Don't Call it a Comeback: Izayah Cummings Returning to Form

Kentucky football fans fixated on No. 13. They wanted to see Devin Leary spin it in-person. He wasn’t the only newcomer drawing in hundreds for the Fan Day open practice. Some popped, but a familiar face stood about the pack. No. 8 was all over the field, catching passes split out wide as a receiver and busting heads to seal the edge in the trenches. Izayah Cummings looked like a star prepared to burst onto the scene in the fall of 2023.

The trajectory of the Louisville native’s career went through radical ups and downs over the last two years. At one point this writer prepared a post for Cummings to enter the transfer portal. Now he’s back on track as a vital piece of Liam Coen’s offense at Kentucky.

“It’s definitely exciting to have him back,” Cummings told KSR on Tuesday. “The offense is flowing through with similarities from 2021. Just getting that familiarity, getting back to it again, this is really exciting.”

Liam Coen’s 2021 offense is the most efficient of the Mark Stoops era and it’s not even close, finishing the year No. 21 in the SP+ rankings. The rushing attack led by QB Lynn Bowden is the only other group to finish in the top 50. Cummings played a part in that 2021 unit’s success, catching 14 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Once Coen left for L.A., the Kentucky offense changed and it left Cummings behind.

A Quick Trip to the Doghouse

Izayah Cummings got an early opportunity to shine in Rich Scangarello’s offense. He dropped a touchdown in the opener, and aside from one oddly placed end-around carry at Ole Miss, Cummings was effectively taken out of the rotation at tight end. His teammates could see it take the wind out of his sails, yet the young tight end took the demotion to the chin.

“You can tell — he was pretty angry, obviously,” said Brenden Bates. “He used that fuel in a good way. He didn’t do anything stupid or anything like that. He’s a very disciplined kid, worked hard and it’s great seeing what he’s going now.”

Cummings could have pitched a fit, but that’s not in his nature. He lives the “For the Team” mantra. After all, he made the move from wide receiver to tight end when the group was light on players following Keaton Upshaw‘s preseason injury. Some players are frustrated in the doghouse because the ball is no longer in their hands. Izayah just wanted to help his struggling team win. Stuck on the sideline, he got stuck in a a cycle of negative reinforcement. Am I still a good football player? He didn’t know and his teammates didn’t know.

“It definitely deteriorates your confidence and stuff like that and it was just a process to gain it back,” the tight end said.

The Best Thing that Happened to Izayah Cummings

For a time, it looked like Cummings’ days in Lexington were done. Even his position coach knew it. Vince Marrow implored him to remain patient and it paid off.

“Look, you gotta trust the process. You’re a good player,” the Big Dog told Izayah. “When Liam came back, it was immediately a go.”

And it was full speed ahead in spring practice. In fact, he was being ran to death. Brenden Bates, Jordan Dingle and Josh Kattus were all sidelined by offseason injuries. True freshman Khamari Anderson was the only other tight end available to split reps. He didn’t have time to think. He had to line up for the next play. It was just what he needed to regain the confidence he lost during the 2022 season.

“That’s the best thing to happen to Izayah because he got to show a lot of things,” said the “UK tight ends coach. “Right now if I was going off to a production points, he’s like the number one guy right now. He’s really doing a really good job.”

Kentucky will have a complete arsenal of tight ends this fall. Izayah Cummings is setting himself apart from the rest of the pack, carving out a niche in Liam Coen’s scheme as a versatile tight end that can create beneficial mismatches against the defense. The struggles of 2022 feel like they’re in the distant past, but he’s not forgetting the difficult lesson he learned from Rich Scangarello.

“Last year, it just showed me I can’t take anything for granted at all because you never know what’s gonna happen. I’m definitely a lot more determined today for every year. It just made me realize the bigger picture — you just can’t take anything for granted because you never know what could happen.”

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