2 Enlightening Spring Practice Moments with the Kentucky Defense

Kentucky concluded its first week of spring football practice by putting on pads for the first time. While the action on the field may not tell us a lot about the 2025 Kentucky football team, there were a few enlightening moments when the defense spoke to the media after practice.

“Culture” has been a buzzword around this program for months, the lack thereof a year ago and the attempts to recreate it this offseason. We saw some evidence of their efforts with the Blue Collar weightlifting shirts. It’s a little thing that can make a big difference.

Leadership is a point of emphasis that Mark Stoops has charged Director of Player Development Dean Hood with cultivating off the field this offseason. The person in Hood’s position has always hosted team-bonding activities. Ty Bryant recalls a significant difference in the “Superstars” competition, where players teamed up to compete in yard games and out-eat each other in a race to guzzle down a dozen donuts.

“We did the same thing last year, but there was something different this year,” said Bryant. “Everybody wanted to win and there was fight. Last year, it just wasn’t that. People were complaining, ‘When can I go home? When can I leave?’ This year, everybody was cheering each other on. It was a real competition. I feel like things like that will get us over the hump. Things like that create good bonds and good chemistry.”

That may sound like a little thing, but it tells you a lot about the new group’s competitive drive. They’re motivated to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

“No one likes to lose. No one wants to go through that again. The new guys that came in, they understand what kind of season we had last year. No one wants to repeat that. I feel like everyone in the building is taking extra steps,” said the third-year safety.

Daveren Rayner Shares Why He Didn’t Transfer From Kentucky

Three weeks into the 2024 Kentucky football season, Daveren Rayner and the Kentucky coaches created a plan for his future. Rather than stay in a reserve role as a rotational piece, he would redshirt.

At the time, it was sold as a way for the linebacker to gain weight and become “The Man” for the Kentucky defense in 2025. However, a new trend developed around college football. Players would redshirt after four games, with an intent to transfer at the season’s end.

We asked Rayner if he ever thought about transferring. He did something I’ve never seen before. Rayner looked at a UK SID and asked, “Be truthful?” He was ready to be candid about his decision.

“I’d be lying to you if I said there wasn’t a thought to leave, but you know, it was relationships at the end of the day. I have a lot of respect for Coach White, Mark and Mike (Stoops),” Rayner said.

“I don’t like to restart. Truthfully, I didn’t want to transfer the first time. I had a lot of love for my first staff. It was really hard to make that decision to leave once. Just the type of person I am, I didn’t want to do it again.”

His comments provide thoughtful insight on the difficult decisions modern college football players must make. The cost-benefit analysis is similar to what adults face in the workforce. Another job may provide a higher salary, but it may not be the best for an individual’s long-term career.

Rayner showed maturity by articulately explaining this process. He believes in the plan this coaching staff has for him and the Kentucky defense.

“(Redshirting) was something I had thought about for a while, and when I made the decision, it was something I was hell-bent on at that point… There’s always a bigger plan at the end of the day, so I stuck to the plan that I wrote.”