Did SEC media provide preseason slight to Chris Rodriguez that Cats can use for motivation

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Chris Rodriguez led the SEC in yards per carry last season but was only named to the preseason all-SEC third team. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky football normally seems to be at its best dealing with adversity rather than prosperity and for most of this offseason, there has been very little of the “no respect card” for the Kentucky coaching staff to use going into the 2021 season. However, those at SEC Media Days finally gave Kentucky something to put on the bulletin board by naming Chris Rodriguez to the preseason All-SEC third team.

Yes, the same Rodriguez that Pro Football Focus graded as the highest returning player in the SEC and the nation’s No. 8 running back overall. Yes, the same Rodriguez that finished the 2020 season as the second-highest-graded running back and who ranked second to North Carolina’s Javonte Williams among Power Five backs in percentage of runs that picked up a first down or touchdown.

Remember he was first in the SEC with 6.6 yards per attempt last season and gained 785 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 11 games. He totaled 105 consecutive carries without being tackled behind the line of scrimmage and gained positive yardage on 116 of his 119 total attempts.

But the media voting put Tank Bigsby of Auburn and Isaiah Spiller of Texas A&M on the first team while Kevin Harris of South Carolina and Zamir White of Georgia were the second-team picks.

Bigsby had 834 yards and five touchdowns rushing last season and averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Spiller was third in the SEC in rushing with 103.6 yards per game last season but had 188 carries — 69 more than Rodriguez. Harris had 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns on 185 carries — an average of 6.2 yards per try. White had 779 yards and 11 scores on 144 tries — an average of 5.4 yards per run — last season in 10 games.

Certainly, all the backs have good numbers. But if you value the unbiased analytics — or the word of UK associate coach Vince Marrow — then Rodriguez got slighted by the media.

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