All-American OL Ryan Rodriguez transitions from tackle to guard to prepare for life at UM
Months before he had scholarship offers from the likes of the Miami Hurricanes and LSU Tigers, Ryan Rodriguez was quietly turning into one of the best left tackles in Florida.
Rodriguez is a 6-3, 280-pound offensive lineman started every game for Miami Columbus and helped guide the Explorers to their first state championship in 2019, earning first-team all-county honors from the Miami Herald in the process. He did it without offers from any Power 5 Conference schools until Miami finally stepped in with an offer in January. About three months later, he orally committed to the hometown team.
“I’ve always liked Miami,” Rodriguez said in April, “so it was going to be tough to choose over Miami.”
As good as Rodriguez was at tackle, the idea was always he would move inside once he started playing college football. This season, he will do it for the Explorers when they play a preseason game Friday against Miami Killian.
Julian Armella, a four-star tackle in the Class of 2022, transferred to Columbus from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and took Rodriguez’s old left tackle spot, letting the three-star center move to right guard.
It’s a new test for the senior, and he’s excited to get an early start on a position he could play once he gets to Coral Gables.
“I’ve never played guard, but I’ve learned guard. I know center. I know left tackle. I’ll be rotating in at center later in the game,” said Rodriguez, the No. 7 center in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2021. “It’s pretty much all similar. Guard is a little more pulling, more running around screens. Tackle is more you’re on 1-on-1 island, but it’s pretty much the same thing.”
The biggest challenge, he said, is how different pass blocking is as an interior lineman, where he has to worry about muscling up against defensive tackles rather than playing a finesse game against quicker defensive ends.
To prepare, Rodriguez made sure he was in the best shape of his life, even with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing organized workouts. One of his teammates has a weight room at his home with a bench press, squat rack and rowing machine, and Rodriguez said he’s hitting new highs in on all those lifts.
He also said he feels faster than ever, which is important both because of what he expects to do for the Explorers this year and the Hurricanes in the future. Like the Hurricanes, Columbus is running a no-huddle offense this year, so the Explorers’ offensive linemen have dedicated a significant chunk of practice time to conditioning this fall.
It’s actually part of what he likes so much about the Hurricanes. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee promised he would bring an up-tempo system to South Florida, and Rodriguez believes he’s a perfect fit.
“If you’re a lineman and you like playing fast, your defensive lineman in front of you is going to get tired quicker. You’ll just be able to block easier,” Rodriguez said. “You’ve just got to be in shape. That’s how we play our game, similar to my high school.”
Rodriguez, who was slated to play in the All-American Bowl before organizers canceled the showcase, won’t be able to enroll early, but he does plan to sign in December and he is all set with the Hurricanes.
Before the coronavirus outbreak prompted an ongoing dead period, Rodriguez planned to visit LSU and a few other schools. Now he has virtually shut down all contact with other coaches.
“I’ve heard from a few other schools, but I don’t know if I’m really going to show them any interest, if I’m going to change my mind,” Rodriguez said. “I’m good with Miami.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 12:14 PM.
