Chris Rodriguez Jr.

HISTORY — from college profile
• Elected a two-time team captain
• A four-year letterwinner who ended his Wildcat career as one of the most prolific running backs in school history, totaling 3,644 rushing yards in his career, third-most in program history
• Ranked fifth on the FBS active career rushing yards list
• Had 32 rushing touchdowns, second on the Cats’ all-time list
• Had 35 total touchdowns, fourth on the Cats’ all-time list
• Recorded a school-record 20 100-yard games
• Graduated in May of 2022 with a degree community and leadership development

 

2022 – Senior
• Third-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• Elected one of seven team captains
• Maxwell Award Watch List
• Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
• Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
• Played in eight games with seven starts and had 175 rushes for 904 yards and six TDs
• Rushed 19 times for 72 yards and one touchdown in his return at Ole Miss … Also had three catches for a career-high 40 receiving yards
• Had 126 yards vs. South Carolina, becoming the first player in school history to have at least three 125-yard rushing games against the same opponent … • In four games, he carried the ball 68 for 474 yards (7.0 per carry) and four touchdowns
• Had 31 rushes for 197 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Mississippi State … 31 carries were a career best and most for a UK running back since Benny Snell Jr. had 32 carries against Vanderbilt in 2018 … 197 yards were the second-most in his career
• Rushed 29 times for 112 yards in the win over Missouri
• Had two rushing TDs against Vanderbilt, marking the eighth time in his career, and the second instance this season, he has recorded multiple touchdowns rushing in a single game
• Had 24 carries for 120 yards in the win over Louisville, becoming the first player to have three 100-yard games against the Cardinals
• Has totaled 100-plus rushing yards in five of the last six games
• Preseason Second-Team All-America (Phil Steele)
• Preseason Fourth-Team All-America (Athon)
• Preseason First-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• Preseason First-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• Preseason Second-Team All-SEC (Media)

 

2021 – Junior (Team Captain)
• First-Team All-SEC (AP, USA Today Network)
• Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches, Phil Steele)
• Third-Team All-SEC (PFF)
• SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Week 2)
• CFPA Honorable Mention (Week 2)
• On3’s SEC Player of the Week (Week 2)
• College Sports Madness Offensive SEC Player of the Week (Week 2)
• Maxwell Award Watch List
• Doak Walker Award Watch List
• Ranked 12th nationally and second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (106.1)
• Ranked 18th nationally and second in the SEC in rushing yards (1,379)
• Ranked 18th nationally and second in the SEC in rushing yards per carry (6.13)
• Ranked seventh in the SEC in all-purpose yards per game (110.77)
• Became the 10th player in school history to have 2,000 or more career rushing yards
• Played in all 13 games with 12 starts in 2021
• Totaled 1,379 rushing yards in 2021, fifth on the UK single-season list
• Also had 13 receptions for 61 yards and three scores
• Became just the 10th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the 14th total time a Wildcat has accomplished that feat
• Had nine 100-yard rushing games, a new school record
• Had a streak of five consecutive games with a rushing TD, the second-longest streak in school history
• Rushed 20 times for 107 yards in the win over Iowa in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, including the game winning touchdown on a six-yard run with 1:48 remaining … Scored both of UK’s touchdowns, the first coming on a five-yard pass reception on UK’s first possession of the game … Marked his fifth consecutive 100-yard game, third-longest streak in school history
• Rushed 16 times for 121 yards and one touchdown in the win at Louisville
• Rushed 16 times for 114 yards and one touchdown in the win over Vanderbilt, averaging 7.1 yards per carry … He played less than three quarters of the game
• Caught a career-high four passes at No. 1 Georgia
• Rushed 16 times for 147 yards and UK’s final touchdown in the win over LSU … Averaged 9.2 yards per carry … Also caught a three-yard touchdown pass on UK’s first offensive possession, his second receiving TD of the season … Marked the most rushing yards for a Wildcat vs. LSU since Al Baker (159) in 1990
• Rushed 19 times for 99 yards and one touchdown in the win over No. 10/9 Florida, the most rushing yards for a Wildcat vs. Florida in Lexington since Moe Williams in 1993 (109 yards)
• First player since Benny Snell Jr. in 2018 to rush for 100 yards in each of the first two games
• Rushed 27 times for 206 yards vs. Missouri – both career highs … Had three rushing TDs and also caught a five-yard touchdown pass on the first possession, his first collegiate receiving TD

 

2020 – Sophomore
• First-Team All-SEC (Pro Football Focus)
• Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• Played in nine of 11 games
• Team’s leading rusher with 785 yards on 119 carries along with a team-high 11 touchdowns
• Averaged an SEC-high 6.6 yards per carry (17th nationally)
• Ranked fifth in the SEC in rushing (87.2 ypg)
• Had four 100-yard games with a career-best 149 yards vs. Vanderbilt
• Carried the ball 17 times for 84 yards, including both of UK’s touchdowns, in the win over NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
• Rushed 14 times for 139 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the win over South Carolina… His 79-yard touchdown run clinched the game in the fourth quarter and marked his career long run and the fifth-longest run in school history against an SEC opponent
• Became just the second player in school history, also Mark Higgs, to have two runs of at least 74 yards in the same season (had a 74-yard run vs. Vanderbilt)
• Also had a career-high 151 all-purpose yards vs. South Carolina
• Rushed 13 times for a career-high 149 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns vs. Vanderbilt
• Averaged 11.5 yards per attempt, best for a UK rusher against an SEC opponent (min. 10 carries) since Randall Cobb averaged 17 yards (10 for 170) vs. Vanderbilt in 2010
• Rushed a career-high 20 times for 108 yards vs. No. 5 Georgia
• Led the Wildcats on the ground in the win over Tennessee with 13 carries for 73 yards, including a two-yard touchdown run that closed the scoring

 

2019 – r-Freshman
• Saw action in all 13 games
• Totaled 71 carries for 533 yards and six scores, ranking fourth on the team in all categories
• Averaged 7.5 yards per carry (second on the team behind Lynn Bowden’s school record 7.9 ypc)
• His 41.0 yards per game average ranked ninth among SEC freshmen
• Ranked tied for eighth with teammate Kavosiey Smoke in scoring (TDs) among SEC freshmen (2.8)
• Had two 100-yard rushing games
• Rushed six times for 18 yards in the Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech … Had a two-yard TD run late in the second quarter, his sixth TD of the year
• Rushed nine times for 125 yards, including a career-long 64-yard touchdown in UK’s 45-13 win over Louisville
• Rushed 15 times for a career-high 129 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Vanderbilt

 

2018 – Freshman
• Redshirt season
• Saw action in three games
• Appeared in his first collegiate game vs. Murray State and bulldozed two carries for 43 yards

 

High School
• A three-star prospect by all the major recruiting services
• Played on both sides of the ball as a running back and strong safety
• Ran for 1,669 yards on 233 carries with 25 touchdowns as a senior
• Averaged 7.2 yards per carry
• Named Henry County Offensive Player of the Week in November after running for 236 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Union Grove
• Rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns with eight separate games of 100-plus yards rushing as a sophomore
• Increased his numbers to 1,660 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns as a junior
• Earned All-State, All-Region and All-County honors
• Named the Ola 2015 Player of the Year by MaxPreps
• Coached by Jared Zito
• Also lettered in basketball and track
• Chose UK over offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State

 

PERSONAL
• Born in Riverdale, Georgia
• Son of Stephanie Thornton and Chris Rodriguez
• Siblings are Chyna Thornton and Gabbi Rodriguez
• His nickname is “C-Rod”
• Likes country music
• Says that the three people he would invite to his fantasy dinner are Chance the Rapper, Drake, and Odell Beckham Jr.
• When he played football as a kid he pretended to be Marshawn Lynch

2022

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
5.2	6.0	903.0	174.0	72.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
5.0	8.2	0.0	17.0	41.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	1.0	1.0

2021

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
6.1	9.0	1379.0	225.0	41.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
13.0	4.7	3.0	12.0	61.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	3.0	6.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

2020

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
6.6	11.0	785.0	119.0	79.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
1.0	12.0	0.0	12.0	12.0

2019

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
7.5	6.0	533.0	71.0	64.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
1.0	2.0	0.0	2.0	2.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	1.0	2.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0

kickReturns
LONG	YDS	NO	TD	AVG
20.0	37.0	3.0	0.0	12.3

2018

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
21.5	0.0	43.0	2.0	27.0