Jon Sumrall, Phil Hoskins Sign Contract Extensions

A pair of former Kentucky Wildcats are getting paid. Friday afternoon Jon Sumrall and Phil Hoskins each inked contract extensions at their respective destinations.

Phil Hoskins, a JUCO product and Toledo native, was a seventh round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. After appearing in five games and tallying two tackles in 2022, the defensive lineman was waived by Carolina. He later joined the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. He was not dressed for the victory, but Hoskins was on the sideline and received a ring for Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII win. On Friday he put pen to paper to stay in Kansas City for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile in Alabama, Jon Sumrall received a long-term commitment from his employers. Sumrall, a former UK linebacker that worked on Mark Stoops’ staff from 2019-21, reportedly signed a four-year extension as the head coach at Troy. The new deal runs through the 2026 season. In addition to his raise, Troy is investing more into its program and giving Sumrall a larger assistant salary pool.

Troy has the second-longest active win streak in FBS football at 11 games. In his first season as a head coach the Huntsville, Al. native went 12-2, winning the Sun Belt and pulling off an incredible come from behind victory over UTSA in the Cure Bowl.

During his first season he did not forget his roots. With the help of Neal Brown, the two former Kentucky assistants and Troy head coaches pitched in to dedicate the Trojans’ offensive line room to the memory of John Schlarman.

The respect is mutual in Lexington. One of Sumrall’s former recruits, D’Eryk Jackson, is taking over as the Wildcats’ starting middle linebacker this spring. Even though Sumrall moved on to a new venture, the two still keep in close contact.

“That’s my dog right there. We still be shooting texts back and forth every once in a while. He’ll call me every once in a while when he’s free and stuff like that,” Jackson shared with KSR. “It was cool. I knew he was going to be a good head coach.”