Kentucky to Honor 25 Players on Senior Day

It feels like we just kicked off the 2025 Kentucky football season. On Saturday, the Wildcats will play the final game of the season at Kroger Field.

Before kickoff, 25 Wildcats will be honored for their contributions to the program at Senior Day. It’s still emotional for many, but Senior Day is different in the transfer portal era. Ten of this year’s seniors only spent the 2025 season in Lexington.

The COVID waiver also made things complicated on Senior Day. Some players went through the pregame ceremony, then returned for another year. Fortunately, there aren’t too many players lingering around college football who played in 2020. Next season should be the last that has any from that era, but as Mark Stoops noted on Monday, “Well, we will see. There’s always litigation.”

2025 Kentucky Football Senior Day Honorees

The following 25 players will be honored prior to kickoff. Arrive inside Kroger Field by 1 PM ET to give these Kentucky Wildcats a much-deserved salute.

ILB Alex Afari Jr.
OL Joshua Braun
OL Jager Burton
QB Zach Calzada
DB Jantzen Dunn
WR Fred Farrier II
DL David Gusta
DB JQ Hardaway
WR J.J. Hester
TE Josh Kattus
WR Cole Lanter
P/K Aidan Laros
WR Kendrick Law
DB Jordan Lovett
WR Ja’Mori Maclin
RB Seth McGowan
LS Alex McLaughlin
TE Jack Monday
OLB Kam Olds
OL Shiyazh Pete
ILB Daveren Rayner
DL Kahlil Saunders
K Zach Schreiner
ILB Landyn Watson
OL Alex Wollschlaeger

Seniors Shining Without the Spotlight

For many positions, you know the players are performing well because nobody is talking about them. Jager Burton took a lot of darts throughout his career. A Blue Chip recruit from Lexington, he began playing when the offensive line regressed. Much of their struggles were unfairly foisted on Jager.

Burton deserves an immense amount of credit for persevering through the criticism. Kentucky previously tried to play him at center, an experiment that only lasted a few games after snapping issues surfaced. That has not been the case during his senior season. He has been rock-solid all year long for a unit that is playing its best football down the stretch.

Alex Wollschlaeger has not been talked about at all because the Bowling Green transfer has done his job at right tackle. The same could be said about the other seniors on the offensive line. It’s a good thing nobody knows the long-snapper’s name. Alex McLaughlin has checked all of the boxes.

Unfortunate Injuries

Jordan Lovett will receive a jersey before the game, but he will not be playing. The safety from North Hardin started in 41 games before he suffered a season-ending injury against Florida. He had multiple interceptions in four straight seasons, something no other Mark Stoops defensive back has done. Like Burton, he experienced early highs, followed by the lowest of lows. It’s a shame he can’t finish his career on the field just as Kentucky is beginning to turn a corner.

Alex Afari started his career in the secondary. He moved to inside linebacker in 2024 and has been exceptional this season. He’s second on the team in tackles with 50. Afari will not play on Saturday, but Stoops expects Afari to return before the season ends.

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