KSBar and Grille is the place in Lexington to catch University of Kentucky games (pre and postgame too) as well as other events such as the NBA Playoffs, UFC fights, the World Cup, MLB games, PGA tour events, and more.
KSBar might be known for their smoked wings but don’t miss out on the brisket platter, fried katfish, chicken and waffles, and the great assortment of burgers. Start off with the house chips loaded to the ceiling smothered with pulled pork or chicken straight off the smoker topped with the house BBQ sauce.
Head to the KSBar and Grille website ksbarandgrille.com to see a full menu and drink list.
Be on the look out for different specials and events.
KSBar and Grille is located at: 1030 South Broadway, Lexington, KY 40504
You can be a part of KSR’s Top 10 Tweets by using hashtags like #KSR #BBN or #KSRtop10. You can also nominate tweets by mentioning them with the hashtag. If we like what we see, it could be posted the next day.
If you are interested in sponsoring KSR’s Top 10 Tweets, please contact us at Via Email.
#10 Advised Gaming
Hey @UKCoachCalipari can you please remind @KarlTowns what big blue madness is ? #BBN @UKBasketbalI @BBN pic.twitter.com/FmHChfAkVk
— Viewer Discretion Advised Gaming (@AdvisedGaming) September 20, 2019
C’mon KAT!!!
#9 Jimmy Brown
Don't worry @TroyAikman, @JoshAllen41_ is used to being held. Only way the SEC could slow him down. #BBN
— Jimmy Brown (@jbrown2031) September 20, 2019
Josh Allen: still pretty good.
#8 Blue Hair Guy
The Best Punter in the Country @Max__Duffy #BlueHairUKGuy #WeAreUK #BBN #BringIt #KSR #KSRTop10 pic.twitter.com/yvuf65D1MW
— Josh Henry (@BlueHairUKGuy) September 19, 2019
No lies here.
#7 Michael Rains
Prayers for a quick recovery for @TerryTouchdown3!!!! ?????? @mslaw1962 @MrsStevieBaby #bbn #ksr pic.twitter.com/Zf48Yxu8lB
— Michael Rains (@RuppArenaMike) September 19, 2019
We miss TD Terry!!
#6 Steve Kries
My goodness, somebody in UK Athletics, make this happen! These are smoking hot… @KySportsRadio @DrewFranklinKSR @MrsTylerKSR https://t.co/ACWDN6bVSC
— Steve Kries (@SteveKries) September 20, 2019
We NEED them.
#5 Are You Ready for some FOOTBAWWWLLL?
If you see either of these pics posted anywhere, please help get me credit for the work I put into them. pic.twitter.com/pZd4c3MKYN
— ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBAWWWLLL?! (@MinardiCeiling) September 19, 2019
Props to the guy who brought it to life!!
#4 FunKY Cat75
“And then he grabbed the man’s ankle and twisted it.”#bbn #bringit pic.twitter.com/kpCwQqocKT
— funKYcat75 (@funKYcat75) September 19, 2019
This guy gets it. I like this guy.
#3 Not Jerry Tipton
As great as Benny Snell's performance was during the game against Mississippi State last year, his performance after the game was just as good.pic.twitter.com/LrAIdkJs6t
— Not Jerry Tipton (@NotJerryTipton) September 19, 2019
Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be happy that it happened.
#2 Ryan
???????? pic.twitter.com/OxBQW6OUE5
— Ryan (@rmbruner) September 19, 2019
ICE COOOOOLD
#1 KY Clips
Clearly a big fan of Josh Allen pic.twitter.com/GROXNcL2Wz
— KY Clips (@KY_Clips) September 19, 2019
I wish I would’ve known this before betting the Titans to cover.
Follow me on twitter and tag me in one of your tweets for a chance to make KSR’s top 10 tweets:
247Sports
Kentucky’s pursuit of 2020 five-star forward Isaiah Jackson remains full-speed ahead.
On Tuesday evening, UK head coach John Calipari paid a visit to the 6-foot-9, 195-pound power forward out of Waterford Mott HS (MI).
In an interview with Adam Zagoria of ZAGSBLOG, Jackson’s father, Wesley Jackson, said things went very well and his son is still a top priority for the Kentucky coaching staff.
“Cal came to the high school yesterday,” Jackson said. “The visit went well. He said he just wanted him to know personally Isaiah is an important piece to his recruitment.”
Jackson, the No. 25 prospect overall and the No. 3 power forward in the class of 2020 (247Sports), took an official visit to Kentucky on August 30. He has a trip to Syracuse scheduled for Sept. 27-29, followed by another official visit to Alabama in October. The 6-foot-9 forward is widely expected to make a decision and sign in November.
Jackson joins 2020 five-star forwards Isaiah Todd and Greg Brown, along with four-star forward Cliff Omoruyi, as Kentucky’s top options in the frontcourt for next season. Should he ultimately decide to go to college, top-ten prospect Makur Maker would also likely become a major priority for the UK coaching staff.
Recently, 2020 five-star power forward Dawson Garcia cut Kentucky from his list after failing to receive an offer, giving UK one less potential frontcourt option in the spring. He told KSR in June that he was “very high” on Kentucky and was excited to have the coaching staff watch him during the live recruiting period in July, but an illness kept him from competing with D1 Minnesota on the adidas circuit.
Last week, Kentucky received a commitment from 2020 four-star forward Lance Ware, meaning they will likely still have two or three scholarships remaining in the frontcourt following the expected departures of E.J. Montgomery, Nick Richards, and Nate Sestina next offseason.
They’ll have to fight off Alabama, who is seen as a serious contender in this recruitment, for Jackson, but Kentucky is right in the thick of things with a decision expected in the coming months.
Until then, check out some of Jackson’s most recent highlights from Peach Jam below:
Preach, Jacob Tamme, preach!
On this morning’s Leach Report, Jacob Tamme expressed how he really felt about the targeting call on Kentucky’s T.J. Carter for Carter’s helmet-to-helmet contact with Florida backup quarterback Kyle Trask. Like you and me, Tamme was LIVID over the penalty call and the injection/suspension that came with it, and he doesn’t sound like he has calmed down since Saturday night.
The former Wildcat tight end called in to Tom Leach’s show Thursday morning to share his unfiltered thoughts about the rule, and the need for change.
“Something has to be done about that targeting call,” Tamme told Leach, “and I’m not sure that I’m going to be the one to do anything about it, but if we get enough people talking about it, the conversation has to be had.”
“Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of different ways we could’ve won that game, so I’m not blaming the loss on the officials necessarily, although I do think both calls were bad,” he continued. “I think the T.J. Carter call was, ultimately, really detrimental. But the call itself — when you have a call that you cannot make consistently, the consequence cannot be as severe as it is right now.”
Tamme is all for player safety, he admits, after a long, nine-year career in the NFL. He called the physicality of the game ‘unrelenting’ at times, but he sees a big difference in a defensive back launching at an unsuspecting wide receiver, and the contact made between Carter and Trask behind the line of scrimmage.
He is worried it will eventually ruin football if the two types of hits are categorized the same.
“We can’t sit here and say that you can’t do that to a quarterback, what T.J. Carter did,” Tamme said. “We will lose football eventually. I’m not the person that’s over here going, ‘football’s never going to be the same, the game’s going to fall apart,’ but I saw that call and I thought, ‘golly, maybe it is.'” If that’s targeting, if we can’t do that in the game of football, eventually we’ll lose it. I don’t know how long — maybe 10 years, 20 years, 30 years — the game will go away if we can’t do that in the game of football.”
Tamme estimates there is contact with a helmet on over 25 percent of the plays in a given football game. “I bet one out of every four tackles you could either say there was contact made between a helmet and a ballcarrier, whether it’s the ballcarrier’s helmet or the defender’s helmet.
“It’s not all helmet to helmet,” he explained. “Helmet to helmet is a bad deal. Nobody wants helmet-to-helmet hits. Nobody wants that. We don’t want people leading with the crown of their head; that’s dangerous, too. If a safety comes in lights out and leads with the crown of his head like a missile, that should be a penalty [because] he doesn’t have to do that. But if a defensive lineman is scrounging and clawing and fighting, and he ends up right at the quarterback and they’re both colliding at the same time, and he happens to have his head down a little bit, that’s not a penalty. It can’t be. It can’t be. That cannot be a penalty. That’s what I want to see changed. Someone has to do something about that. That’s different than a safety who is coming in like a missile.
“If I was defensive end or a safety who worked my butt off all year for very few precious opportunities, and I ended up getting ejected on either one of those plays — one where we’re going for a pick and the other where I’m fighting, scratching, clawing, and a quarterback spins off and I sack him for a huge play to bring up a third down… if I got ejected for one of those, you would’ve had to carry my dead body off the field. Kudos to those guys for leaving the stadium. As hard as they work, as hard as they fight and claw all year to get opportunities like this, and you’re going to eject them for that, that’s unfathomable to me.”
And to be clear, Tamme doesn’t blame the officials; he blames the rule.
“The officials have the hard time making this call,” he said, in defense of the ones throwing the flag. “They’re throwing it when they see it. Here’s the problem: the consequence of the penalty is it is a huge penalty and the player is ejected! From the game, OK?! The officials can’t make the call right. They can’t do it. It’s not their fault; it’s just impossible. How are you going to tell the refs to make that call right every time? If we’re going to have ejections, it better be a call they can make and make it right and not miss them. Sawyer Smith gets hit in the head, A.J. Rose gets double-speared, both guys come in with their head down. Neither one was called. If you’re going to miss some, that’s OK. But we can’t miss them if we’re ejecting players for it. The thing’s gotta change.”
Listen to Tamme’s passionate comments here:
Or, listen to the entire Leach Report podcast:
We are all Jacob Tamme on this issue.
Thursdays provide the local media with one last opportunity to hear from Mark Stoops before the football program goes dark to get ready for whatever team they play next. These Thursday press conferences are usually very short and sweet, often with very little news, but today was no ordinary Thursday at the UK practice fields.
With the internet abuzz about Kash Daniel’s alleged twisting of Florida quarterback Kyle Trask’s ankle, there was more attention on Stoops’ regular Thursday appearance at the microphone than usual. Many were interested to hear what Stoops had to say about the incident and if there would be a suspension, but Stoops did not offer much to say, nor does it sound like he plans to suspend his senior linebacker.
But he did say other non-Kash Daniel things that you may find interesting before the Cats fly down to Mississippi State this weekend.
Here are five of those things:
1. It was a good week of practice.
His opening statement: “I’ve been pleased with our guys’ effort and their concentration, and just having a solid week of prep. We’ll have one more practice tomorrow before we get on the bus and the plane and head to Mississippi, but I’m pleased with where we are at so far.”
2. He wants to get Chris Oats back in there at inside linebacker.
Stoops said he was pleased with the consistency of his inside linebackers this past weekend, but he needs Chris Oats back in that spot. “We gotta get Chris in there,” he said. “With the way he was taking reps with the nickel situation, that kind of hurt our rotation in there. We can’t let that happen again. He’s too good of a player.”
Overall, Stoops is pleased with the play inside and the Florida game was the best so far. The entire front seven has been good, he said.
3. Phil Hoskins will not be back for a few more weeks; Taj Dodson to be back “soon.”
Kentucky lost two of its reserves on defense in the Florida game: Phil Hoskins, a backup defensive lineman, injured himself in warmups; Taj Dodson, a second-string safety, got hurt in the second half and did not return.
Stoops said it will be after the bye week before they get Hoskins back, so Hoskins, who sat out the first two games on a suspension for academic issues, will have missed the first five games of the season by the time he comes back.
As for Dodson, Stoops said he “should be back soon.”
4. The playing status of Xavier Peters is still up in the air.
The NCAA made Peters eligible before Kentucky hosted Florida last weekend, but the transfer linebacker did not see the field against the Gators, presumably because the coaching staff didn’t feel he was ready to jump right in from the scout team.
When asked if Peters will make his debut this Saturday, Stoops said, “We’ll see. He got some reps in there this week and we’ll see where it takes us.”
5. He and the team have built up a tolerance for the ringing cow bells.
The coaches have been pumping that god-awful sound of ringing cowbells into practices this week, in preparation for all the annoyances of a football game in Starkville.
“If you came by the past two days, they were rocking,” he said. “We had them blasting the last couple days to the point it was 100 percent communication on hand signals.”
(Photo: 247Sports.com)
Madisonville North Hopkins, my high school alma mater, is not a high school that is rich in athletic tradition, talent, or success. I say that with love.
But every once in a while, the Maroons find some magic.
Earlier this year, the Maroons’ basketball team made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in almost two decades, which was a lot of fun. A couple of years ago, the softball team won the state championship, only the second KHSAA state title for a Madisonville team in school history (the other was girls’ golf). It was a pretty big deal.
There have been some individual stars to come out of those Hanson Road hallways, too. Some that come to mind are: Frank Ramsey, a member of Kentucky’s 1951 NCAA championship team and a seven-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics; Sonny Collins, UK’s all-time leading rusher until Benny Snell broke his record last year; Travis Ford, a former UK point guard who is among UK’s all-time leaders in assists and free-throw percentage; and of course, me, a former senior captain on the Madisonville golf team. We didn’t win many matches or tournaments that year (none actually), but we played with a lot of heart and we had brand new golf bags and uniforms, thanks to a generous donation from Paul Alan’s grandparents. And I still think my 51-38 in the regional tournament is one of the more underrated stories in the history of Kentucky high school athletics. At the turn, following a horrible front nine, I said I wouldn’t shoot 90. And I didn’t.
Anyway, Madisonville may have found its next big thing in current running back Jeriah Hightower on the Maroons’ undefeated football team. Hightower was leading the ENTIRE COUNTRY in rushing yards until a couple of days ago. He has since dropped to fifth nationally with 960 yards through the first four games, an average of 240 yards per game and 10 yards per carry.
Hightower is currently an unranked, two-star prospect in the Rivals.com rankings, and an unrated and unranked player on 247Sports.com. He has only two D1 scholarship offers — from Illinois State and UT Martin — and has not heard from anyone on Kentucky’s staff, but folks will have to start paying attention if he keeps running like this:
And showing up on lists like this:
I have a good feeling you will be hearing a lot more about this kid in the coming months; who knows, maybe UK will pick up interest and maybe even have a spot for him in the backfield.
Until then, Go Maroons forever.
There are a few plays in the Florida game one can point to that ultimately decided the outcome. Three of them happened when UK had the ball on third and fourth down with just a yard to go.
The first play of the fourth quarter stands above the rest. Broken down by Adam Luckett, there was an obvious missed assignment at the line of scrimmage. Even so, Eddie Gran places some of the responsibility on the running back.
“We had a pretty good play on the fourth and one. It’s really frustrating,” said UK’s offensive coordinator. “Backs have to make sure that they get square to the line of scrimmage, half a man and not straight up, not turn out shoulders and they gotta help them out on some of those goal line stuff. You got guys that are not gonna be blocked. That’s going to happen and you gotta get a yard. It’s partly the back and it’s partly when we don’t block them right. That’s what we gotta do.”
Benny Snell made breaking tackles look natural. For others who struggle to break free, there are techniques that are tried and true.
“They’ve got to go half a man and you can’t go stripe-to-stripe with a guy. You gotta get near-leg, near shoulder. You gotta bring your knees to your eyeballs. You gotta be a full-grown man in short yardage.”
If you didn’t understand Gran’s football jargon, it’s physics. Instead of trying to break through an entire defender, a running back can weaken their ability to tackle by splitting them in half.
Who Gran will turn to in the future is still up in the air. By Jeff Drummond’s calculations, UK is 12-of-24 in “one yard to go” situations this year. A.J. Rose is 3-of-6 and Kavosiey Smoke is 4-of-8. After the game Gran self-scouted the situation and realized that it could be Chris Rodriguez.
“I’m trying to find out, as we talked about Saturday, who that guy is he. Maybe he (Rodriguez) has a role,” Gran said. “Chris is going to be in there regardless, whether it’s a short down situation or not. He’s really earned that right. I think through this whole year when you go through 12, 13 games, we’re going to need him. We got get his confidence back and he’s showing that on the practice field.”
They may not need to hand the ball off at all. It didn’t work out of the Wildcat, but it did work twice when Sawyer Smith ran the quarterback sneak, one of which resulted in a touchdown.
“I thought they were absolutely fantastic,” said Gran. “We had great push. He’s a bigger body, he’s square to the line of scrimmage and we got the yard. We were awful last year at quarterback sneaks. We were bad. Terry had to get better at that. It was something we worked on in the offseason. But Sawyer’s got a knack for it, which is good because that’s important, especially when it’s third and inches or something like that. It’s tough.”
In spite of the short yardage woes, Kentucky is still converting 50 percent of its third downs, tied with Alabama for the third-best mark in the SEC. Where short yardage has reared its ugly head is in the red zone. UK has scored touchdowns on only eight of its 12 red zone appearances, which ranks 12th in the SEC. To reverse that trend, Kentucky has to find a way to earn those tough yards that Benny Snell made look so easy.
“It’s tough down there,” said Gran. “Those backs have to run people over and you’ve got to get a body on a body. It’s a mentality and that’s what we’re trying to get to.”
This morning, a video made the rounds showing a different angle of the incident from the Florida game in which it appears Kash Daniel twists Gators quarterback Kyle Trask’s ankle before he gets up from a dog pile. After practice today, Mark Stoops told reporters that he’s discussed the incident with the SEC and Kash will play vs. Mississippi State on Saturday.
“I addressed those issues with the league office,” Stoops said. “He’ll be out there Saturday.”
Stoops added that he’s spoken with Kash privately, but is keeping that discussion between them.
“In general, nobody’s going to intentionally hurt anybody though,” he said. “It’s not going to happen on our team.”
Last night (before the new video surfaced), Kash vehemently denied the allegations to reporters, claiming he was trying to free his left hand from the pile, the same one he injured and had surgically repaired last year.
“Do I talk a lot of crap? Absolutely. Do I bump a dude here and there to get underneath his skin and talk while I’m doing it? Absolutely. That’s part of my game and what I do. But am I out there to deliberately hurt somebody? Absolutely not, I’ve kept my mouth shut about it I’ve been biting my tongue as long as I can because that’s actually something that I actually hold close to me. I’m a victim of a dirty play and if you don’t believe me I’ve got a plate and seven screws in my right ankle to prove that. I’ve got a scar running halfway down my leg.
So I’m not out there to hurt anybody. My hand that I had surgery on — this one got stepped on as it was going down — this surgically repaired hand has two screws in it and if enough weight’s on it, still hurts like a you know what. My hand’s caught underneath here, instantly gets stepped on. I’m trying to move s— around, I pull my hand out of there last second because I just pulled it out, there was — I got it stuck underneath a lineman’s leg with all that weight on it. Then I pulled it free from that, kept moving stuff, kept hitting legs and stuff and finally it came through. Maybe he felt something weird, I don’t know, but I’m not out there to twist nobody’s ankle or hurt nobody. End of story.”
Tonight, Josh Allen and the Jacksonville Jaguars host Wesley Woodyard and the Tennessee Titans at 8:20 p.m. on the NFL Network. Here’s when you can see the rest of the NFL Cats in action this weekend.
| PLAYER | TEAM | POS | THIS WEEK | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars | DE | Thursday, 8:20 PM vs. Tennessee | NFL Network |
| Wesley Woodyard | Tennessee Titans | LB | Thursday, 8:20 PM at Jacksonville | NFL Network |
| Randall Cobb | Dallas Cowboys | WR | Sunday, 1 PM vs. Miami | FOX |
| Za’Darius Smith | Green Bay Packers | DE | Sunday, 1 PM vs. Denver | FOX |
| Corey Peters | Arizona Cardinals | DT | Sunday, 4:05 PM vs. Carolina | FOX |
| George Asafo-Adjei | New York Giants | OT | Sunday, 4:05 PM at Tampa Bay | FOX |
| Mike Edwards | Tampa Bay Bucaneers | DB | Sunday, 4:05 PM vs. New York Giants | FOX |
| Bud Dupree | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | Sunday, 4:25 PM at San Francisco | CBS |
| Benny Snell | Pittsburgh Steelers | RB | Sunday, 4:25 PM at San Francisco | CBS |
| Lonnie Johnson | Houston Texans | CB | Sunday, 4:25 PM at Los Angeles | CBS |
| Larry Warford | New Orleans Saints | OG | Sunday, 4:25 PM at Seattle | CBS |
| Danny Trevathan | Chicago Bears | LB | Monday, 8:15 PM at Washington | ESPN |
Avery Williamson (Jets) and Chris Westry (Cowboys) are on IR
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday, Kentucky takes on Mississippi State in Starkville, with both teams looking for their first SEC win. I’m not making the trip (that honor belongs to Jack Pilgrim as part of his KSR full-time writer initiation), but I did spend some time on some Mississippi State football message boards to get the pulse of the fanbase, because that’s where all the sane, reasonable people hang out, right?
Here’s what I found…
Davis Wade Stadium is far from sold out
This will be Mississippi State’s third home game of the season and SEC opener; however, tickets are available on secondary markets for as low as $6 each. It’s supposed to be warm on Saturday (highs in the upper 80s at kickoff), but apathy seems to be another reason many seats will be empty.
From EliteDawgs.com:
Not showing up is actually the best thing you can do when you don’t agree with the direction of the program. When the program gets right again, people will show up.
Going to be slim until we play a team that brings fans. Lose Saturday and that won’t even help.
I’ll be there. Look for the slightly overweight, nearly 50yo trumpet player in the alumni band just trying to get through Hail State one more time on Scott Field.
Joe Moorhead is not a popular guy right now
Moorhead is 10-6 since taking over for Dan Mullen in 2018, but Mississippi State fans are not happy with the Bulldogs’ loss to Kansas State last week and lackluster wins over Louisiana and Southern Miss.
From a seven-page thread entitled, “Can Moorhead Win You Back This Weekend”:
For me no. Beating KY will do nothing to make me believe he is the right guy for this program. Losing to KY will however further confirm to me that he is not the right guy. The only thing in the near future that Moorhead can do to show me he is the real deal is to win at Auburn.
Our previous coach was pretty much dead even for his career on games won as an underdog vs games lost as a favorite. Moorhead has lost 4 games as a favorite and only won 1. Until that number evens out, I can’t be on board with him. He’s in a 3 game hole right now.
We just lost to Kansas freaking State. Their own fans were trolling the team. How would beating a Kentucky team, that we are favored by a touchdown in, make the grass any greener?
I think Joe is smart and probably a decent coach. I think Joe knows what he wants to do with our program. However, I just do not think he is the right fit for us. I really hope Im wrong and I hope he proves me wrong
Hopes are hinging on Tommy Stevens’ shoulder
The Penn State grad transfer’s sore shoulder resulted in a lackluster performance last week vs. Kansas State. He was eventually pulled for Garrett Shrader, but reportedly feels better this week.
In a game prediction thread, most fans hedged their bets on how healthy Stevens is on Saturday.
I believe we win if Tommy Plays. If he doesn’t I’m not as confident.
If Tommy is healthy, we win. If he is not, we lose
If Shrader starts, we don’t win. In Tommy starts, it will be 50/50.
If Stevens plays, I expect to win a game played in the 20s. If Shrader plays, I expect a replay of last year’s 28-7.
Stevens plays (and is healthy) we win 41-17. Shrader plays it’s a coin flip who wins at 24-21
T-Pain is performing at “Bulldog Bash”
This has nothing to do with the football game, but Bulldog Bash, Mississippi’s largest free outdoor concert, takes place tomorrow starting at 3 p.m. in downtown Starkville. The headliner? T-Pain. That should make Friday night in Starkville a little bit more exciting for those of you making the trip:
MSU's 20th Annual Bulldog Bash will feature Grammy award winning rapper T-Pain! Click the link for more details on the highly anticipated weekend. https://t.co/HAYQysh3Lm pic.twitter.com/QldeTuRXbA
— Mississippi State (@msstate) August 22, 2019
One message board contributor hopes Bulldog Bash will encourage students to stick around town for the game on Saturday.
“The student section should be full this week. I’m hearing most are staying in town for Bulldog Bash and other kids will be in town for BB.”
If you’re curious, Mississippi State’s fall break isn’t this weekend or anything, so I guess the alternative to staying in town for Bulldog Bash is going back home because Starkville sucks.
Kentucky has spread the wealth in the pass rush, but one player stands above the rest.
Calvin Taylor Jr. stands above almost every player he’ll run into on the football field. A 6-9 310-pound defensive tackle, the senior defensive tackle from Augusta, Ga. has made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks in 2019.
Through three games he has 8 tackles, 2 for loss and a sack. Those numbers do not pop off the page, but they do not illustrate how Taylor has been able to effectively move the pocket. According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor has 13 quarterback pressure, tied for the third-most in the country among interior defenders.
The last time Taylor lined up against Miss. State, he accounted for one of three sacks on Nick Fitzgerald in the 28-7 victory at Kroger Field. Taylor pays no mind to the past before UK travels to Starkville.
“Last year doesn’t help you with this year so we don’t even really focus on it,” Taylor said. “We don’t even watch film from last year. It’s a new team with a new identity. We just get confidence from within. Our preparation is where our confidence stems from.”
Even though they’re going on the road, Taylor likes how the Wildcats come together when they play in enemy territory.
“It’s just us. We kind of like being away because it’s just the guys and you don’t really have any external things. It’s just the guys locked in a hotel and on a plane. It gives us more time to focus in and last year it was kind of our motto. We like it.”
247Sports
Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne was in to see 2020 four-star forward and Bardstown product JJ Traynor this morning.
Sources Say Podcast co-host and Cats Illustrated beat writer Travis Graf was the first to break the news on Twitter.
Kentucky’s Kenny Payne was in to see ‘20 Bardstown 4?? forward JJ Traynor this morning.
— Travis Graf (@Trav_Graf) September 19, 2019
Graf told KSR after the visit that Payne was in at 6:00 a.m. to see the No. 1 prospect in the state work out, with Cincinnati and Xavier also in attendance. After the workout wrapped up, Xavier officially extended an offer, joining Cincinnati, DePaul, WKU, Northern Kentucky, and Murray State as schools to do so.
Payne was teammates with Bardstown head coach Boo Brewer at Louisville and remain close friends, with both parties discussing Traynor’s game and Kentucky’s potential interest on a regular basis over the last several weeks. A source close to the Bardstown program told KSR that a member of the UK coaching staff was expected to be in last week, but the trip had to be pushed to this week due to a scheduling conflict.
Wanted to say Thanks to Coach Kenny Payne and The @KentuckyMBB for coming to watch 6am workout today
Keep grinding @JJTraynor20 #TigerPride #WEonAMISSION #WEareBardstown #BBN #Kentuckybasketball pic.twitter.com/UVIcqwDDLv— James Boo Brewer (@coachboobrewer) September 19, 2019
Last Thursday, Graf and I made the trip to Bardstown to see Traynor work out in front of coaches from Virginia Tech and Ball State, with Louisville, Maryland, Cincinnati, DePaul, also coming out to see the 6-foot-8, 178-pound forward throughout the week.
After seeing 247Sports’ No. 77 overall prospect for the very first time in person, it was evident why he saw such a massive jump in the rankings this summer. While he has to add weight – he’s up to 178 pounds after starting the school year at 170 pounds, goal is to get up to 190 pounds by November – his potential is unlike anyone else in the state. Boasting a silky-smooth jump shot from 12 to 15 feet, solid handles, and incredibly fluid movements for a guy his size, he projects as a face-up four, though some schools are actually recruiting him to play the three. In fact, a New Mexico State assistant coach told an individual on the Bardstown coaching staff that he reminded him of Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam when they originally recruited him out of high school.
In to see 2020 four-star forward JJ Traynor (@JJTraynor20) In Bardstown this morning. Fluid player, phenomenal shot mechanics. One of the fastest-rising prospects in the nation. pic.twitter.com/PuVgAtbKuQ
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) September 12, 2019
For a name that hits closer to home for Kentucky fans, Traynor’s game strongly resembles former Wildcat forward Skal Labissiere on both ends of the floor. While that comparison may spark groans throughout the Big Blue Nation, remember that Labissiere came in listed as the No. 1 prospect in the nation, and the sky-high fan expectations immediately followed. Had he been listed as a top-20 or 30 prospect overall without the pressure of being the next elite one-and-done to come through the Kentucky program, he could’ve had time to develop into a pretty solid two or three-year college player.
With Traynor being a four-star, top-100 prospect, the 6-foot-8 forward would have time to come in and develop at his own pace under big man guru Kenny Payne with little-to-no outside pressure weighing on him as a likely three or four-year player. He already has the muscle memory down to a science on his mid-range jumper, the guard skills are there, and he has a solid frame to put on weight to go with an impressive wingspan. Defensively and on the glass, his natural instincts are there to block shots and grab rebounds at a high rate. The potential is there, it’s just about filling out and transitioning from project player to high-impact talent.
In an interview with KSR back in August, Brewer said there is a chance that transition could happen sooner rather than later.
“I think he can be a five-star kid by the time his senior season is over,” he said. “And I’m not just saying that because he’s my player, I’m saying it because I know what he’s capable of doing. He hasn’t reached his full potential yet. He’s got a lot more he can give, and he’s determined to do that. To me, I think he can be the best player in the state, but he’s got to believe that, as well. I think he’s starting to believe that now and he’s putting in the work.”
Despite Brewer’s ties to the Louisville basketball program, the Bardstown head coach said he’d be thrilled to send Traynor to Kentucky to develop under Kenny Payne for the next few years.
“Well I played at Louisville, but I love Kentucky,” he said. “Kenny Payne is my old teammate, and he’s obviously an assistant there. So when we talk, Kenny is really honest with me, and I’m really honest with him. It’s like brothers talking. You got Kentucky, and you’ve got Louisville, but you can’t go wrong with either of those schools. Kentucky wants to see him play more, and I understand that. They saw him play in July, and they saw him play well, but at the same time, they want to see that continued effort and the consistency. They want to see the development. When you go to Kentucky, you’re a four star or a five star, but they turn four stars into five stars. I mean, they really turn them into six stars really, when you think about it with their draft stock. You really have to credit them for player development. Who would not want to send their kid to a program where their player development is extremely high?”
No matter where Traynor ends up playing at the next level, Brewer believes his four-star forward has the potential to be a program-changer.
“First of all, he’s a very good student, very good human being off the court, very polite young man,” he told KSR. “Just first class all around. On the court, they are going to get a player that loves the game. To me, he’s a program changer. He’s going to be one of those kids that will wow you with his athleticism and with his length. Overall, he’s going to be a great, great player.”
After making recent trips to Louisville and Cincinnati, Traynor is set to take an unofficial visit to Kentucky for Big Blue Madness on October 11.
It’s an all new Aaron Torres Sports Podcast, and boy was it a doozy. Aaron welcomes Nick Coffey back onto the show to talk about the latest developments at Louisville before Torres takes a look at Week 4 of college football. He wraps with a wild interview with former Michigan Wolverine and New York Jet, Braylon Edwards, where Edwards holds nothing back!
Here is a recap of the day’s show:
College Hoops in the News: Aaron opens the show by welcoming in Nick Coffey to talk about all the big comings and goings in college hoops. The guys discuss the Louisville settlement with Rick Pitino, what’s next for Louisville and now that this is behind him, will Pitino ever coach again? Then the guys discuss this week’s news that Tony Bennett refused a raise from the University of Virginia, why it’s impossible to dislike Bennett, and just how lucky was Virginia to actually win the title last year? Then Aaron makes his Week 4 college football picks.
Former Michigan Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards: Next up Aaron is joined by Braylon Edwards, a former All-American at Michigan and Pro Bowler in the NFL. He discusses his time in Cleveland where he got in a bar fight with LeBron James’s friend, what it was like to play for Rex Ryan and why the Jets should have won the Super Bowl in 2010. Then he discusses the state of Michigan football heading into the weekend. What is holding them back and is Jim Harbaugh the guy to figure things out? This is one of the best interviews in the history of the podcast, as Edwards holds nothing back.
Get the podcast delivered directly to your phone by subscribing to the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast feed on iTunes or simply stream online through Spotify. Don’t forget to follow the show on Instagram too.
(Photo: © Kelly Price | Mississippi State Athletics)
The crushing loss to Florida is still fresh on everyone’s mind, but the season rolls on like a freight train coming downhill. Mark Stoops and his squad make the trip to Starkville for the fourth time and the hope is that he can finally get a victory in Davis Wade Stadium.
Nuts and Bolts
Before Dan Mullen arrived in Starkville, the Mississippi State Bulldogs were the kings of mediocrity in the SEC West. Former Washington State, Pittsburgh, and Texas A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill took over the program in 1991 and he followed six coaches who all had career losing records at the school. Despite an SEC West title and four AP Top 25 finishes, Sherrill would finish with just a .5oo record after 13 seasons.
Sylvester Croom stepped in the following year to become the first African-American head football coach in SEC history. The NFL assistant and former Alabama center went just 21-38 in five seasons with just one bowl appearance. After 2008, State convinced Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to make the move to Starkville.
The Urban Meyer disciple quickly became the best coach in program history by recording 69 wins in nine seasons with three AP Top 25 finishes. Mullen had the Bulldogs in the national title hunt in 2014 and appeared to have another contender returning in 2018 before he left after the 2017 season. His presence still looms large in Starkville.
Newly appointed athletic director John Cohen quickly hired Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead once the job opened despite no ties to the south. Moorhead has surprised some on the recruiting trail, but his offenses have not been what they were cracked up to be through 16 games.
At Penn State, Moorhead had the No. 6 scoring offense in FBS in 2017 thanks to the work done by Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley. The heavy RPO scheme took the Big Ten by storm his two seasons in State College and Moorhead quickly became a huge hit.
"The transition to Joe Moorhead from Dan Mullen is going to be about as seamless as you can possibly get. That offense is good enough to put the fear of God into anybody it plays" – @BarrettSallee pic.twitter.com/9zLeSUOY3C
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 23, 2018
With a roster loaded with legit NFL defensive talent at each level and an experienced quarterback, many thought Mississippi State could challenge Alabama for the SEC West last season. That was not the case.
On their way to an 8-5 season, the Bulldogs were upset three separate times and most notably lost to Dan Mullen in his return trip to Starkville. State put up a combined three points against Alabama and LSU on their way to finishing unranked after being upset by Iowa in the Outback Bowl. Despite a contract extension, there is some pressure on the former Fordham head coach this season.
Joe Moorhead has agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2022 season.#HailState?
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) May 21, 2019
This will be the 47th meeting in the series with the teams tied up at 23 games apiece. Kentucky has won two of the last three, but before that lost seven in a row. UK hasn’t won in Starkville since 2008.
Out in the desert, Mississippi State is a 6-point favorite with a total of 48.5. That’s a projected final score of around 27-21. UK is 3-0 against the spread this season with the over hitting each time. Mississippi State is 1-2 against the number with the over hitting each outing. The Bulldogs have been the betting favorite in the series every year since Mark Stoops arrived. The last time UK was favored was in Dan Mullen’s first season a decade ago.
Offensive Breakdown
It was clear that Joe Moorhead’s offense just didn’t work for Nick Fitzgerald last season. Despite dual-threat quarterback Keytaon Thompson having a bunch of talent blended with experience, the second-year head coach decided to go with something more reliable.
Tommy Stevens decided to grad transfer from Penn State after it became clear that Sean Clifford was going to win the QB1 job. It did not take long for him to pledge to Mississippi State. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound righty got off to a fast start throwing for two scores and averaging 7.9 yards per attempt in the season opening win over Louisiana. However, Stevens injured his shoulder the next week against Southern Miss and did not look like himself against Kansas State.
The Indianapolis native has been pulled in consecutive games and only completed 7 of his 15 passes last week. The grad transfer is clearly dealing with a shoulder issue and we’re not sure if he’ll be ready to play a full 60 minutes despite being listed as day-to-day. A true freshman has been used off the bench.
Garrett Shrader was a top-250 prospect and Moorhead’s first quarterback recruit. The plan was to redshirt the 6-foot-4, 220-pound freshman but an injury to Stevens and Keytaon Thompson’s unknown status has forced him into early action. Through two halves of football, Shrader has been the SEC’s least accurate passer.
The dual-threat is completing just 47.8 percent of his passes with a woeful 5.3 yards per attempt average. State could be in trouble if they have to turn to him, but he can do damage on the ground and isn’t afraid to put his body on the line.
HE WENT AIRBORNE ? pic.twitter.com/I0eLNsn7gh
— ESPN (@espn) September 14, 2019
This offense wants to toss the ball around the yard, but it is clear that State is dealing with some significant quarterback issues at the moment. The Bulldogs likely need to lean on the run, but that is not a bad thing when you have Kylin Hill to ride.
The Mississippi native was a huge recruiting win for Dan Mullen and he currently leads the SEC in rushing. Hill ranks third in the FBS in rush yards (431) and his 21.7 carries per game rank sixth. He has been a workhorse despite suffering an ankle injury against Southern Miss. Expect a heavy workload from No. 8 on Saturday because the other two backs on the depth chart have a combined 17 carries through three games.
The Mississippi State receivers really struggled last season and they might have had the worst receiving corps in the SEC in 2018. Most of those guys return, but this group still has a long way to go. Osirus Mitchell is turning into the go-to option.
The former low three-star prospect leads the team in receptions (13) and is putting up 16 yards per grab with three touchdowns. He has a next level frame (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and will be a tough cover.
Outside of Mitchell, the Dogs are really scrambling. Junior college transfer Stephen Guidry was a big time recruit who just hasn’t panned out. Redshirt senior Deddrick Thomas operates out of the slot, but the long-time reserve has been inefficient. Farrod Green is more of a blocker than pass catcher at tight end. Big things were expected from Kansas State grad transfer Isaiah Zuber, but he has been a disappointment through three games.
Joe Moorhead is 16 games in and he’s still desperately searching for good, consistent wide receiver play.
In the trenches, redshirt senior Darryl Williams returns and slides down to center after starting at left guard. He figures to be one of the top centers taken in the upcoming NFL Draft. He wasn’t the only one who shifted around this offseason. Stewart Reese move from right tackle to right guard while Greg Eiland went from left tackle to right tackle. State has a lot of experience in this group.
Defensive Breakdown
Bob Shoop got his first FBS defensive coordinator gig when James Franklin was hired at Vanderbilt and since then he’s been running defenses. Shoop has worked at Vandy, Penn State, Tennessee and Mississippi State with only one of his defenses finishing outside the top-50. Four of his units have finished in the top-20 with last year’s group taking home the crown as the top defense in FBS. Despite all that, Eddie Gran has had a ton of success against him.
In three meetings with Gran calling plays, Kentucky is putting up 31 points per game and 6.6 yards per play. Despite never passing for more than 200 yards in a single game, UK is still averaging seven yards per rush attempt. For some reason, Gran has had Shoop’s number.
Lost off last year’s defense were three first-round picks and they’ve been dearly missed. Most notably Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat on the line. Those two were unblockable and this year State is really missing the havoc they created. So far the defensive line has only produced 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack despite having a two-deep littered with former blue-chip recruits. This is the biggest reason Bob Shoop’s defense ranks 11th or worse in the SEC in yards per play, yards per pass, scoring, and rushing.
At the second level, Erroll Thompson was a preseason All-SEC selection and is one of the finer Mike linebackers in college football. He’s second on the team in tackles and this will likely be the redshirt junior’s final season in college football. Kentucky better get him blocked when they run inside zone.
Former Kentucky target Brian Cole II made a pitstop at East Mississippi Community College after transferring from Michigan before landing in the Starkville. The senior plays the Star position (nickel) for the Bulldogs and has been very good this season. He leads the team in sacks and causes the most havoc of any individual player.
Leading tackler Jaquarius Landrews lines up at strong safety, but corner Cameron Dantzler is the name to know.
The junior missed last week’s game against Kansas State, but will be back this week. The Louisiana native was a second-team All-SEC member last season and look for him to be the guy State puts on Ahmad Wagner more often than not.
Special Teams Breakdown
Currently the Bulldogs rank 108th in the SP+ rankings thanks to some iffy play all around the board.
Kansas State recorded a kickoff return touchdown and gained 44 yards on punt returns last week. Kickoff specialist Scott Goodman has a touchback rate of just 42 percent. The Bulldogs have hit just 3-of-5 field goals and are averaging just 17.9 yards per kick return.
Malik Dear has been a highlight in the punt return department and that’s about the only good thing going for their special teams.
Keys to Victory
- Despite Kylin Hill doing his thing on the ground, State has struggled to protect the passer. The offense currently has a sack rate of nine percent and that is no bueno. UK’s defense has a sack rate of 6.5 percent and that has a chance to bump up on Saturday.
- It’s going to be a hot afternoon in Starkville and depth will be a question mark for both teams. Due to last week’s targeting penalty, T.J. Carter will miss the first half and Phil Hoskins is currently listed as questionable. That means Kordell Looney will be getting his first career start. UK could be calling on youngsters Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, Davoan Hawkins, and Qua Mahone to play early. They need to be up to the challenge to slow down the run.
- In just about every statistical category, Mississippi State’s defense ranks towards the bottom of the SEC except one. The Bulldogs have been excellent in forcing takeaways having created 10 turnovers in just three games. That leads the SEC and ranks second nationally. Ball security has been an issue for Kentucky and if they don’t get it fixed it could cost them another close game.
Unexpected Suspensions
Just a week before Mississippi State kicked off the season, the school reached an agreement on a punishment with the NCAA due to a tutor taking exams and doing assignments for student-athletes. However, due to a government law, the names of the players are not allowed to be identified. After three games, we have a good idea who those players are.
Starting defensive tackle Lee Autry played against Southern Miss, but missed the two other games. Starting Will linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has missed all three games. These are the most prominent players that seemed to be tied to the suspensions, but there are others such as backup safety Marcus Murphy and former blue-chip receiver Devonta Jason.
The school is allowed to stagger these suspensions so it’s not a guarantee that these players will miss Saturday’s game. Add this in with the starting placekicker being suspended the first game for a DUI arrest and it has been quite the roster balancing act.
Send some positive vibes in Terry Wilson’s direction, Big Blue Nation. According to his Instagram story, the Kentucky quarterback is undergoing surgery for his torn patellar tendon today.
Terry suffered the injury vs. Eastern Michigan on September 7. We haven’t been given a timeline for the recovery, but Mark Stoops expects Terry to be ready for next season.
“He’s a resilient guy and this injury is very clean,” Stoops said on September 9. “I know there’s been speculation out there. It’s a clean injury. It’s better than some of the alternatives. His ligament is totally fine. His cartilages are all fine. So, we need to repair this and he’ll be out for the season but he’ll be back with no side effects.”
Best wishes to Terry for a safe and speedy recovery. He’s got this.
UPDATE: Terry’s surgery was successful. He just posted this picture on Twitter with his surgeon, Dr. Darren Johnson.
“Yes sir yes sir!!! New knee, same me baby.. ready to get this rehab rolling!! Big slime got me right #Combackszn @darrenjohnsonmd”
Photo: @TerryTouchdown3
Believe it or not, basketball is right around the corner, and today, we got the official team picture. Check out your 2019-20 Kentucky Wildcats. Here’s a roster to help with the new guys:
| 0 | Ashton Hagans | Cartersville, Ga. / Newton | G | 6-3 | 198 | So. |
| 1 | Nate Sestina | Emporium, Pa. / Cameron County | F | 6-9 | 234 | Gr. |
| 2 | Kahlil Whitney | Chicago / Roselle Catholic | F | 6-6 | 210 | Fr. |
| 3 | Tyrese Maxey | Garland, Texas / South Garland | G | 6-3 | 198 | Fr. |
| 4 | Nick Richards | Kingston, Jamaica / The Patrick School | F | 6-11 | 247 | Jr. |
| 5 | Immanuel Quickley | Havre de Grace, Md. / The John Carroll School | G | 6-3 | 188 | So. |
| 10 | Johnny Juzang | Los Angeles / Harvard-Westlake School | G | 6-6 | 214 | Fr. |
| 11 | Dontaie Allen | Falmouth, Ky. / Pendleton County | G | 6-6 | 200 | Fr. |
| 12 | Keion Brooks Jr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. / La Lumiere School | F | 6-7 | 205 | Fr. |
| 13 | Riley Welch | Litttleton, Colo. / Chatfield High School | G | 6-0 | 185 | Jr. |
| 14 | Brennan Canada | Mount Sterling, Ky. / George Rogers Clark | F | 6-6 | 198 | Fr. |
| 21 | Zan Payne | Lexington, Ky. / Lexington Catholic | G/F | 6-4 | 235 | R-Fr. |
| 23 | EJ Montgomery | Fort Pierce, Fla. / Wheeler | F | 6-10 | 228 | So. |
As John Calipari would say, I like my team.
Another version where Whitney is smiling:
Butch Dill | Getty Images
There’s nothing that defines Mississippi State football more than the cry of their signature cowbell. The noise has been echoing over the speakers at Kentucky football practice all week, but the upperclassmen on the team know the pumped-in noise will hardly compete with the real thing.
In fact, Calvin Taylor says the fake noise “doesn’t even compare at all” to what the Cats will hear inside the stadium this Saturday.
“It’s always loud. The first time – my redshirt freshman year – when we played them there it was so loud. I’d always heard about it, but it’s pretty loud,” Taylor added. “It’s cool though.”
On the other hand, defensive lineman Marquan McCall has no time for this cowbell nonsense. The sophomore hasn’t traveled to Starkville yet, but he’s not too worried about the distraction.
“I personally don’t know about Mississippi State,” McCall said when asked about the ‘bells. “We’re not focused on [any of that]; we’re just ready to go get them, play hard and stop the run. That’s it.”
This Saturday will mark Sawyer Smith’s first road game in the SEC. Even though he has some experience in hostile environments, it’s understandably hard for him to fully imagine what all of those cowboys will actually sound like in person.
“Every away game is different; everywhere has a different vibe. I’ve never heard hundred of cowbells; I’ve never heard that,” Smith laughed. “It’s going to be funny to listen to, I’m sure, for 60 minutes. I’m ready for it. It’s going to be fun.”
Cowbells? Fun? Let’s hope the Kentucky fans who decide to brave the game in Starkville feel the same way by the fourth quarter. Stay strong, BBN.
Word first broke about this year’s Alumni Weekend earlier in the summer, but this morning, Kentucky shared some more details.
The men’s basketball family reunion will take place October 18-20 in conjunction with the annual Blue-White Game. Not only will former players be front and center for the intrasquad scrimmage, which takes place October 18 at 7 p.m. at Rupp Arena, their families will be seated in the eRUPPtion Zone since UK students will be home on fall break. Throughout the weekend, returning players and their families will be treated to locker room, campus and facility tours, brunch on Saturday, and a family meal on Saturday evening. They’ll also get to watch and open practice and hang out with the current team.
If you had to choose three former players and two current players to sit at your table at the family dinner, who would you choose?
It’s going to be a hot Saturday afternoon in Starkville. Joe Moorhead is trying to get off the hot seat as the Bulldogs and the Wildcats enter the matchup coming off a loss. Adam Luckett and Nick Roush break down the matchup after a brief discussion on UK’s loss to Florida. Highlights:
— A Hot Take on Miss. State’s Injured QB Situation
— In a change of pace, UK has advantages in the trenches.
— Eddie Gran’s history vs. Bob Shoop.
— Moorhead teams aren’t great vs. good teams. The stats don’t lie.
— What Moorhead’s desperation could lead to Saturday.
— The Cats are due for big plays.
You can easily stream online through Spotify or you can get the podcast sent directly to your phone by subscribing to 11 Personnel on iTunes.
Good morning, friends, and welcome to the Thursday edition of Kentucky Sports Radio, which is coming to you from Lexington, Louisville, and somewhere in Trigg County. Tune in to hear the guys talk about Matt and Tomlin’s Asian Carp fishing adventures, Kentucky’s newest football commit, and Saturday’s game vs. Mississippi State.
Join in on the fun by calling (502) 571-1080 or send a text to the KSR Texting Machine at (772) 774-5254.
Listen to Kentucky Sports Radio
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|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | WCMI | 93.3 FM T | LIVE |
| Ashland | WCMI | 1340 AM | LIVE |
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| Bowling Green | WKCT | 930 AM | LIVE |
| Bowling Green | WKCT | 104.1 FM T | LIVE |
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| Lancaster | WZXI | 1280 AM | 5-7 PM |
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| Paducah | WPAD | 1560 AM | LIVE |
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@RickeyHyatt
Kentucky’s 2020 recruiting class grew to 17 Wednesday night. Three weeks after officially visiting the Wildcats, Rickey Hyatt Jr. committed to Kentucky.
Hyatt grew up in Ohio State’s backyard and attends Benny Snell’s alma mater, Westerville Central. Even though he held an offer from the Buckeyes, the talented safety and track star would rather be a Wildcat.
The addition of Hyatt moves Kentucky’s class to No. 22 overall in the Rivals national team rankings. UK is tenth in the SEC, but three conference teams sit directly in front of UK in the rankings. All have more commits than the Cats. If UK continues at this trajectory, they’ll surpass those teams and finish somewhere in the top 20.
Kentucky Football Class of 2020
| Name | Position | Hometown | Height | Weight | Rivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Rogers | DT | Oak Park, MI | 6-4 | 315 | 5-star, #14 Overall |
| Samuel Anaele | DE/OLB | Miami, FL | 6-4 | 250 | 4-star, #112 Overall |
| John Young | OT | Louisville, KY | 6-6 | 295 | 4-star, #5 KY |
| Beau Allen | QB | Lexington, KY | 6-2 | 200 | 4-star, #20 QB |
| Tre'vonn Rybka | DL | Dickson, TN | 6-4` | 281 | 4-star, #18 SDE |
| Andru Phillips | CB | Mauldin, SC | 6-0 | 180 | 3-star, #5 SC |
| Torrance Davis | RB | Cleveland, OH | 6-1 | 215 | 3-star, #26 RB |
| JuTahn McClain | APB | Fairfield, OH | 5-9 | 176 | 3-star, #12 APB |
| Kalil Branham | WR | Columbus, OH | 6-1 | 205 | 3-star, #84 WR |
| Deondre Buford | OT | Detroit, MI | 6-5 | 270 | 3-star, #70 OT |
| Jordan Watkins | WR | Louisville, KY | 6-0 | 180 | 3-star, #13 ATH |
| Izayah Cummings | WR | Louisville, KY | 6-3 | 210 | 3-star, #11 KY |
| Earnest Sanders | WR | Flint, MI | 6-2 | 190 | 3-star, #100 WR |
| D'Eryk Jackson | LB | Dexter, GA | 6-2 | 235 | 3-star, #106 GA |
| Joshua Jones | OT | Phenix City, AL | 6-6 | 300 | 3-star, #58 OT |
| Carrington Valentine | CB | Cincinnati, OH | 6-0 | 218 | 3-star, #28 OH |
| Rickey Hyatt Jr. | S | Westerville, OH | 6-1 | 195 | 3-star, #38 S |
More Recruiting Talk
The fine folks from the Sources Say Podcast talk recruiting for more than an hour, just a different kind of recruiting. The talented trio breaks down the latest additions to John Calipari’s 2020 basketball recruiting class in episode five.
If you prefer football talk, you’ll get plenty of that later today. Aaron Torres will share his week four college football picks and Adam Luckett and I preview the upcoming matchup with Mississippi State on a new edition of 11 Personnel.
Stoops Speaks
Kentucky’s head football coach gets one more crack at the podium before the team departs for Starkville Friday. Until then, enjoy action from yesterday’s practice, starting with Kash Daniel.
Thursday Night Football is BACK
Drew Franklin’s Tennessee Titans are taking on Josh Allen’s Jacksonville Jaguars tonight at 8:20 on the NFL Network. It will be a house divided at KSBar and Grille where one lucky guest will receive a $250 prize at halftime. If that doesn’t get you in the door, the drink specials and half-priced wings will.
It’s an illustrious AFC South matchup between two historic teams, but if you prefer college, tonight AACtion returns to ESPN. The Tulane Green Wave host Dana Holgorsen’s Houston Cougars at 8:00 p.m.
UK Volleyball Falls Short
At one point in the fourth set, it looked like Kentucky was going to knock off No. 21 Purdue. Lead Edmond was dominant, setting a new career-high for kills, but it was not enough to stop the Boilermakers’ comeback. Trailing by one point and on the verge elimination, Purdue went on a 4-1 run to force a decisive fifth set where they came out blazing hot, scoring the first eight points. It’s awfully hard to overcome an 8-0 deficit.
The loss moves Kentucky to 6-4 on the season. They’ll get their next crack at a victory in Friday’s Battle of the Bluegrass. The matchup against Louisville at Memorial Coliseum begins at 8 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network.
Bourbon and Beyond Begins Tomorrow
The incredible music festival begins tomorrow afternoon, and frankly, I can’t wait. It’s an absolute murderer’s row at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center Friday through Sunday. Here’s who’s playing back-to-back shows to end each night.
Friday: The Flaming Lips, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, John Fogerty, Foo Fighters
Saturday: Trey Anastasio Band, Hall and Oates, Robert Plant
Sunday: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Leon Bridges, ZZ Top, Zac Brown Band
Incredible
I don’t want this to be a video overload in the morning post, but this has given me so much joy over the last 24 hours that I feel I must share it with the KSR audience.
Bro, come check this out
? pic.twitter.com/uOpA4uI8zL— Funny videos / cute videos (@BestVideosviral) September 17, 2019
Matt Jones is in Trigg County
And he has a few fish stories to tell to wrap up his week in Western Kentucky.
The moment of glory pic.twitter.com/9iX9sKo1eZ
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) September 19, 2019