True freshman Grant Grayton steps up in Kentucky debut: "He handled himself admirably."

It was a big deal when Mark Stoops flipped three-star defensive back Grant Grayton on National Signing Day back in December, pulling the Olney, Maryland native from Minnesota shortly after an official visit to Lexington. He originally committed to the Golden Gophers over Memphis, Temple, UMass, Bowling Green and Delaware, among others, before the Wildcats came calling and added the No. 100 safety in the class of 2025.

It was a long-term addition, though, Grayton not necessarily seen as a day-one contributor. That changed on Saturday in Kentucky’s 48-23 win over Eastern Michigan with injuries piling up for the blue and white, the three-star defensive back starting at corner to open the second half.

That led to a three-tackle debut, good for ninth on the team in his first-ever appearance. He’d finish with two solo tackles and one assisted tackle, plus a pass deflection on a fourth-quarter trick play from wide receiver Terry Lockett to quarterback Noah Kim. The rookie sniffed it out right away and celebrated the big stop.

Grant Grayton making plays in his first collegiate game yesterday. Keep up the great work Grant. 🔒💪@GraytonGrant #WeAreGC#DontLookBack#ForeverFalcon pic.twitter.com/DUq9teeqvQ

— GC Football (@gcfootball) September 14, 2025

Defensive coordinator Brad White said that even with standout DJ Waller out due to injury, the team feels ‘really good’ about JQ Hardaway and Terhyon Nichols is ‘a guy that we have great confidence in,’ but what about a third option?

“When guys get tight, hamstring-wise, or they get dinged up on a play or something, we’ve got to be able to go to somebody,” he said. “Right now, we’ve got to get that figured out and get it figured out in a hurry.”

Insert Grayton, who did his job in his first appearance as a Wildcat — and White was impressed.

“You know what, I thought he handled himself admirably out there,” he told KSR’s Nick Roush. “He made some plays, which were nice. He made some tackles, they threw some hitches, and then did a nice job on the gadget, with the quarterback flipping out late and spinning back and making the play. So they’re definitely reps to build on.

“Again, he’s a freshman. And he’s gonna have to go through some growing pains, but at least we got in there and got some meaningful reps.”

Why now? What led to the opportunity in week three, regardless of opponent or score? Grayton earned it in camp, then proved the staff right by stepping up in his debut in an otherwise disappointing performance for the defense.

“That’s why he went in, because of what he’s shown through fall camp,” White said. “Obviously, he’s got some length to him and some ability, but again, it’s about to get really real. And so we’ve got to do way better than the performance we put out the other day.”

Needless to say, the kid is ahead of schedule. Can he keep it up?