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Dave Berk is producer/writer/editor for FirstStarMediaGroup.com and a terrific football recruiting analyst for northern Kentucky and Ohio high school players.
That’s why when he recently tweeted that Covington Catholic tight end Willie Rodriguez, a Kentucky commit, was one of the best players he had seen in a couple of years that immediately caught my attention.
Obviously, that made me curious why he thought so highly of the 6-4, 235-pound Rodriguez, one of the top five players in Kentucky.
“I’ve had the chance to watch Willie since his sophomore season, and he’s developed more to his game each year,” Berk said. “The first time I saw him, I projected he’d be a linebacker. However, by his junior year, I could see him also having the ability to play the tight end position or come off the edge.
“Each year he’s added size and weight and developed to be explosive. His wrestling background is impressive as he wrestles heavyweight despite being in the 230-235 range.”
Berk said Rodriguez probably should be rated higher than he is but early offers sometimes overly influence rankings.
“Some kids get the Power Five offers early in the process, and the recruiting sites use that along with some film evaluations to give out the early rankings,” Berk said. “Willie is a prospect that’s seen his game develop each year, and while he received plenty of offers and attention, he never received the offers from Michigan, Ohio State or Notre Dame that put you over the top.”
Rodriguez had 14 catches for 295 yards and five touchdowns last year but the three-star UK recruit likely will have a bigger role in the offense and bigger numbers this season.
“From what I’ve seen over the years out of Kentucky, Willie can be a complete tight end. He can flex out or stay inside and block,” Berk said. “He’s not as tall as (former UK tight end) Justin Rigg, another kid I evaluated in high school, but he’s more explosive and has better hands.
“Many kids who play tight end in high school would be better fits as offensive tackles; Willie is not one of them. He’s what I call a safe recruit. If tight end doesn’t work out, he can flip over and play defense as a standup defensive end or linebacker.”
That’s a recruiting luxury for Kentucky who quickly made Rodriguez a priority recruit in the spring when his camp workouts made him a much bigger name in the recruiting world.
“I expect Willie to have a big senior season. He can do so many things on defense to impact a game while also being able to stretch the field on offense. I think I saw he was considered Kentucky’s sixth-best prospect and the No. 47 TE in the 2024 class,” Berk said. “He’s underrated on a national basis, and I’d have him in the top five of the state of Kentucky.
“His cousin, Max Klare (Cincinnati St. Xavier /Purdue) was also underrated but I expect he’ll have a big year this fall from what I saw and heard about his performance in the spring.
“Willie will physically be ready to take the field when he gets on campus. He’s further along than (UK sophomore) Josh Kattus or Rigg were at this same stage of development.”
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You can follow Berk on Twitter at @Dave_Berk.
One Response
Glad to see this young man commit.