Leadership, culture helped Kentucky avoid Gator Bowl opt-outs, but so did facing Clemson
Kentucky football might have its opponent to thank for a close-to-full roster in the Gator Bowl on Friday.
Running back Ray Davis confirmed Friday in speaking to reporters for the first time since deciding to play in the game that the chance to face No. 22 Clemson played a role in the decision.
“For me, I started this chapter September 2nd. I wanted to be able to finish it, be able to go out with the guys,” Davis said. “My decision was based on just being able to play for my guys one more time.
“When I found out it was Clemson, I knew the opportunity that we had to play a really good team. I decided to step up to the plate and want to play.”
Davis, who broke UK’s single-season record with 20 total touchdowns in the regular season, first declared for the NFL draft on Nov. 28, seeming to signal his college career was over by closing his announcement with “#1 signing out.”
Davis did nothing to refute reports that he had opted out of Kentucky’s bowl game for more than a week, but after undefeated Florida State being left out of the playoff created a cascading effect that moved UK up a rung in the SEC’s bowl selection process to a Gator Bowl matchup with Clemson, UK coach Mark Stoops revealed Davis was still considering playing one more game for Kentucky. Davis confirmed he would play in the game on Dec. 8.
A similar process played out with cornerback Andru Phillips. He declared for the draft on Nov. 30 and did nothing to refute the interpretation that his announcement also signaled the end of his college career. Three days later, UK was offered a bid to the Gator Bowl. The next day, Stoops told reporters Phillips planned to play in the game.
Linebacker Trevin Wallace declared for the NFL draft after the bowl announcement with no specific explanation of his plans for playing in the game, but it quickly became apparent he too planned to play when UK’s practice photos showed him in full pads and teammates revealed in interviews Wallace was playing. Three of the 14 players who have entered the transfer portal since the end of the regular season also remain on the roster for the bowl game.
Among Kentucky’s normal contributors, left guard Kenneth Horsey, who missed most of the season with an injury, will not be available after undergoing surgery. Normal right tackle starter Jeremy Flax is also out of the game due to what Stoops called “another issue.”
“It says a lot about the leadership of this team,” Stoops said. “I think everybody wanted to finish on a positive note.”
Meanwhile, three defensive starters for Clemson have opted out of the game to begin preparing for the NFL draft while nine other Tigers will not play in the game after entering the transfer portal.
It still would not be a surprise to see Davis have a lighter workload in the bowl than his 15.5-carries-per-game average. Davis was pictured in a walking boot after one practice in Jacksonville this week — though he was not wearing the boot the next day during the portion of practice open to reporters — and Stoops has noted the bowl could be a potential showcase for backup running back Ramon Jefferson as he works to earn a professional opportunity. Backup running back JuTahn McClain elected to stay with the team for the bowl after entering the transfer portal.
But the decision for Davis, Wallace and Phillips to play in the game one year after all three of Kentucky’s 2023 NFL draft picks opted out of the Music City Bowl matchup with Iowa has sent a strong message to their teammates regardless of how much they actually play in the game.
“It gave us another spark, honestly,” freshman safety Ty Bryant said. “... It just shows these guys have got out back. They want to go out with another win, another ring on their finger. Being able to say they were a bowl champion. It just means a lot, honestly.”
As for whether the chance to face Clemson had a role in those decisions, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said his program is used to that type of attention from opponents.
“Just another week,” Swinney said. “It’s that way every week. Every time we line up to play, that’s what comes with coming to Clemson. You come to Clemson, that’s every single game. You’re going to get everybody’s best every single week. We talk about that all the time.
“It doesn’t matter who we play or where we play or what time we play. Whoever we play, we’re going to get their best. Again, Clemson is a place, when the schedule comes out, people look and they say, ‘When are we playing Clemson?’ That’s just part of being at this great university.”
J.J. Weaver explains decision to return to Kentucky
The Gator Bowl will not be the final college game for outside linebacker J.J. Weaver, who was expected to enter the NFL draft for much of the season but announced last week he will use his extra season of eligibility to play a sixth season at UK in 2024.
Weaver said he had considered returning to Kentucky throughout what turned out to be a disappointing 2023 regular season but he made his final decision after an MVP performance in UK’s rivalry win at Louisville.
“I was dealing with a lot off the field, so mentally coming back, I needed my mental to get focused, get back ready, my body back in shape,” said Weaver, who became an advocate for athletes’ mental health after dealing with depression in the wake of his father being killed during a robbery in 2020. “I think it was a great opportunity for me just to come back for my last season, be a great leader. Lead the guys on and off the field for sure.”
Friday
Kentucky vs. No. 22 Clemson
What: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
When: Noon
Where: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Kentucky 7-5 (3-5 SEC), Clemson 8-4 (4-4 ACC)
Series: Kentucky leads 8-5
Last meeting: Clemson won 21-13 on Dec. 27, 2009, in the Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tennessee