Kentucky is getting lift from true freshman Ty Bryant in secondary

Safety was supposed to be a position of strength for the Kentucky football team in 2023. With three returning starters back on the roster, the expectation was that the Wildcats could lead on their three veterans while developing an inexperienced cornerback position.

That has not played out through eight games. One could make the argument that safety has been the most disappointing spot on the team. Jalen Geiger was injured against Georgia, missed the Missouri game, and was clearly limited in his few snaps played versus Tennessee. Jordan Lovett was injured early against Missouri and did not play against Tennessee.

Kentucky got thin very quickly at safety. Even before the injury bug arrived, the Wildcats were getting subpar play from the position. A former legacy recruit is giving Brad White’s defense a lift in the backend.

Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product Ty Bryant was a class of 2022 commit who then re-classified into 2023 and played an extra year of high school football. The son of former Kentucky wide receiver Cisco Bryant went on to lead the Broncos to the program’s first-ever state championship as a high-level two-way producer. Bryant was an early enrollee and quickly earned a spot with the twos at safety. After a couple of injuries, the true freshman has been asked to play a lot of snaps in a pair of SEC games.

Bryant has taken advantage of his opportunity. The in-state product led the team in tackles (12) against Tennessee and might have been the best player on the field for the Wildcats in Week 9.

“Ty stepped in and played fantastic. He was our defensive player of the week. He had a lot of good plays,” Stoops told the media on Monday. “He had a bunch of production for us and how we keep tallies on production points.”

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Ty Bryant played a season-high 65 snaps against the Vols and more than held his own. With the status of Geiger and Lovett still up in the air, the rookie might the season as a full-time starter at safety. Both Lovett and Zion Childress have failed to produce at a high level this season and that is hurting the defense. Don’t be surprised if Bryant has a big role for the Wildcats in the final month of the season.

“He did a very good job,” Stoops said. “Very pleased with him.”