One Noticeable Absence from Kentucky's Senior Day Ceremony

COVID-19 threw a wrench into Senior Days across America. If you played a sport in 2020-21, you’re probably eligible to play another season. Figuring out who is in what class is now a complicated game of Tetris. We have some clarity entering Saturday’s Senior Day vs. New Mexico State. There’s one noticeable absence on the list of 22 Wildcats.

Senior Day Participants

C Luke Fortner, WR Josh Ali and TE Justin Rigg went through Senior Day last fall, so they’ll sit this one out, giving 22 of their teammates the pregame spotlight.

• Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, DL (Lakeland, Fla.)
• Tyrell Ajian, DB (Mansfield, Ohio)
• Marquez Bembry, LB (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
• Zac Berezowitz, DB (Lexington, Ky.)
• Yusuf Corker, DB (McDonough, Ga.)
• Cedrick Dort Jr., DB (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
• Austin Dotson, OG (Belfry, Ky.)
• Darren Edmond, WR (Norman, Okla.)
• Isaiah Epps, WR (Jenks, Okla.)
• Colin Goodfellow, P (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Collin Hartmann, DL (Somerset, Ky.)
• Zach Johnson, S/KR (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Darian Kinnard, OT (Knoxville, Tenn.)
• Tyler Markray, RB (West Bloomfield, Mich.)
• Marquan McCall, NG (Detroit, Mich.)
• Quandre Mosely, DB (Brunswick, Ga.)
• William Nalty, ILB (Metairie, La.)
• Josh Paschal, DE (Prince George’s County, Md.)
• Davonte Robinson, S (Lexington, Ky.)
• Matt Ruffolo, K (Centerville, Ohio)
• DeAndre Square, ILB (Detroit, Mich.)
• Jordan Wright, OLB (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

“Don’t read too much into that.”

Did you spot who was missing? LB Jacquez Jones, Kentucky’s leading tackler this fall (74 take downs) is an eye-opening omission, although it’s one that should not be too surprising. The Tuscaloosa native was tasked to play as a true freshman at Ole Miss. Now in his fourth year of SEC football, he never received a redshirt year. A fifth year could be just what he needs to reach his potential as an NFL Draft prospect.

Jones has been an outstanding late addition for the Wildcats. Tasked to fill an unexpected hole left by D’Eryk Jackson’s spring practice injury, Jones has made one big play after another in crunch time. He picked off a pass against Missouri, recorded a touchdown saving PBU vs. Chattanooga and ended the Florida game by batting a ball to the Kroger Field turf.

The Senior Day omission is a good sign that Jones is running it back for one more year, but Mark Stoops was unwilling to share with certainty if players have made definitive decisions to depart or stay for another season.

“Don’t read too much into that. I mean, we had guys walk last year that are playing and that aren’t walking again because they’re like, ‘Dude, we walked last year.’ So we’re like, ‘Well, you played another year. At least get the shirt,'” Mark Stoops laughed.

“Don’t read too much into that. We tried to be very thorough with with the COVID year. It makes things a little bit complex, you know, and some guys may walk and come back. You know, so don’t don’t read too much into that. It’s kind of what they want to do.”

Sorry Mark. We’re still going to read into that. It’s what we do.

Senior Day ceremonies will begin approximately 20 minutes prior to the noon kickoff vs. New Mexico State Saturday morning at Kroger Field.