Kentucky expects a pair of key injury returns to show up Saturday at Texas A&M, with junior cornerback Terhyon Nichols and running back CJ Baxter both trending toward playing after missing time.
Nichols should give the Wildcats’ defense a much-needed lift. He has not been on the field this season since getting hurt, and Kentucky has been waiting for the corner many around the program believed would be its best overall option at the position.
Before the injury, Nichols played in seven games with six starts in 2025, finishing with 18 tackles and five pass breakups. Last season, he appeared in eight games behind Maxwell Hairston and recorded 10 tackles and five pass breakups.
His status was up in the air for a while. Nichols missed the opener against Youngstown State, then was a late scratch against Alabama even though he was dressed on the sideline.
“He was available all week. He practiced all week, and then, really late in the process - Friday night, Saturday morning - he was a little bit, ‘He can go, BUT.’ We felt like it was best to not put him out there in those situations,” coach Will Stein said at his weekly press conference Tuesday.
Stein sounded more confident after Tuesday’s practice.
“He went every single rep today. I know that.
I watched it with my own eyes. He was running around fast, and had a hop in his step.
My expectation with that is he’s going to play this Saturday.”
Baxter’s outlook is also positive after he left the Alabama game when an errant pass hit his finger. Stein said the injury kept him out of a key third-and-one situation.
“It popped out on him like three times. A critical third-and-one; he wasn’t in there because of that, so that was unfortunate for us,” Stein said.
Baxter, one of UK’s top transfer portal targets, had his finger taped at Tuesday morning’s practice and took every rep with the team.
Kentucky also got a look at Jovantae Barnes against Alabama after he spent most of the preseason injured. Barnes logged three carries and one catch, and Stein said the full week of practice should help him settle in more.
“It was obviously big for him. He hasn’t been out there much, got cleared to play last week.
It felt like he was capable to go out there and give us some added depth to that room,” said Stein. “
“It was not a knock on Jovantae, based on his statistics. He played hard and had a really good day of practice today. I think just getting back in the flow and having a full week of practice and prep is going to help him moving forward.”
In Other News...
Kentucky May Have Its Next Quarterback Worth Watching Already
Will Stein used his weekly radio show to give a little more shape to Kentuckys quarterback picture, and the early read is simple enough: Kenny Minchey is still the starter, while fifth-year quarterback Callum Wither sits behind him for now. The more intriguing part for Wildcats fans is the freshman waiting in the wings. Stein singled out Matt Ponatoski for his arm strength and the progress he has already made since arriving on campus, a notable comment for a true freshman in a room with an older backup already in place.
Ponatoski came to Kentucky with plenty of buzz, and not just because of his football rsum. He was a highly regarded high school quarterback and was also selected in baseball before choosing to bet on football in Lexington. Even with Wither holding the No. 2 spot at the moment, Steins comments suggest Ponatoski is already making enough noise to stay on the radar, which is exactly the kind of development Kentucky wants to see at the game's most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Are Getting An Early Reason To Dream On Jake Nawrot
Jake Nawrot is giving Kentucky fans an early glimpse of what the future could look like under center. The four-star quarterback commit in the Wildcats 2027 class has opened his senior season at John Hersey High School in Illinois in impressive fashion, helping push the team to a 4-0 start that already includes a noteworthy win over Barrington.
The buzz around Nawrot is only growing because his game has started to look every bit like the profile of a top national recruit. Rivals has him slotted No. 29 overall in the country and has drawn a comparison to NFL quarterback Drake Maye, a sign of how much athleticism and upside evaluators see in him as Kentucky continues building around its future at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Faces A Brutal Test Against Texas A&Ms Defensive Strength
Kentuckys offense is headed into a matchup that could quickly turn into a field-position grind, and the concern starts long before third down arrives. Through two games, Will Stein has pointed to the need for better first- and second-down efficiency, knowing the Wildcats cannot afford to keep piling up long-yardage situations against a Texas A&M defense that has made a habit of keeping drives in front of it.
Texas A&M has once again been sturdy on money downs, and that is the kind of test that can expose any offense still searching for rhythm. For Kentucky, the challenge is not just beating the Aggies on third down, but avoiding the kind of snaps that let their defense dictate the pace and force the Wildcats into the toughest parts of the playbook. [Read more 🡒]