Cody Rofshus, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound junior offensive lineman from Luverne (MN) High, attended a recent Minnesota Golden Gopher practice. Rodshus helped lead the Cardinals to a 9-2 mark, losing to Jackson County Central in the Class AA, Section 3 finals 35-28.
Gopher Hole.com caught up with Luverne head coach Todd Oye to learn more about his standout player.
Gopher Hole: Has Cody been hearing from many schools in the past?
Todd Oye: It wasn’t really much. He went to a couple of camps last summer. I told him that you need to go to a summer camp to get noticed, so he went to NDSU. I’ve got him out there as a possible prospect, so I think that it is just starting to heat up. The (current redshirt freshman Jonah) Pirsig kid things started to heat up for him late for him, too. We don’t know if he is at that level, but that is not for me to decide.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as Cody’s strengths as a player?
Todd Oye: He obviously has some size. He has pretty good feet and strength. An even-keeled kid that doesn’t get his feathers ruffled, but yet is nasty when he is blocking.
Gopher Hole: What positions is he playing for you. Is he playing on both sides of the field this season?
Todd Oye: A little school like us, he plays both ways. He started as a tackle as a sophomore for us. He is at left tackle for us.
Gopher Hole: What things, like any kid, does he need to continue to improve on to play at the collegiate level?
Todd Oye: A lot of it is keep your feet moving and moving your feet and staying off the ground. He has the strength side of it, so he just needs to keep working on his feet, like any lineman.
Gopher Hole: What position do you see him playing in college?
Todd Oye: I think that he is an offensive linemen at that level. He is probably a guard. He plays offensive tackle for us, but his projected position is guard.
Gopher Hole: Does he come from an athletic family?
Todd Oye: He had an older brother who played for us. He (Cody) is the opposite of a runt. He is really big compared to the rest of his family. His brother was a fullback for us, who was maybe 5-9 or 5-10. His father is an avid weightlifter and they work out quite a bit together.
Gopher Hole: He also competes in track, right?
Todd Oye: He is a very good weight guy. He throws both shot and discus. In the first USD indoor meet, he won that meet (the Norm Herren Invitational at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion).
Gopher Hole: Do you definitely think that he is a Division I capable player?
Todd Oye: Yes. Yes, I do.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that he is a Big Ten level?
Todd Oye: Like I said, I don’t have enough Big Ten guys to compare him to. I graduated from here in the 90’s and the North Central Conference yielded the NDSU’s and the SDSU’s and they have done better well and he could fit in there, so he is right there.
Gopher Hole: Has he been hearing from other schools besides Minnesota?
Todd Oye: Not that I am aware of yet. Like I said, he did not get himself out to a lot of camps. He just did the one last year.
Gopher Hole: Has he talked about going to any camps this year?
Todd Oye: He is now talking about going to the University of Minnesota camp, but that is about it.
Gopher Hole: Has he talked about wanting to play college football?
Todd Oye: Yes. He is a pretty quiet kid. He is getting some interest in track and field as well. You know how it is, when things are going well you start getting some interest and some doors starting opening up that would spark that interest even more. We haven’t had a Big Ten kid come out of here from Luverne since probably the 60’s.
Gopher Hole: I know that you had a good season last year. What are the expectations for the upcoming season?
Todd Oye: We have been fortunate the last five to ten years like when his brother played in three Prep Bowls in a row and we have been in the section finals the last seven years. In our Class AA, we hope to compete in the top end.
Gopher Hole: What about your dealings with him just as a kid?
Todd Oye: Like I said, a very low maintenance kid. Quiet. Works hards. He is very reliable.
Gopher Hole: Did he say much to you at all about his visit to Minnesota this past weekend?
Todd Oye: No. Actually, his mom teaches at the school here and played volleyball for us. She is about my age and she told me about it a little bit. He doesn’t walk around bragging about stuff. If you ask him, you’ll get a couple of words out of him, but otherwise, he is a pretty humble kid.
Gopher Hole: Is he going to be one of your captains this year?
Todd Oye: I would be surprised if he wasn’t.
Gopher Hole: How about him as a leader?
Todd Oye: Like I said, he leads by example. He is the first one in line telling people when it is time to step up. He is planning on organizing the weight lifting for the rest of the school year, so he has the leadership that you need.