Updated Dec. 5, 2025, 6:28 p.m. CT
College football awards season is underway and Texas Tech football star Jacob Rodriguez has his first national honor.
Rodriguez on Friday, Dec. 5, was named the winner of the Butkus Award, which bestows one such honor apiece to the nation’s top linebacker in high school, college and pro football. The fifth-year senior from Wichita Falls Rider became Texas Tech’s first winner of the Butkus Award, which originated in 1985.
The announcement came one day after Rodriguez was named defensive player of the year on the all-Big 12 team chosen by the conference’s head coaches and one day before Tech plays Brigham Young in the Big 12 championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Matt Butkus, son of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, the award’s namesake, presented the trophy Friday in a surprise announcement in front of the Texas Tech team. Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware also took part in the presentation. Ware won the first Butkus Award for NFL linebackers in 2008 and was a winner again in 2011.
“We couldn’t be prouder that Jacob Rodriguez is this year’s winner of the Butkus Award,” coach Joey McGuire said in Texas Tech’s announcement. “Jacob’s performance this season has placed him in a select category as one of the top players in college football, and our entire program could not be more ecstatic that he is being recognized with such a prestigious award. Jacob has been a tremendous leader for this team, and we look forward to joining with his family and friends to celebrate his accomplishments at the Butkus Award banquet in January.”
Rodriguez this season has been credited with 104 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and a sack. The facet for which he’s gotten the most attention, however, might be his ability to cause turnovers. Rodriguez leads the FBS with 7 forced fumbles, one short of the Big 12 record, and has 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. He also has 6 pass breakups.
Tech coach Joey McGuire has spent several weeks trying to drum up attention for Rodriguez as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. In the last two regular-season games, he inserted Rodriguez as a wildcat-formation quarterback on offense, and Rodriguez scored two short rushing touchdowns on direct snaps against Central Florida and West Virginia.
Rodriguez is a finalist for the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Bednarik Award and the Walter Camp national player of the year.
This story was updated to add comment and additional details.
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