Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 25 Jordan Lovett

The Wildcats are now 25 days away from kicking off the 2022 Kentucky football season. No. 25 Jordan Lovett could have a breakthrough season this fall if he continues to make strides during fall camp. Let’s take a closer look at the young defensive back.

About Lovett

Lovett is one of three Wildcats in the rotation that played high school football at North Hardin. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety, Lovett was a three-star prospect and a top 10 player in the state of Kentucky in the class of 2021. Last year he retained his redshirt and recorded his first career tackle against Louisiana-Monroe.

Jordan Lovett Fun Fact

Jordan Lovett did not start playing safety until he was a junior at North Hardin High School. It was a wise move. In his first season in the secondary he picked off 15 passes, the second-most in America. He also tallied 21 tackles. During his senior season the Trojans went 13-1 as he recorded 60 tackles and three interceptions to earn First Team All-State honors.

2022 Forecast

Jordan Lovett was one of the surprising breakthrough players on the Kentucky defense during spring ball. After watching him fly all over the field in practice, he turned it into production in the Blue-White Game. Lovett led all players with nine tackles. He also forced a fumble, recorded a quarterback hurry and a pair of pass break-ups. After the game Mark Stoops challenged him to take his game to the next level.

“He’s a very athletic guy,” Stoops said. “I have high expectations for him. These kind of situations really help him because it’s time for him to get very serious about the game and continue to really study and get quality reps out there because he has the ability. We need him to step up and be a player for us. I think he needs to continue to mature and continue to approach the game in a serious nature. And if he does that, he’ll make some really big strides before next fall.”

Lovett plays with a reckless abandonment on the football field. He uses instincts to play aggressively, however, sometimes that leads to aggressive mistakes. Kentucky is comfortable with Jalen Geiger and Ty Ajian on the backend of the defense, but they can’t play all of the snaps. If Lovett continues improving at an upward trajectory, he can play an important role as the third safety, allowing Brad White to get creative with his defensive calls. The sooner he masters Kentucky’s complex defensive scheme, the better.