BREAKING: Chris Rodriguez will return to Kentucky in 2022
Chris Rodriguez will return to Kentucky in 2022 for a fifth and final season in Lexington.
The standout running back announced the decision this afternoon on social media.
“I want to thank God and my parents for putting me in the best position possible to get to where I want to be in life,” Rodriguez announced. “I also want to thank the Big Blue Nation for all of the love and support they’ve given me over the last few years.
“When I signed at UK, my goals were to re-write the record books and be the first in my family to graduate from college. I’m so close to accomplishing both of those goals and because of that, I would like to announce that I will be coming back for another year!
“I know coming back will make me better not only for myself but also my team and the people around me. Let’s get to work!”
History on the line for Rodriguez
Rodriguez finished the 2021 season with 1,379 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to go with 13 catches for 61 yards and three scores through the air.
Over the course of four years in Lexington, Rodriguez has racked up 2,740 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 417 carries, good for an average of 6.6 yards per carry.
Rodriguez sits at No. 6 in Kentucky’s all-time rushing list, behind only Benny Snell (No. 1, 3,873 yards), Sonny Collins (No. 2, 3,835 yards), Moe Williams (No. 3, 3,333 yards), Rafael Little (No. 4, 2,996 yards) and Mark Higgs (No. 5, 2,892 yards). The fifth-year back will need 1,134 yards in 2022 to break the career rushing record.
At his current career pace of 6.6 YPC, Rodriguez would break that record in 172 carries in 2022.
The 5-foot-11 running back is also tied for second in career rushing touchdowns with Moe Williams and Sonny Collins (26), behind only Snell (48). Rodriguez would also need to break Snell’s single-season touchdown record (19) with 23 scores to break that record.
Let’s run it back, C-Rod.
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