Robert Griffin III believes there’s a clear front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
In the most recent edition of Griffin’s Heisman list, the FOX Sports college football analyst claimed that “the Heisman Trophy is Jacob Rodriguez’s to lose.”
Rodriguez climbed up to the No. 1 spot in Griffin’s Heisman list last week following a 14-tackle performance in Texas Tech’s dominant win over then-undefeated BYU. He had another standout defensive performance in the Red Raiders’ 48-9 victory over UCF this past Saturday, logging nine total tackles and an interception on defense, while also adding a 2-yard touchdown to give Tech a 14-0 lead at the time.
Despite his dominance for a one-loss Texas Tech team, Rodriguez is still considered a long shot to win the award. He holds +13000 odds to take home the Heisman Trophy, per DraftKings Sportsbook, but that isn’t stopping Griffin from showing Rodriguez some love.
Let’s take a closer look at Griffin’s Heisman list.
RGIII on Rodriguez: “The Heisman Trophy is Jacob Rodriguez’s to lose. If you have a dream of a defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, then you need to tap in with Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. Not only does he have better numbers than Manti Te’o when Te‘o was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, but he also scored a touchdown this past weekend.
“This is what [Texas Tech head coach] Joey McGuire had to say about it: ‘Everybody’s talking about quarterbacks for Heisman, so we put him in at quarterback today and he scored a touchdown. But right before that interception, I said get the ball back and let’s get into the end zone so we can get two out. He got the ball back for me.’
“You talk about them QBs, we line him up at QB and let him score a touchdown on offense, being a two-way player, similar to Travis Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy last year.”
RGIII on Reed: “[He] brought his team back from a 30-3 deficit — because of his play, as well. Then, in the second half, he came out throwing for 439 yards and three touchdowns. [It was the] biggest comeback in Texas A&M history. Biggest comeback in the SEC since at least 2004. He, truly, had his Heisman moment.”
Marcel Reed helped Texas A&M keep its undefeated season alive in Week 12. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
RGIII on Mendoza: “He’s continuing to ball out. Indiana has its first 11-0 start in program history. He goes out and throws for four touchdowns against Wisconsin.”
RGIII on Sayin: “Again, he’s playing really, really well. I think this race is going to come down to who has the best performance in their conference championship game.”
RGIII on King: “Speaking of that, I’ve got Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King at No. 5. He’s continuing to pile up unbelievable numbers.”
RGIII on Love: “[You should] watch this spin move he had [on his 56-yard touchdown run against Pitt]. That’s a Heisman spin. That man got more moves than a military family.”
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