Chris Rodriguez to Washington in the NFL Draft

Kentucky Wildcats running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is now an NFL player.

With the 193rd pick in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL Draft, Rodriguez was selected by the Washington Commanders.

C-Rod becomes the second Wildcat to hear his name called in this year’s draft, joining Will Levis, who went 33rd to the Tennessee Titans.

A 5-foot-11, 204-pound native of Georgia, Rodriguez finished his college career ranked third on UK’s all-time rushing list with 3,644 yards and became just the fourth player in program history to hit the 3,000-yard rushing mark. He added 32 career rushing touchdowns, the second-most in school history, while his 35 career total touchdowns were the third-most in school history. He averaged 6.2 career yards per carry, which ranks third in program history, and chipped in a school-best 20 100-yard games.

His 1,379 yards rushing in 2021 ranks fifth on the UK’s single-season list. That season, he became the 10th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, and it marked just the 14th time in school history a Wildcat reached that feat. His nine 100-yard games as a junior also set a single-season record.

This past season, Rodriguez appeared in just eight games after being suspended for four games due to an NCAA violation, then sat out of the bowl game. He still ran for 904 yards and six touchdowns on 175 carries.

The two-time team captain graduated in May of 2022 with a degree in community and leadership development.

Best of luck to Rodriguez as he lives out his NFL dream in Washington!

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