In a Heisman Trophy race loaded with offensive firepower, it was Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza who walked away with college football’s most prestigious individual honor Saturday night in New York City. But while Mendoza took home the hardware, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez made a statement of his own - one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Rodriguez, the heart and soul of the Red Raiders’ defense, finished fifth in the final Heisman voting - a rare feat for a defensive player, let alone a linebacker. He earned 17 first-place votes, more than double the number received by Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who finished just ahead of him in fourth place. Rodriguez tallied 295 total points, narrowly trailing Sayin’s 432.
The voting pool included 930 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the country, along with former Heisman winners. Mendoza led the pack with 643 first-place votes and a commanding 2,362 points.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished second with 189 first-place votes and a strong showing in the second-place category (352 votes), totaling 1,435 points. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love came in third with 46 first-place votes and the most third-place votes (267), for a total of 719 points.
Sayin, despite just eight first-place votes, edged Rodriguez thanks to stronger second- and third-place support. Rounding out the top six was Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who earned four first-place votes and 84 total points.
For Rodriguez, the fifth-place finish ties him for the third-highest Heisman placement in Texas Tech history. Only Donny Anderson (fourth in 1965) and the duo of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree (fourth and fifth, respectively, in 2008) have come close to matching the linebacker’s impact on the national stage.
And make no mistake - Rodriguez’s season was nothing short of elite. He racked up 117 tackles, forced seven fumbles, and snagged four interceptions, anchoring a Texas Tech defense that consistently punched above its weight. His stat line reads like a checklist for defensive dominance, and the trophy case backs it up.
In the past 10 days alone, Rodriguez has claimed the Butkus Award (best linebacker), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player), the Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker), and the Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year). That’s a clean sweep of the nation’s top defensive honors - a feat that puts him in rarefied air.
He also shared the Pony Express Award with fellow Red Raider David Bailey. That award, introduced in 2024, recognizes the best tandem of teammates in the country - and if you watched Tech’s defense this season, you know why that duo earned the nod.
Even in a year dominated by quarterbacks - Mendoza’s polished command of Indiana’s offense was undeniable, Pavia dazzled with dual-threat explosiveness, and Love was a workhorse for the Irish - Rodriguez’s presence in the top five is a testament to just how impactful a defensive player can be in today’s game.
Locally, Rodriguez had strong backing. Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal placed him first on his ballot, followed by Pavia and Love. David Collier of KAMC-TV slotted Rodriguez third behind Mendoza and Pavia.
While the Heisman ultimately went to an offensive star - as it so often does - Rodriguez’s climb into the top five, backed by a mountain of hardware and a season full of game-changing moments, sends a clear message: defense still matters, and when it’s played at this level, it deserves a seat at college football’s biggest table.