Two Kentucky Wildcats Named Midseason All-Americans

Kentucky is 5-1 and ranked in the Top 25 halfway through the 2023 season. They didn’t reach this point without outstanding performances from a few talented Wildcats. Now they’re being honored as Midseason All-Americans.

Kentucky running back Ray Davis and interior defensive lineman Deone Walker were each tabbed to the Pro Football Focus Midseason All-American Team. Walker is an honorable mention selection, while Davis appeared on the third team.

Walker has the second-highest grade of any Kentucky Wildcat defender. His pass-rushing grade of 84.3 is the best of any interior defensive lineman in the SEC. Walker has tallied 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups this fall.

Davis, a transfer from Vanderbilt, leads the SEC in rushing with 653 yards (7.18 yards per carry). His eight rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most in the nation. He also leads the SEC with six rushes for 30 yards or more. In addition to his rushing accolades, Davis is getting it done as a pass-catcher. The fifth-year senior has caught 13 passes for 184 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.

Davis’ best performance was one of the greatest single-game efforts in Kentucky football history. He scored four touchdowns and wracked up 280 yards on the ground against Florida to earn multiple National Player of the Week honors. It’s the third-highest single-game rushing total in Kentucky football history.

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Kentucky Opponents on Midseason All-American Team

This weekend the Wildcats will go toe-to-toe with three other outstanding individuals. Three Missouri Tigers were tabbed to PFF’s Midseason All-American Team and one should come as no surprise. Sophomore Luther Burden leads the nation in receiving yards with 793 and five touchdowns through six games.

Missouri’s Javon Foster is a seasoned veteran that appears on the second team as an offensive tackle. Even though Missouri’s pass defense ranks No. 124 in EPA, they’ve gotten exceptional play from cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine.

“Abrams-Draine has been a ballhawk for Missouri this season. The junior’s 10 combined interceptions and forced incompletions are the most among Power Five cornerbacks. That’s even more impressive when considering that he’s allowed 11 catches all season,” says PFF.

Devin Leary up for Prestigious Honor

Devin Leary appears on the October watch list for Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year. After undergoing offseason surgery for a torn pec, he threw for at least 240 yards and one touchdown in each of his first three games, the first Wildcat quarterback to do that in at least two-and-a-half decades. Two other players on the current team previously won the award, Kenneth Horsey in 2020 and J.J. Weaver in 2021.

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