Jacob Rodriguez has turned into one of the nation's top linebackers for No. 9 Texas Tech after beginning his college career listed as a quarterback for another Power Four school. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier last played linebacker in middle school and was also formerly a running back, but still wears No. 47 like he did then.
Both play significant roles for their schools, which meet Saturday in the Big 12's first matchup of top-10 teams since 2021. The game in Texas could be a preview of the conference championship game four weeks later, and certainly has College Football Playoff implications.
The No. 8 Cougars (8-0, 5-0, No. 7 CFP) are trying to get to 9-0 again, like they were last year with Jake Retzlaff, whose unexpected transfer over the summer opened the way for Bachmeier to become the first true freshman quarterback to start a BYU season opener.
“The composure that he has, the poise, it’s something special,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “He’s a learning machine, always trying to find ways to get better. He’s so focused on trying to get better, you don’t really worry about the environment, the situation, the circumstances in which he’s in.”
Rodriguez is the leading tackler for the Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1, No. 8 CFP), a senior on a team full of transfers that now has its highest AP ranking since 2008. He leads the nation with seven forced fumbles, returning one for a touchdown, and his 77 tackles rank fourth in the Big 12.
“We are a lot different when that guy is on the field,” Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire said.
Like Rodriguez did as a high school quarterback, the Tech team captain wears No. 10. But he had No. 98 during his only season at Virginia in 2021, when he never threw a pass but had 56 yards rushing and 65 receiving while being used as a running back, receiver and tight end.
Switching to defense
After that freshman season on scholarship at Virginia and a coaching change there, Texas native Rodriguez transferred to Tech, where he walked on and was switched to defense. He slept on the floor in his brother's apartment his first semester in Lubbock.
He had 29 tackles in 12 games when making his Red Raiders debut in 2022, but was limited to five games the following season after a foot injury in the opener on a play when he forced and recovered a fumble. His 127 tackles last season were the most for a Tech player since Lawrence Flugence's NCAA FBS record of 193 in 2002, and he also had 10 1/2 tackles for loss and five sacks.
“He plays super fast, plays with great instincts,” Tech safety Cole Wisniewski said. "He attacks the ball with tenacity to create turnovers. ... I’m getting front-row seats to some of the best tackling in the country.”
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Bear tracks to BYU
Bachmeier was a four-star recruit out of Murrieta Valley High in California, and spent the spring with Stanford as an early enrollee. Following a coaching change, he transferred to BYU with his older brother, Tiger, who was a receiver and kick returner for the Cardinal.
After Retzlaff left for Tulane, Bachmeier in fall camp beat out more experienced transfers McCae Hillstead (Utah State) and Treyson Bourguet (Western Michigan) for the starting job.
BYU’s announcement of him as the starter came in a quirky social media post, with the freshman introducing himself as QB1 in a voiceover for a AI bear wearing a No. 47 jersey while walking through the woods.
As for his choice of that unusual jersey number for a quarterback, Bachmeier said it is the one he has always had.
“I used to play running back when I was younger. ... When I made the transition to quarterback, I just kept the number,” he said before this season. “I continued to play middle linebacker up until eighth grade. I like the number. It kind of brings you back to your primitive nature, I guess, when you’re playing.”
Bear Bachmeier accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in his BYU debut. He has thrown for 1,693 yards with 11 TDs and only three interceptions, and run for 408 yards with nine more scores. The running scores include a 2-yarder with 19 seconds left in regulation at Arizona, where his 7-yarder in double overtime won the game.
“He’s starting to understand the scheme, he knows where to go with the ball. I’ve been so impressed with him, his study habits, just the way he studies during the game,” Sitake said after BYU's last game, a 41-27 win at Iowa State before an open date. "We keep asking him to do more, and he keeps doing it. And he keeps asking for more. So let’s just give it to him.”
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