Kentucky is already getting some preseason shine before Will Stein’s first game in Lexington, and the Wildcats have a few names worth circling.
Pro Football Network put three Kentucky players on its preseason All-SEC team, giving the program representation on both sides of the ball ahead of kickoff at Kroger Field next month. Safety Ty Bryant, defensive lineman Tavion Gadson and offensive lineman Coleton Price all made the cut.
Bryant stands out as the headliner. He turned in a breakout season in Lexington last year, finishing with a career-high four interceptions. Even as Kentucky Football faded during Mark Stoops’ final run, Bryant kept climbing in the secondary, which makes his return a major piece for the new staff.
Gadson brings his own punch to the defense after posting 2.5 sacks in his latest season as a Wildcat. Alongside Bryant, he gives Brad White’s side of the ball another proven disruptive presence. That kind of help should make life easier for play-caller Jay Bateman in his first season.
Price is the newcomer in the group, and he arrives with plenty of credibility. Back in March, he landed in PFF’s top five among returning college centers, and last season at Baylor he allowed just one sack all year. Kentucky is banking on him to help lead the revival of the Big Blue Wall under Stein.
For a program trying to settle in quickly under a new coach, those kinds of established pieces matter. Stein’s debut will still hinge heavily on Kenny Minchey at quarterback, but the Wildcats have already checked important boxes around him by keeping Bryant and Gadson and adding Price early in the offseason.
It’s a promising start for a team that needed one after last season’s rough finish. Kentucky may still have plenty to prove in the SEC, but this preseason recognition gives fans something to latch onto before Stein takes the field for the first time.
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