Phil Hoskins Contemplates Seventh (!) College Football Season

This Saturday is Senior Day at Kroger Field. Unlike previous season finales, this year's group of upperclassmen could return for one more Kentucky football season, thanks to an NCAA COVID-19 eligibility exemption. There are two elder statesmen that could become the Van Wilders of UK's campus. Max Duffy won the 2019 Ray Guy Award months before he turned 27. He joked earlier this year that his teammates would have to call him "Dr. Duffy" if he became a 28-year-old senior. Defensive lineman Phil Hoskins, a former junior college transfer, was granted a sixth year of eligibility ahead of the 2020 season after suffering a season-ending injury last summer. Could a seventh year be in the works? "I've given thoughts about it, that way I could set the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for longest (tenured) college football player," Hoskins said Wednesday evening. A productive and disruptive defender, Brad White would likely welcome him with open arms for one more year. Unfortunately, Hoskins' remark appears to be tongue in cheek, although his decision is not yet final. "But to be honest, I don't know. I've thought towards it (returning), and I've thought also about leaving. I might be leaning towards leaving but I'm going to talk to the coaches about it," he said. Staying or going, Hoskins will be standing beside 17 other seniors as they are saluted at Kroger Field before Saturday's 7:30 pm ET kickoff against South Carolina. Another senior that spent time in junior college, Brandin Echols, spoke to the media before his final game at UK. He spoke about stepping up in Kelvin Joseph's absence after Brad White talked about how they will fill the voids at cornerback and outside linebacker.