The Kentucky Basketball Loss was felt at UK Pro Day

by:Nick Roush•03/22/24•

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Kentucky RB Ramon Jefferson a UK Pro Day — Kentucky RB Ramon Jefferson at UK Pro Day, via UK Athletics

That weird, sullen feeling consuming the BBN cannot be contained. Even inside the Joe Craft Football Training Facility, you could feel the weight of the Kentucky basketball loss to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Current players were eager to hype up their former teammates as they repped 225 pounds on the benchpress in front of NFL scouts. A few players with professional aspirations brought out the burners, Brenden Bates in particular. The talented tight end flew in his 40-yard dash, clocked at 4.61 and 4.68 in the sprint. There will be some injury concerns, but Bates will certainly be able to prove himself on a team during preseason training camps.

Running back Ramon Jefferson performed well too. He posted a 39.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump, which would have ranked in the top three among all running backs at the NFL Combine. He was clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and threw up 18 benchpress reps, catching the eyes of NFL scouts.

In between all of the measurements and sprints, all anyone wanted to talk about was the Kentucky basketball team. Disbelief hung in the air as folks asked the question, “What’s next?”

It was unlike any other Kentucky football event I’ve ever covered. Even though the two programs were once very publicly at odds against one another, don’t be mistaken. Some of the basketball program’s biggest cheerleaders are suiting up for the Cats on Saturdays in the fall at Kroger Field. Like all of us, one night of sleep isn’t shaking off Kentucky’s shocking NCAA Tournament loss.

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Scouts are Big Fans of Dru Phillips

The six former Kentucky Wildcats who participated in the NFL Combine had a light afternoon at UK Pro Day. It’s become protocol over the years to rely on combine numbers, instead of going through testing again.

Instead of running 40s, they were measured, hit the benchpress, then participated in position-specific drills for NFL Scouts. Once Dru Phillips completed his drills, there were plenty of people wearing NFL logos grabbing the defensive back’s ear. Mark Stoops believes he has what it takes to succeed on Sundays.

“There’s a lot of things that are good about Dru. Number one, he’s competitive as heck. He’s got the physical traits that you’re looking for, but he’s very competitive and he’s also very versatile,” Stoops told the media in a brief scrum.

“It’s very hard to play inside in that nickel-slot position, the type of wideouts you have to cover. You also have to do a lot of different techniques. You heard me talk about through the years, there’s a lot of nuances to that position. He’s a bright guy and you also have to have some instincts, and jump outside and hold up at corner. I think that’s why his stock is going up and a lot of coaches like him.”