RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Southland Conference (SLC) announced football player of the week awards Monday and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) junior linebacker
Jaiden Haygood was named the Defensive Player of the Week.
Haygood was also recognized Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week after his record-setting performance to help lift UTRGV to its first-ever overtime win and first road win of the season Oct. 24 at Central Arkansas. This is Haygood's second SLC Defensive Player of the Week award of the season and the third for the UTRGV Vaqueros.
Haygood and fellow UTRGV linebacker
Spencer Rich lead the Southland averaging a conference-high 10.0 tackles/game, which ranks 10
th in FCS. Haygood leads the team and is second in the Southland with 37 solo tackles.
Haygood was unstoppable against Central Arkansas, trusting his instincts to blow up plays early, putting pressure on the quarterback, and covering the field. He recorded 20 tackles, which is the second-most tackles in a game of any FCS player this season, the most for any SLC player in a game this season, and a single-game program record. He had 10 solo tackles, which is also a program and career high. He recorded two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and one quarterback hurry in an outstanding effort. Two of Haygood's tackles came in the overtime period to hold Central Arkansas to a field goal, setting up the walk-off victory for the Vaqueros.
Up next for Haygood and the UTRGV Vaqueros (4-4, 2-3 SLC) is a 7 p.m. conference contest against #15/13 Lamar on Saturday at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium. If available, a limited number of tickets will go on sale Friday at 8 a.m. at
UTRGVTickets.com.
2026 Southland Conference Football Weekly Awards
Jaiden Haygood, Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21)
Aidan Jakobsohn, Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21)
TJ Neal, Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 12)
Jaiden Haygood, Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 26)
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