Kentuckians in major roles across college football. Here’s a list of who’s playing where.
Madison Southern’s Damien Harris and Lafayette’s Jedrick Wills headline an expansive list of college players with Kentucky ties who will be in action this week as the FBS season gets rolling.
Harris returns for his junior campaign as No. 1 Alabama’s leading rusher, gaining 1,037 yards on 146 carries last year. And he might get help from Wills, a freshman who reportedly is in the running for a starting spot on the Tide’s offensive line. Alabama plays No. 3 Florida State at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
Kyle Bolin, the Lexington Catholic quarterback who left Louisville for Rutgers as a graduate transfer this summer, will start in the Scarlet Knights’ home opener against No. 8 Washington at 8 p.m. Friday on FS1.
“I worked my butt off all summer and in the offseason the best I could to take advantage of the opportunity,” Bolin said Monday in his first news conference since being named starter last week.
Franklin County’s Logan Woodside, dubbed “the best quarterback most people don’t know,” in a recent ESPN article, led the nation in touchdown passes last season for Toledo with 45. The senior has a WatchESPN game against Elon at 7 p.m. Thursday, but will likely have a national TV audience for the Rockets’ Sept. 23 game at No. 18 Miami.
Kentucky graduate transfer Jeff Badet is listed second on Oklahoma’s depth chart at Z receiver. Badet caught 31 passes for 670 yards last season for the Cats, including seven touchdowns. Oklahoma opens the season at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against UTEP on Fox-56.
Trinity’s Ryan White will start at safety, and Woodford County’s Saige Young will back up the offensive line for Vanderbilt in its opener against Middle Tennessee at 8 p.m. Saturday on CBS Sports Network. The Blue Raiders feature four Kentuckians, including Tates Creek product Peyton Burke.
Kentuckians in the FBS
Football Bowl Subdivision players with ties to Kentucky who are playing for schools outside the state this season:
Player | College | Position | Class | High school/previous college |
Darryl Long | Akron | TE | So. | Kentucky |
Damien Harris | Alabama | RB | Jr. | Madison Southern |
Jedrick Wills | Alabama | OL | Fr. | Lafayette |
Karl Roesler | Arkansas | LB | Sr. | St. Xavier |
Bryce Cosby | Ball State | S | Fr. | Manual |
Sean Hammonds Jr. | Ball State | DE | So. | Ballard |
John Kurtz | Bowling Green | OL | Jr. | St. Xavier |
Beau Hoge | Brigham Young | QB | So. | Highlands |
Austin Hergott | Central Michigan | QB | Fr. | Highlands |
Nick Martin | Charlotte | DL | Fr. | Paul Laurence Dunbar |
Kendall Calhoun | Cincinnati | OL | Sr | Paducah Tilghman |
Desmond Ridder | Cincinnati | QB | Fr. | St. Xavier |
Josiah Robey | Cincinnati | CB | Fr. | Franklin-Simpson |
Deonte Clyburn | Colorado State | LB | Sr. | St. Xavier |
Dalyn Dawkins | Colorado State | RB | Sr. | Trinity |
Tre Hornbuckle | Duke | DE | So. | Murray |
Russ Vaden | Eastern Michigan | DB | Fr. | Moore |
Garrett Stephens | Florida | DB | Sr. | St. Xavier |
Lucas Stone | Georgia | TE | Sr. | Simon Kenton |
Devin Gentry | Georgia State | WR | So. | Male |
Will Ulmer | Marshall | OL | Fr. | Madison Central |
Tyce Daniel | Memphis | TE | Fr. | McCracken County |
Darian Porter | Memphis | LB | Sr. | Seneca |
Chris Hudson | Miami (Ohio) | WR | Jr. | Hazard |
Sam Murrer | Miami (Ohio) | OL | So. | Covington Catholic |
Dane Drobocky | Michigan | DE | Fr. | Bowling Green |
C.J. Hayes | Michigan State | WR | Fr. | South Warren |
Grayson Miller | Michigan State | S | Jr. | Scott County |
Landon Board | Middle Tennessee | RB | Fr. | Owensboro |
Peyton Burke | Middle Tennessee | WR | Fr. | Tates Creek |
Joseph Freeland | Middle Tennessee | CB | Jr. | Christian County |
Cole Kirby | Middle Tennessee | OL | Fr. | Franklin-Simpson |
Tanner Morgan | Minnesota | QB | Fr. | Ryle |
Jake Paulson | Minnesota | TE | Fr. | Louisville Christian |
Juan Hailey | Navy | S | Jr. | Central |
Chad Lewellyn | Navy | WR | Sr. | Louisville Christian |
Zach Williams | North Texas | K | Fr. | Trinity |
Kylan Nelson | Ohio | S | Jr. | Lafayette |
Sean Nuernberger | Ohio State | K | Jr. | Oldham County |
Jeff Badet | Oklahoma | WR | Sr. | Kentucky |
Javarus Barksdale-Blair | Oklahoma State | CB | Fr. | Lafayette |
Derrick Barnes | Purdue | LB | Fr. | Covington Holy Cross |
KeyRon Catlett | Purdue | WR | Fr. | Christian County |
Zac Collins | Purdue | K | Fr. | St. Xavier |
Noah Ellison | Purdue | WR | Fr. | Trinity |
Kenneth Major | Purdue | CB | Fr. | Christian County |
Elijah Sindelar | Purdue | QB | So. | Caldwell County |
D.J. Washington | Purdue | OL | Fr. | Ballard |
Kyle Bolin | Rutgers | QB | Sr. | Lexington Catholic/Louisville |
Michael Sehlinger | SMU | LS | So. | St. Xavier |
Elijah King | Texas State | WR | Sr. | Fairview |
Woodford Lankford | Toledo | OL | Fr. | Lexington Catholic |
Logan Woodside | Toledo | QB | Sr. | Frankin County |
Ryan White | Vanderbilt | S | Sr. | Trinity |
Saige Young | Vanderbilt | OL | So. | Woodford County |
This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Kentuckians in major roles across college football. Here’s a list of who’s playing where.."