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By Mallory Mattingly
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez finally declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and took a moment to thank God for the incredible opportunity ahead of him.
“First, I would like to thank God for His glory and presence in my life. Lord, thank You for the opportunities You have given me up to this point, and thank You for what is to come,” Rodriguez wrote in the announcement. “Next, I would like to thank my family for always supporting me. Thank you for doing whatever it took to give me the opportunity to be successful.”
“I would also like to thank my coaches, past and present, as well as the trainers and teammates who have helped me reach this point. I would be nowhere without you all, and I am grateful to have shared the field with every one of you,” he continued. “Lastly, to Lubbock, Texas Tech, and West Texas — thank you. The love and support shown to my family and me throughout the past four years is something I can never fully repay. I will carry a piece of this community with me for the rest of my life.
“Now, with great excitement, I have the opportunity to pursue a dream I have had since I was three years old by officially entering the 2026 NFL Draft,” he concluded. “Wreck ’Em, and God bless.”
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He added in the caption, “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good! Thankful for it all!”
Rodriguez was among the only defensive players to be considered for the Heisman trophy this season.
According to Sports Illustrated, Rodriguez garnered “128 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, six passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and seven forced fumbles. He scored once on defense and twice on offense as Texas Tech sought to cement his status as a Heisman favorite.”
Rodriguez didn’t played his entire college career at Texas Tech. He first started at Virginia in 2021 but then transferred to Texas Tech for the next year.
“I loved my time at the University of Virginia,” Rodriguez said on BIG NOON KICKOFF. “When Coach Bronco Mendenhall stepped down [after the 2021 season], I decided to make a change, and [I had] all the faith in coach [Joey] McGuire and everything that he was building. It was so late. I didn’t have a place to stay. There were no scholarship spots, and so, luckily, my brother went to school there, and so I slept on the ground next to his bed for a semester and earned that scholarship spot later on.”
Rodriguez is projected to be a second or third day draft pick, but no matter what happens, he’s grateful God’s given him the chance to play in the NFL.
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