If he's going to be casting a lot, casting fatigue is the enemy and the wrist is where you'll have the most fatigue.
Quality and construction aside, the lighter the rod the better but its also very important that the rod balances well with the reel. For this reason I would bring the reel along with you and see how it feels on the rods you are considering.
Hold it in your hand on your side with your casting hand on the rod/reel in the normal position your hand would be when reeling and casting. Now loosen up your wrist and make sure it's as effortless as possible to keep the length of the rod parallel to the ground. The more effortless it is the better the rod is balanced to the reel.
It sounds trivial but if you are making a few hundred casts in a day, it makes a big difference.
Check out this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A6mrbF4BmQ
