Octavious Oxendine weighs in on basketball school vs. football school debate at Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine weighed in on the basketball vs. football school debate during SEC Media Days.

There are very few schools where this debate is more notable than Kentucky, which has long since been known as a basketball school that plays in a football first conference. Recently, it has also seemed like there is a rivalry between the two programs.

“I feel there’s no type of rivalry there at all just because we always keep with the basketball guys,” Octavious Oxendine said. “I was telling a reporter earlier today, those are my guys. Shout-out to my guys. Canada earlier at Jake’s house. They had fantastic time playing basketball up there. And our recruiting class we just got in basketball, like they’re the guys.”

Last summer, head coaches John Calipari and Mark Stoops seemingly sparred with one another. Calipari argued that Kentucky is a “basketball school” when making a call for better facilities, which didn’t sit right with Stoops and led to a lot of debate about what Kentucky’s priority is going forward.

“We’re doing good on both sides right now. I feel like we’re an all-around good sports school. We’ve always been top 20 all around. Tennis, volleyball. Anything we do in sports at Kentucky, I feel like we’re the top of the line.”

Octavious Oxendine emphasized that he doesn’t want to consider Kentucky a basketball or an all-around school. He thinks it should be considered an all-around school.

“I feel like all-around school, like I just said. We’re top 20. You guys can probably pull it up somewhere. Our soccer team is always good. Volleyball just won the national championship a couple years ago. Basketball team just did the same, as well, the women’s,” Oxendine said.

“I mean, we’re all-around. We’re all-around kicking butt at UK.”

Octavious Oxendine explained his focus on weight gain

This offseason, Octavious Oxendine has been working to gain weight ahead of the 2023 season. Earlier in the spring, he explained why this is an important thing for him to do.

“I’m actually doing well in that process right now, just putting on a little bit more for next season. It just plays a big part of playing in the SEC. So, it’s definitely something I need to get back to,” Oxendine said.

“It was fine playing at that weight, just being more quick and things like that, being lighter on my feet. But I feel like putting the weight back on is going to give me more of an asset to myself in the running game.”