SARASOTA, FLA. – VCU men's soccer alum Andres Rodriguez signed his first professional contract with the Sarasota Paradise of the USL League One, the club announced Tuesday.
 
Rodriguez, a four-year leader on and off the field for VCU, was a member of the program's 2025 graduating class and will join the USL1 ranks for the Paradise's inaugural professional season in 2026.
 
The senior capped his outstanding career with a pair of assists in his final two games in the Black & Gold, concluding his final season with career-high marks in minutes and assists. Across his four seasons, the Woodbridge, Virginia, native played in 65 games and compiled 5,300 minutes on the pitch with three goals and eight assists. As a sophomore, Rodriguez led the Rams to their 2023 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship.
 
Rodriguez is welcomed to Sarasota as a member of the Paradise's first-ever professional roster, competing in the USL League One in 2026.
 
"Andres comes from one of the nation's hotbeds for player development, the Washington DC area, and I've watched him lead his team and excel at VCU for four years," Head Coach and Technical Director Mika Elovaara said, per the Paradise. "He is a humble and hard-working warrior with impressive maturity in and out of possession, and I think he has a lot of potential to be a long-term professional player."
 
Rodriguez and the Paradise will open their 2026 season on Saturday, March 7, in Sarasota. Read more from the Sarasota Paradise, here.