The 2025 Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on December 8. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin will head to New York for the ceremony on December 13. What’s missing? Any defensive player, despite the fact that Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez just delivered one of the most dominant defensive seasons in recent college football history. And Rodriguez’s wife, Emma Rodriguez, had something to say about that glaring omission.​​

Emma Rodriguez didn’t hold back on social media when the finalists were revealed. “@HeismanTrophy if it’s an Offensive Player Award just say that.”

It’s hard to argue with her logic when you look at the numbers and what Jacob Rodriguez meant to Texas Tech this season. The Red Raiders went 12-1 and established themselves as one of the Big 12’s elite programs. Rodriguez was the anchor of that success. His leadership, his production, and his ability to change games on the defensive side made him indispensable to head coach Joey McGuire’s squad. He won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and the Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defender. But apparently, that still wasn’t enough to earn him a flight to Manhattan.

Let’s talk about what Jacob Rodriguez actually did this season. The senior linebacker racked up 117 total tackles, including 61 solo stops, over 13 games. He added 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions with 41 return yards, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries (including one he returned 69 yards for a touchdown), and one sack. 

He also broke up six passes and even contributed on offense, scoring two rushing touchdowns. This is a player who impacted every phase of the game. He was a former quarterback at Virginia who converted to linebacker at Texas Tech. The 23-year-old had no scholarship or guaranteed spot on the team. Starting as sixth on the linebacker depth chart, to now becoming one of the most complete defensive players in the country. 

Despite all that production and despite winning the Butkus Award on December 5 (becoming the first Texas Tech player to ever claim that honor), Rodriguez was left off the Heisman finalist list. The snub reinforces what many have argued for years. The Heisman Trophy is essentially an offensive award. And more specifically, a quarterback award. With three of the four finalists playing quarterback in 2025, the pattern is undeniable.

In the entire history of the Heisman Trophy, only two players who played defense have ever won. Cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 and two-way star Travis Hunter in 2024, though Hunter also played wide receiver extensively. In the end, even a Butkus Award and a Nagurski Award weren’t enough to get Jacob Rodriguez a seat at the Heisman ceremony. That says everything about where defensive players stand in this conversation.​​

NFL veterans sound off on the Heisman snub

The backlash from the NFL world came fast and furious after Jacob Rodriguez’s name wasn’t called among the Heisman finalists. Former NFL defensive lineman Leger Douzable, who’s become a vocal college football analyst, didn’t mince words on December 8 when he hopped onto X with a straightforward message.

“Jacob Rodriguez should have got the invite to NY for the Heisman.” Douzable had been championing Rodriguez all season long. He even named him on his personal Heisman ballot before the finalists were announced. But it was 2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III who really turned up the heat with his reaction.

RGIII, who knows a thing or two about the Heisman ceremony and also happens to be a former Texas Tech quarterback himself, went absolutely nuclear with his take: “Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez being left off the Heisman Finalist list is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.” The all-caps energy and hyperbolic language caught fire across social media.

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What makes these reactions particularly meaningful is that they’re coming from guys who’ve been in the trenches and understand what elite football looks like at the highest level. Even Patrick Mahomes, another former Texas Tech quarterback, had been advocating for Rodriguez weeks earlier. He posted, “Get him to New York! @HeismanTrophy” back in November after Rodriguez’s monster performance against BYU. 

These are NFL veterans and current stars who recognize transcendent talent when they see it. The fact that a former Heisman winner like RGIII would go that hard in defense of Rodriguez speaks volumes about how egregious this snub really is.