Tag: Maxwell Hairston

Two Kentucky football stars make preseason award watch lists

Deone Walker and Max Hairston are on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski award.

Kentucky football players Deone Walker (defensive lineman) and Max Hairston (cornerback) have made the Bronko Nahurski Award Watch List for the 2024 season.

The two Kentucky Wildcats are among the 75 players under consideration for the award.

The Bronko Nagurski Award was created in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America. It’s given each year to the best defensive player in college football

Related: Recruit Jayden Clark still in contact with Kentucky

Walker played in 26 games with 24 starts during his two seasons at Kentucky and already had 40 solo tackles, 55 assists, 17 tackles for loss and 8.5 quarterback sacks going into his junior season. He was a freshman All-American in 2022 and a third-team All-American in 2023.

Hairston had 68 tackles (third on the team) and a team-high six pass breakups to go along with his SEC-high five interceptions. He also had a one forced fumble while being named second team All-SEC.

Both Kentucky Wildcats were preseason All-SEC selections. Walker is a Walter Camp Preseason All-American and appeared on the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list.

Five Kentucky Wildcats named preseason All-SEC

The five players are Deone Walker, Barion Brown, Maxwell Hairston, Marques Cox and Jaman Dumas-Johnson.

Following the conclusion of SEC Media Days in Dallas last week, five Kentucky players were named to the 2024 Preseason Media Days All-Southeastern Conference teams on Friday.

The list includes junior defensive lineman and preseason Walter Camp selection Deone Walker and junior defensive back Maxwell Hairston — both First Team selections.

Junior wide receiver Barion Brown was named a First Team selection as a return specialist and a Third Team all-purpose selection. Two other Kentucky starters were named Third Team selections, as well: senior offensive lineman Marques Cox and senior linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

Walker had a breakthrough 2023 season, leading the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (7.5) and quarterback hurries (8).

Brown led the nation with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns in 2023. He caught 43 passes for 539 yards and four touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown catch against Clemson in the Gator Bowl.

Hairston was fifth in the nation in interceptions last season with five, including two returned for touchdowns in Kentucky’s 45-28 win at Vanderbilt on September 23. He returned an interception 29 yard for a touchdown in the first quarter and later returned one 54 yards in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats’ final score.

Cox started all 13 games for Kentucky at left tackle a season ago.

Johnson, who transferred from Georgia in December, played in eight games before suffering a season-ending forearm injury in the Bulldogs’ win over Missouri on Nov. 4. He finished the season with 34 tackles (29 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

Johnson enters the 2024 season with 125 career tackles (83 solo), 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and seven pass breakups with one interception and a forced fumbled.

Deone Walker, Maxwell Hairston earn Top 100 ratings in EA Sports College Football 25

Walker rates as the No. 21 overall player in College Football 25’s Top 100 players.

Wednesday was another eventful day for EA Sports College Football 25 and those looking forward to playing the first new NCAA football video game in over 10 years.

College Football 25 unveiled its Top 100 individual player ratings. For Kentucky, defensive end Deone Walker was unsurprisingly rated the Wildcats’ best player. Walker received a 93 overall rating, which makes him the No. 21 highest-rated player according to EA.com. Only Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. was rated higher among defensive ends (95 rating, No. 4 overall).

Walker was one of two Kentucky players to make the Top 100 ratings. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston (No. 61 overall) was the other.

Among individual attributes assigned by EA, Walker received a 71 rating for speed, an 83 rating for acceleration, a 97 rating for strength, and a 96 rating for awareness.

Hairston was given a 91 rating for speed, a 93 rating for acceleration, a 60 rating for strength, and an 88 rating for awareness.

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II were the three highest-rated players by EA. They each received a 96 overall rating.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders was the highest-rated quarterback at No. 17 overall. Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes also had the highest-rated wide receiver in Travis Hunter (No. 6 overall).

College Football 25 will be released in full July 19.

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