First Down Kentucky: Fall Camp is (almost) here
We’re so close, you can almost smell the football in the air. The Kentucky Wildcats will begin preparing for the 2024 campaign on the practice fields of the Joe Craft Football Training Facility on Wednesday and it will be glorious. Although the first week of practice is light on pads popping, allow me to share a primer of what’s to come.
Today Mark Stoops spoke with fans at the Lexington Kickoff Luncheon. Adam Luckett will share the latest from Kroger Field later this afternoon. Tonight he’ll join me at 8 pm EST for 11 Personnel. We’re still working out the details, but Kentucky football fans can expect new shows every Monday from now through football season on the KSR YouTube Channel.
Practice begins on Wednesday, but we will not be speaking with the team until Kentucky Football Media Day on Friday morning, just a few hours before they put on shoulder pads for the first time. The following day the fans will get to see the Cats up-close in person. Fan Day is an open practice that kicks off at 11 am EST on Saturday morning. We have all the details here.
Things are starting to feel real this week, BBN. Plan accordingly.
Kentucky Installing New Lights at Kroger Field
Our friend Freddie Maggard couldn’t stay away from South Campus as the Wildcats prepare for the first week of practice. He was on a stroll around Kroger Field when he saw the parking lot littered with lights. This week the new LED lights are being installed at the home of Kentucky football. We’ll get to see the in-game atmosphere enhancements go to work right away when the Wildcats kick off the season at night (7:45 pm EST, SEC Network) against Southern Miss on Aug. 31.
Duke Gets a Party Deck
Speaking of enhancements, there’s a significant one coming to Wallace Wade Stadium this fall. If Louisville has taught the ACC anything, it’s that you need a party deck to get fans in the stands to watch your subpar product.
This fall Duke will open the “Devils Deck” at the top of the end zone. A $45 ticket gets you all-you-can-eat tailgate food (burgers, hot dogs, soft pretzels) and non-alcoholic beverages. Students can pay $35 to be near the in-game DJ and the yard games.
Kentucky Football Podcasts Every Monday
The offseason ends this week. That’s why we’re getting back into a regular schedule with new football podcasts coming to the KSR YouTube Channel every Monday, starting tonight with 11 Personnel at 8 pm EST. We’re still ironing out the details on a complete fall lineup, but for now, you can go ahead and pencil in Monday conversations with the KSR football crew.
Kentucky Hosts 4-Star Tight End
The final weekend of July has transformed into a gimmicky end-of-summer recruiting charade. That is ending next year with a change to the recruiting calendar.
Top 10
- 1Trending
Florida 92, UK 83
Cats' comeback falls short
- 2Hot
SEC Tourney Projection
A logjam behind Florida.
- 3
Takeaways
from UK's loss at Fllorida
- 4New
Top 25 W
for Kentucky WBB over Ole Miss.
- 5
5 Reasons for the loss
Missed layups and turnovers are up there
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Mark Stoops’ staff never participated in the hijinx, but they did host a talented player over the weekend. Mikkel Skinner, a four-star tight end ranked as the No. 241 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class, was in Lexington over the weekend. A South Carolina native, the Gamecocks recently entered the race for the Cincinnati commit.
The Best CFB Player of the 21st Century
ESPN decided to get into its bag this summer and fill the sports void by ranking athletes from the first 25 years of the 21st century. It’s a fool’s errand, albeit one that does generate conversation.
Bill Connelly was tasked to use his historical knowledge and statistical analysis to determine the best college football players of the era. While it’s safe to assume Kentucky Wildcats would be omitted from the conversation, his list of the Top 25 players since 2000 is shocking to the average college football fan.
1. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
3. Cam Newton, Auburn
4. Vince Young, Texas
5. Ed Reed, Miami
Suh’s performance against Texas in the Big 12 title game is unlike anything I’ve ever seen from an interior defensive lineman, but the best college football player of the last 25 years? I’m shocked, almost as shocked as Baker Mayfield ranking higher than Newtown, Young, Tebow, and Burrow.
[ESPN: Top 25 Players of the 2000s]
SOON
This is a wonderful football appetizer. Hopefully, it can hold you over until the main course arrives.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard