No. 9 Kentucky announced running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. will play at No. 20 Ole Miss on Oct. 1 after missing the team’s first four games.
The running back had to wait for the NCAA to give him a ruling on eligibility after he was arrested in May for a DUI, and he subsequently given a four-game suspension. According to the Fayette District Court, Rodriguez Jr. was originally pulled over in his SUV for “not maintaining its designated operating lane” and not driving with activated tail lights.
In the two games Rodriguez has missed while awaiting approval from the NCAA, the Wildcats have gone 2-0, including a big win over No. 18 Florida last Saturday. To begin the year, Kavosiey Smoke has led the team in rushing with 112 yards as Rodriguez’s replacement.
The next two games Rodriguez will miss will both be at home. Kentucky faces Youngstown State this weekend and Northern Illinois next weekend. The running back will return on the road against the Rebels when Kentucky continues its SEC in-conference schedule.
When it gets Rodriguez back, Kentucky will add one of its most explosive offensive players from last year. Rodriguez totaled 1,378 and 10 touchdowns in 13 games last season.
