If you watched college football this past season, you have heard the name Jacob Rodriguez. The linebacker took the nation by storm as the leader of a Red Raider defense that won the Big 12 and earned a bye in the College Football Playoffs. Despite all of his production this past season, Rodriguez finds himself having to continue to prove himself as someone who can be a consistent contributor at the NFL level.
The basics on Jacob Rodriguez
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Size: 6’1 233 pounds
Age: 23 years (September 6, 2002)
Draft
Projection: Mid 2nd round- early 3rd round
Defensive stats via Sports Reference
Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report
Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was the best linebacker in college football this past season, cemented by earning the Butkus Award this past December. Rodriguez also placed fifth in Heisman trophy voting this season, a pretty remarkable outcome for any defender. However, Rodriguez’s journey to the NFL Draft started on the other side of the ball. Rodriguez was a three-star recruit as a quarterback out of high school and committed to the University of Virginia, where he played for one year before transferring to Lubbock.
Perhaps it’s his experience as a quarterback that makes him seem so instinctive on the field. The leader of the Red Raiders’ defense always seemed to be one step ahead this past season. His game is built on instincts, reliability in the run game, and feel for creating turnovers. Most mock draft simulators currently project Rodriguez as an early-to-mid-third-round-pick. Given his production at Texas Tech this past season, along with a standout performance at the Senior Bowl, Rodriguez is someone who could go much earlier than anticipated come April.
Rodriguez is not nearly as physically gifted as Ohio State’s Sonny Styles or Arvell Reese, both of whom project to be selected in the top half of the first round, but Rodriguez possesses the skills and profile to be a long-term starter for whichever team drafts him.
Despite his size, Rodriguez possesses exceptional skills in one-on-one coverage. At the Senior Bowl, he was a force in the backs-on-backers drill, showcasing his ability to cover
Rodriguez is a turnover machine. He intercepted four passes this season and forced a whopping seven fumbles. While judging a defender solely based on turnovers is not good practice, it does speak to Rodriguez’s ability to consistently position himself around the ball and in the best position to help his team.
Standing at 6-1 and 233 pounds, Rodriguez isn’t close to being the most physically gifted linebacker in this class. Because of his size, he struggles as a rusher and to avoid linemen when engaged in a block. His size will be the biggest knock on him, but with a player as gifted as Rodriguez, a team will be willing to take a shot on him on day 2 at the absolute latest.
Strengths
- Exceptional athlete with good coverage skills. Rodriguez can cover running backs and tight ends with ease.
- Great ball skills and makes it a point to try to impact the game by forcing turnovers.
- Impact run stopper. Excels at sniffing out run plays and moving downhill.
- Feel for the game shines throughout his tape. His time as a quarterback gives him the unique ability to read offenses and create turnovers at a high rate.
Weaknesses
- Limited ability as a pass rusher.
- Undersized compared to most elite linebacker prospects, can have trouble in blocking against bigger linemen and receivers.
- Relies on anticipation and timing more than explosiveness.
- Rodriguez is not a slow player, but he won’t post a blazing 40 time like other top LB prospects may.
What others are saying about Jacob Rodriguez
Matt Holder, Bleacher Report
Jacob Rodriguez was hands-down the best linebacker in college football this season. The Butkus Award winner is a turnover machine with impressive instincts as a run defender. However, he lacks NFL length/size (listed at 6’1″, 235 pounds) and traits to be a high-level prospect in the 2026 draft class.
Emmett Matasovsky, Sports Illustrated
Rodriguez exceeded expectations during Senior Bowl practice week, showing instincts against the pass that had been a point of contention. His lateral movement and bend are phenomenal, especially in spite of his physical limitations.
Samuel Teets, Chiefs Wire
Rodriguez uses springy footwork and lateral agility to exchange gaps and make quick corrections to mirror the running back. He naturally flows to the football, especially on zone run plays. Rodriguez isn’t the most explosive athlete, but he flashes the closing burst to prevent running backs from slipping past the defense’s second level.
Brett Kollman
Rodriguez’s fit with the Steelers:
The Steelers desperately lacked physicality from their linebacking unit in 2025. Given the fact that Rodriguez displayed multiple years of willingness and instinctiveness to be able to stop the run effectively, he would immediately slot into the defense as one of the best run stoppers on the team.
With so many question marks around what the Steelers will do with linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison, given their contract situations, this is a position we could very well see Pittsburgh target early on come April. It’s also important to note that Rodriguez’s former coach, C.J. Ah You, is a part of the Steelers staff now. Regardless of who is in the room, Rodriguez is the type of player who could step in and be an impact player day one for whoever drafts him.
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