KSR Today: K Week, volleyball exhibition, and MORE football talk
Good morning, folks! And an extra good morning to the University of Kentucky freshmen class. I understand you all had quite the experience last night at Kroger Field to kick off the start of “K Week”. I’d like to unofficially welcome you to the Big Blue Nation. I hope you brought snacks.
For those unfamiliar with K Week, it’s basically a stretch right before the fall semester begins when new students at UK are introduced to the college world and everything that the school has to offer. With constant festivities and events running throughout the rest of the week such as Big Blue U (last night at Kroger Field), Campus Ruckus (to break the ice), and Cat-A-Palooza (food and music at Gatton), campus is going to be unnecessarily busy until the end of Sunday. Prepare accordingly.
Wednesday was the first day of K Week, which was capped off with the now-traditional class photo at Kroger Field under the stars. With Grove Street Party blaring in the background, the turf was covered with fresh UK students, who worked together to form a massive, bright outline of the state of Kentucky. Honestly, it looked pretty cool. Props to the coordination team. Class starts on Monday.
Now, let’s dive into the rest of this morning’s news and notes. I’ll note that we expect to hear from defensive coordinator Brad White and various Kentucky players following today’s practice. Stay tuned this afternoon for everything they had to say. The season begins in a little over two weeks.
Got thoughts? Subscribe to KSR+ to continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR+ Message Board.
Kentucky adds Wake Forest transfer RB
Jaquez Keyes, a former three-star recruit out of high school, is officially a Wildcat. Kentucky announced his addition on Wednesday. He will have to take a redshirt season in his first year. However, this was not a scholarship addition.
Keyes signed with Wake Forest as a linebacker in the 2023 class (after initially committing to Wisconsin) but was originally listed as a running back out of Ironton, OH. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound prospect was rated as the No. 695 overall recruit and No. 51 running back in the country this past recruiting cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Iowa and Michigan had also offered him.
Last season for Ironton, Keyes rushed for 1,063 yards (6.1 yards per rush) and 21 touchdowns. On defense, Keyes recorded 56 tackles and four tackles for loss. However, it appears that the true freshman prefers to play offense.
No. 10 volleyball back in action TONIGHT
Preseason No. 10 Kentucky volleyball is inching closer and closer to the start of the 2023 season. But first up is one exhibition match against another ranked opponent, Western Kentucky. With Memorial Coliseum undergoing renovations, all home games for the Wildcats will take place at Rupp Arena. Tonight’s preseason warmup against WKU is set for 6:00 p.m. EST, where admission will be free of charge. There will also be an opportunity for a post-match autograph session with the players.
For those who don’t already know, we’ve added a new piece to the KSR team to cover volleyball this season. Hunter Mitchell is now taking over the beat for us, and there isn’t a person outside of the program that knows more about Kentucky volleyball than he does. Join along for the ride as UK looks to make a run at its second national championship this fall.
To have Kentucky Wildcats news sent straight to your inbox, sign up for the KSR Newsletter.
Freddie is very high on Devin Leary
Wednesday morning Freddie Maggard joined Matt Jones for the first in a series of position previews on Kentucky Sports Radio. The former UK quarterback is a Big Blue Believer in Devin Leary.
“Devin Leary will be the best quarterback Mark Stoops has coached at Kentucky,” Maggard shared with the KSR listening audience.
His record-breaking experience at NC State and his command of the football sets Leary apart from his predecessors. With the New Jersey native under center, Kentucky can go toe-to-toe with every opponent on its schedule. It’s pretty clear that Freddie likes his new quarterback.
“I would take him over any quarterback in the conference,” Maggard said.
“There’s going to be quarterbacks that throw for more yards, more touchdowns, and have more accolades based on scheme and system. As far as efficiency of what I would look for in a quarterback, I wouldn’t take any other signal-caller in the conference over Devin Leary.”
Not a bad endorsement. Just stay healthy, Devin.
We’re looking for a new WBB beat writer!
Interested in working with the rest of the KSR team? We’ve got an opportunity just for you!
KSR is looking to add a new piece to our team of talented interns. We have officially opened the position of Kentucky Women’s Basketball beat writer and are currently accepting applications to fill the role. This would be an unpaid position with the opportunity to advance within KSR and our parent company, On3, and can be used for academic college credit.
Anyone interested in the position should click the link here for all of the details. The deadline to apply is Thursday, August 31.
New 11 Personnel in your feeds
It’s that time of year once again — 11 Personnel’s College Football Win Totals show, always a classic.
Each year the fine folks in Las Vegas set lines for regular season win totals. Some of those lines are shrewd, while others are nothing more than free money. Nick Roush and Adam Luckett share their favorite selections and discuss the latest from the world of Kentucky football, which you can watch below. Highlights:
- Lots of buzz around the Smith Twins.
- Intriguing conference championship futures
- Is Kentucky more likely to go over, under or push at 7?
Smith twins trending toward a flip?
Speaking of the Smith twins… Jerod and Jacob Smith, although both committed to Michigan, are being rumored more and more as possible flips from the Wolverines to the Wildcats. The natives of Kentucky recently transferred from their Connecticut prep school back to the Bluegrass State where they’ll play the 2023 season at Corbin. Since their arrival back in KY, the twins have made multiple visits to the University of Kentucky.
But the possibility for a flip from the Wolverines to the Wildcats turned serious on Tuesday. KSR’s Nick Roush submitted a Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) pick in favor of the Smiths ultimately committing to Kentucky. Roush placed his picks in the middle of the afternoon, and ever since, several other recruiting insiders have followed suit. The smoke is building.
The Smiths are still not deemed eligible by the KHSAA to play for Corbin — No. 4 in KSR’s preseason rankings — this fall. A ruling regarding their eligibility is expected sooner rather than later though. Corbin’s season begins on Friday against Hughes (Cincinnati).
“Maci Morris Court”
Nearly a decade after her record-breaking career at Bell County High School, former Kentucky women’s basketball star Maci Morris is being recognized by the Bell County Board of Education. The school has named its basketball court after her, which will now be known as the “Maci Morris Court”.
Morris began playing varsity basketball as a seventh grader at Bell County High School. She was named a starter in eighth grade and soon went on to have one of the best high school basketball careers of any Kentuckian. The 6-foot sharpshooter was tabbed to the All-State team three different years and ultimately received the Miss Kentucky Basketball award in 2015. Her 3,368 career points rank sixth all-time in the state of Kentucky and most in school history.
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