How huge is the four-game rule? UK could still redshirt every freshman on its team.
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Game day: Kentucky vs. Missouri
Click below for more of Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Missouri football game at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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Three freshman linebackers — Jared Casey, K.D. McDaniel and J.J. Weaver — made their debuts for Kentucky in its 29-7 win over Missouri on Saturday night.
Their play — prompted by bumps and bruises to UK’s linebacking corps through the first seven games — brought the number of true freshmen who’ve played this season to eight. Kentucky signed 18 high school players as part of its 2019 class, and perhaps for the first time in program history, is on track to redshirt every single one of them. The new redshirt rule implemented last year — which allows for players to appear in up to four games and still use a redshirt — is a big reason why.
Weaver made the biggest impact, stat-wise, of the trio, recording a tackle and pass breakup. McDaniel assisted on a tackle and, while Casey didn’t end up in the official stat book, he didn’t stand out in a negative way, which was the biggest thing asked of all three entering Saturday.
“It looked like they executed the defense,” head coach Mark Stoops said. “They did everything that, at least from me just watching it, it looked like they did some good things. And it was really good, because it was just important, progressing those guys and developing them. We need ’em.”
Casey, a former standout at Ballard High School in Louisville who originally committed to Oregon, said Stoops told him to “be ready and locked in” last week. His preparedness gave way to playing time.
“I felt real natural,” Casey said. “I didn’t feel like it was my first game, ‘cause I’ve just been watching from the sideline. But it didn’t feel like something new. I’ve been doing it all my life.”
Tracking true freshmen
Only one true freshman, Taj Dodson, has appeared in three games this season. Dodson played in the Wildcats’ first three games and recovered a fumble against Florida; the former three-star prospect out of Georgia can play in one more game and still retain his freshman eligibility next year.
Wide receiver DeMarcus Harris, a Florida native, played in Kentucky’s first two games. Defensive backs M.J. Devonshire and Moses Douglass each played against Eastern Michigan, and linebacker Tra Wilkins saw action against Toledo. Harris can play in two more games while Devonshire, Douglass and Wilkins could all make three more appearances in addition to Casey, McDaniel and Weaver.
Two true freshmen who entered the program after last season will definitely not play: Nik Scalzo, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp, and Shawn’Kel Knight-Goff, who voluntarily left the team this month.
A bowl game — which after the Missouri win seems more easily attainable than it did before — would count as far as participation for the redshirt rule is concerned, so that’s something the staff must take into account. Assuming UK makes a bowl, there are five games left for the following eight freshmen to make their first appearances (and up to four): Cavon Butler (DL), Eli Cox (OL), Tae Tae Crumes (WR), Jalen Geiger (CB), Isaiah Gibson (DL), Amani Gilmore (QB), Jake Pope (OL) and Travis Tisdale (RB).
Next game
Tennessee at Kentucky
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 (SEC Network)
This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 6:43 AM.
