Willie Rodriguez Named a Semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year

Kentucky's Willie Rodriguez just landed on one of college football's most meaningful lists. The junior tight end was named one of 20 national semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year on Wednesday, the first major college football award built mainly around leadership on and off the field.

The reason starts at home. Rodriguez draws his inspiration from his younger sister, Gabby, who has Rett syndrome. He is a team captain, he regularly visits Golisano Children's Hospital and brings teammates along to spend time with young patients, and he has given his time to Easterseals of the Bluegrass and Camp Horsin' Around, which serve people with disabilities and kids with special needs.

The football holds up too. The Taylor Mill native leads Kentucky in receptions early this season, and last year he became the first Wildcat tight end with 300-plus receiving yards in a season since CJ Conrad in 2018.

Kentucky knows this award well: J.J. Weaver won it in 2024. Rodriguez is one of six SEC players among the 20 semifinalists. Three finalists will be named Dec. 15, and the winner is announced March 11 at AT&T Stadium. The winner's school gets a $10,000 scholarship gift from Witten's SCORE Foundation.

Our Take: Every program says it wants leaders. Kentucky keeps producing the kind that award committees notice. Rodriguez and the Cats host Vanderbilt on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

via UK Athletics

Sources: Kentucky Football on X, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalists, UK Athletics watch list release