KSR Today: Senior Day & Reed Sheppard makes a Decision

It’s a busy time around the BBN. I will spare you the theatrics and cut to the chase. Fresh off a night of hoops at Rupp Arena, the Kentucky football team hosts New Mexico State for Senior Day. Before they take the field, Reed Sheppard will announce his college decision and he might not be the only big-time player committing to the Cats today. Let’s dive right in.

A Salute to 22 Seniors

Well, there are 22 seniors plus three Super Seniors, so technically 25 will play in their last game at Kroger Field today. Those numbers are dynamic thanks to the COVID-19 eligibility waiver. Instead of trying to figure all that out right now, I’ll simply share who will be receiving their jersey beside their family before kickoff at approximately 11:35.

• Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, DL (Lakeland, Fla.)
• Tyrell Ajian, DB (Mansfield, Ohio)
• Marquez Bembry, LB (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
• Zac Berezowitz, DB (Lexington, Ky.)
• Yusuf Corker, DB (McDonough, Ga.)
• Cedrick Dort Jr., DB (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
• Austin Dotson, OG (Belfry, Ky.)
• Darren Edmond, WR (Norman, Okla.)
• Isaiah Epps, WR (Jenks, Okla.)
• Colin Goodfellow, P (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Collin Hartmann, DL (Somerset, Ky.)
• Zach Johnson, S/KR (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Darian Kinnard, OT (Knoxville, Tenn.)
• Tyler Markray, RB (West Bloomfield, Mich.)
• Marquan McCall, NG (Detroit, Mich.)
• Quandre Mosely, DB (Brunswick, Ga.)
• William Nalty, ILB (Metairie, La.)
• Josh Paschal, DE (Prince George’s County, Md.)
• Davonte Robinson, S (Lexington, Ky.)
• Matt Ruffolo, K (Centerville, Ohio)
• DeAndre Square, ILB (Detroit, Mich.)
• Jordan Wright, OLB (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

"This will be the last time quite a few players are playing in this stadium. We ask for your support to come finish this thing off with our last home game this week, and Senior Day." 🗣 @UKCoachStoops #ForTheTeam 😼🏈 pic.twitter.com/o2s66j4KRG

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 19, 2021

The Seniors’ Legacy

This week we shined the spotlight on a few exceptional seniors, but we couldn’t get to them all. One player in particular probably won’t mind, Josh Paschal.

“I don’t know if there’s a selfish bone in his body,” said defensive coordinator Brad White. “Everything is about Kentucky and that’s what we’re trying to instill across the board, that it’s us above I. He exemplifies that. His work ethic on the field, off it, the way he attacks game prep, the way he attacks practice, he’s set an example.”

That example is what the two dozen players are leaving behind. They had to fight through early struggles to bring the program to new heights. The underclassmen have not faced the same adversity, but they have learned the good habits it takes to win on a weekly basis in the SEC.

“Hopefully that torch can be passed to the next generation as well. You can’t say enough about what Josh and some of these other seniors have done,” said White.

The Schedule

• 8:00 — The KSR Pregame Show kicks off on 630 WLAP
• 9:00 — Reed Sheppard’s commitment at North Laurel High School
• 9:00 — KSBar and Grille opens for breakfast
• 9:45 — The Cat Walk
• 11:35 — Senior Day at Kroger Field
• Noon — Kickoff on SEC Network

Vegas, TV, Radio

The Kentucky Wildcats are 36-point favorites against the Aggies from New Mexico State. The total is set at 60. NMSU only has one win, but they are 5-4 ATS against FBS opponents this season. Congrats to all season total bettors who are cashing over tickets this afternoon.

Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Tera Talmadge are on the call for the SEC Network. If you’d rather listen to the Voice of the Wildcats, there are multiple ways to hear today’s game.

• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Satellite: XM-81 and Sirius-81
• Online: iHeart Radio

Reed Sheppard Announcement

One of the most talked about Kentucky high school basketball recruitments is ending prematurely, and that might not necessarily a bad thing for the BBN. Reed Sheppard will announce where he will attend college this morning at 9 am. KSR will be at North Laurel High School for all of the action and WYMT is carrying the event live (we’ll have that stream shared across all KSR platforms).

Virginia and Louisville tried to get their foot in the door first. After completing his sophomore year of high school, Sheppard shined on the summer basketball shoe circuit. He quickly proved his keep against the best of the best in the nation, climbing up to No. 21 in the national rankings and earning a scholarship from Kentucky. Today could be the day the home state hero pledges his allegiance to the Commonwealth. If he picks the Cats, you won’t be able to find too many empty seats to watch North Laurel High School basketball games over the next two seasons.

Barion Brown too?

Sheppard might not be the only top 50 player committing to UK today. There are whispers that wide receiver Barion Brown will be announcing a decision at some point this weekend. A two-time state champion track and field athlete, he’s an explosive, game-changing athlete that could immediately inject energy into Liam Coen’s offense. We’ll keep our ears low to the ground if and when the talented star announces his decision.

Cats Win

It was a fun night to watch basketball at Rupp Arena. The Ohio Bobcats challenged Kentucky early, the Wildcats fought through foul trouble, then broke free in the second half with an entertaining 77-59 win over a 2021 NCAA Tournament team.