CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FWAA) – The leader of one of college football's top defenses with tackle numbers that place him among the country’s best, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has earned the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player from the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Rodriguez, one of the top defensive playmakers, was honored tonight with the award at a gala banquet here.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's entire membership, selected Rodriguez as the national defensive player of the year. The Texas Tech linebacker is also part of the 2025 FWAA All-America Team to be released Thurs., Dec. 18. Rodriguez is Texas Tech’s first Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and the first from the Big 12 since Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh in 2009.
Rodriguez, a 6-1, 235-pound linebacker from Wichita Falls, Texas, was chosen from a finalist field that also included safety Caleb Downs of Ohio State, defensive end Cashius Howell of Texas A&M and cornerback Leonard Moore of Notre Dame. Texas Tech’s only previous Bronko Nagurski finalist was linebacker Zach Thomas in 1995.
Rodriguez’s play has been essential as Texas Tech (12-1) ascended through its Big 12 schedule and the national rankings with runaway wins that led to its first College Football Playoff berth. The senior has placed his name in the top tier of defensive players historically in leading the Red Raiders, seeded fourth, into the quarterfinals of the CFP, where they await the James Madison-Oregon winner in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
His tackles have left imprints on opponents for sure. But Rodriguez’s biggest impact this season has been his takeaways as a ballhawk. He’s forced nine turnovers this season, all during Big 12 play, and is currently the FBS leader with seven forced fumbles to go along with four interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Dating back to 2005, Rodriguez is the only FBS player during that span to have at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions all in the same season. He is the driving force behind a Red Raider defense that goes into the CFP leading the FBS with 31 takeaways and is third nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 10.9 points per game. Texas Tech is allowing just 68.5 rushing yards per game, leading the category by almost eight yards. Texas Tech is sixth in the FBS in total defense at 254.4 yards per contest.
The Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year has 117 total tackles this season, tied for the 21st-best mark in the country, averaging 9.0 per game. He has 10.0 tackles for loss. His place at the center of the Tech’s defense has put the program in record-setting territory, earning its first Big 12 title in school history, its first outright conference title since 1955 and first league title since 1994 in the former Southwest Conference. In Texas Tech’s first appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game last weekend, the Red Raiders routed BYU 34-7 to gain 12 wins in a season for the first time. Thanks in large part to its scoring defense, all 12 wins have come by 20 or more points, joining the 2018 Alabama unit as the only teams in FBS/FCS (1978) history to have its first 12 wins of a season come by 20 points or more.
Rodriguez is the highest-rated defensive player in all of college football, according to Pro Football Focus, with a grade of 93.4 heading into the Big 12 Championship Game. Rodriguez also leads the country (all positions) with a 95.3 grade in rush defense, while his 92.8 grade in coverage ranks second behind only teammate Romello Height (93.4).
"We are so proud to present this award to Jacob Rodriguez as the best defefensive player in the country," said 2025 FWAA President Bill Bender of The Sporting News. "He was a winner on that field as a playmaker for the Red Raiders' defense in their push to the College Football Playoff. He also displays an amazing level of humility and grace off the field. He is the embodiment of what a Bronko Nagurski winner should be."
Rodriguez has been a scoring help for Texas Tech as well. He scored rushing touchdowns against both UCF and West Virginia as a Wildcat quarterback and becomes the only player nationally to have both an offensive and defensive touchdown. He returned his own forced fumble 69 yards for a score against Oklahoma State.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's entire membership, selected the defensive player of the year who is part of the 2025 FWAA All-America Team.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Since its inception, the club has grown as well as diversified boasting a sponsor team of more than (80) companies. The Club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership of area athletes and coaches. Through individual and corporate support, more than $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club's scholarship efforts.
Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Our purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably. For over 121 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated is traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "COKE". More information about the Company is available at cokeconsolidated.com. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.