Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez might have fallen from the Heisman race, but he didn’t walk away empty-handed. After a dominant season and pushing the Red Raiders to the playoffs this season, Rodriguez finished as the highest-ranked non-finalist. He got the closest to the ceremony without stepping on stage.

Rodriguez narrowly missed a trip to New York, landing fifth in the Heisman race, but he still walked away with the win in the annual Heisman Fan Vote. He was the highest-ranked player who did not make the Heisman finalist list, coming after the four finalists: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.

This snub reinforces the age-old belief that the Heisman Trophy often favors offensive players. Since the Heisman Trophy came into play in college sports, only two defensive players have ever won it. First is cornerback Charles Woodson back in 1997, and then dual-threat star Travis Hunter in 2024.

Something of this sort happened to Alabama’s defensive end Will Anderson Jr. back in 2021, who finished 5th in the Heisman despite having video game numbers, recording 17.5 sacks and 34.5 TFLs. But he couldn’t make it to the finalist group, and now Rodriguez is facing the same adversity.

What’s more surprising is that even awards like the Butkus Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Pony Express Award couldn’t make his case strong for the Heisman. Even though the Heisman is not in the cards for Rodriguez, he made history by winning the 2025 Lombardi Award and became the first-ever Texas Tech player to receive the honor since it began in 1970.

All this recognition shows the kind of talent Jacob Rodriguez holds. Rodriguez recorded 117 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and 7 forced fumbles. After getting in the final four Heisman contenders of the season, even NFL stars couldn’t hold back their frustration over Rodriguez’s snub.

“Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez being left off the Heisman Finalist list is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY,” former Heisman winner Robert Griffin III said on X.

The ceremony is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, in New York City. While Rodriguez is no longer in contention for the win, he remains one of the top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Texas Tech head coach has received major news.

Joey McGuire gets selected for an honor

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire quickly turned the Red Raiders into one of the strongest programs in the league. In just four seasons, he reshaped the team’s identity and gave them a national berth and playoff spot. And that success is rewarding him big time. As McGuire keeps stacking national recognition.

He earned the AFCA Region Six Coach of the Year honor and remains a top contender for the Dodd Trophy and Bear Bryant Award. This week, he added another major milestone by becoming a finalist for the George Munger Award, which is given by the Maxwell Football Club. Then, on December 9, he became the only Big 12 coach to make it into the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

The Eddie Robinson chooses its winner based on performance during the regular season and conference title games, and Joey McGuire’s team has been nothing but breathing fire all season. As they rank inside the top five nationally in total offense and total defense, and have allowed just 254.4 yards on defense. And with scoring 42.5 points per game, their scoring rate is pretty solid. On top of that, they have just allowed 10.9 points in the regular season. And their remarkable win again at BYU makes McGuire’s case even stronger.

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Now, with so much momentum and recognition coming McGuire’s way, let’s wait and see how his team performs in the playoffs this year.