Texas State Defensive Back Transfer Visiting Kentucky

Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program still has a few scholarships available ahead of the 2022 football season. Searching for quality depth in the secondary, today the Wildcats are hosting former Texas State defensive back Zion Childress for an official visit.

Fresh off a visit to Washington, Childress tells 247 Sports’ Scott Eklund Kentucky will be the final of three official visits. The Sun Belt Conference product visited TCU prior at the end of the spring semester.

Zion Childress is a 6-foot, 195-pound safety that recorded 74 tackles (third on the team) last season for Texas State. A starter in eight of the 12 games, he also had five pass break-ups, a pair of forced fumbles and an interception.

A Houston native, Childress was a three-star wide receiver recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, even though he spent most of his prep career playing quarterback. He has four years to play three seasons of college football.

“I played as a nickel (six starts in 2020), but they moved me last year to safety, so I was more in the box. I will play wherever, but I prefer to be in coverage because I am more of a ball-hawk.” Childress tells 247: “I like to get my hands on a lot of passes and to make plays when the ball is in the air. I also force fumbles, I feel like I can do it all.”

Childress’ positional versatility is just what Kentucky’s secondary needs. The Cats have already added two defensive backs from the transfer portal this offseason. Keidron Smith can be a plug-and-play cornerback, while Jordan Robinson is more of a long-term project on the outside. Kentucky can mitigate the loss of Vito Tisdale by adding the former Texas State Bobcat who can play the nickel position or in the box at strong safety.