Big Ten Football Top 150 Players: No. 136, Andrew Rodriguez, Nebraska OT

136. Andrew Rodriguez, No. 63, OT, Nebraska

Strengths

Andrew Rodriguez is a giant of a man, standing 6'6" and tipping the scales at 325 pounds (and that's not "bad" weight). He burst onto the scene as a 5-star recruit in 2010, playing as a true freshman in the Huskers' season opener and four other games. The season opener is important and he's the first true freshman offensive lineman to play in one since 2006 and only the eighth ever.

Weaknesses

Rodriguez parlayed that experience as a freshman into a starting role in 2011, taking over at left guard for the Huskers until an injury doomed his season halfway through the year. Seung Hoon Choi stepped in for Rodriguez, and Choi (a former walk-on) is so firmly installed at LG that Rodriguez was moved to right tackle, where he's currently battling senior Jeremiah Sirles for the starting role.

Losing a starting position to injury isn't something that football coaches let happen very often, so it's clear that Choi is just out-playing Rodriguez, which is not exactly a desirable result when trying to craft a starting five up front. Now, Rodriguez has a job to win. Not to win back—that's Choi's and he's not about to give it up—just to win at all.

2012 Prediction

Rodriguez should beat out Sirles for the starting role at right tackle. Sirles has been maddeningly inconsistent for the Huskers and he doesn't have the physical skills or pedigree that Rodriguez does. Of course, pedigrees don't count for much on the offensive line, where hard work in the weight room and footwork drills quickly supersede recruiting stars.

If Rodriguez can make a successful push here (and we think he will), look for another monster year for the Nebraska rushing attack.