Awaiting his NFL home, Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez knows Black Hawk pilot wife will be there

“We’ve been doing long distance for our whole marriage, and so it’s something that we’ve kinda been used to,” said Jacob Rodriguez of Emma, who was also his high school sweetheart in Texas. “I know she has a lot going on, I have a lot going on. We both try to find the time to get to talk to each other.

“Whenever we get to see each other, it’ll be great.”

In the meantime, NFL ballcarriers are likely to see a lot of Rodriguez, an off-ball linebacker – and sooner than later.

An All-America in 2025 for the Red Raiders, the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and winner of numerous awards last season (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award among them), Rodriguez’s 140 solo tackles over the past two seasons were the most in FBS. He also forced seven fumbles in 2025, tied for the most in a single season over the last decade, and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting despite his position.

“Just a total playmaker – run stuffing, sacks, interceptions, pass breakups. He does it all, even scored a touchdown on offense,” said ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller.

“I know there’s going to be some conversation about athletic ability, (lack of) explosiveness in the lower body … (but) in terms of just pure football players, Jacob Rodriguez is one of the best in this class.”

Jacob Rodriguez 'will be a starter in the NFL' draft expert says

Listed at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds by Texas Tech, Rodriguez may not have ideal size for his position – which he hasn’t even played all that long – and may not blow anyone away with his other physical traits. But he’s taken the long road to success before.

“I’ll make this prediction here early: Jacob Rodriguez might not be a top 100 pick in this draft, (but) he will be a starter in the NFL,” says Miller.

“I would not be surprised if he works his way into a rookie starter position and then has a very nice, long career because of the instincts, the football IQ, the awareness and the toughness that he plays with.”

Rodriguez has only been a linebacker since 2022, when he changed schools and positions after getting a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Virginia coming out of high school. But a coaching switch in Charlottesville led him to enter the transfer portal – where he languished before getting a lifeline from Texas Tech, with caveats: He had to walk on ... and switch positions. Yet his experience behind center has translated nicely to his new role – though he did score a pair of red-zone TDs in 2025 on direct snaps in option packages in a callback to his former football life.

“It definitely helps,” Rodriguez says of his QB background. “Preparation is the biggest thing. Quarterbacks prepare in such a way that they have to know everything that’s going on on both sides of the ball.”

Said Miller: “You see that – the understanding of the game, the knowledge of the game definitely shows up now that he’s on defense.”

Yet so does the hard work and leadership.

“Jacob is one of the guys who has to come around and cools me down when I'm talking trash. It's exciting to play with J-Rod,” said Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter, one of several Big 12 champion Red Raiders invited to this year’s combine.

"J-Rod is the GOAT. He's a dog. He takes pride in what he's doing."

And, similar to most defensive quarterbacks, that means a lot of time studying the playbook and opponents.

“A lot of it comes from preparation,” said Rodriguez, who’s already met with the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears at the combine.

“You kinda know where the ball’s gonna go, and so you can have a quicker step to be able to get there. And then a lot of it has to do with effort – if you’re playing defense, then you’ve got to play with a lot of effort. That’s kinda mandatory.”

Rodriguez models his game after Buffalo Bills linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard but became prolific at creating turnovers by watching former Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman, whom he recently met.

“There has to be a purpose to take the ball away – everything you do should be wanting to take the ball,” said Rodriguez.

Jacob Rodriguez and his wife, Emma, have had a special journey together leading them to Texas Tech ❤️ @MartySmithESPN sat down with them both to hear about their connection 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/hJlG0O7HU4

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 1, 2026

It would be a ball for Emma Rodriguez if she's able to continue seeing her husband play in person. She managed to make the trip from her duty station in Fort Riley, Kansas, to see all of his home games in Texas Tech’s magical 2025 season, which ended with a loss to Oregon in the CFP quarterfinals.

“Long distance is hard, but whenever you’re with the right person, it’s incredibly worth it,” Emma Rodriguez told ESPN last season.

“We live very different lives but very demanding lives at the same time. And as long as we get to do it together, that’s what makes it worth it.”

Married now for nearly three years, Jacob Rodriguez says his union with Emma is “normal,” underpinned by trust and inspiration.

“She motivates me so much,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without her.

“She’s great, she’s so high performing in her own right. It helps us because she understands how much work you have to put in to do something at a high level, and so I think we have a mutual respect for each other on that end.”

And, if the NFL does them a solid, maybe a place to make a mutual home sooner rather than later.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jacob Rodriguez, Black Hawk pilot wife Emma, await 2026 NFL draft