Friday Evening Kentucky Football Notes for the UK Fans of the Day

Happy Friday! The first weekend of December is upon us, conference championship weekend. It’d be cool if the Kentucky football team played in one of those one time. Probably not in the cards anytime soon.

It’s been a busy week. We don’t need to recap it all, but we do need to touch on a few things that slipped through the cracks during the first week of an eventful offseason for the Kentucky Wildcats. One other thing, prepare for a bunch of news to drop tomorrow. We’re celebrating Mrs. Roush’s birthday with a few events. Knowing how these things work, all of the news will happen on the one day over the next three weeks that I’d like to not be on my computer.

The Transfer Portal Isn’t Even Open Yet

Now is a good time to remind everyone that this has only been an appetizer. Grad transfers and lower-division players are the only ones who could officially submit their names into the transfer portal this week. The real action begins Monday, Dec. 9. The transfer portal closes to new applicants on Dec. 28.

Players don’t need to have a new college home by the new year, but they need to notify their school of their intentions to leave by Dec. 28. The one big exception is that if there is a coaching change, players from that program have a couple of weeks to make a move to a new school. Kentucky does not need to finalize its spring roster until classes begin on Jan. 13.

Former Kentucky Targets in the Portal

While we were paying closer attention to the 13 players leaving the Kentucky football team, a few former high school recruiting targets announced they would be making moves this offseason. Vince Marrow has talked at length this offseason about needing to do better background research on transfer portal targets. They presumably have already done a ton of research on these guys.

Jac’Qawn “Shaq” McRoy — The enormous 6-foot-8, 370-pound offensive tackle was a Top 200 prospect in the class of 2024. He announced he would be leaving Oregon after only one season. McRoy officially visited Kentucky and the Cats were one of his finalists. Kentucky needs two starting tackles. I think one will be a proven starter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one is a former Blue Chip recruit who is looking for an opportunity to play after sitting on the sideline.

Khalifa Keith — Tennessee flipped this Kentucky running back commit late in the 2023 cycle. In two years he had 31 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. The Cats need a RB, but one has to think they’re looking for more proven production.

Not Sure if I’m Buying the Sumrall to North Carolina Buzz

It’s hard to gauge what’s real vs. what isn’t during the Coaching Carousel. North Carolina is the best job currently on the market. Jon Sumrall can take it if he wants it and probably get paid handsomely. Does the guy who spent most of his career in the SEC footprint want to take his first Power Conference head coaching job in a conference that is dead last in the pecking order?

The ability to win quickly in the ACC is probably appealing. Jeff Brohm got to the conference championship game in year one and now SMU has done it. If your defense can tackle a body with a pulse, you’re automatically a top-four team in that league. But how long is that league going to be around? Its two biggest brands tried to litigate their way out of the league. If things don’t go well, Sumrall might get stuck.

Billy Napier had his choice of SEC schools for multiple cycles and waited until he found the one he liked the most. DJ Lagway might ensure he made the right choice. Tom Herman had his choice between LSU and Texas. Jon Sumrall can have his choice of SEC schools if he’s patient, which is why a lot of this UNC stuff feels like smoke.

Either way, Roll Wave -5. That’s going to be a beautiful scene in tonight’s American Conference Championship on the banks of the Hudson.

The Best Thing That Happened on Signing Day

We didn’t have much time to sit back and laugh, but I got a good chuckle out of this. The humor only applies to a very online portion of the SEC. If you’ve ever Tweeted about the Tennessee Volunteers in your life, there’s a good chance you’ve heard from the Vol Equalizer. @RobertMcVol is the SEC’s No. 1 troll and when Florida flipped a Vol commit, the Gators’ account turned the tables on Bobby Vol.

😎 #GRIND25HINE pic.twitter.com/IDXdMiKTir

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 4, 2024

Josh Kattus Named to SEC Community Service Team

Kentucky tight end Josh Kattus earned a spot on this year’s SEC Community Service Team. He’s spent his free time working with multiple off-campus organizations. He is a frequent flyer to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, he volunteers with the Scott County Humane Society, and Ronald McDonald House. This spring he also helped raise more than $34,000 for the Lexington Rotary Club by participating in “Dancing with the Kentucky Stars.”

A Few Insane HS Football Stats

My wife is from rural Ohio where football is a very, very big deal. Maria Stein is the zero-stoplight town where we got married. Marion Local is the football team down the street. Today they won their 64th straight game in Division VII State Championship, an Ohio record. Their fourth straight state title gives the school a state record 15 state titles. They’ve won them all since 2000, dominating the smallest division in Ohio.

Those numbers are remarkable, albeit probably not worth sharing here, until I tell you how today’s game went down. Marion Local beat Hillsdale 74-0. They scored 74 points on only 14 first downs. It was 60-0 at halftime. Marion Local had 151 interception return yards, compared to only 74 yards of total offense by Hillsdale. The final box score is one of the most lopsided, irregular stat sheets you will ever see.