Kentucky RB Chris Rodriguez Will Not Play in Music City Bowl

The bruising running back ends his career as a Wildcat with over 3,600 rushing yards.

Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez has announced via Instagram that he will not play for the Wildcats in the Music City Bowl against Iowa on Dec. 31

The third-all-time leading rusher in program history said that he will still travel to Nashville with the team: 

"Big Blue Nation, Thank you for everything!," he wrote. "Although I'm going to sit out the bowl game to focus on my health and prepare for my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, I'll be in the music city to support."

Rodriguez’s 3,644 career yards are behind just Benny Snell (3,873) and Sonny Collins (3,835). Had he played in the Music City Bowl, he would have needed 230 yards to beat Snell's record.

Hailing from McDonough, Georgia, Rodriguez arrived to Lexington in 2018. He wouldn't see the field consistently until a year later, where he shared snaps with Lynn Bowden, Kavosiey Smoke and AJ Rose, totaling 533 yards and six touchdowns on 71 attempts. 

He then broke out in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, earning over 100 carries for the first of what would be three seasons. He tallied 11 scores to go along with 785 yards. Despite missing two games due to illness, he was still selected to the All-SEC First Team. 

Now the feature back, Rodriguez had a career-year as a junior in 2021, powering his way to 1,379 yards and nine TDs on the ground, while also adding three scores through the air. He was once again tabbed with All-SEC honors. 

His final season in 2022 wouldn't start until October, as he missed the first four games of the campaign due to an off-the-field issue. He didn't skip a beat in his return, adding six more touchdowns and 904 yards. 

Rodriguez will go down as one of the best tailbacks in school history. With his departure, along with the transfer of Smoke and Mike Drennen II, Kentucky will have just two scholarship RBs — JuTahn McClain anD La'Vell Wright — available to play in the Music City Bowl against Iowa. 

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