'Really felt like home': Here's what Willie Rodriguez will bring to the Kentucky Wildcats
Covington Catholic's Willie Rodriguez has been playing football since the third grade and has been watching it on television for just as long. From that age, he knew he wanted to play at as high of a level as possible.
It's ironic, then, that his first step to playing at the next level came shortly after a low point in his high school career. Rodriguez broke his elbow in the sixth game of his junior year, Sept. 23, 2022, against Cooper and missed the rest of the season. Slightly more than two months later, Nov. 30, 2022, he received news that, despite his injury, his hard work was paying off.
"Right after that first offer came in from Miami of Ohio, I really knew. It just took off from there and I kept working even harder after that," Rodriguez said.
Under the radar: Which Cincinnati football players aren't getting the recruiting attention they deserve in 2023?
In six months, Rodriguez received a total of 33 Division I offers, 16 in February 2023 alone. The most important one came April 18, 2023, from the University of Kentucky. He committed to the Wildcats on June 23, just two weeks after his official visit.
"It's close to home. I love the coaches there, coach (Liam) Coen has a great offense going, (head coach Mark) Stoops and coach (Vince) Marrow. Also, it just really felt like home to me," Rodriguez said.
An in-school visit from Stoops and Marrow, as well as a visit to the Rodriguez household Dec. 14 only reaffirmed his commitment.
Support from everywhere
According to Rodriguez, there have been "countless number of friends and family" who have helped him get to where he is now. That extends to his past and present coaches and teammates as well as teachers, college recruiters and personal trainers.
"That's my base and everything I come from. My family, my parents have helped me a tremendous amount with training, obviously getting me everywhere with practices. My coaches have helped me a ton. We have some of the best coaches and I feel like they guided me through my recruiting," Rodriguez said.
He hasn't bottled up all of the guidance that has come from the community, either. A number of his Covington Catholic teammates are receiving Division I offers, but he is the only one currently committed to a Power 5 program. That hasn't stopped him from advocating for his teammates.
"I think you just got to be a role model for the young guys and show them it's definitely possible if you want to chase your dreams and your goals," Rodriguez said.
He was also a role model while he was injured. He showed up to every practice and film session to ensure he was ready to go when summer practices started before his senior season.
"He was the guy on the sideline. He did everything, and he paid attention. There's a lot more things that we're installing, there were a lot more things that we're teaching as coaches and he's right there absorbing it, taking it all in," Covington Catholic head coach Eddie Eviston said.
How Willie Rodriguez fits in at Kentucky
As a freshman and sophomore, Rodriguez wrestled and played baseball in addition to suiting up on the gridiron. While he didn't log any offensive statistics as a sophomore, he began to take his strength and position-based skill training more seriously. He watched film of his favorite players to help mold himself into one of the best tight ends in the country.
Rodriguez models his game after San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle because he sees similarities in how he blocks and runs his routes. Against Simon Kenton, he had a key swing block to help running back Andrew Bessler to a 27-yard gain. In a 31-24 win over Dixie Heights, he ran a perfect out route and caught the winning touchdown pass while being interfered with. His full senior season highlight reel can be seen here.
"I believe what got him recruited at a pretty high level is we do so many different things with him. He's able to block, he's able to be, basically, an extra offensive lineman. He's able to be the fullback. He's able to be the wide receiver, and then he's able to be that traditional tight end," Eviston said.
The Wildcats will have a bevy of new faces on the roster next season. Rodriguez is one of three players from Greater Cincinnati who will take the field in Lexington in 2024; Simon Kenton offensive lineman Aba Selm and Withrow cornerback Terhyon Nicholas are the other two.
"I'm really excited to go play with them and I think we're gonna build a really good relationship, and a lot of really good things are coming to Kentucky," Rodriguez said.
There are also big-name players coming to Kentucky through the transfer portal. Rodriguez has had conversations with quarterback Brock Vandegriff (transfer from Georgia), running back Chip Trayanum (Ohio State) and receiver Raymond Cottrell (Texas A&M).
A total of 16 former Kentucky football players are on active NFL rosters. Rodriguez wants to add his name to that list. He has the tools to do so and comes from an athletic family. His mother, Jody, played volleyball at the University of Dayton. Willie Sr. played football at Thomas More. His older sister, Sofia, plays soccer for Western Carolina University.
"I'm trying to better myself every day and keep working at it, so I'm going to continue to work and I have a lot of motivation behind me," Rodriguez said.
The turf and weight room aren't the only places Rodriguez prides himself as a hard worker. Throughout his recruitment, he has shown respect and humility in all of his relationships.
"It's just one of those things where I think Willie's really handled all of his exciting recruitment really well. He's handled it with grace and he's very humble about it," Eviston said.
Playing football has been Rodriguez's dream since he was little, but he doesn't think that a 10-year-old version of himself could have imagined what he has accomplished so far.
"I think (10-year-old Willie) would be freaking out a lot. I've been watching football since I was little. I've always wanted to play in college, always wanted to play at a high level and the SEC, I think, is the highest level you can get," Rodriguez said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: College football signing day: Willie Rodriguez inks with Kentucky
