Spring Briefing: Kentucky is looking for answers at cornerback

Preparations for the 2024 college football season are already underway at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. Defensive backs coach Chris Collins just agreed to a contract extension as he begins year four at Kentucky. The Wildcats lost another draft pick (Andru Phillips) at cornerback as this positional unit will be under the microscope during spring practice.

Kentucky decided not to address this position during the winter transfer portal window. The Wildcats signed three high school prospects and are currently betting on player development at this position. Cornerback is a prime candidate to see a spring transfer portal addition, but for now, three returning veterans will be given a chance to lock down a spot over the next two months.

In KSR’s Spring Briefing series, we will cover every position on Kentucky’s roster before spring practice begins. Next up is cornerback where Kentucky has an All-SEC performer and what should be a heated CB2 competition.

Spring Rundown: Quarterback, Tailback, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, EDGE, Linebacker

The Room

Jantzen Dunn (6-0, 182, Redshirt Junior)

The Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren product spent two seasons at Ohio State before moving back to the Bluegrass. In year one at Kentucky, Dunn played 91 defensive snaps and looked most comfortable at nickel. Look for the former four-star recruit to get a long look in the slot this spring.

Maxwell Hairston (6-1, 181, Redshirt Junior)

The Metro Detroit native earned second-team All-SEC honors after leading the conference in interceptions (five). Hairston was consistently one of Kentucky’s best defensive players last season and saw opposing passing games avoid his side of the field later in the year. The former three-star recruit looks like Kentucky’s next draft pick in the secondary.

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Jordan Robinson (6-4, 208, Redshirt Junior)

A former Division II transfer, Robinson struggled when given playing time in 2023. The South Carolina native has the preferred size for Kentucky’s zone-heavy scheme but allowed a 66.7 percent catch rate on 18 targets last year, according to PFF data. Robinson was in and out of the lineup in 2023 due to ineffective play. This is a big spring for the veteran defensive back.

JQ Hardaway (6-3, 194, Junior)

After spending year one at Cincinnati, the former four-star recruit landed at Kentucky in 2023 and played 357 snaps for the Wildcats last season. Hardaway had an up-and-down season allowing a high catch rate (69.2%). The Phenix City (Ala.) Central product enters the spring as the favorite to win the CB2 position but needs to show some improvements in his overall game from last season.

Nasir Addison (6-0, 187, Sophomore)

The New Jersey native played primarily on special teams for Kentucky last season. A former three-star recruit, Addison will go through his first spring practice in Lexington and is a sneaky candidate in the CB2 battle.

Quavo Marshall (6-4, 180, Freshman)

The early enrollee out of Macon (Ga.) Westside will immediately give Kentucky some much-needed size and length at cornerback. Marshall logged 18 pass breakups and three interceptions in his final two seasons of high school football.

Terhyon Nichols (5-11, 180, Freshman)

A top-15 recruit in Ohio, Nichols was a significant recruiting win for Kentucky and the likely expectation is for the Cincinnati (Ohio) Withrow product to play in year one. The four-star prospect is an early enrollee who could find potential snaps at nickel.

Quay’Sheed Scott (6-0, 190, Freshman)

A late riser in the recruiting rankings, Scott stayed committed to Kentucky despite a late hard push from South Carolina and will arrive on campus this summer. The versatile defensive back could play multiple positions at the next level and will bring a physical playing style to the secondary in Lexington.

Top Storyline: CB2 Battle

Perhaps not position battle on the roster sticks out more than cornerback. Maxwell Hairston has one spot locked down, but opposite of the redshirt junior is a big question mark. There will be multiple candidates for Mark Stoops, Brad White, and Chris Collins to parse through.

Jantzen Dunn, JQ Hardaway, and Jordan Robinson each got time at outside cornerback last season and each failed to hold down a spot. Hardaway looked like the most promising of the group over the last month of the season. The former Cincinnati transfer is the favorite to open the season as the starter but player movement might not be done yet.

We could see Kentucky go into the transfer portal after spring practice. There could be a domino effect to that similar to what we saw at offensive line last season. Kentucky added USC transfer Courtland Ford at tackle, and that caused Deondre Buford (Cincinnati and David Wohlabaugh Jr. (Syracuse) to both leave the roster. Will that happen at cornerback?

The next two months are very important for those three veterans. Kentucky just signed a good high school recruiting class at the position highlighted by Terhyon Nichols and could add a free agent in April.

What to Watch: Young Talent

Kentucky had a very nice recruiting haul in the secondary during the 2024 high school recruiting cycle. We should expect some of those players to factor early. At cornerback, two will be on campus.

Terhyon Nichols is in a position to make a push somewhere. Second-year cornerback Nasir Addison is a sneaky candidate to push for playing time. Kentucky went transfer-heavy last offseason to replenish the cornerback room. Now the Wildcats need to develop some young talent.

There are some intriguing young personnel on the roster.

Bold Prediction: Kentucky visits the transfer portal after spring practice

At one point, Kentucky looked like the favorite to land Mississippi State transfer DeCarlos Nicholson after hosting the transfer on a visit. The former junior college product landed at USC. Kentucky was also in great shape for UAB transfer BJ Mayes before the former FCS cornerback committed to Texas A&M.

Kentucky has been in the market for a cornerback transfer. That will not change during spring practice.

There will be a heated competition, and someone will emerge at CB2, but they will have to hold off another transfer during fall camp. Expect Kentucky to dip into the transfer portal to find help opposite Maxwell Hairston.