Kentucky
More former Kentucky Wildcats find spots on NFL Practice Squads
It’s been a tough week for many former Kentucky Wildcats, as NFL teams cut their rosters to 53 players. It didn’t take long for several to find new homes — or, in a few cases, learn they didn’t need to pack their bags at all.
After being waived by the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, Chris Rodriguez was added to their practice squad on Wednesday. The former Kentucky running back was selected by the Commanders in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Last year, he appeared in 13 games, finishing with 51 carries for 247 yards and two touchdowns before an ankle injury cut his rookie season short. He struggled this preseason, totaling four carries for 4 yards and four catches for 39 yards on 14 snaps.
Devin Leary isn’t going anywhere either. After waiving him on Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens signed the former Kentucky quarterback to their practice squad. The Ravens drafted Leary in the sixth round in April. He had a shaky preseason, turning the ball over three times in Baltimore’s preseason finale, but clearly, the club wants to see more.
Two more former Cats are moving closer to the Bluegrass. Offensive lineman Tashawn Manning and defensive tackle Justin Rogers were signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad. Manning finished his college career at Kentucky in 2022 after five seasons at Auburn. He signed with Baltimore in 2023 and spent his rookie season on the Ravens’ practice squad. Rogers started his career at Kentucky and finished it at Auburn. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys in April and waived on Tuesday.
Bryce Oliver, who played for Kentucky for three seasons before transferring to Youngstown State, was waived by the Tennessee Titans but chose to stick with the franchise on the practice squad despite interest from other teams. Oliver caught two touchdown passes in the Titans’ third preseason game on Sunday. Defensive tackle Phil Hoskins also has a new home, joining the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Yesterday, the New York Jets claimed Brenden Bates off waivers after the former Kentucky tight end was waived by Chicago. Lonnie Johnson is headed to the Carolina Panthers after being released by the Houston Texans.
Here is a running list of where the rest of the former Cats are as of today. We’ll update it as more news comes out.
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Kentucky Wildcats on NFL teams
| Ray Davis | Buffalo Bills |
| Mike Edwards | Buffalo Bills |
| Trevin Wallace | Carolina Panthers |
| Lonnie Johnson | Carolina Panthers |
| Josh Hines-Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Luke Fortner | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Keidron Smith | Denver Broncos |
| Will Levis | Tennessee Titans |
| Dru Phillips | New York Giants |
| Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants |
| Jamin Davis | Washington Commanders |
| Landon Young | New Orleans Saints |
| Carrington Valentine | Green Bay Packers |
| Bud Dupree | LA Chargers |
| Brandin Echols | New York Jets |
| Darian Kinnard | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Za’Darius Smith | Cleveland Browns |
| Brenden Bates | New York Jets |
Kentucky basketball was unable to extend their five-game win streak in their last time out against Vanderbilt. Now, they are back on the road as they head to Fayetteville to take on John Calipari and the 15th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, a game where Kentucky really needs a good showing after an embarrassing performance in Nashville.
Their game against Vandy was the start of a very challenging but important stretch for the Kentucky Wildcats as Mark Pope’s squad were looking to prove that their five-game winning streak was legit. Maybe that has now turned out to be fools gold? Either way, they can’t sulk about it, because a very red-hot Arkansas team is waiting for them. Calipari’s squad has been excellent, not just at home, but especially since conference play began. That’s why they are currently second in the SEC through eight games with a 6-2 record.
Last game, the Wildcats faced a team is a terrific offensive squad and Arkansas is the same way, but since conference play, have been much better than the Commodores actually have. Vandy came in with the 7th-best offense in the conference, but the Razorbacks are second in the SEC on offense and it’s easy to see why with star guard Darius Acuff running the show. Not only is Arkansas extremely efficient taking care of the ball like Vandy is, they are also very efficient shooting the ball. They rank 24th nationally in three-point percentage, including fourth among the SEC in conference play. Arkansas is also first in the conference in effective field goal percentage, as well as first in two-point percentage. As for Acuff, he is clearly the team’s best player, as he is first on the team in usage. He is averaging 20.2 points on 49.7 percent shooting and 6.3 assists on the season.
As Mark Pope and the Wildcats get set to take on John Calipari and Arkansas, ESPN is giving Kentucky a 39.1 percent chance to come away with the win. It is worth noting that the Razorbacks have been terrific on the home court, as their two losses in conference have been on the road. Against Vandy, who Kentucky just lost two, Arkansas put up 93 points and defeated the commodores by 25 points. The Wildcats are once again facing an elite offense, but Arkansas has been even better than Vandy on that side of the ball in SEC play.
Kentucky needs badly to get back on track. Can they shock college basketball ad pick up a signature win, or at least put together a much better showing than they displayed on Tuesday in Nashville? They need to look good, or it could be yet another ugly night.
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