WATCH: Six Kentucky Football Early Enrollees Recap First Spring Practice

Kentucky welcomed more than a dozen new players for the spring football season. A few are transfers expected to play right away. You can’t say the same about all six of the Wildcats’ early enrollees. These players are supposed to still be in high school, but graduated early to get a head start on the SEC competition.

An important developmental time, most do not expect to come in and play right away. You cannot say that about Dane Key. The former four-star pass-catcher turned heads throughout his first 15 Kentucky football practices. Despite the hype, he credits his family for keeping him grounded, all while still busting his Dad’s chops.

Like Key, Kiyaunta Goodwin comes to Lexington with a ton of hype. The highest-ranked recruit in school history, Kiyaunta has quickly acclimated to life in the SEC. Even though he was not recruited by Zach Yenser, Goodwin appreciates the NFL perspective Yenser brings to the Big Blue Wall.

Grant Bingham‘s first formal interview as a Wildcat was eerily similar to another previous early enrollee, Eli Cox. A talented interior offensive lineman focused on the grind, if the Johnson Central product takes a similar path to Cox, the Big Blue Wall is in good hands.

Most early enrollees receive a “welcome to college football” moment in the first weeks on campus. Andre Stewart admits he got put on his butt at least once by a blocker.

Elijah Reed received his “welcome to college football” moment in the form of a Kavosiey Smoke stiff-arm in the Blue-White Game. “It’s going to happen, but I learn from it. Only going to improve from there.”

Last but not least is Tomiwa Durojaiye. If you don’t know how to pronounce that, he’s here to help. You can also simply call the Delaware defensive lineman “Tomi.” It may sound odd to hear a guy from Delaware playing football in the SEC, but he attended the same high school as Super Bowl Champion Chris Godwin. A college football junkie, the Wildcats jumped on his radar during the 2018 Citrus Bowl run with Josh Allen and Benny Snell. Now he’s excited to rock Kentucky Blue.