What it will take for Jacob Rodriguez to win Big 12 DPOY
Texas Tech inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was honored last week as the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. After a monster season in 2024, the praise was due for one of the conference’s top returners.
“It’s great, man, I love it,” Rodriguez told me for RedRaiderSports at Big 12 Media Days. “I’m so blessed to be in this position. It really doesn’t mean much if I jack it up. It’s kind of nice that people are seeing what I’ve done. But those (honors) were for past work that I’ve done. Now it’s what can I do, how hard can I work to prove those people right?”
Rodriguez’s numbers were astounding last season. 127 tackles, 10.5 coming for a loss, five sacks and a role in six takeaways earned him first-team honors in the league. His case was well-established to actually win Defensive Player of the Year, too.
The only problem for Rodriguez was the eventual winner was Colorado’s generational talent Travis Hunter. Earning the award over Hunter, the eventual Heisman winner, would have been next-to impossible. But did Rodriguez think he could have been in the conversation last year?
“I would hope so,” he said. “I would hope I was in that conversation. It’s hard to beat a Heisman winner. I would hope I was in that conversation, for sure.”
A lighter load incoming for the fifth-year linebacker?
Rodriguez’s job potentially becomes much easier with the amount of added pieces around his linebacker room. The Red Raiders’ defensive line has a chance to be one of the best in the nation. The secondary is chock full of length and speed to shut down any opposing receiver corp.
Tech’s decision to not add any players in the linebacker room meant a great deal to Rodriguez. NIL certainly influenced the Red Raiders’ portal haul, but Rodriguez also credits the culture (that he helped build) to Tech’s success in bulking up the roster.
“They still have to go to a place and love where they’re going,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing about Tech. We’re landing all these guys, not because of the money we’re throwing at them, but because once they get into the building they realize the people that are there actually care for them. That’s the greatest thing. The people that are in the building care about them and are with them every single day of their life. (Joey) McGuire loves every single one of us.”
What it will take to win the real thing
The competition to win Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year will be stiff. Rodriguez is also being tasked with turning around one of the nation’s worst defenses. His plate is full. To accomplish everything set out for Texas Tech this season, Rodriguez will have to take his game to another level.
“It’s gonna take everything I have,” Rodriguez said. “I know there’s a lot of great defensive players in this league. Even on my own team. We didn’t have those guys last year, and what they do makes my job a lot easier. I know there’s a number of guys I could name from different schools who have the same amount of ability, if not more. They have just as good a shot as I do. I have to give everything I have just to be in the conversation with them. I’m just grateful to be in that spot.”
