Joey McGuire and Texas Tech are running a full-blown Heisman PR blitz for Jacob Rodriguez. The linebacker jumped over to the offense and cashed in his first TD against the UCF Knights. This instantly turned on the Heisman chatter. But truth be told. Without McGuire dealing with a tough reality, Red Raider Nation might’ve never seen Rodriguez’s magic.

On November 15, RedRaiderSports.com quoted McGuire. “We let him play quarterback today, so maybe that helps him out, since they want to bring quarterbacks,” said the head coach about his linebacker. The Red Raiders smoked UCF 48-9, and McGuire’s two-way experiment with Rodriguez looked genius. Lined up in a wildcat look, the 6’1″, 230-pound linebacker took the direct snap and bulldozed his way in behind the left guard.

From the two-yard line on second-and-goal, Rodriguez, once a quarterback, grabbed the snap and spread out for his first offensive touchdown. McGuire’s squad went up by two scores, and Rodriguez didn’t hold back, striking a Heisman-worthy pose in celebration. Now, we know what made the head coach come up with a cheeky reply. 

McGuire poked fun at the way the Heisman Trophy overwhelmingly favors quarterbacks. “It’s incredible, you know, and everybody’s talking about quarterbacks for Heisman. So we put him in quarterback today. He scored a touchdown, but right before that interception, I said, ‘Man, get the ball back. Let’s get in zone so we can get two out.’ He got the ball back for me,” shared Rodriguez.

So, the head coach said he was kind of forced to line up Rodriguez, falling into the Heisman pressure. However, deep down, McGuire knew how his gamble had been tested and proven. But he might not have thought of suiting up Rodriguez for a touchdown until a harsh reality struck McGuire and co. 

The Red Raiders used to run similar packages with Skyler Gill-Howard. Texas Tech delivered a big-man highlight against Kent State. Midway through the second quarter, the 6-foot-1, 290-pound senior defensive lineman intercepted a batted pass and rumbled 55 yards for a touchdown. However, luck did not favor McGuire for long. 

His experimentation hit a sudden pause. Gill-Howard suffered an injury while playing against Kansas. Back in October, he underwent ankle surgery. As ESPN reported, he is expected to miss the rest of the season. However, Gill-Howard’s absence turns out to be a blessing in disguise for Rodriguez.  

Just a week ago, he gave McGuire and his team enough reasons to flex about him. The linebacker went beast mode vs. BYU. 14 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception helped Tech roll 29-7. A performance so electric that Patrick Mahomes, watching in person during the Kansas City Chiefs’ bye week, tweeted that Rodriguez deserves Heisman finalist status. However, a Heisman winner dropped a blunt verdict for McGuire’s linebacker. 

A Heisman veteran’s take on Jacob Rodriguez’s Heisman chance

Matt Leinart became USC’s sixth Heisman winner, who lifted the bronze trophy in 2004. He chose to hand Rodriguez a bitter truth wrapped in a sugary coating of a compliment. “Another guy who’s definitely, he’s not going to win the Heisman Trophy. But he should be invited,” Leinart said on Big Noon Kickoff. “Jacob Rodriguez, the linebacker for Texas Tech.” The reason behind the snub?

Being an experienced player and having won the trophy himself, the quarterback legend knows the deal. Looks like the issue is not with Rodriguez’s stats. He carries a solid resume this season. Through 11 games, Rodriguez has 88 tackles, 48 solo stops, and a league-leading seven forced fumbles, basically turning every snap into a highlight. But it’s the same old bias in the Heisman that stops Leinart from counting on McGuire’s linebacker. 

The Heisman is an offensive award. Charles Woodson (1997) and Travis Hunter (2024) are the only two winners who played defense full-time. That’s what made the Texas Tech head coach fight for how Rodriguez still has a chance in the Heisman race.

On the November 11th episode of Bussin’ With the Boys, Joey McGuire brought a fair point to the table. “Travis won it last year. How could you not give it to Travis? He’s the most dominant,” he said. “There are linebackers out there, like Ohio State’s got a linebacker that’s playing at a really high level. I just know what my guy [Jacob Rodriguez] does down after down, and some freaky stats haven’t been done by defensive players.” Now the question is whether McGuire’s gamble with Rodriguez will cash in on Heisman glory.