Here’s how Kentucky football’s newcomers fared in their Wildcat debuts
Kentucky’s season-opening 37-13 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday night to start a highly anticipated 2022 season featured a number of Kentucky debuts for both freshmen and transfers alike.
Here’s who made their first appearances as Wildcats on Saturday night, and how they fared at Kroger Field against the RedHawks.
UK freshmen who debuted against Miami (Ohio)
DT Deone Walker: Walker was an active presence in his college debut, recording three solo tackles and four total stops as part of the UK defensive line against an experienced front group for Miami (Ohio).
“I feel like people knew (that) I was big, and was athletic, but I don’t think they knew I was like this,” Walker said after the game. “I feel like I came out and showed myself tonight.”
WR Barion Brown: Brown grabbed headlines during his UK debut by recording the first kick return touchdown for the Wildcats since 2009.
Brown took the second-half kickoff back 100 yards from one end zone to another to electrify a sold-out Kroger Field and provide a needed spark after a lackluster first half from the Cats.
Brown said after that game that he was aware of Kentucky’s dry spell when it came to kick return scoring prior to Saturday night.
Brown just about held onto the ball long enough to break the goal line and register an important and exciting six points for Kentucky.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, I knew I scored. I was just a little bit down on myself because I knew that wasn’t what I was supposed to do,” Brown said of the near fumble at the goal line.
Brown became the 15th Wildcat to record a kick return touchdown.
Brown also had three catches for 45 receiving yards on offense.
DB Alex Afari Jr.: The defensive back from Cincinnati had an active start to his Kentucky career, recording six total tackles (second among all Wildcats), 1.5 tackles for loss (tied for the team lead) and one sack (also tied for the team lead).
WR Dane Key: The Frederick Douglass High School alum lived up to the promise that has surrounded his arrival on the UK team during his college debut.
Key recorded his first career college catch on UK’s opening offensive drive, a 19-yard reception that helped lead to Kentucky’s first touchdown of the 2022 season.
Key then got in the end zone himself with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis in the fourth quarter. Key finished Saturday’s game with four catches for 53 yards and a score.
He caught all four of the passes thrown his way.
Key is the first true freshman to start a UK season opener at wide receiver since Keenan Burton in 2003.
OLB Keaten Wade: The sizeable freshman from Spring Hill, Tennessee, made three total tackles, including two solo stops, and also broke up a pass during his college debut.
UK transfers who debuted against Miami (Ohio)
DB Keidron Smith (Ole Miss): The senior defensive back, formerly of SEC rival Ole Miss, got his first experience inside Kroger Field while wearing the blue and white of Kentucky on Saturday.
Smith made four solo tackles as part of a secondary unit that allowed just 179 total passing yards to Miami (Ohio).
“I thought we did pretty good for what we have. The front seven got after the quarterback pretty well, so we really didn’t have to do much,” Smith said of Saturday night’s performance by the UK secondary. I think we were really prepared so if (Miami) was attacking downfield, we made some plays.”
Smith also praised the strong performances of several UK freshmen.
“We’ve got a good group of freshmen,” Smith said. “They’re going to continue to produce for us throughout the season.”
WR Tayvion Robinson (Virginia Tech): Robinson made his presence felt right from the start on Saturday night, and stood out in a receiving corps that needs to replace a lot of production.
Kentucky’s first offensive play of the 2022 season was a 45-yard catch and run from Levis to Robinson, and the transfer wideout finished his first quarter as a Wildcat with three catches for 76 yards.
Robinson finished the game with six catches for 136 yards, which marked his first 100-plus yard receiving effort as a college player.
DB Zion Childress (Texas State): Childress had two total tackles and one solo stop in his Power Five debut after transferring from Texas State.
QB Deuce Hogan (Iowa): Listed as the backup quarterback behind Will Levis, Hogan took the field for the first time as a Wildcat for the final play of Saturday’s win, in which he took a knee to run out the clock.
RB Ramon Jefferson (Maine / Garden City Community College / Sam Houston State): In a game that didn’t feature Kentucky star running back Chris Rodriguez, Jefferson was one of a number of players to see time in the backfield, largely to little success.
Jefferson had two carries for 10 yards in the game, both of which came in the first half. Jefferson was injured during that opening half and was seen on the UK sideline without his pads or a helmet later in the game.
As a team, Kentucky posted 50 net rushing yards on 26 rushing attempts.
OG Tashawn Manning (Auburn): Manning picked up the start for UK at right guard and was part of an offensive line that has some work to do after Will Levis was frequently pressured by the Miami (Ohio) pass rush and sacked four times by the RedHawks.
What Mark Stoops said about UK’s first-time players
During his postgame media sessions, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops specifically addressed two of these first-time UK players and what they did on the field.
On Tayvion Robinson’s performance: “Tayvion did not surprise me, because I’ve seen it. In particular, I’ve seen his game elevate in scrimmages. Not that he doesn’t practice hard or perform well in practice, there’s just so many guys and so many moving pieces.
You know, when we — in scrimmages, he’s really shown out. And, you know, I was talking to Wan’Dale before the game, and I told him I felt like Tayvion was going to have a really good day, as well. And so, you know, sure enough, he made a big play right on the first play of the game. Kind of gets him going.
But the nice thing about him is he’s experienced. He’s a good football player. He has a good feel for it. He’s talented. He works hard. You know, so he’s a really good addition.”
On Dane Key’s performance: “Competitive, tough catches with people draped on him. And that’s just what we’ve seen him do.”
