Kentucky came out of its win over Texas A&M with a few bruises, but the early read from Will Stein is encouraging.
On Tuesday, Stein said the Wildcats had their key banged-up players back on the field and framed the issues as part of the normal grind of a season rather than anything major.
"Everybody's out there today," Stein said. "It's just kind of the wear and tear of a season."
That matters for a Kentucky team that leaned hard on several of those names in the win over the former No. 9 Aggies. Defensive lineman Jamarrion Harkless and defensive back Grant Grayton were already ruled out before kickoff, while Ty Bryant and Henry Boyer both took hits during the game.
Harkless, known as "Pork Chop" by DL coach Anwar Stewart, had been a steady part of the rotation before sitting out against Texas A&M. He played 20 snaps against Alabama and 16 against Youngstown State before being unavailable for the Aggies.
Grayton’s workload has also been significant. The returning sophomore has been a regular piece of Kentucky’s defense, especially with Hasaan Sykes and Terhyon Nichols missing time because of preseason issues. Grayton logged 47 snaps against Youngstown and 21 against Alabama once Sykes returned.
Boyer’s status is another one Kentucky will be watching closely, though his impact has already been obvious. He was rattled after a big gain in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M, but not before scoring Kentucky’s first touchdown - and the only one of the first half - on a designed play. It was the second straight game with a Boyer touchdown, after he scored the first of his collegiate career against Alabama.
His snap counts show just how involved he’s been. Boyer played 43 snaps against Youngstown, the most of any tight end, then 34 against Alabama, second only to Willie Rodriguez’s 52, and 35 against A&M, again trailing only Rodriguez’s 45.
Bryant’s situation looked the most concerning in the moment. The Lexington product appeared to hurt his shoulder on a big play in the second quarter before halftime, then returned before taking another hard shot in the fourth quarter that knocked him out for good.
Still, Stein sounded upbeat after the game when speaking with Tom Leach.
"Ty's good," Stein said. "He got banged up a little bit on his shoulder, but he ended up going back in the game. He got hit again on it, so I'm sure he'll be sore this next week, but he's the heartbeat of our defense, one of the heartbeats of our team."
Bryant has already played 160 snaps this season, including the one that produced his first collegiate sack against Alabama. That total trails only Jordan Castell’s 188, though Bryant was limited against A&M and still played 58 snaps in College Station while Castell was on the field for 83.
For now, the message from Kentucky’s sideline is simple: the Wildcats expect their beaten-up contributors to be back in the mix soon. Stein said all four returned to practice Tuesday, and he expects them to be available this Saturday against South Alabama.
"Those guys returned back today for practice," Stein said, "so I'm expecting them to be ready to go for this Saturday."
In Other News...
Kentucky Finally Gets To Enjoy The SEC Shorts Joke
SEC Shorts leaned into another round of SEC chaos this week, and Kentucky got a rare turn in the spotlight for the right reasons. The Week 3 video touched on LSUs loss to Ole Miss and Kentuckys upset of Texas A&M, while also playing with Lane Kiffins return to Oxford and even bringing in Morgan Freeman as the voice guiding the mayhem.
For Kentucky fans, the amusing part is not just the win getting noticed, but the tone of the joke itself. After plenty of past sketches where the Wildcats were the punch line, this one had them in a much better place, which is about as good a sign as any that the football season has started to tilt their way. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey May Have Started A New Kentucky Quarterback Conversation
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Mincheys recognition also moved him onto the Davey OBrien Midseason Watch List, adding another layer to a week that already felt significant for his place in the offense. For Kentucky, the bigger question now is whether one sharp outing was just a breakthrough moment or the start of a much larger conversation under center. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Upset Left Texas A&M Dealing With A Brutal New Blow
Kentuckys 31-21 upset of Texas A&M in Week 3 did more than hand the Wildcats a notable win. It also left the Aggies trying to absorb a sharp drop in the rankings, from No. 9 to No. 23, after a game that felt costly well beyond the final score.
Texas A&Ms bigger concern came almost immediately, when wide receiver and kick returner Terry Bussey went down on the opening kickoff and never returned. Bussey had been a key piece for the Aggies and entered the season as a preseason All-SEC kick returner, making the loss especially tough for a team already recalibrating after a setback that changed the mood in College Station fast. [Read more 🡒]