Freshman Terhyon Nichols Flashes at Cornerback

The 41-6 win over Ohio gave a few Kentucky underclassmen opportunities to shine. Jamarion Wilcox had a career-high 82 rushing yards, Gavin Wimsatt scored his first Kentucky touchdown, and Steven Soles was a defensive disruptor on third down. Soles wasn’t the only true freshman making plays on defense.

Terhyon Nichols was one of the highest-ranked defensive backs ever signed by Mark Stoops at Kentucky. The elite athlete from Cincinnati was a top-15 cornerback and the No. 113 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class, according to On3.

Nichols enrolled at Kentucky in January and I was not the only prognosticator who believed he could compete not only for early playing time, but to start as a true freshman at cornerback. Today we learned why that didn’t happen right away. Mark Stoops revealed a hamstring injury knocked Nichols out of spring practice.

“We were obviously to get him through the early recruiting process,” said defensive coordinator Brad White. “We were excited to see him through the first days of spring ball. The first half he was doing some really good things and sustained that injury in spring ball where he had to miss the rest of it.

“But he’s come back and been really solid player for us. He’s going to continue to grow. I really have high hopes for him.”

We saw a snippet of that on Saturday against Ohio. After playing only nine snaps over the first two SEC games of the season, Nichols received extended action against the Bobcats. He got in on a tackle, but his best play was on third down.

Desperate to find some life in the second half, on third and long the Bobcats went to the air. It looked like Ohio had a big play cooked up down the sideline, but Nichols did not give up on the play. He stuck his hand in there and ripped the ball away. The pass break-up gave the ball back to the Kentucky offense.

Nichols is an outstanding athlete, but it’s the little things that set him apart. Brad White believes the future is bright for this talented young cornerback.

“The thing that makes Rhy so special is it’s not just the athletic ability, but it’s the ability to focus on all of the details,” said White.

“He comes in and wants to know the exact game plan. He doesn’t just leave anything for chance. There’s some things where we have to get him to not overthink at times. Just go play football, but he’ll get there.”

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.