-SEC honors. Melendez is third in the SEC in tackles, only one shy of second place. He had a season-high 12 tackles against Baylor and then 11 tackles against Florida.
Tony Rojas, junior, Penn State.
Much was expected from Rojas last season after he was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore in 2024. His 2025 season was cut short by a left knee ACL tear after four games – all starts – last year.
He has returned to form as a redshirt junior. Rojas is tied for 12th tackles in the Big Ten with 34 tackles. He had a season-high 12 tackles against Northwestern on Oct. 2. Rojas also has three sacks and two interceptions already this season.
Popo Aguirre finds home at NC State
Popo Aguirre, senior, NC State
After spending his first three seasons at Miami, Popo Aguirre transferred to NC State this year. He is third in the ACC with 42 tackles.
Aguirre set an NC State single-game record with three fumble recoveries last week. He had a career-high 18 tackles in the season opener against Virginia. After only five games, he has already equalled the previous season-high for tackles, which he set last year at Miami.
Steven Perez, redshirt freshman, Wyoming
Steven Perez had a career-high 10 tackles against North Dakota State last weekend. The 6-foot-1, 231-pounder from Wilmington, Calif., is Wyoming’s fourth leading tackler with 30. He is tied for 17th in the Mountain West in tackles. Not bad for a redshirt freshman who played only one game last year.
Tricia Darcy
Southeast Conference correspondent
Tricia Darcy is a freshman at Auburn. She had a distinguished high school journalism career at Kingwood Park High, where she earned many national and Texas awards and the prestigious Don Sanders Journalist of the Year Award.
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.