LEXINGTON – Little about Chris Rodriguez’s college resume suggested he was ready to leave school for the 2021 NFL draft, but the speculation would not go away.
Rodriguez had yet to start a game in three seasons for Kentucky. He had never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.
But the 5-foot-11, 224-pound running back had averaged more than 7 yards per carry for his career and had rushed for at least 80 yards in each of his last four games. The common thinking suggests running backs should start being paid to play as early as possible due to the finite number of carries in each body before the physical toll of the position begins to show.