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Texas Tech football Heisman hopeful Jacob Rodriguez scores TD as wildcat QB
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- Texas Tech football Heisman hopeful Jacob Rodriguez scores TD as wildcat QB
Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech football team have spent the past month trying to drum up support for linebacker Jacob Rodriguez for the Heisman Trophy .
McGuire ramped up the effort on Saturday, Nov. 15, by turning Rodriguez into a two-way player and getting him an offensive touchdown in the Red Raiders ' regular-season home finale against Central Florida . The 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker lined up in the wildcat formation, took the direct snap and knifed into the end zone behind left guard.
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The Jones AT&T Stadium crowd roared when Rodriguez jogged onto the field on second-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
More: Texas Tech football stars David Bailey, Jacob Rodriguez eye more major awards
More: Texas Tech football honors seniors before regular-season home finale. Here's who walked
In the past two weeks, Rodriguez has been named one of 13 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, which goes to the nation's top lineman or linebacker; one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the country's top linebacker; one of eight semifinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and one of 17 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award. The latter two awards go to the nation's best defensive player.
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Rodriguez went into Saturday's game this season with 91 tackles, including 9 1/2 tackles for loss and a sack. He also has 5 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, an FBS-leading 7 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.
The 7 forced fumbles are two short of the Big 12 record that Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson set in 2004 and one short of the Texas Tech record that safety Dwayne Slay set in 2005. Rodriguez returned one of the fumble recoveries for a 69-yard touchdown against Oklahoma State.
Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez calls the defense against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during a non-conference football game, Saturday, August 30, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Saturday was senior day for the Red Raiders, and Tech recognized 28 players before the final regular-season home game. Rodriguez was last out of the tunnel, wearing a cowboy hat he commonly sports at postgame press conferences. After he greeted McGuire and McGuire's wife Debbi, Rodriguez held his hat aloft and looked around to acknowledge the crowd.
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Rodriguez is a Minnesota native who moved to Wichita Falls at age 10 and starred in high school as a quarterback and safety at Wichita Falls Rider. He spent one year at Virginia, playing multiple positions on offense, but has been exclusively a linebacker for the past four years at Texas Tech.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football Heisman hopeful Jacob Rodriguez scores on QB run
