Will Levis on Finebaum: Chris Rodriguez "on a mission" in practice

Sitting out the first four games of the season, Kentucky star running back Chris Rodriguez is set to make his 2022 debut against the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.

And he’s making it clear just how excited he is to return to game action.

In an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show today, quarterback Will Levis said Rodriguez was a man on a mission in practice Monday. After serving his four-game suspension, the senior running back looks the part physically and is locked in mentally.

With the Wildcats struggling to establish a consistent rushing attack to open the year, Levis and his teammates are giddy to have him back.

“We’re excited. We know that whether he was with us or not, we were going to be able to get things done and we have been, but he’s such a great weapon to include in the offense,” Levis said. “He’s been itching to get back out there, practicing his butt off and preparing mentally as hard as anybody. Staying in shape and making sure he’s ready for his return.

“Even today in our little Monday practice we just had, he was out there on a mission. You could easily tell that from watching on the sideline. He’s going to make sure he’s ready and we’re pumped to have him back.”

Kentucky’s passing attack has been wildly effective through four games, with Levis throwing for 1,185 yards and 10 touchdowns, both good for top-20 in the nation. On the receiving end, three different players have at least 200 receiving yards and six have caught touchdown passes.

The run game, though, has been underwhelming, with the entire team combining for just 326 yards on 135 attempts — just 2.4 yards per carry. Rodriguez, a career 6.6-yard-per-carry back, is expected to change that.

And with the added production on the ground, Levis says, comes more opportunities for explosive plays through the air, as well.

“He’s going to be able to make some plays and break some runs that I think will be able to open up the play-action game,” Levis said. “A lot of our offense runs through the play-action and it’s not going to be as effective if the run game isn’t working to the level we want it to. We know that Chris is going to keep people on their toes with his effectiveness running the ball. The run game paired with our pass game, it’s very important to keep in mind.”

Check out Levis’ complete appearance on Finebaum below: