Linebacker, Texas Tech (from Virginia), 2021–⁠25

Jacob Rodriguez

Lettered 2022, 2024 (school media guide)

Number
No. 10
Height
6′1″
Weight
230 lb
Class (2025)
Senior
Hometown
Wichita Falls, TX
Born
Sep 6, 2002

Wikipedia readers: about 14,684 a month over the past year

Jacob Rodriguez played linebacker at Virginia (2021) and Texas Tech (2022–⁠25). He won the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the 2025 Butkus Award, the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award and the 2025 Lombardi Award. He finished fifth in the 2025 Heisman vote and was a consensus All‑American in 2025. The Miami Dolphins took Rodriguez in round 2, No. 43 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
122
Tackles, 2025 (Texas Tech, 12–⁠2)
Best game
13 tackles
At Iowa State, week 10, 2024: No. 3 defensive game in FBS that week
Heisman vote
5th
In the 2025 vote
Drafted
No. 43
Round 2, 2026 NFL Draft (Miami Dolphins)

Career highs

17tackles, career highvs. Colorado, 20242sacks, career highat Iowa State, 2024

Honors

Team titles: Big 12 champions, 2025

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Defense

Tackles, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksIntPDHur
2021Virginia1100000
2022Texas Tech261520003
2023Texas Tech302210121
2024Texas Tech113759.55134
2025Texas Tech12262101461
Career29217522.566119

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2021Virginia10LBYr 1
2022Texas Tech10LBYr 2
2023Texas Tech10LBYr 3
2024Texas Tech10LBYr 4
2025Texas Tech10LBSr. (Yr 5)6′1″230

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Game by game

2025 Texas Tech 14 games, 122 tackles, 1 sack, 4 INT
DateOpponentResultTklSoloTFLSacksIntPD
Aug 30vs.Arkansas–Pine BluffW 67–⁠7330001
Sep 6vs.Kent StateW 62–⁠14410000
Sep 13vs.Oregon StateW 45–⁠14720.5000
Sep 20atUtahW 34–⁠101150.5010
Oct 4atHoustonW 35–⁠11542012
Oct 11vs.KansasW 42–⁠171461.5100
Oct 18atArizona StateL 22–⁠261271001
Oct 25vs.Oklahoma StateW 42–⁠01061000
Nov 1atKansas StateW 43–⁠20551001
Nov 8vs.BYUW 29–⁠71491010
Nov 15vs.UCFW 48–⁠9960011
Nov 29atWest VirginiaW 49–⁠0420.5000
Dec 6vs.BYUW 34–⁠71341000
Jan 1 ✦vs.OregonL 0–⁠231120000
2024 Texas Tech 13 games, 113 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 INT
DateOpponentResultTklSoloTFLSacksIntPD
Aug 31vs.Abilene ChristianW 52–⁠511281001
Sep 7atWashington StateL 16–⁠37770000
Sep 14vs.North TexasW 66–⁠21110000
Sep 21vs.Arizona StateW 30–⁠22731000
Sep 28vs.CincinnatiW 44–⁠411170.5000
Oct 5atArizonaW 28–⁠22221100
Oct 19vs.BaylorL 35–⁠591270000
Oct 26atTCUL 34–⁠35410001
Nov 2atIowa StateW 23–⁠221392.5200
Nov 9vs.ColoradoL 27–⁠4117131.5100
Nov 23atOklahoma StateW 56–⁠481380010
Nov 30vs.West VirginiaW 52–⁠15541101
Dec 27 ✦vs.ArkansasL 26–⁠39951000
2023 Texas Tech 5 games, 30 tackles, 1 INT
DateOpponentResultTklSoloTFLSacksIntPD
Sep 2atWyomingL 33–⁠35220000
Nov 2vs.TCUW 35–⁠28640000
Nov 11atKansasW 16–⁠13431000
Nov 18vs.UCFW 24–⁠231270001
Dec 16 ✦vs.CaliforniaW 34–⁠14660011
2022 Texas Tech 10 games, 26 tackles
DateOpponentResultTklSoloTFLSacksIntPD
Sep 3vs.Murray StateW 63–⁠10401000
Sep 17atNC StateL 14–⁠27420.5000
Sep 24vs.TexasW 37–⁠34110000
Oct 1atKansas StateL 28–⁠37110000
Oct 8atOklahoma StateL 31–⁠41210000
Oct 22vs.West VirginiaW 48–⁠10440000
Oct 29vs.BaylorL 17–⁠45530000
Nov 5atTCUL 24–⁠34200.5000
Nov 12vs.KansasW 43–⁠28220000
Nov 19atIowa StateW 14–⁠10110000
2021 Virginia 6 games, 8 catches, 65 yards
DateOpponentResultTklSoloTFLSacksIntPD
Sep 4vs.William & MaryW 43–⁠0––––––
Sep 18atNorth CarolinaL 39–⁠59––––––
Sep 30atMiamiW 30–⁠28––––––
Oct 9atLouisvilleW 34–⁠33––––––
Oct 16vs.DukeW 48–⁠0––––––
Oct 30atBYUL 49–⁠66110000

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2026 Senior Bowl (National team, lost 9–⁠17).

DrillCombine 2026Combine or pro day 2026
Height6′1⅜″
Weight231 lb
Arm length30⅞″
Hand size9¼″
Wingspan74⅝″
40-yard dash4.57 s
10-yard split1.60 s
Vertical jump38½″
Broad jump10′1″
Bench press23 repsW
3-cone drill6.90 s
20-yard shuttle4.19 s

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

1 season, 5 games with a stat; latest team: Miami Dolphins.

SeasonTeamGTklSacksInt
2026 (so far)Miami Dolphins55601

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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