Rice QB Gael Ochoa runs wild, earns Latino Player of the Week honors
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Xavier Andrade,
- October 25, 2026
Gael Ochoa accounts for five TDs, four on the ground
Gael Ochoa finally got the starting nod at Rice University, and he literally ran away with the opportunity. The dual-threat quarterback accounted for five touchdowns and 339 yards on offense.
Ohoa, a sophomore from El Paso, executed Rice’s option attack to near perfection. He ran for 259 yards and four touchdowns, scoring on one-third of his 12 carries.
He also threw for 80 yards and a touchdown while completing two of his five pass attempts. The Owls lost 51-49, but Ochoa did more than enough to be Our Esquina’s Latino Player of the Week for Week 8 in Division I Football.
Safety Jo Chavez added five tackles for the Owls in the loss. Here’s how other Latinos performed in Week 8. If we missed a player who identifies as Latino, please email CarlosLeon@OurEsquina.
Jackson Gutierrez runs wild
Gael Ochoa wasn’t the only Latino running quarterback who shone with his feet in Week. Navy’s Jackson Gutierrez ran for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Gutierrez also was 7-for-13 for 133 passing yards and a touchdown in a 49-39 loss to North Texas. Bryce Garza had two tackles for North Texas. UTSA receiver David Amador II had five catches for 47 yards in a 42-19 victory over Tulane.
Tight end Willie Rodriguez capitalized as the wildcat quarterback with a one-yard touchdown run in a 34-17 victory over Vanderbilt. Rodriguez was actually supposed to throw the ball, but he found an easy lane to the end zone on the right side.
He also had six catches for 67 yards. Texas A&M kicker David Olano remained perfect this season. The Colombian American made two field goals with a 31-20 loss at Alabama. He added two PATs. Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez had five tackles in a 38-17 loss to LSU. Ole Miss senior Jonathan Maldonado had two tackles in a 34-27 loss to Texas.
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UCLA receiver Noah Fox-Flores made a nine-yard catch in a 28-10 victory over Michigan State. Mason Rivera added a tackle for the Bruins. Senior defensive back Nikai Martinez had a team-high eight tackles for the Spartans in the loss. He also recovered a fumble.
Iowa receiver Tony Diaz had a 57-yard reception in a 13-10 loss to Minnesota. He also rushed for nine yards on two carries. Oregon safety Peyton Woodyard had two tackles in a 21-10 loss to Illinois.
Popo Aguirre had six tackles for North Carolina State in a 31-28 loss to Stanford. Jahsiah Galvan had four tackles for the Cardinal in the victory.
Steven Perez, tackling machine
Wyoming linebacker Steven Perez had a game-high 17 tackles and recovered a fumble in a 28-14 win against Air Force. Alexander Perez made four tackles for Air Force in the Falcons’ loss. Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 186 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. He also ran for 21 yards on five carries in a 49-27 loss to Boston College.
Derek Eusebio had two catches for 23 yards to help Arizona State beat Kansas State 28-17. Houston kicker Jonathan Dimas made two field goals with a long of 47 yards in a 21-13 loss at Utah. He added a PAT.
Yale tight end Jaxton Santiago had five catches for 38 yards in a 24-21 loss to Pennsylvania. He also returned two punts for 30 yards with a long of 22 yards. Santiago also made a tackle. Luca Lopez had five tackles for Penn in the victory. Jadon Garza-Pender had an 11-yard reception in a 38-31 victory for Brown over Cornell.
Ben Alvarez had an 11-yard catch for Harvard in a 35-7 victory over Princeton. Jacinto Lopez had five tackles for the Crimson as Harvard improved to 6-0, 3-0 in the Ivy League.
Josue Cordoba hits double digits
Defensive lineman Josue Cordoba had a team-high 10 tackles while defensive back Joel Cordoba recorded three tackles and a pass deflection in Kent State’s 35-20 win over Akron. Hector Gonzalez recorded two tackles for Eastern Michigan in a 24-20 defeat to Ohio.
Cornerback Greco Carrillo recorded two tackles in San Jose State’s 28-13 loss to Nevada. New Mexico cornerback Jahmir Torres made three tackles in a 21-16 win over North Dakota State.
Wide receiver Alexander Sanchez caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in App State’s 34-31 win over James Madison. Morgan Suarez made a 47-yard field goal and four PATs in the loss for the Dukes. Wide receiver Nic Trujillo recorded two receptions for 30 yards in UL Monroe’s 21-14 victory over Troy. Freshman wide receiver Josh Rodriguez caught four passes for 43 yards in Old Dominion’s 26-0 loss to Louisiana Tech.
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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