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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Two offensive linemen from the junior college ranks have signed national letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the University of Cincinnati.
Mario Duenas, a 6-3, 280-pound offensive tackle at the College of San Francisco, and Ken Rodriguez, a 6-3, 305-pound lineman at Citrus College, will join the Bearcats when Winter quarter starts in January and begin competing for starting jobs on the UC offensive front.
"Both of these young men are highly skilled performers and very mature individuals, whom we feel will get into the mix immediately and challenge for starting positions," stated UC head coach Mark Dantonio.
"We targeted both last spring and have been able to watch them," added Dantonio. "Both are good students and are mid-year graduates of their junior colleges. They will be able to be a part of our team when we begin winter workouts."
Duenas, from Antioch, Calif., was a first team all-state selection and earned Northern California Offensive Lineman of the Year honors after leading San Francisco to a 9-1 record, a finish in the finals of the state playoffs and a No. 2 ranking nationally in 2005. He was a starter on the 2003 team that posted a 12-0 record and was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Rodriguez, a Los Angeles native, was a first team all-conference selection as an offensive tackle this past season, and was named Citrus' Most Outstanding Offensive Player. He was a defensive lineman at Rowland High and participated in the Beachcomber Down Under Bowl all-star game in Australia, following his senior year.
"We felt it necessary to bring in quality junior college players, because of our youth on the offensive line and the fact that we were losing three senior starters," Dantonio explained. "Mario and Ken will help us fill an immediate need."