Jacob Rodriguez has been the heartbeat of Texas Tech’s defense all season. He has led the Red Raiders to an 11-1 record and their first-ever Big 12 Championship game appearance. But just hours before taking the field against BYU in Arlington, Rodriguez made headlines for winning a $250,000 donation to a military charity of his choice for his wife.​

The moment unfolded live on ESPN’s College GameDay with McAfee putting Rodriguez on the spot in front of the cameras. “For your wife, for a $250,000 donation, for your wife, she says you can do this,” McAfee announced as the camera showed Rodriguez’s wife, Emma, giving an encouraging thumbs-up from the crowd. One more time, Jacob, $250,000 from the 20 for a military foundation of your choosing. Maybe you win the Heisman if you do this. Spin that thing, Jacob.”​

Rodriguez stepped up, took his shot, and absolutely nailed it. The ball caromed perfectly off the crossbar as the crowd erupted. This was deeply personal for Rodriguez, whose wife, Emma, is a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot on active duty in Alabama. She’s been serving as a flight school student since June 2023.

The bond between Jacob and Emma Rodriguez runs deep. It stretches back to their teenage years growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas. They attended rival high schools in the same county. They married in July 2023 in Willis, Texas, in a surprising manner. Guests thought it was just an engagement party. But the couple surprised everyone by turning it into their actual wedding that evening. 

Despite Emma being stationed in Alabama and Jacob playing in Lubbock, they’ve made the long-distance relationship work through late-night FaceTimes and surprise visits. When Emma can make it to games, Rodriguez has a special pregame ritual: “Seeing [my wife] before the game kinda helps me get, you know, locked in,” Rodriguez said about kissing his wife before kickoff when she’s in the stands.​

Now Rodriguez and the fourth-ranked Red Raiders face their biggest test yet against No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 Championship game at AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech already handled BYU convincingly earlier this season, winning 29-7 in Lubbock behind Rodriguez’s two-takeaway performance. But they will need this win to get that first-round bye. Rodriguez is leading a suffocating defense that has been nearly impossible to score against. They’re positioned to make a legitimate playoff run that could extend deep into January.​

Butkus Award glory and Heisman dreams

Jacob Rodriguez made Texas Tech history on Friday evening when he was named the 2025 Butkus Award winner. He became the first Red Raider ever to claim the prestigious honor that goes to the nation’s top linebacker. Matt Butkus, son of the late legendary linebacker Dick Butkus, presented the award alongside 2008 Butkus Award winner DeMarcus Ware. It caught Rodriguez completely off guard during what he thought was a routine team meeting. 

It’s the first national award for Texas Tech since Patrick Mahomes won the Sammy Baugh Trophy back in 2016. And it validates what everyone watching college football this season already knew: Rodriguez has been absolutely dominant. Head coach Joey McGuire couldn’t have been prouder, saying Rodriguez’s performance “has placed him in a select category as one of the top players in college football.”​

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But winning the Butkus Award might just be the appetizer for Rodriguez. He is firmly in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy. Sure, defensive players almost never win the thing. But Rodriguez is making voters take notice in a season without a dominant offensive frontrunner. 

Analysts have acknowledged that while a defensive player winning this year remains a long shot. But Rodriguez sure could be a finalist. If he can deliver another signature performance in Saturday’s Big 12 Championship against BYU, he might just crash the Heisman party in New York.​