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.
Take advantage of our KSR+ KICKOFF SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including game threads, in-depth scouting reports, and the latest recruiting and roster intel. Use promo code KICKOFF24 for 50% off the annual price.
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 |
GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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