First Down Kentucky: Spring Football is around the Corner

The sun is shining bright over our Old Kentucky Home. That means spring football is just on the horizon for the Wildcats.

Mark Stoops has had a busy offseason. Not only did he have to jump through the annual transfer portal and high school recruiting hoops, the Kentucky head coach conducted multiple coaching searches in January and February. Adding Eric Wolford and Bush Hamdan during the dead period has probably caused the Cats to gloss over what’s next, spring football.

An official announcement has not been made, but you can expect Kentucky spring practice to kick off two weeks from today on March 4. The NCAA acclimation period mandates practices begin with light pads. Each year Stoops likes to get three of those out of the way prior to spring break. This year Kentucky will be out of classes March 11-March 16, the same week the BBN will be in Nashville for the SEC Tournament.

It’s abundantly clear that Stoops is not a big fan of Spring Football Games. There have only been two over the last five years. If Stoops does elect to hold a spring game at Kroger Field, it’s on pace to be held the weekend of April 12-14.

While we play the waiting game for an official announcement on Kentucky’s spring football activities, a few more things are happening around the BBN.

More Praise for Andru Phillips

Next week prospects will travel to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. The Draft analysts are finalizing film prep for the event and Andru Phillips has caught the attention of Daniel Jeremiah. The Mel Kiper of the NFL Network, DJ is a former NFL veteran scout and one of the most respected voices in the business. He foresees a bright future for Phillips.

I’ll gladly promote Kentucky CB Andru Phillips. Plays with edge & energy. I believe he’ll be a day one starting nickel. pic.twitter.com/3PiLD869xg

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 19, 2024

The pre-Draft praise for Phillips has been effusive. How high can he climb up draft boards? We’ll get a better idea next week in Indy.

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Kentucky Football Camp Schedule Unveiled

We do not have a spring practice schedule, but we do know when the Wildcats will be hosting high school players for camps at Kroger Field. In addition to the showcase camps, young kids can interact with the Kentucky football team and go through drills for the final two days of summer camps.

June 2: Sunday Showcase
June 3, 5, 10, 12: One Day Camps
June 9: OL/DL Mega Camp, Specialist Camp
June 13: Wildcat Kids Camp
June 14: Junior Wildcat Camp

As you can see, it appears a little light on dates. The change in the recruiting calendar has slightly diminished the significance of these showcase camps. Instead of evaluating players in camps, coaches are spending more time in June hosting prospects for official visits.

Meet the Kentucky Transfer: Fred Farrier

You’ve already heard conversations with KSR and the new guys. Now the Kentucky football program is releasing their own video series highlighting the program’s new arrivals. First up, former Franklin County Flyer and UAB Blazer, Fred Farrier.

Meet the transfer: @FFarrier2 pic.twitter.com/cjI8Wj7Lyg

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) February 17, 2024

The Swifties are a Bit Much

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory has given us a slight reprieve from Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce content. It’s off the front page, but it’s still a storyline that produces shocking headlines.

Over the weekend this blogger learned that Travis Kelce had to buy a new house to avoid his girlfriend’s fans. That’s nuts. Jason Kelce shared that anecdote during a conversation with Shaq and Adam Lefkoe, a friend of the program.

“He had to completely move out of his house,” Kelce said on The Big Podcast With Shaq. “People were just staying by his house. The first day he moved into the new house … a gated community, someone knocks on a window of the house.”