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Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson is in Lexington (and other pre-Ole Miss notes)

Tyler-Thompsonby: Tyler Thompson09/05/25MrsTylerKSR
chad-ochocinco-johnson-is-in-lexington-kentucky-ole-miss-notes
Photo: @ochocinco/Twitter

You probably remember Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, but do you recall that the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has a daughter who runs track at Kentucky? Cha’iel Johnson is now a junior at UK — and holds the school record in the indoor 600m — so pops decided to make the trip to Lexington to check in on her. In true Ochocinco form, he’s documenting it all on social media.

Johnson arrived in Lexington earlier this afternoon and went immediately to Sassy Bleu, a soul food restaurant in Chevy Chase. From the looks of it, he enjoyed some chicken and waffles and a cigar out on the patio.

After lunch, Johnson made his way to Kroger Field, where he met up with Mitch Barnhart and Rock Oliver. He even picked up the role of “assistant to the assistant of the athletic director.” This isn’t the first time Ochocinco has lobbied for a role at UK. In December 2023, he offered to be Mark Stoops’ new wide receivers coach, a position that went to Daikiel Shorts Jr., and is now held by L’Damian Washington. I’m sure Washington wouldn’t mind letting Ochocinco give the wide receivers some pointers; after the Cats totaled just 85 passing yards against Toledo, a few wise words from a legend can’t hurt, right?

Hopefully, Johnson hangs around for tomorrow’s game. As we search for ways to improve the gameday environment, having Ochocinco lead a Cats or Blue/White chant sounds like an easy way to get the crowd at Kroger Field rocking for the clash vs. No. 20 Ole Miss.

Speaking of, here are some more notes on gameday eve.

The weather forecast looks good

Get ready for another false fall. Storms roll into the Bluegrass tonight, with another round of rain expected in the morning. Thankfully, that should wrap up around lunch, with the forecast improving throughout the day. It should be cloudy and in the high 60s around kickoff, becoming partly cloudy as the game goes on. Winds will be light, 6-7 mph from the northwest, which shouldn’t affect the kicking game.

REMINDER: Blue-White Promo

If you’re going to the game, don’t just grab any Kentucky shirt out of the dresser. UK is asking fans to wear blue or white depending on which side of the stadium they’re on. The south side (home sideline, Sections 17-33, 221-231, and boxes 1-74) is encouraged to wear blue, while the north side (away sideline, sections 1-16, 34-40, 101-110, and 201-211) and the student section are encouraged to wear white. Right, Malachi Moreno?

These things only look good with a lot of participation, so do your part to make sure Kroger Field looks good in the ABC spotlight.

Juice Kiffin is also in town

Another celebrity has arrived in Lexington. Juice Kiffin, Lane Kiffin’s three-year-old Labrador Retriever, made the trip with the Rebels. Juice is the unofficial mascot of the Ole Miss team, waking with them through The Grove on gamedays and even fetching the tee after kickoffs. This morning, he posed next to a sign on campus wearing a pair of blue shades.

Don’t have too much fun, Juice, or you’ll earn another public reprimand from your human on Twitter.

Steven Peake can’t wait for Grove Street’s return

Tomorrow also marks the return of “Grove Street Party” to Kroger Field. Kentucky Football’s unofficial hype song was not played during the season opener vs. Toledo, leaving many fans upset. Earlier this week, UK confirmed to KSR that it will be part of the playlist on Saturday, which should make for a pretty cool moment. Steven Peake can’t wait.

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2025-09-09