Meet the true freshman who will start against Texas A&M while Kash Daniel sits

Every player has a welcome to college or a welcome to the Southeastern Conference moment.

For true freshman linebacker Chris Oats it was last week in the second half against South Carolina.

“As soon as Kash got ejected, my eyes got big,” the four-star player from Cincinnati said of the targeting ejection that ousted starting middle linebacker Kash Daniel, whom Oats backs up.

But a deep breath and a pep talk from outside linebacker Josh Allen helped him calm down a bit and settle into his newly expanded role.

What did Allen say to him?

“I’m capable,” Oats recalled, “he’s seen it the whole summer going against the ones, against our offense, so he knows I can get it done.”

Oats will be going up against a different set of first-teamers on Saturday as the new starting middle linebacker for Kentucky.

The 6-foot-5, 228-pound freshman will start in place of Daniel at Texas A&M while the junior finishes the rest of the mandated first-half suspension from the South Carolina penalty. Daniel is the most vocal leader on the UK defense, and with 37 tackles, is tied for the most for the Cats this season.

On Monday, Oats learned he’d be the starter with redshirt freshman Jamin Davis as his backup for the first half.

“Big step, but I believe in myself and Kash believes in me, so knowing he believes in me is big confidence for me,” Oats said on Wednesday night after practice. “I’ve just got to go out and execute.”

Has Daniel been pushing Oats extra hard this week, making sure he’s ready to be the vocal leader of the defense, setting the defensive line and organizing the pressures?

“It’s not just this week, it’s been every day this whole season,” Oats said. “He’s just been like a big brother to me, helping me.”

The freshman linebacker earned this starting spot in practice, defensive coordinator Matt House said of Oats, whom he said is long, physical and “really smart for a freshman.

“He had a good week of practice last week, and then in the game it showed,” House said of Oats, who had four of his six career tackles against the Gamecocks. “He was physical in the game. The atmosphere wasn’t too big for him and I thought he made some plays.”

Oats, who comes from the same high school (Winton Woods) as UK safety Mike Edwards, had 79 tackles as a senior last season along with three interceptions and two touchdowns.