Zion Childress stands out in secondary in Kentucky debut

After losing Vito Tisdale to a knee injury in the spring and Joel Williams’ decision to enter the transfer portal in August, an expanded role for Texas State transfer Zion Childress was not only expected, it was necessary.

The 6-foot, 191-pound junior spent two seasons with the Bobcats, starting as a true freshman at nickel before transitioning to a traditional safety role in year two. He racked up 135 total tackles (76 solo), nine pass breakups and one interception during his time in San Marcos.

Now in Lexington, he’s continuing to make an impact, this time as Kentucky’s second-string strong safety.

His numbers didn’t necessarily jump out on the box score following the Wildcats’ 37-13 win over Miami (OH) — two tackles, one solo — but he looked the part on film. That comes after impressing in fall camp, specifically in the team’s scrimmages.

“Zion, he’s a very good player,” Mark Stoops said during his call-in radio show Monday. “I actually talked about him in my staff meeting Sunday morning. We were discussing the game and going through each and every player and their grades and things of that nature. Zion was a guy that we’ve been high on through camp and he did stand out in scrimmages, then he stood out in the game.”

Stoops stressed the value of versatility in the secondary at Kentucky Media Day, specifically at the nickel position. Andru Phillips and Alex Afari occupy that spot, with the former also listed as a backup cornerback behind Keidron Smith. Childress is listed as the backup strong safety behind Tyrell Ajian, but he’s a plug-and-play guy capable of playing multiple positions, as he showed playing safety and nickel at Texas State.

The Kentucky head coach looked for versatility in his secondary, and he found it in Childress.

“He’s just a crafty player,” Stoops said of the junior defensive back. “He’s played a lot of snaps and — you know, he’s new to us, but he’s got a lot of experience. I just like him. Crafty is a good word to describe him. He’s definitely a guy that can play several positions.”

As a Bobcat, Childress was known for slipping blocks and making tackles, but also covering receivers and making plays on the ball in the open field. He could hit, cover, disrupt and force turnovers from sideline to sideline.

It’s only been one game — against Miami (OH), at that — but it appears Childress’ skills will translate from the Sun Belt to the SEC. Stoops sees it.