Draft Scout Kentucky Player News, College Football: Kentucky

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Kentucky

Previous 15 Notes

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09/01/24 - Brock Vandagriff, rJr/2026, Kentucky + More +

Brock Vandagriff emerged from a two-hour-plus lightning delay to throw three touchdown passes in his Kentucky debut to lead a 31-0 opening-game shutout of Southern Miss on Saturday night in a game that was called for good with 9:56 remaining in the third quarter after a second delay. Lightning in the area delayed the scheduled 7:45 p.m. start to 10:05 p.m., and the Georgia transfer took charge to throw for 169 yards and two 12-yard scores to Barion Brown in the first half and a five-yard score to Jordan Dingle in the third before the second lightning delay early Sunday morning. A release stated that the termination was "by mutual agreement of the participating institutions as permitted by NCAA rules" and considered final and complete.

Tate Rodemaker threw for 126 yards for the Golden Eagles along with two interceptions, with one ending their best scoring chance when Kentucky's JQ Hardaway picked off a tipped pass in the end zone with 13:37 left in the first half. Vandagriff completed passes to five different receivers, including Dane Key, who had three catches for 60 yards and North Texas transfer Ja'Mori Maclin, who had two catches for 66 yards. - AP College Football

rJr/2026

QB Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky
News Source: AP College Football
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09/01/24 - Zach Calzada, rSr/2026, Kentucky + More +

Zach Calzada threw two touchdown passes and Dekalon Taylor ran for two scores as Incarnate Word rolled to a 28-7 win over Northern Colorado in a season opener on Saturday night. A mainstay in the FCS Top 25 poll for 39-straight weeks, the Cardinals forced a pair of fumbles and picked off two Peter Costelli passes. Incarnate Word took the lead on its opening series when Taylor broke for a 27-yard touchdown run. The Bears answered on a 58-yard touchdown run by Vann Schield and the game was tied at 7 after one quarter.

Calzada gave the Cardinals a 14-7 lead at intermission by hitting Jalen Waithall from 46-yards out, then hit Logan Compton with a 13-yard touchdown to start the third quarter. Taylor wrapped up the scoring, capping a 13-play, 86-yard drive with a 1-yard run midway through the third. Calzada completed 21 of his 34 pass attempts for 205 yards with an interception. Waithall caught five passes for 103 yards. Taylor and Isaiah Robinson each ran for 79 yards on 14 and 16 carries, respectively. Costelli was 16 of 26 passing for 141 yards for Northern Colorado. Schield carried 11 times for 80 yards. - AP College Football

rSr/2026

QB Zach Calzada, Kentucky
News Source: AP College Football
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11/27/23 - Aidan Laros, rJr/2026, Kentucky + More +

2023 ALL-BIG SOUTH-OVC FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION FIRST TEAM: P - Aidan Laros, R-Soph., UT Martin,...In his first year with the UT Martin program Laros led the FCS in punting by averaging 47.2 yards per attempt while setting a new program record. Overall he punted 51 times with a long punt of 70 yards (done twice), 18 of his punts were 50 yards or longer, 16 were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line and he only had seven touchbacks. Laros also handled kicking duties, making 10-of-16 field goals (with a long of 43) and converting 43-of-45 point after attempts. He ranked sixth in the Association in scoring (6.67 points/game). - UT Martin Football

rJr/2026

P Aidan Laros, Kentucky
News Source: UT Martin Football
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11/26/23 - Aidan Laros, rJr/2026, Kentucky + More +

2023 BIG SOUTH-OVC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aidan Laros, PK/P, R-Soph, UT Martin,...In his first year with the UT Martin program, Laros led the FCS in punting by averaging 47.2 yards per attempt. That also established a program record (breaking the previous mark of 43.62 yards per punt). Overall, he punted 51 times with a long punt of 71 yards - one of three 70-yard punts this season, and averaged more than 50.0 yards per punt in four games. A total of 18 of his punts were 50 yards or longer, 16 were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line and he had just seven touchbacks. Laros also handled kicking duties for the Big South-OVC Co-Champion Skyhawks, making 10-of-16 field goals (with a long of 43) and converting 43-of-45 point after attempts for 73 total points. He ranked sixth in the Association in scoring (6.67 points/game). - Big South-OVC Football Association

rJr/2026

P Aidan Laros, Kentucky
News Source: Big South-OVC Football Association
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11/26/23 - Zach Calzada, rSr/2026, Kentucky + More +

2023 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Zach Calzada, UIW,...Calzada led the Cardinals with 19 passing touchdowns on the season for 2,598 yards and a 159.34 passing efficiency, the ninth best in the nation. He averaged 288.67 yards in the air per game (No. 3 in the nation), while running for 57 yards and five touchdowns. Calzada is first in the Southland Conference for total offense, passing average per game, passing efficiency, passing completions, passing yards per attempt and passing yards. He was named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watchlist, the Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Team, and was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week & FCS Player of the Week Honorable Mention. - Incarnate Word Football

rSr/2026

QB Zach Calzada, Kentucky
News Source: Incarnate Word Football
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03/07/23 - Devin Leary, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

New Kentucky football quarterback Devin Leary was a full participant in the first day of spring practice Monday as he works his way back from a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2022 season after six games at N.C. State. "I know he was on a pitch count," Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. "But the way we rotate quarterbacks and have depth, it didn't affect the way I saw practice." Leary's availability for spring practice is a significant boost for a Wildcat offense that has to replace likely top-10 NFL Draft pick Will Levis at quarterback and bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season.

When last fully healthy in 2021, Leary threw 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions to earn a spot as one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which goes to college football's top quarterback. Leary was ranked as the top available quarterback in the transfer portal when he committed to Kentucky in December. Now, Leary can work on building chemistry with a group of talented but still young receivers led by sophomores Barion Brown and Dane Key. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who returned to Lexington after one year as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, will have his projected starting quarterback available as he works to teach his scheme to those young playmakers this spring. "Devin is just waiting to lead," Stoops said. "What I mean by waiting is he's earning it and he's doing it respectfully. He can take over a room in five minutes, but he knows that it's about going out and proving it day in and day out and not forcing that...I think it's very important to just be authentic, be who you are but also lead and find your voice in the right time and the right moment." - Herald Leader

rSr/2024

QB Devin Leary, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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03/06/23 - JQ Hardaway, Jr/2026, Kentucky + More +

Former four-star recruit Jonquis "JQ" Hardaway played in 11 games for Cincinnati at a freshman, totaling seven tackles and one sack. Both of Kentucky's starters at the position are gone from last season with Carrington Valentine and Keidron Smith preparing for the NFL draft. Junior Andru Phillips has to be considered the early favorite for one of the starting jobs after he started the Music City Bowl against Iowa following Valentine's decision to opt out of the game, but sophomores Maxwell Hairston and Jordan Robinson also received praise from coaches in pre-bowl practices.

Kentucky could start a transfer at cornerback for the seventh time in eight years thanks to the additions of Cincinnati transfer JQ Hardaway and Ohio State transfer Jantzen Dunn. At 6-foot-3, Hardaway brings the size Stoops has coveted at the position. He is also more experienced than Dunn, who played primarily on special teams at Ohio State and missed significant time due to injury. - Herald Leader

Jr/2026

CB JQ Hardaway, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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02/26/23 - Tayvion Robinson, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

The former Virginia Tech transfer started his UK career on a high note with six catches for 136 yards in the season opener, but injuries and the offense's struggles combined to contribute to an overall disappointing season. Robinson should start at slot receiver in 2023, but he might be Leary's third option behind Barion Brown and Dane Key. But with Coen back at offensive coordinator, Robinson will have the chance to fill the featured role Coen pitched when he was recruited to Lexington. - Herald Leader

rSr/2024

WR Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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02/25/23 - Ray Davis, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

A college career that started at Temple and included two years at Vanderbilt will conclude with one season at Kentucky for Davis in 2023. Davis rushed for 1,043 yards and five touchdowns for Vanderbilt last season. He topped the 100-yard plateau in four SEC games. If Davis can duplicate his performance against Kentucky last season - 26 carries for 129 yards and one touchdown - he might be the favorite to replace Chris Rodriguez as UK's featured running back. - Herald Leader

rSr/2024

RB Ray Davis, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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02/25/23 - Brenden Bates, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

Perhaps the biggest surprise of UK's returning super seniors, Brenden Bates looked likely to jump to the NFL until he underwent shoulder surgery in December. Bates played through most of the 2022 season with a labrum injury but was sidelined for the final two games. Kentucky's tight end room is crowded, but Bates is the most experienced player of the group. As a strong blocker with 22 career receptions, Bates is sure to carve out an important role if healthy. - Herald Leader

rSr/2024

TE Brenden Bates, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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02/23/23 - Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Sr/2025, Kentucky + More +

Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, the second-leading tackler for 2022 national champions, was arrested Wednesday on charges of reckless driving and racing. According to Athens-Clarke County jail records, Dumas-Johnson was released Wednesday evening after posting a combined bond of $4,000 — $2,500 for allegedly racing on highways/streets and $1,500 for alleged reckless driving. The arrest on the misdemeanor charges followed an incident in Athens on Jan. 10, one day after the Bulldogs beat TCU 65-7 in the national championship game and Dumas-Johnson had four tackles.

Georgia said in a statement that the "alleged conduct" by Dumas-Johnson "does not reflect our program's values or the high standards we have established." "As this is an open matter involving a student, we are not able to provide any additional information at this time and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement," the statement added. Georgia is also dealing with the fallout from a fatal crash after the team's championship parade. Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy, a 24-year-old who worked in the recruiting department, were killed in an early-morning accident on Jan. 15, while another player and another employee were in the vehicle and injured. Dumas-Johnson was a second-team selection to The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference team after recording 70 tackles with four sacks while starting every game in Georgia's second consecutive national championship season. - AP College Football

Sr/2025

ILB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky
News Source: AP College Football
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02/24/23 - Ray Davis, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

Ray Davis wants to make one thing perfectly clear about his role within Kentucky's football program: He's not Chris Rodriguez's heir. Rodriguez, who now is preparing for the NFL draft, left Kentucky with 3,644 career rushing yards, the third-best mark in school history behind Benny Snell (3,873) and Sonny Collins (3,835). But Davis is no stranger to notable feats. He spent the last two seasons at Vanderbilt where he became just the seventh player in the program's history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Long the SEC's weakest link, the Commodores went 7-17 overall, with two conference wins, during his time there. Other Power Five schools took notice of his production. And there were lessons in the losses, too. With the Wildcats, the fifth-year senior looks to use what he's learned to help bring a conference title back to Lexington - while continuing his journey of self improvement. "People want to say that I'm 'coming in to replace C-Rod.' I'm not coming in and replacing that," Davis told The Courier Journal in a recent phone interview. "You can't replace that. You can't replace someone who is going to be in the history books forever. All I can do is try to add to that."

Davis said he talked with 11 schools on his first official day in the transfer portal in early December and met with coaches from seven different universities the following week. For Davis, the notoriety was akin to a victory lap. Upon graduation from Trinity-Pawling School, an all-boys prep school in Pawling, New York, Davis' grades held him back. Between high school and his January arrival in Lexington, there were three stops for the now 23-year-old Davis: A post-grad year at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, two seasons at Temple and the last two years at Vanderbilt. During his two seasons playing for the Owls, in 2019 and 2020, he rushed for 1,259 yards and nine touchdowns (on 271 attempts) and caught 27 passes for 243 yards and two scores in 16 games. - Courier Journal

rSr/2024

RB Ray Davis, Kentucky
News Source: Courier Journal
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02/11/23 - Devin Leary, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

Robert Hinson knows both sides of Devin Leary's personality. One is the polite gentleman with a constant smile on his face. The one who will sign a thousand autographs. The one who won't turn down a photo request from an admiring fan. The one who once was the face of North Carolina State's football program - and, in due time, will assume that same role at Kentucky. Then there's the other side. Not mean. Just motivated. "Folks better not ever take (those things) as him not being a competitor," Hinson, Leary's coach at Timber Creek High School in New Jersey, told The Courier Journal over the phone last month, "because that smile will turn into a growl in a minute. He is a fierce competitor, and he loves to prove people wrong." An avid college football follower might wonder: How many doubters could Leary, the ACC's preseason player of the year last season as N.C. State's quarterback, possibly possess?

Enough that Hinson becomes animated at the thought of it. "Us guys who coach, and even his family, we look at all the media prognosticators who say, 'This guy is going to be a great NFL guy' or 'This guy is going to translate great to the NFL game,'" Hinson said. "... Or they're eventually going to be something. But Devin already has shown he has those abilities. I think he's still flying under the radar." The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Leary will have the opportunity to showcase his quarterbacking talent to those not already aware - to Hinson's delight - when the Wildcats begin their 2023 campaign. Transferring from N.C. State in December, Leary will suit up for his sixth, and final, college season this fall at Kentucky. It's a scenario few could have envisioned last summer. Blame a season-ending injury last year with the Wolfpack, his second in three years, for that. As Leary continues to recover from his latest injury, he's embarking on a new challenge: stepping into the void left by former UK quarterback Will Levis. - Courier Journal

rSr/2024

QB Devin Leary, Kentucky
News Source: Courier Journal
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01/30/23 - Devin Leary, rSr/2024, Kentucky + More +

Former North Carolina State quarterback Devin Leary and former Northern Illinois left tackle Marques Cox, both projected to start for the Wildcats in the fall, expressed optimism about the status of their rehabilitation from injuries that ended their 2022 seasons early in interviews with reporters Wednesday but stopped short of placing a specific timetable for their return to the field. UK Coach Mark Stoops previously said he expected both players to be available for at least part of spring practice but said he was unsure if either would be limited. "Absolutely on schedule," Leary said Wednesday. "I feel really good. Really just taking it day by day and making sure I'm following the doctors' protocols and listening to the trainers in the training room. The strength and conditioning staff just keeping me on pace. But right now I'm in a really good spot."

Leary entered the 2022 season as the preseason ACC Player of the Year and a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate, but his season ended after just six games when he tore the pectoral muscle on his right side in an Oct. 8 game against Florida State. The injury required surgery just more than a month later. The torn pectoral muscle was the second major injury for Leary, who also saw his 2020 season end early due to a fractured fibula. "Honestly, it was just two freak accidents," Leary said. "It can be frustrating, but that's the game we sign up to play. It's a violent sport. At the end of the day, I'm still grateful to be here. Still grateful to be around awesome doctors, awesome trainers to where I'm standing here in front of you today getting ready to play this season. Obviously in the moment it's very unfortunate, but at the same time, I'm a guy that lives by everything happens for a reason. I know I'll bounce back and play better than I ever have before." - Herald Leader

rSr/2024

QB Devin Leary, Kentucky
News Source: Herald Leader
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01/25/23 - Alex Raynor, rSr/2025, Kentucky + More +

Memphis football may have found its next kicker after securing a commitment Saturday from Georgia Southern junior Alex Raynor. Raynor, who announced his decision on Twitter, was the starting kicker the past three seasons for the Eagles. Last season, he was 18-for-20 on field goals, 49-for-50 on extra-point attempts and led the Sun Belt in scoring with 103 points. Raynor was 8-for-10 on field goals of 30 yards or longer with a career long of 46 yards. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Memphis has only one kicker on its roster after All-AAC senior Chris Howard exhausted his eligibility. - Memphis Commercial Appeal

rSr/2025