#20

Malcolm Rodriguez

Former linebacker at Oklahoma State. 2021: 129 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

LB · Oklahoma State · Sr. · #20

5′11″ · 225 lb · Wagoner, OK

CFB Index 60 · #201 of 578 LBsHigh confidenceNational watchDetroit — drafted 2022, Rd 6, Pick 9, #188 overall

On production he ranks #201 of 578 LBs; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

Recruiting

3★

DUAL recruit

No. 1504 nationally · Signed with Oklahoma State

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Oklahoma State. 2021: 129 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Oklahoma State in 2017.
Drafted round 6 by the Detroit in 2022.
Named All-America (ESPN) in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Oklahoma State, 408 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2021) — drafted at #188 overall by Detroit.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20176 games

Signed with Oklahoma State3-star out of Wagoner

202010 games

All-Big 12second

202113 games

All-Americafirst
All-Big 12first

2022

Drafted by Detroitround 6, pick 188

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1504 national

CFB

College

Oklahoma State

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

R6 · #188

Detroit · 2022

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

6 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2021)

1 selectors honored him

🥈

ALL-BIG 12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Big 12 1st team (2021)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

1 coach

2017–2021

Mike Gundy

Oklahoma State

Played his entire career under Mike Gundy.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

DetroitEntering 5th NFL season

#188Rd 6 · Pick 9

DetroitEntering 5th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Mike Gundy — 45-19 over that span.

2017Oklahoma State10-3HC: Mike Gundy · Balanced, fast tempo

2018Oklahoma State7-6HC: Mike Gundy · Balanced, fast tempo

2019Oklahoma State8-5HC: Mike Gundy · Run-heavy

2020Oklahoma State8-3HC: Mike Gundy · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Oklahoma State12-2HC: Mike Gundy · Run-leaning, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

60Quality starter #201 of 578?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (100th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (100th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Tackles#6 / 2743 · 100th pct

129

Solo tackles#7 / 2743 · 100th pct

QB hurries#22 / 2743 · 99th pct

Tackles for loss#24 / 2743 · 99th pct

16.0

Sacks#346 / 2743 · 86th pct

3.0

Passes defended#310 / 2743 · 86th pct

Forced fumbles#59 / 673 · 46th pct

Interceptions#320 / 824 · 31st pct

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.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2021 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	10.0	1.6	0.4	0.2
Road5g	7.6	0.7	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	9.8	0.9	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+7g	8.4	1.5	0.4	0.1

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Eric Morris

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

60 · #201 of 578 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #201 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2021

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Oklahoma State	129	76	16.0	3.0	4	1	--
2020	Oklahoma State	82	57	7.0	3.0	3	--	--
2019	Oklahoma State	103	60	7.0	1.5	3	1	--
2018	Oklahoma State	83	53	5.0	0.0	1	--	--
2017	Oklahoma State	11	8	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		408	254	35.0	7.5	11	2	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 23-16vs Missouri State	15	9	1.0	0.0	—	1	Season-high 15 tackles
Wk 2	W 28-23vs Tulsa	13	8	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 21-20@ Boise State	8	5	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 31-20vs Kansas State	7	6	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	W 24-14vs Baylor	11	3	2.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 32-24@ Texas	5	1	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 21-24@ Iowa State	13	6	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 9	W 55-3vs Kansas	5	2	1.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 24-3@ West Virginia	9	8	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	W 63-17vs TCU	6	4	2.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 23-0@ Texas Tech	3	3	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 37-33vs Oklahoma	11	5	3.0	2.0	—	1	2 sacks
Wk 14	L 16-21vs Baylor	12	8	1.5	0.0	—	0
Total		118	68	16.0	3.0	—	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology