Did Mark Stoops find the next Julian Edelman? Troy Stellato hopes to follow in idol's footsteps

Clemson transfer Troy Stellato grew up in Fort Lauderdale and went to Cardinal Gibbons High School, but he doesn’t claim to be a Sunshine State kid (or 23-year-old man, rather). His heart is in Boston as a native of Salem, Massachusetts with family from the area and all of his sports idols of the Beantown variety — no Dolphins, Jaguars or Buccaneers, only Patriots.

Keep that in mind when he reveals one of his all-time favorite football players, who he models his game after as a scrappy, savvy, sure-handed 6-1 slot receiver… Anybody? Of course, it’s The Squirrel himself, Julian Edelman.

What Edelman was for Tom Brady, he hopes to be the same safety net for Zach Calzada.

“I’m a huge Patriots fan, my family is from Boston. I was born in the Boston area, watching him (Edelman) growing up, he was my idol receiver,” Stellato told Cole Parke of The Cats’ Pause. “That comparison, I really see it because I pride myself on toughness, doing what it takes to make the catch, getting smashed over the middle, and coming up with it.

“That gets the crowd riled up and it’s super fun to do that. Love Edelman, he’s the best, he’s one of the GOATs, especially at the slot position. It’s a good comparison.”

Stellato comes to Kentucky as a former four-star recruit who originally picked Clemson over Ohio State in 2021. Battling a number of injuries, his career has been limited to 23 games with 11 starts, picking up 65 catches for 600 yards and two scores. He’s tough as nails, but his body hasn’t kept up with his heart, and the hope is that those two things align with a fresh start in Lexington as a go-to for Calzada.

What kind of reputation does he want to leave Kentucky with in his final season of eligibility this fall? A winner, ready to put it all out there for his teammates and do whatever it takes to make an impact.

“I feel like I bring a lot of everything,” he told The Cats’ Pause. “Over the middle, I’m probably gonna start out there in slot, making tough catches, running as fast as I can. I feel like I bring speed. I haven’t really been able to show that at Clemson, but I know I can really run, sub 4.4 guy, so I feel like I’m gonna really show speed versatility.

“I pride myself on my toughness also, making tough catches over the middle, blocking, all the little things that help us win.”

Edelman went on to become a three-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP, named to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame after racking up 6,822 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns in the regular season to go with 1,442 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. More than anything, though, the former Patriot was known for his heart and toughness.

Kentucky will obviously take that kind of production in Lexington, but the big priority is on the latter categories amid the culture reset under Mark Stoops.