Homegrown Stars will Represent Kentucky Football at SEC Media Days 2023

The Commonwealth will be well represented when the Kentucky football team travels to Nashville next week for SEC Media Days 2023.

Each year three players join Mark Stoops for the preseason SEC football showcase. This year all three selections are homegrown talents: EDGE J.J. Weaver (Louisville, Moore), OG Eli Cox (Nicholasville, West Jessamine) and DL Octavious Oxendine (Radcliff, North Hardin). Not only are all three in-state stars, they are artists in the trenches.

During the offseason newcomers, particularly from the transfer portal, take up most of the oxygen around the BBN. Despite the exciting new additions, like highly-touted quarterback Devin Leary, Mark Stoops is sticking to his recruit and develop mantra by giving the spotlight to players who earned it the hard way, by playing with physicality in the trenches.

JJ Weaver is returning for one more season with NFL Draft aspirations. The talented edge rusher was named 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year. He has 24 career tackles for loss, ranked just outside of the top ten in school history, 10.0 sacks and two interceptions.

Oxendine had a breakout season during his second year on campus, until a knee injury took him out for the rest of the 2021 season. Recovery slowed him last fall, but he still has 37 tackles, 4.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks at Kentucky.

Eli Cox is entering his third season as a starter on the Big Blue Wall. He’s moving back to his original position, right guard, after one year at center. While playing the position for Liam Coen in 2021, he was tabbed a Midseason All-American by ESPN and the AP prior to suffering a season-ending hand injury.

Kentucky will take centerstage at SEC Media Days next Wednesday, sharing the spotlight with Alabama, Florida and Arkansas. This year the event is moving to the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville. KSR will have all hands on deck starting Monday morning, and it might even include an excursion to the free Midland concert on Broadway. Here’s who we’ll be talking to throughout the week at SEC Media Days.

2023 SEC Media Days Attendees

Alabama

JC Latham, OL, Junior

Kool-Aid McKinstry, DB, Junior

Dallas Turner, LB, Junior

Arkansas

Landon Jackson, DE, Junior

KJ Jefferson, QB, Senior

Raheim Sanders, RB, Junior

Auburn

Luke Deal, TE, Senior

Elijah McAllister, LB, Senior

Kameron Stutts, OL, Senior

Florida

Kingsley Eguakun, OL, Junior

Jason Marshall Jr., DB, Junior

Ricky Pearsall, WR, Senior

Georgia

Brock Bowers, TE, Junior

Kamari Lassiter, DB, Junior

Sedrick Van Pran, OL, Junior

Kentucky

Eli Cox, OL, Senior

Octavious Oxendine, DL, Senior

J.J. Weaver, LB, Senior

LSU

Jayden Daniels, QB, Senior

Josh Williams, RB, Senior

Mekhi Wingo, DT, Junior

Ole Miss

Cedric Johnson, DE, Senior

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Sophomore

Deantre Prince, CB, Senior

Mississippi State

Jaden Crumedy, DT, Senior

Jo’quavious Marks, RB, Senior

Will Rogers, QB, Senior

Missouri

Kris Abrams-Draine, DB, Junior

Javon Foster, OL, Senior

Darius Robinson, DL, Senior

South Carolina

Tonka Hemingway, DL, Senior

Kai Kroeger, P, Senior

Spencer Rattler, QB, Senior

Tennessee

Joe Milton III, QB, Senior

Omari Thomas, DL, Senior

Jacob Warren, TE, Senior

Texas A&M

Fadil Diggs, DL, Junior

McKinnley Jackson, DL, Senior

Ainias Smith, WR, Senior

Vanderbilt

Ethan Barr, LB, Senior

Jaylen Mahoney, S, Senior

Will Sheppard, WR, Senior