The Miami Dolphins fell to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but former Red Raiders Jacob Rodriguez and Caleb Douglas were arguably the brightest spots for the team in their defeat.
LUBBOCK - While Texas Tech is hard at work to maintain the foundation built by last season's Big 12 Championship squad, two standouts from this group made statements in their NFL debut.
Getting to suit up together once again, former Red Raiders Jacob Rodriguez and Caleb Douglas each took to the field as starters for the Miami Dolphins in their first game eligible since being drafted just months ago.
It is not uncommon for rookies to get the start right off the bat in the professional ranks, especially for a franchise like Miami looking to find its identity once again.
However, the performances displayed by the dynamic duo from Lubbock was anything but the status quo.
Rodriguez was a national sensation in his final season with Texas Tech and he proved that his praise was more than warranted during the Dolphins' opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
He finished the game atop Miami's list of tacklers, with an astounding 14 total tackles and five solo takedowns for the Dolphins.
The closest challenger to Rodriguez was Chris Johnson, who matched his solo tackle mark but fell three overall tackles shy at 11.
Another former Red Raider did edge out Rodriguez in the solo category, as Jordyn Brooks went for a team-high six as a part of his nine total tackles.
His stellar outing marked the most tackles by a Miami rookie in their first game in over 30 years and were the most since 1996, when former Red Raider Zach Thomas laid down 16 in his second-ever game.
On the other side of the ball, Douglas made quite the first impression on the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL.
Much like Rodriguez, he finished as the leader among his positional counterparts, as he racked up 94 yards on five catches to finish at the top of both categories for Miami.
Not only did these numbers lead the team, it led the entirety of the league when it came to rookies.
Douglas tacked on the highest target share of any receiver in their first appearance as well, with a near 26% of the targets from quarterback Malik Willis.
The performance was also historic, as his 94 receiving yards were the most in a debut since Puka Nacua tallied a whopping 119 for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.
For the third-round pick, the explosive start showcased the game-changing nature already possessed by Douglas and what the Dolphins can expect from him this year.
Although Miami was on the wrong end of a 27-13 defeat to the Raiders, the future looks bright for the Dolphins and that can be attributed in large part to the efforts of two Red Raiders that are making waves much earlier than most expected.
