Spring Briefing: Kentucky's next wave at cornerback starts now

Preparations for the 2024 college football season are already underway at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. In a few short weeks, cleats will be hitting the grass practice fields and/or the turf at the Nutter Field House as Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops oversees his 13th team at Kentucky.

The Wildcats are fresh off some notable roster-building in the transfer portal, but cornerback was not a position we saw Kentucky attack super aggressively in the first wave of free agency. This program has many returning contributors and is hopeful that retention and player development can lead to a better season as they look to replace Maxwell Hairston.

Co-defensive coordinator Chris Collins is back for year five on staff in Lexington and has a cornerbacks room with a lot of names and more than a handful of playing experience.

In KSR’s Spring Briefing series, we will cover every position on Kentucky’s roster before spring practice begins. Now we shift to cornerback where the program needs some young talent to become consistently playmakers in the backend of the defense.

KSR’s Spring Preview Series: Quarterbacks, Tailbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, EDGE, Linebacker

The Room

JQ Hardaway (6-3, 192, Senior)

The former Cincinnati transfer is now in year three at Kentucky and is coming off a career year where he set career highs in snaps (621), starts (12), tackles (47), pass breakups (four), and interceptions (two). Hardaway enters the season as one of Kentucky’s most proven players on defense.

Terhyon Nichols (5-11, 196, Sophomore)

Nichols was a blue-chip recruiting win for Kentucky in the 2024 high school cycle who made an immediate splash in year one. The Cincinnati (Ohio) Withrow product played in eight games before missing the last three due to injury. The young defensive back finished the season with five pass breakups in 97 coverage snaps. There is some star potential with the sophomore.

DJ Waller Jr. (6-3, 200, Junior)

Expectations were high for the Michigan transfer in 2024, but injuries and unsteady play led to a rocky first year in the Bluegrass for Waller. The transfer played seven games (210 snaps) and made four starts but had issues defending the run and consistently making tackles. Kentucky will be looking for more consistent production from the big cornerback.

Jantzen Dunn (6-0, 185, Redshirt Senior)

The former Ohio State transfer is now in year three in the Kentucky program. Dunn is a Bowling Green native who was another cornerback that missed extensive time with an injury last year. The veteran did not play in the final five games. Dunn is entering his final season of eligibility and gives the defense someone who can play snaps at nickel.

Kevis Thomas (6-0, 181, Junior)

The Maryland transfer played 80 snaps as a true freshman before playing 30-plus snaps in six Big Ten games for the Terps in 2024. Thomas entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining and landed at Kentucky. The veteran gives a UK cornerback group with some durability questions some more depth instantly.

Nasir Addison (6-0, 197, Junior)

The New Jersey native has appeared in 20 games over his first two seasons on campus but most of that action has been on special teams. Addison saw some playing time at cornerback for Kentucky in 2024 as injuries piled up at the position. The third-year player needs a strong spring performance to earn a role in the rotation.

Quay’Sheed Scott (6-0, 196, Sophomore)

The late-riser in the 2024 recruiting class played 51 defensive snaps as a true freshman and should be primed for a bigger role in 2025. Scott spent time at outside cornerback and nickel last season. There is also a chance the sophomore could play some safety. The second-year player is a wild card for this defense.

Quavo Marshall (6-4, 181, Redshirt Freshman)

The class of 2024 signee missed all of last season with a injury. Marshall is now full-go and brings some needed length to Kentucky’s cornerback room. The Macon (Ga.) Westside product recorded 11 pass breakups and one interception as a senior.

Demarcus Gardner (6-0, 172, Freshman)

The three-star recruit is an early enrollee after finishing his senior season at Cedartown (Ga.) High with 42 tackles, four interceptions, 630 yards from scrimmage, and 12 total touchdowns highlighted by three pick-sixes. Gardner has good length and produced consistent ball production during his prep career. The former UCF commit will get to show what he can do during spring camp.

Top Storyline: How good can JQ Hardaway be?

Kentucky has lost some real star power at starting cornerback over the last few seasons. Carrington Valentine became a seventh-round pick and is making plays for the Green Bay Packers. Keidron Smith is still on an NFL roster. Andru Phillips had an excellent debut season with the New York Giants. Maxwell Hairston is currently getting strong first-round buzz after a dynamite performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Is JQ Hardaway next in line?

After a rocky first year in Lexington, the former four-star recruit became one of the defense’s most consistent players in 2024 and should get some All-SEC buzz this summer. Is Hardaway as good as those pros before him? That is something we could start to learn during spring practice.

What to Watch: What happens at nickel

JQ Hardaway as a starting position locked up at outside cornerback. Terhyon Nichols and DJ Waller Jr. will compete for the other starting spot but each is expected to play a big role. Kevis Thomas was added to provide additional depth. Kentucky knows what they have at outside cornerback.

But what about nickel?

Zion Childress is in the middle of draft prep. Jantzen Dunn has played this spot but struggled to stay on the field last season. Could this be a position where Quay’Sheed Scott could find a permanent home on this year’s defense?

That is something we should uncover this spring. What Kentucky ends up doing at nickel appears to be undetermined but that should change soon.

Bold Prediction: Quay’Sheed Scott creates a ton of buzz

There almost always ends up being a buzz player in the secondary during spring practice. Who is the players that both coaches and players will glowingly talking about during March and April? My money is on Quay’Sheed Scott.

The South Carolina native brought an intriguing skill set to Lexington and we will start to see that on the field over the next month. There is no denying that the sophomore is one of UK’s most talented defenders. Now the coaching staff must find ways for him to get on the field. That likely happens at nickel.

Quay’sheed Scott will be one of the big winners as Kentucky enters the summer.