Kentucky TE Commit Willie Rodriguez Sets Tone in Season Opener with 49-Yard TD
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There’s no better way to start a season than with a touchdown, and on Friday night, 2024 Kentucky tight end commit Willie Rodriguez did just that.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end from Covington Catholic (Covington, KY) scored a 49-yard touchdown on his team’s opening drive of the season, en route to a 37-22 win over Ryle (Union, KY).
“To be able to get him the ball and for him to make a big play and break that tackle, to get on the scoreboard, it kind of set the tone a little bit,” Covington Catholic head coach Eddie Eviston told KSR+. “Really not just for this game, but maybe for our season.”
Rodriguez finished the game with three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought it was a good win. We still have a lot to work on, but it was a good way to start the season,” Rodriguez told KSR+. “That definitely sets the tone when you come off scoring right away. I wanted to do that and that helped our offense a lot with momentum.”
Overall, Willie Rodriguez believes he was able to show off all facets of his game.
“I think my blocking really stood out,” he said. “Obviously, I had a few catches, but really blocking is the game. When I do that, our team excels a lot on offense.”
Especially after an eventful offseason that saw him commit to UK, Willie Rodriguez believes his game is much better than last season.
“I really think it’s strength, my blocking technique, and route running,” he said. “It’s really everything overall. I just fine-tuned things in the offseason.”
Choosing Kentucky
Willie Rodriguez committed to Kentucky in June and since then has continued to build a bond with the coaching staff. As one of 15 commits in UK’s 2024 recruiting class, Rodriguez is ready for the college level.
“I’m really excited and I’m ready to work,” he said.
As for his motivation in choosing the Cats, Rodriguez said it was several different factors.
“The coaching staff, staying home, and all of that really motivated me,” he said. “I love the coaching staff down there. I love being close to home.”
Before he heads to college, Rodriguez wants to show everyone that he can play both sides of the ball.
“I really want to show how I can play both ways,” he said. “I can play defense and offense. How much of a team player I am and how much I want to lead this team.”
While Willie Rodriguez currently plays both tight end and outside linebacker in high school, his plan at Kentucky is to play exclusively tight end, where he believes he’ll fit well.
“I definitely see it a lot,” he said. “I love Coach [Liam] Coen’s offense and I’ve seen the success they’ve had in the past year, so I’m really excited.
In His Coach’s Words
With the game Willie Rodriguez had on Friday night, on both offense and defense, it’s no surprise that it came with plenty of praise from his head coach afterwards.
“He’s a warrior,” Eviston said. “We ask a lot out of him. He can do a lot of things. That’s the thing. Everybody talks about how he’s a tight end, but he’s a football player. He can do a lot of things for us. It was good to see him do that.”
Rodriguez, the No. 892 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, is a player that teams have spent hours and hours game planning for heading into the season.
“I don’t think it’s going to be any surprise that teams are going to understand who No. 10 is,” Eviston said. “We know this is going to be a long road, hopefully. It’s going to be a tough road, but we wanted to come out here, perform, and it was good to do that on that first drive. Again, like I said, be able to answer when we had to and pull this one out.”
Rodriguez was one of several older players that Covington Catholic had to lean on in the win.
Senior quarterback Evan Pitzer went 21-for-28 passing with 285 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Senior running back Owen Leen had 16 rushes for 96 yards and three touchdowns.
“Those are all guys that we’ve got to lean on,” Eviston said. “We’ve got some young guys. This was their first Friday night light game. It’s good to have those veterans there to lead the way. I think they did that tonight.”
When Ryle cut the lead to eight in the fourth quarter, it was the veterans that once again made the big plays.
“We had to answer,” Eviston said. “Our guys just did a nice job of answering that. Up front, the O-Line did a good job. Again, our veterans – Evan Pitzer, Owen Leen – guys like that made plays.”
As for now, Eviston would like to see Rodriguez improve all facets of his game before heading to Kentucky in 2024.
“There are always things you can improve on. He’s doing good things for us now and we’re going to continue to try and improve each week,” he said. “He’s ours right now and I know he’s looking forward to his senior campaign and doing some big things. We’re excited he’s on our squad.”
