Postseason Roundtable: How will Kentucky replace Benny Snell?

The UK football program's all-time leading rusher has been one of the most consistent high-level players in the SEC over his time playing college football. For an offense that often didn't produce at a high level, his contributions were essential.

Today's roundtable question: How will Kentucky replace him?

Jeff Drummond, Managing Editor: It has long been my belief that running backs are the easiest position to find at any level. Ultimately, they are a dime-a-dozen type of football commodity, and it's much, much more difficult to replace a star quarterback or a star defensive lineman than a running back. That being said, Benny Snell had some intangibles that will make it really challenging to fill his shoes. It wasn't just the production on the field that made him special. He brought a swagger to the Cats from the first day he stepped foot on the JCFTC practice fields. It was contagious. I have little doubt that UK will have a productive running back in 2019, whether it's AJ Rose or one of the younger backs in the program, but it will be difficult for anyone to match the total impact that Snell had on the offense. I expect UK to have more of a backfield by committee for a while until it finds its next star at the position.

Warren Taylor, Staff Writer: Replacing a legend isn't easy, but the Cats are equipped to handle Benny Snell's departure more easily than casual observers in the national media might think. A.J. Rose might lack Snell's fury as a power runner but his nimble moves and soft hands add more versatility to the offense. Freshman Chris Rodriquez and Kavosiey Smoke impressed in very limited playing time this fall and either will be a capable backup.

Travis Graf, Special Contributor: Benny was the heart and soul of this Kentucky team for three years. There’s no way to replace that with one person. AJ Rose is going to be a great running back. He has the speed, size, inside and outside running ability to be special. Kentucky’s game plan will be wired differently next year to better utilize the focal points of the offense. There’s not a power back as good as Benny on the roster, but as a unit, Smoke and Rodriguez can work to replace his patented mean streak. Travis Tisdale will also have a say in who gets carries in the Wildcats’ backfield.

Justin Rowland, Publisher: I think Snell will rightfully go down as the best running back in Kentucky history. This doesn't diminish what he did at all, but some of his success was opportunity. Most backs couldn't carry the load he did, so that's to his credit, but one of the reasons Snell's numbers were so good was he consistently got a ton of carries running behind a physical offensive line on a team built for his success. Having said that, no other running back on the roster has proved they are capable of doing that over four quarters and 12 or 13 games. I suspect AJ Rose will produce more chunk plays in the running game than Snell and Kentucky will be a more explosive team with him on the field. However, for the Wildcats to move the chains as much as they have recently (and this year that didn't happen as much as fans would have liked to see), Rose, Smoke and Rodriguez need to prove they can get those hidden yards that Snell was so good at. Nobody will do that as well as Snell, but on the whole I think Kentucky's running game will still be fine. As for Smoke and Rodriguez, I am resisting the temptation to read into what they did in a couple of carries this year but I have heard hopes are high for them. My guess is Rose will get around 15 carries a game and another 15-plus will be divided up between others.