Freshman Linebacker Stands out in UMass Win - The Extra Point

Out of nowhere, Florida native Nicholas Rodriguez recorded an impressive defensive performance.

Freshman linebacker Nicholas Rodrigez in high school at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (courtesy of Nicholas Rodriguez X/Twitter). / Nicholas Rodriguez X/Twitter

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers will provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the video above as Missouri football reporter Michael Stamps breaks down the performance of freshman linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez in the Tigers blowout win against UMass.

Even if the No. 19 Missouri Tigers were playing a team they should always have been able to beat, seeing the young talent the Tigers posess put up numbers was a pleasant sight to the eyes of Tiger fans.

One of those stadnout performers was freshman linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, led the Tigers in tackles against the Minutemen. He finished with nine total tackles and didn't miss on any of those attempts.

This was the first true game time from Rodriguez, as he only increased his snap count to 42 on the season. He stepped in when veteran presences at the linebacker spot, like Triston Newson and Khalil Jacobs, were not good to go and eliminated any doubts in the middle of the field.

Rodriguez role as the season progresses remains unknown, but he now has tape and proof that he can make a difference if hi name is called.

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