Junior linebacker for Missouri. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 225 lb · Miami, FL · St. Thomas Aquinas
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 89th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, at Kansas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior linebacker for Missouri. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Nicholas Rodriguez
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. This is his third year in the same linebacker corps at Missouri. One game to point at: 11 tackles against Troy — Week 3, 2026.
22 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Eli Drinkwitz.
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 54-14vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-21@ Kansas | 8 | 8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 27-17vs Troy | 11 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Total | 22 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 54–14
3 tackles
Dominant 40-point win at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
With A. Simmons — 252 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 96.8 · -2 rush yds (2 car) · B. Reus — 43.5 yards per punt · 2 punts · 1 inside the 20
Since week 2: +11 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Eli Drinkwitz — 21-8 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (89th percentile). Strength: sacks (84th percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th percentile).
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
22tackles this seasonTFL rate
5%1 TFLSack rate
5%1 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups22 tackles · 1 for loss · 1 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 8.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 7.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eli Drinkwitz
Pass share
42.3%
82 pass / 112 run
Plays / game
64.7
3 games
Team sack rate
2.3%
87 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #26 of 76 SEC LBs
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Jaden Robinson’s 2024 season.
Matches Jaden on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to De'Marco Guidry's junior season at UTSA (2020).
Matches De'Marco on
Player DNA
2025: Played in all 13 games to start the season and drew his first career start against UMass while adding a pair of starts at the end of the season against Arkansas and Virginia … Recorded 61 total tackles (27 solo), including 1.5 sacks, 4.0 TFL and a team-leading seven pass breakups on the…
6 more on the roster · Missouri team page