KSR Today, presented by Lextran: GOTW, Eddie Gran and Reed Sheppard
Lextran is here to help you cheer on the Wildcats! For only $1 each way, one of Lextran’s football shuttles can take you from Downtown or Virginia Avenue to the stadium. It’s a safe, convenient, and easy way to travel to and from the games. Visit tinyurl.com/LextranUKFootball to learn more.
Kroger KSR Game of the Week features a top-25 matchup
KSR is headed to the greater Cincinnati area for week five’s Kroger KSR Game of the Week, a top-25 matchup featuring the Beechwood Tigers and the Covington Catholic Colonels.
Sitting at 4-0 on the year, Beechwood comes in ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 in 2A in KSR’s state rankings. The Tigers are led by star quarterback Cameron Hergott (770 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns; 491 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns), running back Avery Courtney (304 rushing yards, five touchdowns; 93 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns) and defensive standout Xavier Campbell (11 sacks).
The Tigers are coming off an 11-2 season in 2020, one that led to a 2A state title.
As for Covington Catholic, the Colonels come in ranked No. 25 in KSR’s state rankings after starting the year 2-2. They are led by quarterback Adam Holtz (374 passing yards, four touchdowns), ATH Preston Agee (148 rushing yards, two touchdowns; 85 receiving yards, one touchdown) and defensive standout Colin Gastright (21 tackles, three sacks).
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Beechwood.
Come get your Fan Fest tickets!
We are just one day away from the inaugural Fans First Fan Fest at Clive M. Beck Event Center at Transylvania University, and a very limited number of tickets are still available. In fact, for a limited time, you can secure your seat for only $15 at FansFirstFanFest.com.
The Fans First Fan Fest will feature a dunk exhibition, 3-point shooting event, shooting stars showcase, and five-on-five scrimmage. Celebrity guests will serve as judges and entertainment. Raffles and other fan-centered opportunities and experiences will also be a part of the agenda. TyTy Washington Jr., Daimion Collins, Davion Mintz, Jacob Toppin, CJ Frederick, Keion Brooks Jr., Dontaie Allen, Kellan Grady, Brennan Canada, Kareem Watkins, Sahvir Wheeler, Lance Ware, and Bryce Hopkins are all set to participate.
The event, held in conjunction with ProCampsU and KSR, begins at 7 p.m. Doors to the arena will open at 6 p.m. The $15 tickets won’t be around for long, so head on over to FansFirstFanFest.com to ensure you’re in the building for our first look at the 2021-22 Kentucky Wildcats.
Eddie Gran is back
Less than one year after he was relieved of his duties as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, Eddie Gran will return to Mark Stoops’ staff as an off-the-field assistant.
Sources tell KSR that Gran’s role will be administrative, mirroring a quality control coach or director of player personnel’s duties. He will not be one of the ten designated assistant coaches.
As for an official announcement, KSR expects the university to re-introduce Gran on Friday.
Ahmad Wagner is also back
Gran isn’t the only former Wildcat making his way back to Lexington. Lost in the shuffle of Gran’s return to the Kentucky coaching staff was former UK wide receiver Ahmad Wagner being added to the staff as a graduate assistant.
According to the official 2021 Kentucky Football Roster, Wagner will work with the offense in an “off-the-field” role with the program.
He played at Kentucky from 2018-19, recording 15 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns during his senior campaign alone. He then spent time with the Chicago Bears before transitioning over to coaching.
Maybe more importantly, Wagner’s younger brother, Aamil Wagner, is a highly-coveted four-star offensive tackle with serious Kentucky interest. The top-150 prospect is planning to make a final decision in January, with Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Maryland also involved.
John Calipari visits Cason Wallace and Reed Sheppard
Speaking of recruiting, John Calipari and the Kentucky basketball staff are doing quite a bit of it these days.
They’ve secured commitments from top-five prospects Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Livingston over the last ten days, and now, they’re looking for their next additions.
KSR’s Zack Geoghegan confirmed that Coach Cal was in to see two major Kentucky recruiting targets on Thursday, starting with five-star senior Cason Wallace.
Geoghegan reported that Calipari and assistant coach Jai Lucas were both at Richardson High School to meet with Wallace Thursday morning. Tennessee and Texas also had staff in attendance to speak with the five-star guard and watch him practice.
Wallace is set to take an official visit to Tennessee this weekend, followed by another quick trip to UTSA before making a final decision.
Following his trip to Texas, Calipari then made his way back to Kentucky to see 2023 five-star guard Reed Sheppard in Laurel County.
Geoghegan reported Thursday evening that both Calipari and Virginia head coach Tony Bennett were in to see the in-state standout earlier in the day.
Calipari and his staff are racking up the frequent flyer miles to open the in-person recruiting period.
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