RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Every time The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) redshirt freshman linebacker Jaiden Haygood stepped onto the gridiron during the 2025 season, he had one mission in mind: to do his 1/11^th. 
 
UTRGV assistant head coach Brian Gamble – who also serves as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach – preaches that message regularly. It's one of the key beliefs that led to the Vaqueros having one of the best defenses not only in the Southland Conference (SLC), but in all of FCS. UTRGV led the conference and ranked second in the nation with 25 turnovers, and was third in the conference scoring defense, red zone defense and rushing defense. The Vaqueros held opponents to 18.8 points per game, ranking 16^th in the nation. 
 
"All you have to do is your job to the best of your ability on every snap. If we got 11 guys doing that, then more times than not we're going to be successful," Gamble said. "There may be a game when only four plays or five plays come to your direct assignment. If that happens, make those plays. But there's going to be a lot of other plays during the course of a game that you can still have an impact on if you play with great effort. Do your job first, and then go help everybody else. Jaiden does that as well as anyone on our defense. He plays with great effort and he flies around to the football." 
 
Haygood finished his rookie season as UTRGV's leading tackler with 102 tackles. He had six games with 10+ tackles, including a career-high 17 tackles with seven solo stops in UTRGV's game at No. 18 Lamar. Haygood consistently stepped up in big situations, making 11 tackles at No. 23 Stephen F. Austin, 10 at home against UIW, and 10 with seven solo tackles at McNeese to help the Vaqueros earn their first conference road win. 
 
He ranked fifth in the conference averaging 8.5 tackles per game. Haygood was the only non-senior among the 13 top tacklers in the Southland in 2025 and ranked 36^th in the nation in total tackles. His efforts helped UTRGV go 9-3 overall and 5-3 in conference play while boasting an unbeaten 7-0 record at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium. 
 
"I think we exceeded expectations, but there's still wood to chop, as our coach said," Haygood reflected. "I didn't expect to have as much of an impact as I have, but I always knew this is what I wanted to do. I always knew I wanted to start and provide for a college team. But I didn't know I would be in this position. I'm just so blessed with this team and with this coaching staff." 
 


Standing 6 feet tall and entering the season at 215 pounds, Haygood knew he wasn't going to be the biggest guy on the field. But he takes pride in his physical playing style and really leans on his speed and instincts. 
 
"He does a great job of recognizing plays, which is what a really good linebacker does. They can diagnose within split seconds after the ball is snapped of what type of play it is and know what they're going to get and where they need to go. He's a great tackler, he's slippery, and he's hard to block, which are good attributes for a defender," Gamble said. 
 
Haygood is quick to give credit to the defensive unit as a whole for supporting his standout season. He thanked older teammates like Spencer Rich and Warren Shankle for coaching him up and "teaching me little stuff that I didn't even think about." He said every person on the field knew what their job was and was stepping out determined to pull their weight, which made it that much easier to trust one another and have fun playing together.
 
"Knowing that my brother next to me has my back and I have his, that helps so much," Haygood said. "We're all talented and we all play with a little bit of swagger. We're all just having fun and doing what we love."  
 
A team-first mentality and trust in the process have defined Haygood's football career. He started out as a receiver until he was moved solely to defense at Judson High School. As a junior, he was moved from outside to middle linebacker and initially felt undersized. But he put his head down and did what it took to get better, resulting in 101 tackles in his breaking season and interest from college coaches. He finished his high school career with 270 tackles and eight sacks. 
 
The recruiting cycle wasn't easy for Haygood. "Honestly, it was kind of terrible," he admitted, equating the experience to being offered a piece of candy and having it snatched back just as you reached for it. But Gamble and UTRGV head football coach Travis Bush were consistent in pursuing Haygood. They let him know early and often that they wanted him to be a part of history. 
 
At the time of his commitment, Haygood was essentially basing one of the biggest decisions of his life on a vision. His faith in the coaching staff and trust in what was being built led him home. 
 
"It was a little scary, but I knew everything they were telling me, that the people in the Valley love football and the facilities were going to be great and we were going to have great fans, a great stadium, great strength coach, it was all going to come true. It was all a vision, but I really felt that from Coach Bush," Haygood said. "It was something I wanted to be a part of. Everyone here loves each other and they're willing to die for the brother next to them. The bond we're building here is amazing. It's not like anywhere else. I'm happy I found home." 
 


Haygood spent the practice season packing on weight and muscle and really dedicating himself to development, not only physically but mentally. Gamble praised Haygood's growth from a "knucklehead senior" to a mature young man. 
 
During the 2024 practice season, the coaching simulated games with scrimmages and put the Vaqueros in situations to get them as ready as possible for real action. Gamble said there were times during that first year when Haygood didn't execute as well as he should have, and he challenged the youngster to shift his focus and really buy-in to the 1/11^th approach.
 
"You can't go out and do your own thing. You have to execute within the scheme. Jaiden's very conscientious and he learns, so he really took that into account," Gamble said. "One of the things that's great about Jaiden is his passion for the game of football. He takes the things that we practice and he puts those into games and he doesn't let the moment get too big for him. He studies the game like a junior or a senior does as a redshirt freshman." 
 
When you mix Haygood's athleticism with his drive and belief in his team, special things can happen. On Monday, Haygood was named one of 25 finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman player of the year. Haygood was on the watch list released in October. He is one of only two linebackers among the finalists. 
 
"I'm just blessed to be listed as a nominee. I thank my teammates, because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be in this position at all," Haygood said. "There's so much competition in the game of football, so just knowing I'm a nominee means so much to me. It means the work I've put in is being seen."  
 
The Jerry Rice Award winner will be announced on Dec. 3. Whether or not his name is called, Haygood has plenty to be proud of after his first official season of collegiate football. He waited patiently for his opportunity and made the most of every snap, helping to lay the foundation for UTRGV football. Now he'll look to keep working and improving to push himself and his team to bigger goals. 
 
"I knew it was all going to work out. I knew that year without games was time for me to develop and put on weight, put on muscle. I trusted in God's plan and knew this year was coming and just had to be patient," Haygood said. "The standard is set to do the best I can every game and provide for my team. I'm not going out there to chase stats. I just go out there and if the ball comes my way, do my job and make a play. Just do my 1/11^th."

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