Two Kentucky Wildcats make ESPN's Top 100 College Football Player Rankings

The 2023 Kentucky Football season was a little disappointing, but two Wildcats have been tabbed among the best in the sport. Running back Ray Davis and cornerback Maxwell Hairston are included in ESPN’s new list of the Top 100 players in college football during the 2023 season. Davis is No. 75 and Hairston No. 97. Neither player made ESPN’s Top 100 player rankings that came out before the season.

Davis’ lone season in Lexington was one to remember. He finished the season with 1,129 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns, the latter of which leads the SEC and is a new single-season school record. Davis was named National Player of the Week after running for 280 yards and totaling a school-record-tying four touchdowns in the win over Florida. He is believed to be the first player in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history to rush for at least 1,000 career yards at three schools (Temple, Vanderbilt, Kentucky). He earned First Team SEC honors from three selectors and has been invited to the NFL Draft Combine.

While Davis is off to the NFL, Hairston will return to Kentucky for at least one more season. The sophomore is tied for first in the SEC and is fifth nationally in interceptions with five. He was named National Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception returns for touchdowns at Vanderbilt. Hairston was named Second Team All-SEC by three selectors.

Congrats to Davis and Hairston, but how did Deone Walker not make this list? Junior Deone Walker is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

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