Tag: kentucky football

A former Wildcat is headed to this year’s Super Bowl

Former Kentucky lineman Darian Kinnard has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.

One Kentucky football alumni is set to take part in this year’s Super Bowl. With the Philadelphia Eagles taking down the Washington Commanders, Kentucky football alumni Darian Kinnard is headed to this year’s Super Bowl.

The former Wildcat offensive lineman played in Lexington from 2018-2021. Through his four years, he appeared in 44 games across the offensive line for Kentucky.

Kinnard is unlikely to play in the Super Bowl, as he’s a backup offensive guard for Philadelphia. However, with starting center Cam Jurgens continuing to play through injury, there is a path to playing time for the former Wildcat.

Related: Mel Kiper Jr has a Wildcat round one of mock draft

Ironically, Kinnard and the Eagles are set to take on the team that originally drafted him: the Kansas City Chiefs. The offensive lineman was taken in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.

Kinnard played sparingly in Kansas City, appearing in just six special teams snaps and failing to record a single snap on the offensive line. He’d go on to win the Super Bowl with the Chiefs despite not being active, taking home a ring against his future employers.

The Chiefs took home a 38-35 win in Super Bowl LVII, Kinnard got his ring, and Kansas City cut him.

Kinnard spent the 2023-23 season without a home before landing in Philadelphia after a strong preseason.

He played all 68 offensive snaps in week 18, and is now set for a shot at another ring on February 9.

Former Kentucky offensive coordinator has an NFL head coaching job

Former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen has a new job in the NFL.

The career trajectory of Liam Coen has been an interesting one. Long before he joined Kentucky football, he started as an assistant at schools like Brown and Rhode Island before becoming the offensive coordinator at Maine.

From there, he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant. From there, it began to jump around. He spent one year with Kentucky, then went back to the Rams for a year. Then it was back to Lexington for a year before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year as their OC.

Related: Mel Kiper’s first mock as a Wildcat in round one

It turns out that the Bucs job would also last just one season. This week, he left Tampa to become the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It will be his first head coaching position.

In his one year with the Buccaneeers, the were among the best in the league in terms of passing offense and scoring. They made the playoffs as well. It was a huge success, and earned him a promotion this week.

Congrats to Coach Coen on the new job.

Mel Kiper’s first mock draft has a Wildcat going in the first round

Mel Kiper has one Kentucky Wildcat going in round one of his mock draft.

Draft season is upon us, as marked by the first edition of ESPN expert Mel Kiper’s NFL Mock Draft (subscription required).

Kiper’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 has Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston going in the first round to the Buffalo Bills.

“Hairston is a pro-ready prospect,” Kiper said. “His awareness, burst to the ball and route-recognition skills are top-notch. Hairston was a little banged-up this season, as a shoulder injury limited him to seven games and one interception. But he had five picks the previous year, showing his ball skills.”

Hairston is standout junior cornerback for the Wildcats, as he logged 15 solo tackles, 2 forced fumbles and an interception in 2024. He spent all three years with the Wildcats, and now could head to Buffalo with the 30th overall pick in this spring’s NFL draft.

Related: Kentucky offers a pair of Florida teammates

The 6’1″ corner goes to the Bills, who could need a cornerback with standout Rasul Douglas set to be a free agent and first round pick Kaiir Elam failing to make a consistent impact.

“Drafting another receiver should be considered, and the defensive line could use reinforcements. But the cornerback spot jumps out,” Kiper said. “Buffalo allowed opponent quarterbacks to complete 68.5% of their passes, 28th in the league, and Rasul Douglas is on an expiring deal.”

Kentucky Football has offered a pair of teammates from Florida

Kentucky football has offered a pair of Florida teammates.

Kentucky football has stayed hot on the recruiting trail, offering a pair of teammates out of Orlando.

The Wildcats extended athletic scholarship offers to 2026 recruits Devin Jackson and Danny Odem on Tuesday morning.

Both players hail form Orlando, with each playing under head coach Jeff Conway at The First Academy.

Jackson is a three-star safety recruit. By On3, he’s ranked as the 44th best safety nationally in the 2026 class and is committed to the Florida Gators.

“Extremely Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky,” Jackson said via his personal X account.

Odem isn’t ranked as a star recruit by On3, although he has picked up high-profile offers from schools like Florida, Penn State, and Ole Miss. Kentucky isn’t even the most recent for the 6’2″ cornerback, as he was also offered by Arkansas earlier this morning.

“Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky,” Odem posted.

Kentucky football lands a huge transfer portal offensive lineman

Kentucky gets a commitment from offensive tackle transfer Shiyazh Pete.

The biggest task facing Kentucky football and coach Mark Stoops this offseason is fixing the offensive line. They have added multiple linemen through the transfer portal already, and have now added the left tackle they were seeking in Shiyazh Pete.

Pete heads to Lexington after spending four years at New Mexico State. There, he was a three-year starter at left tackle, so he fills a big need for Stoops and the Wildcats.

Related: How Kentucky’s new receivers stack up to last year

At 6’8″ and 320 lbs, Pete is a mammoth tackle who likely starts at left tackle on a revamped offensive line. Kentucky added Wallace Unamba, Evan Wibberley, Joshua Braun, and Alex Wollschlaeger already through the portal. Pete becomes the fifth addition to a new-look Big Blue Wall.

Kentucky football is coming off of their worst season in a number of years. They are looking to bounce back, and hit the transfer portal to address a number of positions, but none more than the offensive line.

The Wildcats beat out teams like the Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers to get a commitment from Pete. He is another good addition to the team this offseason.

Three former Wildcats survive the NFL’s Wildcard Weekend

Three former Kentucky football players will continue on in the NFL Playoffs.

Five Wildcats came into NFL Wildcard Weekend. Only three survived.

Ray Davis, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Darian Kinnard all survived Wildcard weekend and will be moving on to the NFL’s divisional playoff round.

None of the three made much of an impact in their respective games. Davis is the only one that recorded a stat, as he logged a single carry for 3 yards.

Rodriguez did not record a carry or reception in the Commanders 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday night.

Related: Comparing Kentucky’s 2024 and 2025 receivers

Kinnard, a reserve offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, also did not feature prominently in the team’s 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Other former Wildcats Bud Dupree (Chargers) and Carrington Valentine (Packers) were eliminated over the weekend. Dupree did not record a stat in the Chargers’ 32-12 loss to the Texans, while Valentine logged 5 total tackles.

Former Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary also will be moving on to the next round with his team, the Baltimore Ravens — although he is a member of their practice squad.

How the new Kentucky receivers stack up to the lost transfers

Comparing Kentucky’s new receivers to those they lost this offseason.

Kentucky football has never had problems bringing in key talent — particularly at receiver. From Wan’Dale Robinson to Randall Cobb, there has been no shortage of Wildcat pass-catchers making their way to the NFL.

That may be the case with this upcoming wide receiver room, as Kentucky’s newly added wide receivers are looking to be one of the strongest in the SEC.

Coming into this window, the Wildcats were staring down the loss of Barion Brown, Dane Key, Hardley Gilmore IV, and Anthony Brown-Stephens. All four committed elsewhere.

Related: Kentucky football lands All-American edge rusher

In total, Kentucky lost the following production from each:

Dane Key: 47 rec, 715 yds, 2 TD

Barion Brown: 29 rec, 361 yds, 3 TD

Hardley Gilmore IV: 6 rec, 153 yds, TD

Anthony Brown-Stephens: 5 rec, 77 yds, 2 TD

Since the portal opened, Kentucky has added a slew of receivers: Louisiana Tech’s Tru Edwards, Clemson’s Troy Stellato, Oklahoma’s JJ Hester, and Alabama’s Kendrick Law.

The four had the following production:

Tru Edwards: 85 rec, 989 yds, 6 TD

Troy Stellato: 25 rec, 264 yds, TD

JJ Hester: 14 rec, 315 yds, TD

Kendrick Law: 10 rec, 105 yds, TD

It’s a stark difference, as the Wildcat’s new receivers outgunned their transfer portal losses by 47 receptions, 367 yards, and a single touchdown.

If Kentucky wants things to turn around in 2025, they’ll need more of that kind of production from the new receivers.

Kentucky football misses out on a transfer portal cornerback

Kentucky transfer portal target Tamarcus Cooley commits to LSU.

Mark Stoops and Kentucky football have done very well so far in the transfer portal. Among their recent commitments are an All-American edge rusher and an All-Conference wide receiver. They can’t win them all, though. Cornerback Tamarcus Cooley is one that got away.

Cooley was one of the top cornerbacks in the portal, and Kentucky brought him in for a visit, hoping to add him to a revamped defense. However, the former North Carolina State star chose the LSU Tigers.

Related: Receiver Troy Stellato commits to Kentucky

Last season, for the Wolfpack, Cooley was credited with 39 tackles, a sack, three interceptions, and six passes defended. He also forced two fumbles and had three tackles for a loss.

The Wildcats could certainly have used his skills in the secondary. With Maxwell Hairston headed to the NFL, the cornerback position is a bit of an unknown.

Unfortunately, Cooley’s off to the Tigers, and fans will have to wait and see if they pivot to someone else in the portal.

Elite transfer edge picks Kentucky over Georgia

Elite South Dakota transfer edge rusher signs with the Kentucky Wildcats

South Dakota Coyotes transfer edge rusher Mi’Quise Grace has signed with the Kentucky Wildcats. Grace, a sophomore, picked Kentucky over other top schools including the Georgia Bulldogs.

Grace helped South Dakota advance to the FCS championship semifinals during the 2024 college football season. Grace was among the most productive players in the nation with 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 58 total tackles.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge rusher brings size and experience to Kentucky. Grace could start right away for the Wildcats, who had a solid defense last season.

The South Dakota standout is ranked as the No. 11 edge rusher in the transfer portal, per 247Sports. Grace is ranked as the No. 70 transfer player in the nation.

Georgia is looking to add some front-seven depth via the transfer portal in the form of a pass rusher or defensive lineman. The Bulldogs are losing Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Warren Brinson, Chaz Chambliss, and Nazir Stackhouse to the NFL draft. UGA’s other top pass rusher, Damon Wilson, has entered the transfer portal as well.

Kentucky football adds an All-Conference receiver from the transfer portal

Kentucky football gained another wide receiver commitment from the transfer portal.

A day after landing an Football Championship Subdivision All-American in Mi’Quise Grace, coach Mark Stoops and Kentucky football have added another quality player from the transfer portal. Wide receiver Tru Edwards has committed to the Wildcats.

Kentucky’s wide receiver room will look much different in 2025. Since the end of the season, fans have seen the departures of Dane Key, Barion Brown, and Hardley Gilmore. Meanwhile, Edwards is the fourth receiver added from the portal, joining J.J. Hester, Kendrick Law, and Troy Stellato.

Related: Two Wildcats set to play at the Senior Bowl

Edwards started his college career in junior college, then he had a stop at Hawaii before joining Louisiana Tech. Last season, he was named All-Conference USA after recording 84 receptions for 986 yards and 6 touchdowns.

At 6’3″ and 200 lbs, Edwards brings good size to the Wildcats and and he knows how to use it effectively. It’s another solid addition to the Kentucky roster, and he should make an immediate impact on the offense.