Jacob Rodriguez is wasting no time making his mark in Miami.
Through four weeks, the Texas Tech alum has gone from promising rookie to one of the most productive defenders in the entire league, and Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings only added to the résumé. Rodriguez piled up 18 tackles in the defeat, the most any NFL player has posted in a game so far in 2026. With that kind of output, he’s quickly climbed into the conversation for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Dolphins may be sitting at 0-4, but Rodriguez has been a bright spot from the start. He’s the only rookie in the league to wear the green dot on his helmet in every game this season, a sign that he’s handling the play calls from the coaching staff. And the production has matched the responsibility.
Rodriguez’s 46 tackles after four games rank second in the NFL, just one behind Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton. His floor has been just as impressive as his ceiling: the fewest tackles he’s recorded in a game is six, which came in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs. That was also the game in which he picked off Patrick Mahomes II for the first interception of his career.
The rest of Rodriguez’s start has been just as steady. He opened his NFL career with 14 tackles in a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, then added eight more in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers before his 18-tackle explosion against Minnesota.
It’s been a huge opening stretch for the most decorated linebacker in Texas Tech history, and the hope in Miami is that his play can help pull the rest of the defense along with him.
Rodriguez isn’t the only Red Raider making plays on that side of the ball for the Dolphins. Jordyn Brooks, another Texas Tech alum, has been lining up next to him and doing plenty of work of his own. Brooks added 13 tackles against Minnesota and now sits tied for ninth in the league with 35.
Together, Brooks and Rodriguez have formed what looks like one of the league’s best linebacker tandems, even if the roster around them is thin. Miami’s defense has held up reasonably well, but the offense has had a much tougher time. The Dolphins haven’t scored more than 13 points in any game this season.
That context helps explain why Caleb Douglas’s rookie numbers are modest so far. The former Red Raider has caught seven passes for 113 yards through four games, though he has missed the last two with an ankle injury.
There’s still a chance Douglas becomes a bigger factor once he gets back on the field. He is only 39 yards behind Miami’s leading receiver, Malik Washington, who has played one more game. And Douglas has been efficient when the ball has come his way, averaging 16.1 yards per catch, the best mark on the team among players with more than five receptions.
So while Douglas has been sidelined, there’s reason to think his season could still take off once he returns. For now, though, Rodriguez has clearly become the headline Red Raider in Miami.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Homecoming Just Got Bigger For An Unbeaten Red Raiders Team
Texas Techs homecoming date with Arizona State now has an even bigger stage. The Oct. 17 game in Lubbock will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and air on FOX, giving the Red Raiders a national spotlight for a matchup that was already shaping up to draw plenty of attention.
The timing comes as Texas Tech keeps climbing in the polls, moving up to No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Add in an 11-game home winning streak and a sold-out crowd already locked in, and homecoming is set up as one of the marquee Saturdays on the Red Raiders schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Mateen Ibirogbas Big Night Meant More Than Just Another Texas Tech Sack
Mateen Ibirogbas sack against Colorado was the kind of play Texas Tech fans have come to expect from a disruptive defensive front, but this one carried a little extra weight. It helped swing momentum and set up a touchdown, while also fitting neatly into a larger season-long effort tied to Texas Tech Athletics partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest.
Every sack by the Red Raiders this season is part of a fundraising push encouraging fans to donate in support of the charitys work with families whose children are receiving medical care. The idea gives each backfield takedown a purpose beyond the box score, linking Texas Techs defense to a cause that provides housing and respite services when families need them most. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fans Can Feel The Pressure Building Around Isaac Wilson
The Buffaloes came out of their 29-7 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech with more questions than answers on offense, and Isaac Wilson was front and center in the postgame discussion. Colorados quarterback took responsibility for the struggles after throwing for 290 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, a line that reflected both his volume and the mistakes that kept the Buffaloes from building anything sustainable against a ranked opponent.
Deion Sanders didnt name the spot directly, but he said there was a problem at one position and made it clear the issue deserved attention even as he praised the defenses effort. With Colorados skid continuing and the offense still searching for stability, the pressure is only growing around Wilson and the role hes being asked to fill. [Read more 🡒]