Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez named 2025 Bronko Nagurski trophy winner
Jacob Rodriguez has joined some pretty impressive company in college football lore.
The Texas Tech linebacker was named the 2025 Bronko Nagurski trophy winner on Monday in uptown Charlotte. The prize is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player as voted on by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
Rodriguez accepted the award, presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and FWAA, at the Charlotte Convention Center during the annual awards banquet.
“This award — it truly means a lot to me and my family,” Rodriguez said to conclude his brief acceptance speech. “And we’re so thankful for it.”
Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez wins 2025 Bronko Nagurski trophy
Rodriguez, who began his college career on offense at Virginia, received the nation’s top defensive honor following a 13-tackle, one-sack performance in a 34-7 win over BYU on Saturday.
The 23-year-old defender, who transferred to Texas Tech in 2022, wore a black cowboy hat as he hit the stage with his fellow nominees. Rodriguez, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell were up for the honor.
Rodriguez heard his name called as hundreds of attendees cheered for the nation’s leader in forced fumbles. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound defender produced 117 tackles (11 for loss), one sack, six pass breakups, seven forced fumbles and four interceptions in 13 games this season.
“Rodriguez’s instincts are what set him apart,” Pro Football Focus lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema told The Charlotte Observer on Monday before the ceremony. “He isn’t the biggest or the fastest, but he’s always in the right place. His intensity is infectious, always rallying to the ball and hitting with power which is inspiring to the rest of his group. His feel for the game is some of the best you’ll see in the position at the college level, and that’s why you see such impactful play from him in coverage despite not being an elite athlete. He’s the centerpiece for the Red Raiders’ defense.”
In four seasons with the Red Raiders, Rodriguez has amassed 306 total tackles (25.5 for loss), 12 pass breakups and 13 forced fumbles.
A pathway to NFL success
Rodriguez succeeds former South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard, who was a fourth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in April.
Other recent winners include safety Xavier Watts (2023), defensive end Will Anderson (2021 and 2022) and linebacker Zaven Collins (2020). All three college standouts went on to be selected in the first three rounds of the annual NFL Draft.
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Former Carolina Panthers All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly won the award — which was established in 1993 — in 2011 at the conclusion of his career at Boston College.
Dan Morgan, the Panthers’ GM and former linebacker, won the trophy in 2000 after a standout season with the Miami Hurricanes.
Both Kuechly and Morgan, a pair of linebackers, went on to be drafted in the top 15 picks of their respective classes.
Former Panthers HC Ron Rivera receives honor
Former Panthers coach Ron Rivera was also in town to receive the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Legends Award from the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
Rivera — now the general manager of the California Bears football team — spent nine seasons leading the Panthers before becoming the Washington Commanders coach from 2020 to 2023.
Prior to his coaching career — which featured two AP NFL Coach of the Year awards — Rivera was a linebacker with the Chicago Bears from 1984 to 1992. He entered the NFL as a second-round pick after a standout college career at Cal.
Rivera’s college career preceded the establishment of the Nagurski trophy. In uptown on Monday, he was honored for his college performance.
“Thanks to the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America for this honor, and for going way back — I mean way back — to celebrate my college football career,” Rivera said during his acceptance speech. “Many of you do know me as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, but this is really about my college career. As a student-athlete, I wanted to emulate those greats. ... I wanted to emulate them and I wanted to uphold the traditions of defensive football. That’s what we are here today to celebrate at the Nagurski awards: defensive football.”
Rivera was a consensus All-American during his final college season in 1983. He was also the PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year during the same campaign.
He won a Super Bowl with Chicago as a player. He later led the 2015 Panthers to Super Bowl 50 as a head coach.
Rivera was one of the main subjects of The Charlotte Observer’s “Super Men” documentary, which premiered at The Independent Picture House in July.
Former Panthers safety Kurt Coleman, wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and running back Jonathan Stewart — members of the team that made it to Super Bowl 50 — were in attendance to watch Rivera get honored.
Local standouts among other award winners
- Kouri Crump of Virginia Military Institute won the ceremony’s annual Defender of the Nation Award. Crump, a Charlotte native, attended William A. Hough High School.
- Panthers interior lineman Austin Corbett was named the Carolina Panthers Community Impact Player of the Year. Corbett is also the team’s NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year winner.
- Indian Land High School football coach Adam Hastings was named High School Coach of the Year.
- Leticia Ortiz of Palisades High was named Female Flag Football Student-Athlete of the Year. The award was given to Ortiz by Tepper Sports & Entertainment CEO Kristi Coleman.
- Northwestern High School linebacker Tamarion Watkins received the High School Leadership Award.
- Providence Day School lineman Hudson Clavin was awarded the High School Student-Athlete of the Year.
- Kings Mountain High School offensive lineman Dom Davis was named the Thomas Davis High School Comeback Player of the Year award winner.
- Independence High linebacker Dallas Brannon won the Luke Kuechly High School Defensive Player of the Year Award.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 11:45 PM.
