Union's Dalton Rodriguez switches commitment to TU
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Friday, December 14, 2012
1/25/13 at 2:48 PM
Union defensive end Dalton Rodriguez said he must have gotten caught up with the idea of playing football at the University of Oklahoma.
But his heart was always with the University of Tulsa. So, Rodriguez decommitted from the Sooners on Thursday and gave his pledge to the Golden Hurricane.
He announced his decision on his Twitter account: "Just decommited from OU and now im going to TU! It was a decision that was best for me!"
Later, he told the Tulsa World, "I think I just kind of got caught up in the glamour of playing at OU. I like OU, and there's nothing wrong with OU, but this is something I've been thinking about all through the season."
Rodriguez said he notified OU's coaching staff Thursday before tweeting his new decision. Verbal commitments are not binding. National Signing Day is Feb. 6.
At TU, Rodriguez would be reunited with Hurricane defensive ends coach Adam Blankenship, who coached him during his sophomore season with the Redskins.
"We're pretty close and I'll know what to expect when I get there," Rodriguez said.
He said he's also looking forward to playing with Redskin teammates Chris Hall and Khalid Kornegay, who have also committed to the Hurricane.
The 6-foot-6, 255-pounder said he thought he had a better chance of playing defensive line at TU because the Sooners were projecting him as an offensive lineman, even though he hasn't played on that side of the ball since he was a freshman in high school.
"I prefer playing D-line," he said.
He is listed as an offensive lineman by ESPN, which rated him as a three-star recruit, sixth overall in Oklahoma.
Rodriguez was part of state championship teams as a sophomore and junior and totaled nine sacks as a senior, helping lead the Redskins to a semifinal playoff finish in 2012.
Original Print Headline: Union's Rodriguez switches to Tulsa
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Dalton Rodriguez: The Union defensive end said he thought he had a better chance of playing defensive line at TU than at OU
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