Ryan Rodriguez and Jacob Rodriguez come from two Power Five programs with very different journeys in college football. With them sharing the same last name, fans have begun to wonder if the OL Ryan and Texas Tech LB Jacob are related.

One is a Miami OL who has battled injuries and waited patiently for his shot in the trenches. The other became one of the most decorated linebackers in college football, stacking awards and forcing turnovers at a historic rate. Here’s the full story behind both players.

Are Ryan Rodriguez and Jacob Rodriguez related?

Ryan Rodriguez and Jacob Rodriguez are not related despite sharing the same last name. Neither player has officially recognized any blood ties, and there is no known connection.

Ryan Rodriguez is a Miami native who developed through South Florida’s high school football scene and was recruited directly into the Hurricanes’ program.

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Meanwhile, Jacob Rodriguez grew up as the youngest member of a seven-child household, shaped by a strong family foundation. His parents, Joe, a U.S. Army vet., and Ann Rodriguez, are both graduates of Minnesota State University. He followed a long path, transferring schools and ultimately becoming one of the nation’s finest defensive players.

Who is Miami OL Ryan Rodriguez?

Ryan Rodriguez is a homegrown Hurricane, a Christopher Columbus High School standout who chose to stay in Miami and build his career patiently. He is 6-foot-2, 300 pounds, and was rated a four-star prospect by ESPN coming out of high school and earned U.S. Army All-American honors after helping Columbus win a Florida Class 8A state championship.

He committed to Miami over more than a dozen offers, including Coastal Carolina, Indiana, Louisville, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, UConn, Wake Forest, and West Virginia.

His college journey, however, has been shaped by perseverance. Rodriguez redshirted, missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from surgery, and spent years developing behind veteran linemen. In 2024, he finally earned a starting role at left guard, but his season ended after just 38 snaps due to an ankle injury against Florida.

“It’s always tough coming back from an injury,” Rodriguez said. “But with my coaches’ support, coach (Aaron) Feld’s support, all of them in the training room, coach (Jeffrey) Eaton, … the training room like Bella (Galvan), Bryan (Hicks), Adam (Bennett), Pete (Galasso) — all of them helping me out, tremendously, keeping my mind right, making sure I don’t fall into a dark place. But we overcame it. We’re here now, and we’re looking forward to moving forward.”

 Now a redshirt senior with experience at both guard and center, he has helped Miami push toward the national championship run.

Who is Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez?

Jacob Rodriguez’s rise at Texas Tech is one of the most dramatic transformations in college football. He was initially a QB and all-purpose athlete at Virginia in 2021, then Rodriguez transferred to Texas Tech and switched to LB. That move unlocked his full potential.

In 2024, he emerged as the heart of the Red Raiders’ defense, recording 127 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks, earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors.

Then came 2025, where he led the Big 12 with 117 tackles, seven forced fumbles (most in the nation), four interceptions, and multiple defensive touchdowns, winning the Butkus Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, while finishing at No. 5 in Heisman voting.

“I loved my time at the University of Virginia,” Rodriguez said. “When Coach Bronco Mendenhall stepped down [after the 2021 season], I decided to make a change, and I had all the faith in Coach [Joey] McGuire and everything that he was building.

“It was so late. I didn’t have a place to stay. There were no scholarship spots, and so, luckily, my brother went to school there, and so I slept on the ground next to his bed for a semester and earned that scholarship spot later on.”

In the end, Ryan Rodriguez and Jacob Rodriguez may share a last name, but their paths are way different.