Texas Tech football's Jacob Rodriguez Heisman Trophy watch, odds
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Jacob Rodriguez needs to turn heads in the Big 12 championship game to have much chance of getting to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
The Texas Tech football linebacker continues to move up the list of candidates for college football’s top individual honor while his odds of winning continue to get longer. The defensive player of the year on the all-Big 12 team chosen by coaches is the consensus sixth choice of oddsmakers, up from seventh last week and ninth the week before that.
Since last week, however, Rodriguez’s Heisman odds have gone from +15,000 to +25,000 at Fan Duel, from +15,000 to +30,000 at Bet MGM, from +15,000 to +25,000 at Odds Shark and from +20,000 to +30,000 on Draft Kings.
What are Jacob Rodriguez’s chances of a Heisman Trophy finalist trip?
All four have a top five of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Mendoza and Sayin are co-favorites at Bet MGM, and Mendoza is the favorite by the other three oddsmakers.
Rodriguez is a solo sixth choice with Fan Duel and Odds Shark and in a three-way for sixth on Bet MGM and Draft Kings with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Since 2021, four finalists have been invited to New York for the presentation ceremony.
Texas Tech plays Brigham Young in the Big 12 championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in Arlington. Both teams finished the regular season 11-1 with 8-1 conference records. Rodriguez goes into that one with 104 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. He also has an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.
Tech coach Joey McGuire has tried to raise Rodriguez’s profile in the past two games, inserting him as a wildcat quarterback, which led to him scoring two short rushing touchdowns against Central Florida and West Virginia. In another goal-line situation in the West Virginia game, he threw an interception.
The deadline for Heisman Trophy balloting is Monday, Dec. 8. The finalists are scheduled to be announced later that day. The trophy presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 13 on ABC.
What other national awards is Jacob Rodriguez in the running for?
Rodriguez is a finalist for the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Bednarik Award, the Butkus Award, and the Walter Camp national player of the year.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football’s Jacob Rodriguez Heisman Trophy watch, odds
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