When we talk about Big 12 football, we’re usually arguing about high-flying offenses, 50-point shootouts, and quarterbacks who throw for 400 yards like it’s a light Sunday jog. But things feel different now. Honestly, the 2025 season flipped the script entirely. If you watched Texas Tech this year, you saw a defense that didn't just survive—it dominated. At the center of that wreckage stood Jacob Rodriguez.
Winning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year isn't just about having a high tackle count anymore. It’s about being a problem. Rodriguez wasn't just a "good linebacker"; he was a statistical anomaly that made offensive coordinators stay up late drinking too much coffee. He’s the first Texas Tech player to ever win this award. That’s wild when you think about the history of that program.
The Stats That Actually Matter
Most people look at the box score and see 122 tackles. Cool. But that’s not why he won.
The real story is in the chaos he created. Rodriguez pulled off something we haven't seen in the FBS for about two decades. He finished the regular season with five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four interceptions. That is basically a "Create-a-Player" stat line from a video game. He wasn't just stopping plays; he was taking the ball away and ending drives before they could even get interesting.
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The Big 12 head coaches make these selections, and they aren’t allowed to vote for their own guys. When rival coaches—the guys who actually have to game-plan against you—decide you're the best, it carries a lot more weight than a media poll. They saw a guy who could hit like a truck in the run game and then drop back to pick off a pass like a seasoned safety.
A Quick Look at the 2025 Standouts
While Rodriguez took the top trophy, he wasn't exactly working alone in Lubbock. The Red Raiders' defense was a collective nightmare this year.
- David Bailey (Texas Tech): This guy was the Defensive Newcomer of the Year and the Defensive Lineman of the Year. He led the entire nation with 12.5 sacks. Having a guy like Bailey screaming off the edge makes a linebacker's job a whole lot easier, sure, but Rodriguez was the glue.
- Wendell Gregory (Oklahoma State): The Defensive Freshman of the Year. He put up 12 tackles for loss as a true freshman. Keep an eye on him for the 2026/2027 seasons.
- Kaleb Elarms-Orr (TCU): He actually led the league in total tackles (119 in the regular season) and was a finalist for several national awards. On any other year, he might have walked away with the hardware.
Why the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is Harder to Win Now
The Big 12 has changed. It's not just the "Texas and Oklahoma show" anymore. With the addition of teams like Utah, Arizona, and BYU, the style of play has shifted. You have to deal with Utah’s physical, "hit you in the mouth" rushing attack one week and then try to track down Arizona’s speedsters the next.
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Being the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 required a level of versatility that didn't exist ten years ago. Back in the day, you could just be a downhill thumper. Now? If you can't cover a slot receiver in space, you're a liability. Rodriguez proved he could do both. He was a finalist for the Bednarik, Butkus, and even the Walter Camp National Player of the Year. He was the only defensive player in that Walter Camp finalist group. That’s a huge statement for the conference.
Historical Context: The Legends
To understand how big this is for Rodriguez, you have to look at who came before him. We’re talking about names like:
- Travis Hunter (Colorado, 2024): The man was a freak of nature playing both ways, but his defensive impact as a DB was what secured his spot.
- Terence Newman (Kansas State, 2002): Just elected to the Hall of Fame class of 2026. He was a lockdown corner who redefined what a DB could do in this league.
- Roy Williams (Oklahoma, 2001): He basically invented the "Roy Williams" rule because he was hitting people so hard.
Rodriguez joining this list is a massive deal for Texas Tech fans. For years, the joke was that "defense" was a foreign language in Lubbock. Not anymore. Tech had the number one rushing defense in the league this year, giving up only 68.5 yards per game. You don't do that without an elite signal-caller in the middle of the field.
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What scouts are saying about the "Rodriguez Effect"
NFL scouts have been all over Lubbock lately. What they love about the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is his "football IQ." It's a buzzword, I know. But watch the tape. He’s never out of position. He diagnoses plays before the ball is even snapped.
One scout I talked to (off the record, obviously) said Rodriguez plays like a guy who’s already spent five years in a pro film room. He doesn't just react; he anticipates. That’s the difference between a good college player and a guy who wins Defensive Player of the Year.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With Rodriguez heading toward the NFL Draft, the race for next year’s award is already wide open.
- Watch the "Transfer Factor": David Bailey showed that a high-end transfer can come in and dominate immediately. Look at who Utah or Kansas State brings in through the portal.
- The Rise of the Edge: Sacks are flashy. If someone like Wendell Gregory can jump from 4 sacks to 12 next year, he’s going to be the frontrunner.
- The Arizona DBs: Arizona has a couple of ball-hawking safeties like Dalton Johnson who are always around the pigskin. If they can improve their team defense overall, those individual stats will look even shinier.
Texas Tech set a new bar this year. They proved that you can build an elite, suffocating defense in a conference known for track meets. Jacob Rodriguez didn't just win an award; he changed the identity of a program.
If you're looking to track how the next crop of defenders is performing, keep a close eye on the "turnovers forced" stat. In the modern Big 12, empty tackles don't win awards. Impact plays do. Check the weekly conference stats on the official Big 12 site or follow the Associated Press (AP) mid-season updates to see who’s emerging as the next defensive powerhouse.