Ramirez is one of the strongest offensive linemen in the collegiate ranks, boasting a school-record bench press of 550 pounds. The four-year starter at right offensive guard is very proficient at protecting the quarterback, having operated in the team's explosive spread offense that averaged 493.98 yards per game and 59 touchdowns per season during his four years manning the right guard position.

Not only is Ramirez the strongest player in the collegiate ranks, he is also known for his field vision and intelligence. He has called all the blocking schemes the last two years and served as the line's mentor for the younger players, as he led a blocking unit that reduced the team's total of sacks allowed from 36 in 2005 to 19 in 2006.

The Willowridge High School product was rated as the No. 95 prospect in the state by SuperPrep as a senior. He was a member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Top 100 list, adding first-team all-district 20-5A honors. Rivals.com rated Ramirez as the sixth-best center in the country, and he garnered Fort Worth Star-Telegram Top 100 accolades in 2001. He also picked up first-team all-district recognition during his last two seasons.

Ramirez was recruited heavily by Kansas State, Houston, Texas-El Paso and Iowa State, but enrolled at Texas Tech in 2002. He competed as an offensive guard on the scout team that year.

In 2003, he started 10 games at offensive guard. He was an integral component of the nation's top-ranked pass offense, helping the team reduce the number of sacks allowed from 46 in 2002 to 25, as Ramirez allowed only 1½ sacks for the season. He also set a school record with a 525-pound bench press.

In 2004, Ramirez established himself as one of the elite pass protectors in the Big 12 Conference. He helped anchor an offensive line that protected first-year starting quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who led the country in passing (399.7 ypg) and total offense (491.7 ypg).

Known for his pass blocking skills, Ramirez also developed solid drive blocking ability in 2005 as the team produced its most rushing scores (25) since the 1996 season and rushed for an average of more than 100 yards per game for the second time under head coach Mike Leach. Ramirez received All-Big 12 honors, as he led the way for a unit that averaged 495.8 yards per game, including 388.8 yards passing in 2005.

The Austin American Statesman named Ramirez first-team All-Big 12 Conference in 2006. The offensive co-captain missed the first game of his career (vs. Iowa State) due to an injury (leg), but he still produced 67 knockdowns. His leadership helped reduce the team's sacks allowed from 36 in 2005 to 19 in 2006. The offense generated 5,834 yards with 52 touchdowns, but the ground game struggled, managing only 79.3 yards per game, the lowest in Ramirez' four years at Tech.

Positives: Has a thick frame with a barrel chest, broad shoulders, wide waist and hips, big midsection, long arms, large hands and very thick legs and calves, yet he still has room for at least another 10 pounds of additional growth … Dominant pass protector with a very strong hand punch to shock and jolt … Has good short-area foot speed and balance, as it is hard for a defender to take him off his feet … Has the kick slide to mirror and works hard to finish once he latches on to an opponent … Very alert on the field and calls all blocking schemes up front … Puts in the extra hours watching game films and shows a good work ethic, especially in the training room … Vocal team leader who will not hesitate to take a teammate to task if he feels they are not performing to the best of their ability … Despite his girth, he works hard to keep his pad level down, and when he does so he is much more effective with his initial burst off the snap to gain advantage … Works well in tight areas to gain position in-line and will generally maintain position vs. stunts and the bull rush … Has the hand strength and leg drive to generate leverage and pushes with force to drive the defender out of the rush lanes … Flashes good hand placement on down blocks and uses that strength to maul and move people off the line of scrimmage, even though he is not an explosive hip roller … Shows patience waiting for the defender to come to him, using his footwork to cut off the backside pursuit … When he gets his hands on a defender, he is quick to lock on and control … Adequate drive blocker with good recovery, but will lose balance when he waist bends … Comes out of his stance with legs churning to create a rush lane and has enough functional quickness on pulls and traps in the short area (lacks speed to get out on the long pull, though) … Latches on to the defender well, thanks to his upper body strength … Can locate targets in the second level, but is not used often there … Communicates well with the center and tackle on double teams and uses his size well to occupy space and anchor, dominating in the short area as a pass protector … Sometimes get high in his stance, but has good reach block ability and a strong anchor … Has excellent power behind his hand punch and is able to gain control with his violent jab into the defender's chest … Even when he is late shooting his hands, he works to get them into the opponent's chest … Showed marked improvement in 2006 in attempts to punch and replace his hands in pass protection … Alert to stunts and twists … Has good retreat agility to protect the pocket, playing with a wide base working in-line.

Negatives: Needs to improve his stamina, as he generally runs out of gas late in games … Lacks good drive blocking technique, preferring to maul the defender when he should be walling off (gets over-extended and loses balance at times, as he will bend at the waist and lose balance moving up field) … Struggles to locate and neutralize linebackers in the second level due to poor angle technique … Not good working on the edge, as he is too stiff to easily redirect and while he has a strong punch, his hands are not quick enough to counter double moves … Has the reach to extend into a defender, but will short-arm firing off the ball and needs to uses his hands more effectively to keep defenders off his legs … Has a tendency to lunge and fall off blocks in space when he loses mirror on the defender … Best working at the line of scrimmage, as he fails to keep his feet under him when having to move long distances (not nimble).

Compares To: Edwin Mulitalo, Baltimore … Like Mulitalo and fellow Ravens guard Keydrick Vincent, Ramirez is a classic mauler who wins most battles with strength. He is very alert to stunts and twists and excels at protecting the pocket … He works well with his tackle and center on double teams and shows good snap quickness to lock on and control his man … He uses his frame to gain advantage coming off the ball, but lacks the sustained speed to get out and neutralize second level defenders … He is a pile mover who works best when he widens his base to anchor … On the move, he gets too narrow and crosses his feet and lacks a feel for taking proper angles in space … Few guards possess the raw strength that Ramirez has, but with his girth he is not going to be able to mirror defenders on the edge.

2006: Sat out the Iowa State game (10/21) with an undisclosed injury (school does not release injury news).

Campus: 5.14 in the 40-yard dash … 550-pound bench press … 785-pound squat … 24-inch vertical jump … 7-foot-10 broad jump … 33 1/8-inch arm length … 10 5/8-inch hands … Right-handed … Wears contacts.

Attended Willowridge (Houston, Texas) High School, playing football for head coach David Scurlock … Rated as the No. 95 prospect in the state by SuperPrep as a senior … Was a member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Top 100 list, adding first-team All-District 20-5A honors … Rivals.com rated Ramirez as the sixth-best center in the country and he garnered Fort Worth Star-Telegram Top 100 accolades in 2001 … Also picked up first-team all-district recognition during his last two seasons.

Exercise Sports Science major … Son of Rosalinda and Manuel Ramirez … Born Feb. 19, 1983 in Houston, Texas.