Texas Tech's Rodriguez wins Nagurski Award as nation's top defender

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Texas Tech senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has won the Bronko Nagurski Award given annually to the nation’s top college defensive player.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Rodriguez received the award at a banquet Monday night at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Rodriguez, known for his dark mustache that is now copied by Texas Tech football fans, has 114 tackles this season, along with four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack for the Red Raiders, who boast the nation’s fifth-best defense.

Texas Tech (12-1) won the Big 12 championship and will make its first appearance in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Red Raiders, who allow just 254.4 yards per game on defense, were tabbed as the No. 4 seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings and have a bye week.

They will play the winner of No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison in the quarterfinals.

Behind a stifling defense led by Rodriguez, the Red Raiders won 12 games by 20-plus points this season, including a 34-7 victory over previously No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday. They join the 2018 Alabama team as the only programs in the Associated Press era to accomplish that feat.

After a regular season win over BYU in November in which Rodriguez had 14 tackles and two takeaways in a 29-7 victory, he struck the Heisman Trophy pose.

Kansas City Chiefs three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played at Texas Tech and was at the game during a bye week, later posted on social media: “Get him to New York! @HeismanTrophy.”

“My guys, they wanted me to hit it. Just a rush of adrenaline,” Rodriguez later said of his pose.

The other finalists for the award were Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.

Rodriguez joins some elite company.

Previous Bronko Nagurski Award winners include Will Anderson Jr. (2021), Chase Young (2019), Bradley Chubb (2017), Aaron Donald (2013), Luke Kuechly (2011), Ndamukong Suh (2009), Brian Orakpo (2008), Derrick Johnson (2004), Terrell Suggs (2002), Dan Morgan (2000), Charles Woodson (1997) and Warren Sapp (1994).

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football