Jordan Castell added another weekly honor to Kentucky’s growing pile, and this one comes after a performance that swung the game against Oklahoma.
The Wildcats safety was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after hauling in two interceptions in the win. One came in his own end zone.
The other went the distance the other way for the game-sealing touchdown. Castell also finished the night with nine tackles at Oklahoma.
The defining moment may have come right after Kentucky came up short on a fourth down in the red zone. Castell told Will Stein, “I got your back.” He promised to get the ball back, and he followed through.
“It was just some trust,” said Castell. “ I want him to trust us.
We trust him, whatever he calls. If you want to keep going for it on fourth down, we all behind him.
‘Don’t worry about it, the defense, we got you.’”
Castell now has four interceptions this fall, which leads the Southeastern Conference. He is also fourth in the league with 57 tackles, a mark that works out to just over eight per game. Across his career, the Orlando native has seven interceptions, tied for 15th among all FBS players.
Working next to Ty Bryant, Castell and the Wildcats are making a strong argument for being the top safety tandem in college football, not just the SEC.
Kentucky returns to Kroger Field on Saturday for a night game against Vanderbilt, where the Wildcats will play in front of a sold-out crowd.
In Other News...
Kentucky Turned Oklahomas Pregame Disrespect Into A Brutal Response
The build-up in Norman carried a sharper edge than most road games, with Oklahoma players reportedly placing pictures of Kentucky players in urinals before kickoff and then mocking them in a way that quickly circulated beyond the stadium. Kentucky did not just take notice. The Wildcats took the slight with them into a game they were already trying to steal on the road, and the result was a 21-13 upset that gave the visitors plenty of reason to let the moment linger.
Inside the locker room afterward, the celebration matched the score and the background noise around it. Kentucky players swung a belt on Oklahomas mascot and held up a screenshot tied to the restroom incident, while social media filled with clips and posts from both sides adding to the banter. For a team that walked into Norman with a grudge, the win provided the kind of response that tends to travel well after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Landed A National Spot Fans Will Want To See
A wild weekend around college football reshaped Danny Kanells top 12, and Kentucky fans got a little national relevance out of the shakeup. The former Florida State quarterback and analyst put together his updated rankings after a slate full of upsets, with Georgia tumbling from No. 1 to No. 11 after losing to Auburn and four SEC teams still making the cut. Tennessee leads that group at No. 6, while BYU sits at the top of the list.
For Kentucky, the interesting part is less about the headline team and more about the company it is keeping in the broader SEC conversation. With the AP Poll set to come out soon, the conference is again being measured not just by its brand, but by how many teams can stay in the playoff picture after a chaotic weekend. Kanells list captures that tension, and it leaves plenty of room for the next ranking cycle to shift things again. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Ran Into One Big Obstacle With Seneca Driver
Kentuckys recruiting push for Seneca Driver remains alive, but the latest update makes the path a lot steeper. The 5-star tight end prospect, who is already committed to Oklahoma, reaffirmed his pledge to the Sooners after Kentuckys road win in Norman, a result that might have otherwise sparked some late momentum in Lexingtons favor.
Driver made it clear that much of his comfort with Oklahoma comes from tight ends coach Jason Witten, and he indicated he plans to stick with the Sooners as long as Witten is on staff. Kentucky is still working to stay in the mix, but with Driver publicly tied to Oklahoma and Witten, the Wildcats are now trying to climb a hill that looks pretty daunting. [Read more 🡒]