Hawaii football has been busy recruiting athletes for the 2023 season. A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed wide receiver, Maclane Watkins. I also got the chance to interview offensive lineman Kaleb Jackson-Carter. This week I am writing about talented safety Ezekiel Rodrigues who just finished playing football at Mililani High School. Ezekiel Rodrigues officially committed to Hawaii on January 14. Hawaii football fans should be happy to have Ezekiel Rodrigues a part of its program.
Hawaii needs to get better on defense. Hawaii’s defense played well at times, but there is room for improvement. Hawaii’s defense allowed 438.2 yards per game during the 2022 season.
Ezekiel Rodrigues Background
Ezekiel Rodrigues started playing football at six years old. Rodrigues was inspired to play football from playing video games. Rodrigues father used to play madden and Rodrigues enjoyed learning about the game. Rodrigues said, “I always wanted to be a football player.” Rodrigues would watch football on tv and looked up to local Hawaii football players. Rodrigues said, “I always looked up to Marcus Mariota because he’s from Hawaii. He made it to the league.”
Rodrigues played cornerback in pop-warner football. Rodrigues sees football as a gift from God. Rodrigues would smile and have fun when he set foot on the gridiron.
Additional Information
Ezekiel Rodrigues’ hard work on the football field paid off during the recruiting period. Rodrigues had other offers from Arizona, San Diego State, UCLA, UNLV, and USC. Despite the vast amount of offers Rodrigues chose to stay home. Rodrigues wants to stay home to represent the state of Hawaii. Rodrigues said, “I always dreamed about playing Hawaii.” Rodrigues believes Hawaii has good football players and Hawaii’s football program can be good.
Ezekiel Rodrigues played for Mililani High School. Ezekiel Rodrigues recorded 51 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions during Mililani’s 2022 season. Mililani finished the 2022 season with a 7-5 record. Rodrigues gained a lot of experience from playing against teams like Mission Viejo and Mater Dei. Rodrigues said Mission Viejo and Mater Dei played fast and challenged Mililani’s defense.
Rodrigues has played strong and free safety. Strong safeties play near the line of scrimmage and help with run plays. Free safeties play deep and are the last line of defense. Rodrigues said Hawaii sees him playing strong safety. Rodrigues played strong safety during the 2022 season and said he’s comfortable playing the position. Rodrigues said, “I like playing in the box because I can stop run plays.” Rodrigues likes Hawaii’s defense. Rodrigues said, “I like how they hit and move to the ball.”
Final Note
Ezekiel has a lot of pride for the state of Hawaii and wants to be a part of Hawaii’s rebuild. Hawaii football fans will love seeing him play this upcoming season.
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