Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 35 Londyn Craft

Now only five Saturdays from the start of Kentucky football season, KSR’s countdown has reached one of the Wildcats’ newest additions, No. 35 Londyn Craft. He’s still a bit of a man of mystery. Here’s what we know about the new defensive back in town.

How Londyn Craft got to Kentucky

Few folks have had so many stops throughout their football career with so many different coaches. He’s originally from Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Instead of playing football in the desert, he took his talents to prep school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl. As a senior in 2016 he had 44 tackles, one for loss, a pair of pass break-ups and a scoop-and-score.

Despite the extra eyeballs at IMG, Craft was only considered a two-star prospect by Rivals. He walked-on at Mississippi State for Dan Mullen. Over the next five years he played for three different head coaches and defensive coordinators. Craft is using his COVID-19 year of eligibility to compete for playing time in Lexington.

Football Runs in the Family

Londyn Craft learned from a professional football vet. His father, Douglas, played college football at Southern. He had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the Seahawks and the Colts, then spent seven seasons in the CFL. Douglas Craft picked off 25 passes for five different CFL teams in the mid-90s.

Craft’s Career Highlight

Londyn Craft logged his most successful season in Mike Leach’s debut. During the coronavirus-plagued 2020 season he started in eight of ten games for Bulldogs. Craft logged 57 tackles and one pass break-up. One of his best games actually came against the Cats. Miss. State lost 24-2, but Craft tallied five tackles at Kroger Field.

2022 Forecast

Actions often speak louder than words. It’s clear Kentucky felt it needed to upgrade talent in the secondary. The Wildcats have two solid options at cornerback, but that’s not enough. Londyn Craft will compete with a handful of other players for a spot in the secondary rotation.