Kentucky star RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. among several players hit with multi-game suspension
Kentucky star RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. among several players hit with multi-game suspension: During his Monday news conference, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops revealed that the Wildcats’ All-SEC running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. will not be available for the team’s opening game, which will be played at home against Miami (Ohio).
The senior is one of several players who are likely to serve a suspension that will last for multiple games; however, the exact length of Rodriguez’s absence has not been disclosed at this time. Jordan Wright, a senior outside linebacker, was also mentioned as one of the players who have been suspended.
Statement
“A couple of them will be suspended for more than one game, but the length of their bans is unknown to me. I have a sneaking suspicion that one will be here next week “According to 247Sports, Stoops stated.
The suspension shouldn’t come as much of a shock to anyone. According to 247Sports, Rodriguez has another unresolved incident, the facts of which have not been made public, and he was detained in May for DUI and careless driving. The details of this event have not been made public.
Over the course of his four years with the Wildcats, Rodriguez has rushed for 2,379 yards and scored 27 touchdowns on the ground. In the previous season, he finished in second place in the SEC with 106.08 yards per game and was one of just two players in the conference to average more than 100 yards per game on the ground.
His accomplishments helped him finish in second place in the SEC. He is currently ranked sixth all-time on Kentucky’s list of career rushers and needs a little more than 1,100 yards to pass Benny Snell and take over the top spot as the school’s all-time leader in this category.
Kavosiey Smoke, another senior, will most likely fill in for Rodriguez in the starting role of feature back on Saturday and for the duration of his absence. In his career spanning four years, Smoke has rushed for 1,306 yards and scored 12 touchdowns while doing so.
Remark
The year 2019 was easily his greatest season, as he finished it by rushing for 616 yards and scoring six times. After rushing for 1,155 yards and 13 touchdowns for Sam Houston in his previous season, Ramon Jefferson, a transfer from Sam Houston, is another possibility for the Wildcats.
“We have a lot of options available to us at that position. Our goals are to compete at that level, and we anticipate to achieve them “Stoops remarked. “Rodriguez is a fantastic young guy, not just because he is an outstanding leader for this group but also because he is an outstanding football player. We have other people, and individuals will step up and compete in their place so that we can continue to play without missing a beat.”
The length of Rodriguez’s punishment is a cause for concern; if he is forced to miss multiple games, Kentucky will be without him when they take on Florida in Week 2 of SEC play. The Gators have won 33 of their past 35 meetings against the Wildcats, and the winner of this battle in Week 2 will establish the tone for the landscape in the SEC East as the team that poses the greatest threat to the team that is currently holding the title of national champion.