Four true freshmen got on the field for Alabama against Texas A&M on Saturday, and that group sits in a pretty clean spot under the redshirt rules.
The players who have not appeared in a game yet are cornerback Andre Clarke Jr., quarterback Matt Ponatoski, tight end Lincoln Watkins, wide receiver Denairius Gray, wide receiver Davis McCray, offensive tackle Cameron Miller Jr., running back Deuce Alston and running back Isaiah Jackson. That means each of them can still play in up to four more games.
Alabama also had six true freshmen who did not see game action last season: offensive tackle Jermiel Atkins, offensive tackle Bryan Auguste, wide receiver Preston Bowman, quarterback Stone Saunders, wide receiver Quintin Simmons Jr. and defensive lineman Nic Smith. Simmons, Bowman and Saunders have since transferred.
Atkins played Saturday against Youngstown State. Smith tragically passed away.
Among the freshmen who have already logged snaps, no one is sitting at one game played. Two players are at two games: defensive lineman Ben Duncum and EDGE Justyn Hartley. Duncum’s appearances came against Youngstown State and Alabama, while Hartley played against Alabama and Texas A&M.
Three players are at three games and can still appear in one more: cornerback Isaiah McMillian, wide receiver Kenny Darby and wide receiver Prince Jean. Last season, cornerback Demarcus Gardner, wide receiver Montavin Quisenberry, tight end Mikkel Skinner and safety Dyllon Williams each played exactly three games. Quisenberry has since transferred to Louisville.
There are also three players who reached the four-game mark last season and still kept their redshirt seasons: Martels Carter Jr. and offensive linemen Jayden Clark and Darrin Strey. Strey has since transferred to LSU, though he did not play any offensive snaps in the opener.
On the other end of the spectrum, five players burned their redshirts last season: defensive lineman Kalen Edwards, cornerback Grant Grayton, wide receiver Cameron Miller, wide receiver DJ Miller and edge rusher CJ Works. Miller has transferred to Ole Miss after following former wide receivers coach L'Damian Washington.
Kentucky’s 2026 recruiting class was relatively small, with 15 commitments from 11 states and a national ranking of No. 38. Two of those commits, wide receiver Kenny Darby and cornerback Andre Clarke Jr., were rated as 4-star recruits by 247Sports.
For clarity, my understanding is that the five year rule takes effect with the 2027 recruiting class. The 2026 recruiting class is being grandfathered in, so they can follow the five-year rule or existing rules, whichever is the more favorable outcome.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Put Will Steins First Season Back In Play
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There is still plenty of work ahead, and the schedule does Kentucky no favors, but the stakes are clear now. If the Wildcats can navigate the rest of the slate well enough to reach six wins, they would become bowl eligible for the first time since 2023, which would be a notable marker for Steins first season and a sign the program is moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
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For Kentucky, the case is about more than simply getting noticed after a good start. The question now is whether AP voters are giving enough weight to what the Wildcats have already done, or whether theyre still waiting for a bigger signal before moving them where they belong. That leaves Kentucky sitting in an awkward spot, close enough to the rankings to feel relevant, but not quite where its rsum appears to point. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Got The Kind Of Road Win Wildcat Fans Will Love
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The turnover battle also tilted Kentuckys way, and that mattered in a hostile environment where momentum can swing fast. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko acknowledged the loss in his postgame remarks and owned the performance, but for Kentucky the bigger story was the complete nature of the result and what it says about a team that can travel and take control against a ranked opponent. [Read more 🡒]