SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 20, 2026

Nicholas Rodriguez

Missouri Tigers

Press Conference

Q. Team goals are obvious. What's the individual goals you're setting for yourself this year?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I'm just trying to be a better man for my team, try to be the best leader I can be and just lead us in that direction and just make the team come together as one, and be the team to do it.

Q. Coach told us earlier you got named captain for the fall. What's that mean to you? You already talked about your leadership a little bit. What's that look like in your eyes?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Just looks like another year just leading the guys. It's not just me. It's Cayden, it's Dom, it's all def row, all ambush. We're all working together to strive for a common goal. I'm obviously blessed to be in this position and I'm grateful for it.

Q. You're in Columbia, you're in the tunnel, you're waiting to take the field. All those fans going crazy. What's the one thing that gives you goosebumps?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: The National Anthem definitely gives me goosebumps. And I would say whenever they play that AD/DC.

Q. What's it going to be like playing with a new north end zone in the stadium?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: It's going to be great. I'm excited. The noise is going to be trapped in there now. When they play "Mr. Brightside," I'm sure everybody will hear it now around town. It's going to be great. Fans are going to a lot of it. We'll definitely be excited for it.

Q. You've obviously got some big shoes to fill obviously coming in taking Josiah's spot. What was his role like for you as you now kind of step into that lead linebacker role?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, Trott was a great person, a great player. He was always there for us. We worked together. We strive together. We sharpened each other's tools. I mean, it's just like another day, just take another step. And I'm just grateful for the opportunity that he left behind him for us to come and do what he did.

Q. A lot of talk obviously about another game added to the SEC slate this year. What do you imagine having that ninth conference game is going to be like?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: It's going to be great. It's going to be tough. But that's what we signed up for. We play the game of football that we love. I mean, like me personally, I like playing competitive games. It makes me be more into it. And I feel like when you play a competitive team, you play to the standard. So it's going to be great.

Q. Drink has talked about Ahmad Hardy's presence being there (indiscernible) participating. What have you seen from him recently?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, Ahmad's always in there. I mean, he's in there from the morning to we're done working out. He's always working out, getting rehab. He's supporting the team. When we do stadiums, he's out there with us. We're doing Tiger shut-outs (phonetic) he's out there with us.

I mean, even outside of football, like, we go eat, we went to dinner the other day went to this Mexican spot there with Santana. And Ahmad, we went there had a good time, had some food and then we're just always kicking it and building that camaraderie.

Q. The defense is obviously trying to replace all 11 starters. So you're going to become an every week starter. Who are some of the guys that you've seen step up into every day starter potential roles?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I've seen Darris Smith make a big jump, Marquis Gracial. I've seen Jeremiah Beasley make a big jump. Roz has made a big jump even though he just got here. Santana Banner's made a big jump. Trajen Greco made a big jump. I mean, I could just keep naming them the whole def row, all in all, has been working hard and we're excited for the season and fall camp.

Q. What's one part of your game that you're most excited for come into the 2026 season?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I'm most excited for the physicality part of my game. I feel like, coming from a wrestling background, and I have the opportunity to showcase that this year being physical at the point of attack. I'm excited for that.

Q. What do you remember last year's game against Texas A&M? And how much are you looking forward to hosting them two years in a row now?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I mean, it was a difficult game. I mean, we're excited. We're really excited to host them. We have a great home schedule this game. We play two teams from Texas and some more teams at home. We'll have that field rocking especially with the new end zone finished up. And we're excited, and I know the fans can't wait.

Q. What do you remember about the Kansas game last year, now getting to go to Lawrence for the first time in forever, what excites you about that?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I've never been in Kansas. So I'm going to be excited to go over there for that game. Our game we had last year was great. I mean, it was a great atmosphere. It was great competition. And I'm just excited to go over there and see what it is like in Kansas to play them at home. Excited for that.

Q. What's your coach like on a daily basis? What do people not know about him?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: What do they not know about him? Hmm. He's pretty open. You see him. He's pretty funny. He makes some jokes. He's serious at times when he needs to be. And he'll check the team and lead us in the right direction all the time.

But I'm sure -- he always says -- we always compete. We have a basketball hoop in the team room. Every time before we have a meeting, he'll call offense or defense to go shoot some hoops. Sometimes it will be coaches. And some of them coaches cannot shoot. But it is what it is.

Q. On the subject of your coach, I would assume he is probably maybe someone who likes to instigate some jokes from time to time. Tell me the best one that you're aware of?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: I don't even know if I could say the best one I'm aware of. But, I mean, anything you could think of, he probably said it in that team room. I mean, I can't. It's so funny, though. But let me think of one. Yeah, no.

Q. What's it been like practicing against Austin Simmons and then maybe a left-handed quarterback? Is there anything different that maybe you see from a defensive perspective?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, it's a different throwing motion for sure. But at the end of the day, you're still reading his shoulder, reading his quarterback tilt and seeing where he's going to throw. At the end of the day, he's a great quarterback, and he's been doing great things over there.

Q. Coach last year, after the Gator Bowl, he looked at you and said, "You're coming back, right?" What's it mean to you to have been a part of this team, to know that you're dialed in, that you haven't thought about looking elsewhere?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, that was actually a funny moment after the game. But I'm just excited to be here. I'm excited to be committed to the team. I'm excited that all my teammates know that I'm committed to them and that we have something to prove. STP, we're always competing. So I'm just excited to be out there with the guys and coaches and the staff and compete for one more year.

Q. Being from South Florida, did you consider staying in state, or was going to Mizzou pretty much a slam dunk for you?

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ: Staying in state wasn't a big -- like, it wasn't big for me. I just wanted to go where I fit the best, where I felt the most wanted, the most needed, where I felt most comfortable, the coaching staff, and most importantly how the locker room felt with all the guys there as I was a recruit.

And I think I made the right choice. We have something great going on in CoMo. And the locker room is great. We're all building team chemistry, being good, having cookouts, competitions, playing pickleball, even though we just started that. We're having a good time out there.