KSR Today: Kentucky football returns in just 9 days

Good morning, folks! The single-digit countdown to the start of Kentucky’s 2022 football season is officially underway. Only nine days separate us from what could be the beginning of a very special run for the Wildcats and head coach Mark Stoops. Now let’s go ahead and dive straight into what you need to know on this beautiful Thursday morning across central Kentucky.

Top 10 players of Stoops era

12 members of the Kentucky Sports Radio staff were polled and asked to vote for their top 10 players of the Mark Stoops era. Naturally, the entire internet was in complete agreement with no backlash from any fans or former players…

There were only two stipulations: they had to play for Stoops and their play is exclusively judged on what they did during their time at the University of Kentucky. After playing in six straight bowl games, and winning four, the KSR crew had plenty of players to choose from. Three emerged near the top, while a handful of others competed to make the cut.

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Kentucky Football Players from Mark Stoops’ First 10 Years at Kentucky.

KSR Kroger Game of the Week heads to WKY

WPSD Local 6 out of Paducah ran a series that highlighted far western Kentucky’s Top 10 high school football players. The Kroger KSR Game of the Week between Mayfield and Hopkinsville will feature three of the top four players from the region. 

The No. 1-ranked player according to WPSD is Hopkinsville’s Diasjuan Mercer. Mayfield’s Jutarious Starks is listed as the second-best player in the region while his teammate Jax Rogers came in ranked fourth.

As always, KSR’s Freddie Maggard will be in Mayfield to cover all of the action. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday night in Mayfield.

Updated football roster doesn’t include Quentel Jones

With under two weeks left until the start of Kentucky’s 2022 football season, the roster is practically set in stone at this point. All players have arrived on camps and have their jersey numbers. During Wednesday’s open practice, UK Athletics provided the media with an updated numerical roster that includes only a few small changes from a previous update in late June.

The most notable change was the absence of freshman defensive lineman Quentel Jones, who was arrested in early June on charges of domestic battery in connection to a murder investigation.

You can check out the entire updated roster by clicking the link here.

Brad White, Kentucky player interviews

The local media was treated to an open Kentucky football practice on Wednesday afternoon, which was immediately followed by a slew of interviews with a coach and various players.

On what was a defense-only day for the media, defensive coordinator Brad White took the podium first before several Wildcat players fielded questions from reporters shortly after. We heard from the likes of linebacker Jacquez Jones, cornerback Jalen Geiger, and cornerback Keidron Smith talk about the offseason and what they’ve seen from the defense through this point.

Catch up on everything Coach White and the players had to say through the videos below and make sure to subscribe to the KSR YouTube channel while you’re here.

Brad White

Jacquez Jones

Jalen Geiger

Keidron Smith

Let’s hear from our friends at Racing Louisville FC

Let’s FILL THE FAM on August 27 when Racing Louisville takes on Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 pm. Racing, the city’s professional women’s soccer team with world class talent competes at Lynn Family Stadium, a world class facility located in Butchertown. Don’t miss this important match featuring post-game fireworks, a t-shirt and fan clapper giveaway and $2 beers until 7pm.

UK men’s and women’s soccer in action

It’ll be a busy evening in Lexington for fans of Kentucky soccer, as both the men’s and women’s clubs will take the pitch later tonight. The ladies will open things up with a 5:00 p.m. EST kickoff against Purdue, which you can watch live on the SEC Newtork+. UK is off to a 3-0 start to its season and is outscoring its opponents by a combined total of 8-1 so far.

As for the guys, they’ll hit the field at 7:30 p.m. EST against the University of Chicago Illinois in what will be the team’s 2022 regular season opener. That game won’t be on TV, but remember that admission is free for all UK soccer events. So head on down to the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex tonight to check out the ‘Cats.

Get ready to hear Cutter Boley’s name a lot more

Cutter Boley is the fastest-rising high school prospect in Kentucky, regardless of class. The Lexington Christian Academy standout has picked up offers from Alabama, Tennessee, and Michigan in recent months, and now, he’s a top-50 recruit and top-five quarterback in the class of 2025.

In 247Sports’ newest recruiting rankings, the Hodgenville native came in at No. 45 overall and No. 4 at the quarterback position. He’s also the No. 1 player in the state by a country mile.

On3 has not yet released its 2025 rankings, but Boley has earned early four-star status. He was also named to On3’s 2025 Football Prospect Watch List. His LCA squad will be back in action under the lights on Saturday night against Mercer County in a game that will be played at Boyle County. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. EST.

KSR is looking for a video producer/editor

As KSR continues to grow our video content and YouTube Channel, we’re looking to add a new member to the team. This is a full-time position that will require daily attendance in our Lexington office. Check out the full listing through the link here and apply within.

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That’s all the news and notes I have for you this morning. As always, I surely forgot about something, but that’s what the next three hours of radio are for. We’ve got the KSR Pre-Show starting right now before KSR hits the airwaves in an hour. See you then!