#26
of 64 tight ends · Top 40%
+0.32
points added per game vs an average TE
What the numbers say about Willie
- •#2 among 7 qualified tight ends in the red zone (+0.99 points per play).
- •Heating up: +0.61 points per play over his last three games, up from +0.30 for the season.
- •Top 6% of tight ends in catch rate (80.4%).
What people are saying about Willie
Updated Oct 22- •Coverage describes Kentucky tight end Willie Rodriguez as a unique weapon in the Wildcats' offense. Yahoo Sports ↗
- •Rodriguez was named a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, recognizing his character and football play. WYMT ↗
- •Rodriguez earned midseason recognition alongside teammates Stein and Bryant, according to LEX 18 News coverage of Kentucky's honorees. LEX 18 News ↗
Summaries of recent news coverage in our own words. Tap a source to read the original.
Against every FBS TE
Where he ranks among qualified players at his position.
- EPA per target0.42Top 49%
- Target success rate58.7%Top 22%
- Catch rate80.4%Top 6%
- Yards per target7.0Bottom 47%
- Average depth of target3.4Bottom 9%
- Yards after catch5.3Top 41%
- Target share19.2%Top 11%
What he does best
- Catch rate (Top 6%)
- Target share (Top 11%)
- Target success rate (Top 22%)
What to work on
- Yards per target (Bottom 47%, his lowest mark)
- EPA per target (Top 49%, his lowest mark)
- Vs everyone else (+0.18 per play, vs +0.63 vs top-40 defenses)
No true weak spots at his position, so these are his lowest marks.
Coaching notes
- Against top defenses. Best: vs top-40 defenses (+0.63 per play). Toughest: vs everyone else (+0.18).
- Standard vs passing downs. Best: passing downs (+0.64 per play). Toughest: standard downs (+0.31).
Players like Rodriguez
The closest matches at his position across every stat, not just the total.
- 68%match
+0.12 points added per game
Compare to Rodriguez - 64%match
+0.59 points added per game
Compare to Rodriguez - 62%match
+0.18 points added per game
Compare to Rodriguez
Situational splits
Points added per play (adjusted for opponents) and success rate in each situation.
By down
- 1st down+0.41 EPA · 67% succ · 21 plays
- 2nd down+0.50 EPA · 64% succ · 14 plays
- 3rd/4th down+0.35 EPA · 36% succ · 11 plays
Standard vs passing downs
- Standard downs+0.31 EPA · 67% succ · 30 plays
- Passing downs+0.64 EPA · 44% succ · 16 plays
Red zone
- Red zone+0.99 EPA · 50% succ · 8 plays
Against top defenses
- vs top-40 defenses+0.63 EPA · 56% succ · 25 plays
- vs everyone else+0.18 EPA · 62% succ · 21 plays
Short vs deep
- Short targets+0.48 EPA · 61% succ · 44 plays
- Deep targets-0.74 EPA · 0% succ · 2 plays
Season stats
| Tgt | Rec | Catch% | Rec Yds | Y/Tgt | Rec TD | aDOT | YAC | Tgt Shr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 37 | 80.4% | 321 | 7.0 | 2 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 19.2% |
Game log
| Wk | Opponent | Receiving | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsYoungstown State | 3/4, 46 yds, 0 TD | +0.16 |
| 2 | vs Alabama | 7/8, 48 yds, 0 TD | +0.67 |
| 3 | at Texas A&M | 3/4, 22 yds, 0 TD | +0.28 |
| 4 | vs South Alabama | 2/3, 18 yds, 0 TD | -0.83 |
| 5 | at South Carolina | 5/7, 57 yds, 0 TD | +0.33 |
| 6 | vs LSU | 6/6, 25 yds, 0 TD | +0.23 |
| 7 | at Oklahoma | 5/7, 38 yds, 2 TD | +1.11 |
| 8 | vs Vanderbilt | 6/7, 67 yds, 0 TD | +0.48 |