SEC fans got a clearer picture Thursday night of where things stand for No. 15 Kentucky and Oklahoma, and the availability report didn’t exactly bring good news for either sideline.
Under the SEC’s 2024 policy, schools now have to file official availability reports for conference games. The updates come each Wednesday, get refreshed nightly, and then receive one final ruling an hour before kickoff on Saturday. Players are listed as out, doubtful, questionable, or probable, with those designations tied to chance of playing.
For Kentucky, the latest report brought one change: South Alabama defensive line transfer Tyler Thomas moved from doubtful to out after not logging a snap last week against LSU.
The Wildcats will again be without Grant Grayton, Antwan Smith, Jaden Smith, and Tavion Wallace on Saturday. Alex Afari Jr. is still listed as questionable as his eligibility fight continues in court.
CJ Baxter showed up on the report for the first time this season, while Kalen Edwards appears to be in line to return after missing one game. Nic Anderson is also trending toward playing after he was pulled from last week’s game.
Oklahoma had two changes of its own. Wide receiver Parker Livingston and starting offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis were both downgraded from questionable to doubtful. Heath Ozaeta remains questionable and took Pierre-Louis’s spot in the lineup last week.
The Sooners will once again be without starting wide receiver Trell Harris. They’re also juggling injuries at wide receiver, running back, and along the offensive line, with the chance to be missing multiple starters Saturday depending on how the questionable tags break. Eli Bowen and Michael Fasusi are both starters.
It leaves both teams with some real uncertainty heading into Saturday night.
In Other News...
Kentucky Faces A Tougher Oklahoma Test Than Fans May Expect
Kentuckys trip to Oklahoma sits in the middle of a crowded week of college football picks, but it stands out because this is the kind of game where the familiar SEC script can get upended in a hurry. The matchup comes with plenty of recent trend-watching attached, along with the sort of player and performance notes that shape how these predictions get made, and it gives the Wildcats a chance to show they can handle a road test that looks tougher on paper than some fans may have expected.
Oklahoma brings the sort of profile that can punish a team if it starts slowly, and that is why this one has drawn more attention than a routine conference preview. Kentuckys outlook is tied to whether it can match the Sooners tempo and avoid the kind of mistakes that tend to decide games like this, which is also what makes the prediction angle so interesting: the gap between what people think and what actually happens could be smaller than it appears. [Read more 🡒]
Lance Heard Is Giving Kentucky's Offense Something Few Tackles Can
Lance Heard has quickly become one of the more versatile pieces in Kentuckys offense, and that matters for a team looking for every edge up front. The left tackle has not allowed a sack through the first six games, but his impact has gone well beyond pass protection. Kentucky has found ways to use his size and movement skills in space, including a highlight-reel sweep against South Carolina, and the results have given the Wildcats something few offenses can say they have from the tackle spot.
His coaches have also been creative with how they deploy him, at times lining him up as a lead blocker in the backfield, a role Heard has clearly embraced. He was again part of the story in Kentuckys recent overtime win against LSU, adding another layer to a season that has already shown how valuable he can be when the Wildcats ask him to do more than the usual left tackle job. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Linebacker Situation Just Took Another Unexpected Turn
Kentuckys inside linebacker picture got a little clearer, at least for the moment, when Alex Afari was granted eligibility to play by a temporary injunction from Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards. The ruling comes amid a lawsuit challenging how the NCAA is applying its new five-year eligibility rules to players who graduated high school in 2022, and it adds another twist to a situation that has already moved through multiple legal decisions.
For Kentucky, the timing matters because Afaris status directly affects a depth chart that has been under pressure at inside linebacker. His return gives the Wildcats another option in a spot where every available body counts, even as the larger eligibility fight continues to play out in court. [Read more 🡒]