Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-13vs Youngstown State | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 1 | 20 | |
| Wk 2 | L 17-45vs Alabama | 8 | 49 | 6.1 | 0 | 18 | Season-high 49 yds |
| Wk 3 | W 31-21@ Texas A&M | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 10 | |
| Total | 15 | 119 | 8.5 | 1 | 20 |
#81
Willie Rodriguez
310 team receiving yards leader isn't a headline at Kentucky anymore — it's just what Willie Rodriguez reliably is.
6′4″ · 249 lb · Taylor Mill, KY
CFB Index 46 · #78 of 156 TEsMedium-low confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
Receptions: 62nd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
119
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 rec, 49 yds, vs Alabama
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior tight end for Kentucky. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kentucky in 2024.
Willie Rodriguez
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-22
Willie Rodriguez is a cornerstone for Kentucky — measured against the line he joined.
119REC YDS15REC1REC TD
TEAM RECEIVING YARDS LEADER
310
Team leader in receiving yards (310).
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-22
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
The week the volume broke through — put up 78 yds at Vanderbilt.Vanderbilt · L 17-452025
20246 games
- Signed with Kentucky3-star out of Covington Catholic
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Kentucky
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Kentucky
2026era →
Will Stein
Kentucky
Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Willie Rodriguez's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 31–21
at Texas A&M
3 rec · 22 yds
With K. Minchey — 252 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · -2 rush yds (7 car) · T. O'Hara — 42.7 yards per punt · 3 punts · 1 inside the 20
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.85Willie Rodriguez 2 Yd pass from CJ Baxter (Adam Zouagui Kick)
- Week 2 · Alabama · 4&4 · Q4 · EPA +2.00(08:36) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short right to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at UK37, for 6 yards to the UK37, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Alabama · 2&9 · Q3 · EPA +1.31(13:30) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short right to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at UK29, for 18 yards to the UK29, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.25(00:22) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short left to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at UK27, for 9 yards to the UK34 (#1 D.Thompkins; #7 C.Woodson)
- Week 3 · Texas A&M · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.07(04:31) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short left to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at TAMU15, for 10 yards to the TAMU03 (#10 M.Jones; #6 J.Humphrey), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.03(09:21) #3 K.Minchey pass complete short left to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at YSU49, for 20 yards to the YSU30 (#5 C.Marshall), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Youngstown State · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +0.93(07:52) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short middle to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at YSU20, for 14 yards to the YSU12 (#6 J.Jackson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Alabama · 4&1 · Q1 · EPA +0.92K. Minchey pass to W. Rodriguez for 1 yd for a 1ST down, W. Rodriguez fumbled, forced by K. Sabb
- Week 2 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.69(13:07) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short left to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at UK27, for 1 yard to the UK30 (#7 C.Woodson)
- Week 3 · Texas A&M · 2&7 · Q3 · EPA +0.28(04:54) Shotgun #3 K.Minchey pass complete short left to #81 W.Rodriguez caught at TAMU22, for 8 yards to the TAMU13 (#21 R.Coney), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +22 receiving yards, +3 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Kentucky4-8HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Kentucky5-7HC: Mark Stoops · Run-leaning
2026Kentucky2-1HC: Will Stein · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Medium-low confidence
Concern: rec yards (12th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
15 of 15 receptions matched to play-by-play
17 of 19 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
1926% of team targetsCatch rate
79%15 of 19 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
24% of targets (4)
100%catch rate
Air -1.8 · YAC 7.5 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
53% of targets (9)
89%catch rate
Air 4.0 · YAC 5.9 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
18% of targets (3)
33%catch rate
Air 13.7 · YAC 0.0 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
6% of targets (1)
0%catch rate
Air 28.0 avg
79% catch rate on 19 targets · 26% of the team's targets.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 6.0 | 48.5 | 9.1 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 3.0 | 22.0 | 7.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.0 | 39.7 | 8.5 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Pass share
43.9%
76 pass / 97 run
Plays / game
57.7
3 games
Team sack rate
7.1%
85 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #11 of 20 SEC TEs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Complete TE
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
TE
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Taylor Barnhill’s 2014 season.
Matches Taylor on
EPA / play (adj)
TD rate
Height
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Neal Johnson’s path through Louisiana.
92%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Neal on
Height
Weight
Yards per reception
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Michael Vice's junior season at Troy (2022).
Matches Michael on
Total EPA (college ability)
Weight
Yards / reception
Differs from Michael on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Willie Rodriguez
The tight end room · Kentucky
- #81Willie Rodriguez310 receiving yards · 2025
- #87Henry Boyer62 receiving yards · 2025
- #85Elijah Brownno box-score line yet
- #44Justin Kattusno box-score line yet
- #11Lincoln Watkinsno box-score line yet
1 more on the roster · Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology