Even with the Texas Tech football team off last week, Jacob Rodriguez wasn’t out of sight, out of mind.
At least not on FOX and not on TNT. The Red Raiders’ standout linebacker was in Cincinnati on Saturday, Nov. 22, to appear on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff show. Later that afternoon, he did an interview with TNT’s crew of studio analysts, former NFL stars Takeo Spikes, Champ Bailey and Victor Cruz among them.
The Heisman hype train doesn’t stop, even on an open date.
However, Texas Tech’s bid to put Rodriguez among the finalists in New York keeps looking like a long shot. According to sportsbooks this week, Rodriguez has moved up in the pecking order of candidates while his odds of winning have gotten longer.
What players are ahead of Texas Tech football’s Jacob Rodriguez on Heisman Trophy odds boards?
He’s the seventh-rated player at Fan Duel, Bet MGM and Odds Shark and tied for seventh at Draft Kings with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Last week, Rodriguez was a consensus ninth choice. Since last week, however, his odds have gone from +10,000 to +15,000 at Fan Duel, from +12,000 to +20,000 at Draft Kings, from +12,500 to +15,000 at Bet MGM and from +10,000 to +15,000 at Odds Shark.
Rodriguez was off the board this week at BetOnline.ag. After a request from the Avalanche-Journal, Stuff Media Group President Jimmy Shapiro said BetOnline.ag oddsmakers put Rodriguez’s odds at 125-1.
All five surveyed have Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the favorite with Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton as the fourth, fifth and sixth choices, respectively. Draft Kings, Bet MGM and BetOnline.ag have Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love second and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin third. Fan Duel and Odds Shark have Sayin second and Love third.
On3 polled its seven national writers to rank their Heisman candidates 1-10. In that balloting, Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey placed 10th this week and Rodriguez 12th.
If Texas Tech football’s Jacob Rodriguez can’t win the Heisman, what national awards can he win?
Rodriguez is the Big 12’s third-leading tackler with 100, is tied for the conference lead in interceptions with 4 and leads the FBS with 7 forced fumbles.
This week, he was named a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award. The Lott Trophy and the Bednarik Award are for the nation’s top defensive player, the Butkus Award for the top linebacker. Last week, Rodriguez and Bailey made the finalists list for the Lombardi Award, which honors the nation’s top linemen and linebackers.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football’s Jacob Rodriguez Heisman Trophy watch, odds
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
