How often do we see a defensive player leading the Heisman race? Rarely, but Week 11 flipped the script. In Robert Griffin III’s latest rankings, a Texas linebacker sits at the top, edging out the quarterbacks who usually dominate the spotlight. Fernando Mendoza, despite looking like the Heisman favorite after his clutch game-winning drive against Penn State, sits at No. 2 this week.

“Is Jacob Rodriguez one of the best players in the country? Absolutely,” RGIII said. “He should be in New York at the Heisman ceremony. The other thing about the Heisman is the story, and Jacob Rodriguez’s story is phenomenal. Jacob Rodriguez is very deserving to be at No. 1 on our list for the Heisman Trophy.” Griffin also states that if the Heisman is all about the numbers, then Jacob definitely has them.

The 23-year-old has been on an absolute tear this season. He leads the country with seven forced fumbles and has stacked up 88 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three picks, and two fumble recoveries. As a team captain, he’s the guy holding the defense together and setting the tone on and off the field. His best game of Texas Tech’s 2025 season came against BYU. In the third quarter, he jumped a pass for an interception. It was the kind of play people were calling a “Heisman audition.” Thanks to him, the Red Raiders held BYU to just 255 total yards and shut down their run game in a 29–7 win. He finished the night with 14 and even struck the famous Heisman Trophy pose. Even Patrick Mahomes called for him to be in the Heisman conversation on social media.

His defense has transformed Texas Tech from a porous unit that allowed over 34 points per game last year to an elite squad allowing just 12.6 points this season. The Red Raiders now lead the nation in rush defense. Plus, his story that RGIII was talking about is one for the history books. Growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, Rodriguez was a promising QB with Division I offers and started his college career at Virginia. But after a coaching change and a desire to find his true fit, he transferred to Texas Tech and made the bold switch to linebacker.

After he transferred to Texas Tech, Joey McGuire and the new coaching staff quickly decided he fit the linebacker spot much more naturally. He just wanted to play football, and he did that sincerely for every position he played. And his temptation for the Heisman trophy isn’t new. “Growing up, I wanted to win the Heisman as a quarterback. I had my thoughts of being in the conversation as a quarterback,” Rodriguez told the Dallas Morning News. “Once I switched to linebacker, especially those earlier years, man, I was just trying to make the team.”

Will the award shelf have enough space for the Heisman? 

While waiting for the Heisman Trophy, Jacob Rodriguez’s trophy shelf is starting to improve. He is having a season for the ages, and his stack certainly proves it. He just won his second Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week Award this season. It’s a tremendous honor that only three other Texas Tech players have ever earned.

Rodriguez earned this nod again after that monster game against BYU, where he led the Red Raiders with 14 tackles. It was a mirror image of the first time he took home the award during their 34-10 beatdown of Utah. In that game, he posted 11 tackles, an interception, and half a tackle for loss. It’s safe to say that Rodriguez is practically rewriting his story as an elite linebacker. Plus, his knack for turnovers puts him in rare company.

Khalil Mack is the only other FBS player since 2005 to have numbers like five forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries all in one season. And now Rodriguez joins the clan. Beyond the numbers, Rodriguez’s rise represents how Texas Tech’s defense has sincerely flipped the script this season. His game-sealing fumble recovery on a sack against BYU showed just how clutch he’s become for the Red Raiders.