Running back is ‘nobody’s job yet,’ but Kentucky has shown it doesn’t really matter

Half the teams in the Southeastern Conference had at least two running backs carry the ball more than 100 times in 2019. Three — Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee — each return two rushers with that distinction.

One can easily make the argument that, when it comes to grinding out yards against a 10-game SEC schedule this fall, UK’s running backs are more well-equipped than any unit in the league. If not for the emergence last season of Lynn Bowden, who gobbled up 185 rushing attempts, Kentucky might have had three 100-carry backs returning in 2020.

Chris Rodriguez (71 carries for 533 yards in 2019) is the odd man out in that department behind senior A.J. Rose (149 carries, 826 yards) and fellow sophomore Kavosiey Smoke (101 carries, 616 yards) but make no mistake: all three of those guys will see the field plenty this fall, and while Rose has the edge in seniority, any of them could be the leading man any given Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of competition in the room and it’s nobody’s job yet,” Rodriguez said during a Zoom teleconference this fall. “We’re all working and we’re all trying to make each other better.”

It might not be anyone’s job, technically, but it’d be hard to believe a healthy Rose won’t start at Auburn on Sept. 26. A mere 459 yards away from entering the school’s top 10 all-time rushers, Rose is well aware of what a strong senior campaign means for him in terms of leaving a legacy in Lexington and departing as a draft-pick worthy player as NFL front offices make their evaluations.

Co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eddie Gran says Rose is taking the necessary steps to become a back who can better handle the week-to-week thumping of 260-pound linebackers at the next level. He, as well as UK’s other runners, are making big leaps in their pass-protection ability, too.

“You’ve gotta understand leverage, you’ve gotta understand that you gotta get stripe to stripe with somebody and you’ve gotta have an anchor,” Gran said. “You’ve gotta shoot your hands and you gotta hold it for two and a half seconds. We’re not getting half a man right now, we’re getting stripe to stripe and we’re doing some things better with A.J., and I’m excited about that.

“And then, just in terms of hitting the hole, being square and not turning your body, he’s doing those things, too. He’s really listening and he’s taking coaching. I like where he’s at.”

Even more?

Three is a significant amount of mouths to feed. What about four? Or Five?

Jutahn McClain, a four-star prospect whose other offers included Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, has been on the receiving end of ample praise going back to UK’s truncated spring practice. Gran says he’s comfortable putting the true freshman into games this fall, a decision no doubt made easier by the NCAA’s decision to not count this year against players’ overall eligibility.

“He’s a little bit different,” Gran said. “Locked in every day. He knows this offense as well any of the three that I have right now. I think he’s a special player.”

Travis Tisdale, a redshirt freshman who appeared in UK’s blowout victories over Tennessee Martin and Vanderbilt last season, is another former four-star recruit who should vie for touches this season. It’s difficult to foresee every individual getting what they might think is their fair share of carries, but in a year where injuries aren’t the only factor that can bring a unit to its knees, the more talent the better.

“We’re gonna need everybody,” Rodriguez said. “If their time comes when they need to step up, then, they’re gonna be ready.”

Scouting the Cats

This is the third of nine stories looking at the 2020 Kentucky football team position-by-position.

Outlook: Running backs

Leading man: Senior A.J. Rose led UK’s running backs in rushing and carries last season and projects as the probable starter at the position again. With 1,305 career yards, Rose needs a little less than 700 yards to become the 10th Wildcat to hit 2,000 for his career. A 1,000-yard individual rushing season seems unlikely, given the amount of mouths to feed as well as the shortened schedule, but it’s been a goal of Rose’s for a while.

Supporting cast: Rose should start, but Kavosiey Smoke and Chris Rodriguez will get ample time behind the line of scrimmage again. Each rushed for six touchdowns (as did Rose) and at times was the Cats’ respective No. 2 rusher (behind Lynn Bowden) in individual game settings. Rodriguez had two 100-yard rushing games last year, including a career-high 129 at Vanderbilt, while Smoke’s career high also came at Vanderbilt when he managed 95 yards on 15 carries (he also recorded a personal-best 28-yard reception off a screen pass in that game.) There’s a better chance than not, especially with more SEC minutes on the schedule, that freshmen Travis Tisdale, Jutahn McClain and Mike Drennen — listed on the roster as an “athlete” — get touches over the course of the season as well.

Synopsis: Kentucky’s 2019 season was defined by its ability to run through defenses like they were water, particularly by year’s end. While the captain of the boat is in the NFL, there are plenty of seamen still aboard and ready to show how smooth their own sailing can be. It’s unrealistic to expect record-breaking numbers from this unit again, as the run game shouldn’t need to be as much of a crutch as it was last year, but it could be capable of churning out another big season if necessary.

This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 8:48 AM.

Josh Moore

Lexington Herald-Leader

Josh Moore covers the University of Kentucky football team for the Lexington Herald-Leader, where he’s been employed since 2009. Moore, a Martin County native, graduated from UK with a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication and English in 2013. He’s a fan of the NBA, Power Rangers and Pokémon. Support my work with a digital subscription