Texas Tech Big Money Payoff Football
FILE - Central Florida wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr., right, is tackled by Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
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Jacob Rodriguez was sleeping on the floor of his brother’s apartment when he first got to Texas Tech as a walk-on in the spring of 2022. That was after a season as a quarterback at Virginia. The QB-turned-linebacker is now an AP All-American with a collection of trophies for national defensive player of the year awards. The fourth-ranked Red Raiders play No. 5 Oregon in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. Rodriguez finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He won the Bednarik and Nagurski awards as the top defensive player, and the Butkus as the top linebacker.
