Week 1 is here, and with it comes a fresh look at the former Kentucky players scattered across NFL rosters, practice squads, and injured reserve. After the final round of training camp cuts, 18 ex-‘Cats are on active rosters, five more are hanging onto practice squads, and two are parked on IR.
There was at least one recent reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL. Shiyazh Pete, who had gone viral with a locker room speech for the Dallas Cowboys, was waived by Dallas and remains unsigned for now. That “for now” matters in a league where injuries create openings every week and players who were out of work can be back on the field in a hurry.
Two former Kentucky players will miss the entire season on injured reserve. Kendrick Law, whom the Lions selected in the 5th round, tore his ACL in training camp. Chip Trayanum, who had dealt with injuries during his time at Kentucky, was carted off in a preseason game not long after scoring his first touchdown.
The practice squad group is led by three wide receivers: Dane Key with the Broncos, Ja’Mori Maclin with the Bills, and Bryce Oliver with the Browns. Oliver joined Cleveland after a few seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Maclin and Key both helped their cases with preseason moments, including Maclin’s 71-yard touchdown and Key’s two-yard catch in front of Ryan Lemond. Rookie offensive lineman Alex Wollschlaeger is on the Saints’ practice squad, and Zion Childress is there with the Panthers.
Most of the names on active rosters are familiar ones, but a few moves still stood out. The biggest surprise was Trevin Wallace being waived by the Carolina Panthers.
Wallace had started at linebacker for Carolina since his rookie year, so the move caught plenty of people off guard. The New York Jets wasted little time, signing him to their 53-man roster.
The Jets are also looking at another former Wildcat. Will Levis is fighting for a practice-squad spot after his run in Tennessee ended. The split with the Titans was not unexpected, but the fact that no other team has shown interest in him is still a stunner.
Za’Darius Smith also turned heads by unretiring and signing with the Atlanta Falcons. Bud Dupree, another former Kentucky standout, is back with the LA Chargers. And yes, Dupree played under Joker Phillips.
There are plenty of other former Wildcats ready to go when Week 1 kicks off. That group includes Josh Hines-Allen and Wan’Dale Robinson, along with Ray Davis, Deone Walker, Maxwell Hairston, Jalen Farmer, Seth McGowan, Dru Phillips, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Carrington Valentine, Jager Burton, Luke Fortner, Barion Brown, and Brandin Echols.
Good luck to all the former ‘Cats this season.
In Other News...
Kentucky Gets Its First Real Chance To Back Up The Hype
Will Steins first game as Kentuckys head coach went about as well as the Wildcats could have hoped, with a season-opening win over Youngstown State giving the new staff a clean starting point. It also offered an early look at a roster that has talked plenty about its belief in the group, and the opener did enough to keep that optimism intact as Kentucky moved on to Alabama week.
Now comes the part that will tell the bigger story. Kentucky heads into this matchup as the underdog, facing a Crimson Tide team that brings a different level of talent and depth, and the Wildcats will have to translate the confidence they showed in Week 1 into something sturdier against a far sterner test. The opener featured encouraging performances from key players, but Alabama is the kind of opponent that quickly reveals whether the hype is real or just September noise. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Volleyball Just Made A National Statement On A Huge Stage
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The timing only sharpened the moment for Kentucky fans, with opening weekend across the SEC delivering the kind of conference-wide backdrop that makes every result feel bigger. While football headlines around the league centered on unbeaten starts and a slate of tight games, Kentucky was making its own statement in a different sport, and the Wildcats are still settling into a new weekly rhythm on the football side after moving press conferences and coach shows to different days. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads Into Kentucky With One Big Problem Fans Will Notice
Kentuckys Week 2 meeting with Alabama comes with a strange kind of uncertainty for both staffs, the sort that only shows up this early in the season. Kalen DeBoer spent part of his press conference Wednesday talking through the usual mix of player evaluation, preparation and the challenges of jumping into an SEC game this quickly, while also acknowledging that the Crimson Tide are still trying to get a clear read on what Kentucky looks like under new head coach Will Stein.
The catch for Alabama is that the film bank is thin, and what is available does not offer much of a clean blueprint. DeBoer said the Tide are leaning heavily on fundamentals as they get ready for an early conference test, which makes this more of a game-plan-for-the-basics week than a deep-dive into tendencies. The matchup is set for ABC and Disney+, and for Kentucky, that kind of uncertainty can be a useful place to be when a heavyweight comes to town. [Read more 🡒]