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Day After: Ole Miss Loss

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I thought we were passed this. The depressing Sunday after an awful Kentucky football loss. Yesterday’s game wasn’t only a let-down, but it was a game you needed/should’ve won. Good thing is, we as a fan base should be used to this. We thought we were passed this, but hey, we’re not.

Kentucky came into this season with a lot of hype. Probably the most since the 2015 season. Rightly so since the Cats have one of the best O-Lines in the country, a stacked running-back room, a QB with a ton of talent, but a lot to prove, and a promising defense with a good mix of experience and very talented youth.

The “talking season,” as Mark Stoops calls it, saw Kentucky earn their first preseason ranking since 1978. Although the ranking came because the Big Ten and PAC12 weren’t playing, the ranking still meant something. It meant for the first time since Mark Stoops has been in Lexington, the Cats were finally getting some national attention.

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The one difference about this season is that there’s a little thing called a pandemic going on. Changing the way every American lives. Changing how every sport is played. Shortening Kentucky’s season by two games, making every game an SEC opponent.

People often complain about the “cupcake games” at the beginning of a season. Those games are boring to watch, but are great warmups for the power five teams. Giving them an easy win, preparing them for better opponents in the future, and giving second and third-stringers quality minutes. Well, we didn’t get those this year and we all saw the negative impact against Auburn.

Kentucky always has a lot of rust in the opener, but normally ends up winning the game, which is all that matters. We saw the rust last weekend, but Kentucky was playing the eighth best team in the country. Not a directional school. Thus making the rust more obvious and us fans not being able to okay it with “oh well, we won the game.”

Not great, but not the end of the world. Maybe even a good thing, right? You really quickly see what you need to improve on.

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The one bad thing is Auburn got thumped by Georgia yesterday. I’m hoping that’s just an early sign of how difficult an all-SEC schedule will be. Mostly just to make myself feel better.

The Cats had ten SEC games. Five games you should lose and five games you should win. Well, one of the games you should’ve lost, you lost. Now one of the games you had to win, you lost, yesterday’s game against Ole Miss. Now you’ve got a problem. You’re 0-2, when at worst, you should’ve been 1-1.

Even though Mark Stoops is the second best coach Kentucky has ever had, his tenure has been filled with a lot of disappointment. In Stoops’ seven seasons, four of them have started with a lot of promise and have ended with disappointment. 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. Now you can add 2020 to that list.

Five out of seven seasons.

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The Cats were supposed to make a serious run at winning the SEC East. Now, with an 0-2 start, you’re going to have to do a lot just to finish the season 5-5. By the way, that would be a great season. A .500 record in the SEC is something Kentucky has achieved only twice in 20 years. But now, 5-5 is not guaranteed. At all.

The preseason hype was at an all-time high. Now the hype is gone and the fan interest will decline a ton. With the way the schedule is, things won’t get any easier from here. Kentucky could easily start the season 0-5, because the next game you should win isn’t until Missouri. The Cats have three ranked opponents before then. Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Georgia. Oh boy.

This has happened too many times in the Stoops era. A lot of hype and promise seems to always end in disappointment.

Now we’re back to square one.

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Saskatchewan Roughriders Sign Octavious Oxendine to CFL Deal

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UK Athletics

On Wednesday, it was officially announced that former Wildcats defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine agreed to play with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Oxendine becomes only the fifth player from Kentucky to take their talents up north. Those before him included fellow Roughrider Micah Johnson, Josh Ali of the Calgary Stampeders, Lynn Bowden of the BC Lions and Quandre Mosely Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Radcliff, Kentucky, native played five seasons in Lexington. Making 19 starts in 47 games played, Oxendine recorded 78 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.

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In 2024, Oxendine appeared in all 12 games for the Wildcats and made one start against Murray State, finishing his final season with a team-second best four sacks.

A key performance by Oxendine helped Kentucky defeat the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, as the defensive lineman recorded three tackles and a career-high two sacks for a combined 10 yards lost. His first sack came on a third down play, forcing the Rebels to punt, and the second led to Ole Miss letting the clock run out to end the first half.

The standout performance led to Oxendine being named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

In December 2024, Oxendine graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in social work. Additionally, the recent graduate was named the 2025 CATSPY Male Supporting Role Award.  

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Now in green, Oxendine will take the field with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they are set to kickoff the preseason on Saturday, May 24, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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Tre’vonn Rybka Signs With Dolphins As Undrafted Free Agent

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John Clay | UK Athletics

Another Cat is heading to the NFL after defensive lineman Tre’vonn Rybka was signed by the Miami Dolphins in undrafted free agency on April 28, shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Rybka, who appeared in 48 games over five seasons with Kentucky, amassed 95 tackles including 5 sacks. As a senior, he started all 12 games, finishing with 34 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.

He now joins a Dolphins defense that used their No. 13 pick in this year’s draft on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, meaning Rybka will have to compete for a roster spot in a deep defensive front rotation.

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Off the field, Rybka, who was adopted by his grandparents as a child due to his mother’s battle with addiction, is an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass. He was awarded the “Big Ambassador of the Year” award in 2024 for his commitment to mentoring and supporting the youth.

His commitment to give back to the community and its youth reflects dedication to make a positive impact both on and off the football field.

Rybka will report to the Dolphins rookie camp on May 9-12, before he officially fights for a spot on the 53-man roster in June.

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Four Wildcats Sign NFL Contracts in Undrafted Free Agency

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UK Athletics

Within just a few hours from the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, four Kentucky Wildcats were picked up in undrafted free agency.

Eli Cox, Marques Cox, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Zion Childress all signed contracts within an hour of each other, marking a total of six Wildcats moving on to the NFL since April 24.

Two senior offensive linemen, center/guard Eli Cox and tackle Marques Cox, secured undrafted free agent deals with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, respectively.

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Cox, who started 47 games for Kentucky, was a team captain and earned All-SEC honors in both 2023 and 2024.On the other side of the ball, linebacker Dumas-Johnson and defensive back Childress were brought on by the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.

Dumas-Johnson, who led Kentucky in tackles in 2024, also won back-to-back national championships with Georgia in 2021 and 2022. Childress played in 38 games for the Wildcats, amassing 148 tackles over three seasons.

With rookie minicamps set to begin in May, each player now has an opportunity to prove himself at the next level, looking to make strong first impressions with his new team.

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