The Week 11 college football slate is loaded with intrigue, but all eyes in the early window have been on the matchup between No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech. It’s been a defensive battle, and Red Raiders linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has stolen the show.
Fans erupted into Heisman chants after he intercepted Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier in the third quarter, and the internet quickly joined in on the hype.
Jacob Rodriguez Takes Over the Internet With Heisman Hype After BYU Interception
The Texas Tech defense has dominated BYU all afternoon, holding the Cougars scoreless through the first three quarters. While several Red Raiders made standout plays, none were as electric as Rodriguez’s interception off Bachmeier. Shortly after the pick, Jones AT&T Stadium erupted into Heisman chants for the senior linebacker.
Interception. Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez is a heck of a player.
Tech fans start a “Heisman” chant after he picks off Bear Bachmeier.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 8, 2025
The fans in Lubbock weren’t the only ones buying into Rodriguez’s Heisman hype. His interception took the internet by storm, with big college football accounts joining in. “Unnecessary Roughness” posted a video of the play, writing, “Jacob Rodriguez for Heisman?”
Jacob Rodriguez for Heisman? pic.twitter.com/Mf9UHPJr3A
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) November 8, 2025
“NCAAF Nation” also jumped on the Rodriguez Heisman hype, saying, “JACOB RODRIGUEZ FOR HEISMAN.”
JACOB RODRIGUEZ FOR HEISMAN 🔥🏆💪 pic.twitter.com/PbQKzblNjE
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) November 8, 2025
“CFB Kings” echoed the sentiment, posting, “JACOB RODRIGUEZ. THE HEISMAN CONTENDER.”
JACOB RODRIGUEZ.
THE HEISMAN CONTENDER.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) November 8, 2025
Popular college football writer Steve Helwick went as far as to say Rodriguez should be among the favorites to win the award, writing, “When do we start the Jacob Rodriguez Heisman conversations? Because he should be one of the frontrunners right now.”
When do we start the Jacob Rodriguez Heisman conversations? Because he should be one of the frontrunners right now
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) November 8, 2025
While linebackers don’t usually make waves in the Heisman race, Rodriguez definitely has a case. Heading into the BYU game, he had recorded 77 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and seven, yes seven, forced fumbles, while ranking third among all college linebackers in PFSN’s LBi metric.
Those kinds of numbers are unreal, and that’s not even counting his interception against BYU. If he continues that kind of performance for Texas Tech’s final two games, there’s a strong chance Rodriguez could be in New York by the end of the season.
He’s been a key part of one of the best teams in college football, helping the Red Raiders’ defense rank third in the country this season according to PFSN’s DEFi metric. With both his personal stats and Texas Tech’s overall dominance, there’s no reason he shouldn’t have Heisman buzz.
Rodriguez has had an incredible college football journey, starting as a quarterback at Virginia, transitioning to linebacker during his sophomore season at Texas Tech, and now having an entire stadium and the internet hyping him as a Heisman contender and one of the best players in the country.
