Look for these Kentucky players to generate buzz at SEC Media Days

The talking season has arrived. Over the next four days in Nashville, the Grand Hyatt will be filled with non-stop football talk. I cannot wait.

The KSR crew will be hitting the road early Monday morning to provide exclusive coverage of the unofficial kickoff for the 2023 season. However, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday until Mark Stoops, Eli Cox, Octavious Oxendine, and J.J. Weaver take the stage to represent the Kentucky football program.

However, the attendees won’t be the most popular Wildcats talked about this week. Let’s take a closer look at the Kentucky players that will generate the most buzz in Music City.

Devin Leary

Kentucky logged a big recruiting win when NC State transfer Devin Leary committed to the Wildcats in December, and nothing has seemed to slow down the super senior. The former four-star recruit out of Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek in the class of 2018 looked the part in spring practice after recovering from a pectoral injury and then performed well at the Manning Passing Academy.

Leary will enter this season as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. Expect that to get talked about daily in Nashville.

Most notably, Leary’s 2021 season will be brought when he led NC State to a 9-3 season with a huge win over Clemson. That year, Leary threw for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Sandwiched around that campaign were two years where Leary was knocked out of the lineup due to a season-ending injury.

Health and potential will be brought up constantly. If Kentucky can protect Leary, this offense could be one of the best in the conference with Liam Coen back to call plays in Lexington.

Deone Walker

Phil Steele went on record this month calling for Kentucky sophomore defensive tackle Deone Walker to be a preseason All-SEC selection and second-team All-American. KSR followed suit by naming Walker a consensus preseason All-SEC pick.

The Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech product enters the 2023 season as one of the top interior defensive linemen returning to the SEC. Expect heavy praise for the super sophomore who recorded 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. Walker is a high-ceiling player that could help Kentucky become one of the best defenses in the SEC this fall.

Expect plenty of talk about this former four-star recruit who picked UK over Michigan.

Ray Davis

Last season in the SEC, new Kentucky tailback Ray Davis was at Vanderbilt and played a key role in the Commodores’ surprising surge in November. In the first three games of the final month of the season, Davis rushed for 418 yards (5.5 yards per rush) on 76 carries. Davis was a workhorse against South Carolina, Kentucky, and Florida as the Commodores went 2-1 in this stretch and averaged 27.3 points per game. Things got ugly in the finale against Tennessee, but the former Temple transfer became a name to know at the end of the season.

Vanderbilt was unable to capitalize on that momentum once Davis entered the transfer portal in December. Kentucky landed the New Jersey native and will likely lean on the redshirt senior to play a big role this season. Davis rushed for 1,042 yards running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC last season and gives UK a much-needed downhill rusher.

Many are on record believing Davis could be an All-SEC caliber tailback this season. When Kentucky’s offense is brought up in conversation, the intraconference transfer will be one of the first talking points after Devin Leary and the offensive line.