Kentucky is getting a big piece of its offense to return for another season with the Wildcats.

Chris Rodriguez, who rushed for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior in helping lead UK to a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa, announced via social media Monday afternoon that he will be back for his senior season.

The McDonough, Ga., native said he had two goals in mind when deciding to put his NFL dreams on hold.

“When I signed at UK, my goals were to re-write the record books and be the first in my family to graduate from college," Rodriguez said. "I’m so close to accomplishing both of those goals, and because of that, I would like to announce that I will be coming back for another year.

“I know coming back will make me better not only for myself but also my team and the people around me. Let’s get to work."

His return means that UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen will have both his star quarterback, Will Levis, and star running back for his second year of calling plays in Lexington. The Cats went from the No. 107 scoring offense in 2020 (21.8 ppg) to the No. 35 scoring offense in 2021 (32.3 ppg).

Rodriguez has rushed for 2,740 yards in his UK career, which ranks sixth on the school's all-time list behind Benny Snell (3,873), Sonny Collins (3,835), Moe Williams (3,333), Rafael LIttle (2,996), and Mark Higgs (2,892). He'll need 1,134 yards to pass Snell's record, which was set during the 2019 Citrus Bowl win over Penn State.