Kentucky Football Countdown: 61 days till Kickoff

Happy 4th of July, BBN! We are officially 61 days away from Kentucky football’s first game against Miami (OH). There is no No. 61 on the 2022 roster, but luckily we have a recently-graduated Kentucky native who made the number special.

No. 61 Austin Dotson

Austin Dotson was born and raised in Pikeville, KY. He graduated from Belfry High School, making a name for himself in more than just football.

He started three years for Belfry head coach and Eastern Kentucky legend Phillip Haywood. With his help, the Pirates won four straight high school championships (2013-2016). Playing right tackle as a senior, he aided Belfry to a 14-1 finish where they averaged 347.1 rushing yards and 44.1 points per game. He also lettered all four years in baseball as a pitcher and first baseman.

Doton’s impressive high school play earned him a long list of accolades by the time his senior year rolled around. He was labeled a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 5 overall player in the Bluegrassfrom the 2017 class by the On3 Consensus. His senior year performance earned him a spot on The Courier Journal’s 2016 All-State first-team and in the Best of the Bluegrass All-Star Game. He picked the Wildcats during Kentucky’s junior day in March of 2016, making him the second ’17 commitment from the Bluegrass state. He also had offers from Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and Marshall.

Great to see @UKCoachStoops and @CoachSchlarman!!! 🔵⚪️#BBN pic.twitter.com/ps4QQHcwBx

— Belfry Football (@BelfryFootball1) January 23, 2017

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive guard was an important part of the Big Blue Wall. He started in four games his junior year and all 13 his senior year, where he recorded one tackle. Dotson had the option of returning to Lexington for a sixth year with Kentucky but chose to forgo it. He graduated in December of 2021 with a Bachelors in Sociology.