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Day After: Tennessee Win

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Waking up on Sundays after a win is nice. Doing it two weeks in a row is awesome. Doing it two weeks in a row after losing two weeks in a row is even better. Make one of those wins a beatdown of the Vols in Knoxville and it sounds almost too good to be true. But, here we are.

Before yesterday I had seen Kentucky beat Tennessee twice in my lifetime. The snoozer back in 2011 and Stephen Johnson laying his life on the line in 2017. Neither game I saw in-person, which I still haven’t gotten over.

But, yesterday sure helped. For the first time in my lifetime, Kentucky beat the Vols in Knoxville.

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Something that I thought I would only see in my dreams and even then that would’ve been a pretty far-fetched dream.

Kentucky had three interceptions, including two pick-six’s. They dominated both halves defensively and ran it down Tennessee’s throat in the second half. No flukes. Kentucky beat Tennessee, straight up.

How many times were we thinking “Oh no. Here we go.”? I know I said it after Upshaw dropped the touchdown pass in the end zone, after the Vols marched it down the field and scored, after the backup QB came in twice, and even when it was 27-7, I still hadn’t convinced myself Kentucky was going to win.

I do hope fans will get off the Joey Gatewood bandwagon and get behind Terry Wilson. I shouldn’t have to say this, but after reading Twitter threads, I definitely do. For some reason, fans think Gatewood is Tom Brady. He’s not. This is Terry Touchdown’s job and if you don’t think so you can shut up and go be for another team.

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The man has beaten both Florida and Tennessee on the road in his career. We haven’t had that happen since my dad was in high school. What else do we want? I mean yeah, an undefeated national title season would be nice, but money growing on trees would be too.

I was really worried one side of the ball wouldn’t show up, which was the case in the first half. But, in the second half, the Cats made adjustments, yeah we haven’t said that in awhile, and both the offense and the defense showed up.

Yesterday’s win is something I never thought I would see, especially in that fashion, but it did, and it was awesome.

Now Kentucky is 2-2 with a very winnable game against Missouri coming up. If the Cats are 3-2 going into the Georgia game, we can get excited. That’s definitely an upset game.

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But for now, we celebrate yesterday’s special win.

Before I go, I’ll leave you with these texts from my grandfather:

“Is there a mistake on my television? It says Ky is ahead of Tennessee 34 to 7. I am really confused.”

Followed by…

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“This is totally unbelievable. Better go to church tomorrow. The end is coming soon!”

Football

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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Deone Walker Drafted No. 109 To The Buffalo Bills

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Caleb Bowlin | UK Athletics

Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker has been selected No. 109 by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Walker stands at 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds, making the former Wildcat one of the biggest defensive lineman not only in the draft, but in the history of the NFL.

Since earning a starting spot as a true freshman, to now exploding with excitement when he heard his name called, Walker’s unique blend of mobility and enthusiasm will cement him as one of the most beloved Kentucky players in program history.

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Earning All-SEC honors and letting his disruptive play become the Wildcats’ identity, Walker will now cause terror for defensive coordinator Bobby Babich to go alongside his former teammate Maxwell Hairston, who was selected by the Bills in the first round.

Ray Davis also welcomed BBN to Bills Mafia moments after the selection.

The main worry about Walker not only has been his back injury that he played with all of last season, but what technique he’ll be able to play due to his stature that’s unlike any other.

However, even the NFL admitted that Walker could dominate the league.

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Before the draft, Walker visited with the Buffalo Bills, who emphasized interior pressure heavily last season, which is right up his alley. He’s been evaluated as one that can be a high-level backup or a potential starter as the season goes on.

The Bills are taking a swing with Walker, but many who watched him every Saturday at Kroger Field will tell you that this is a home-run pick.

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Maxwell Hairston Drafted No. 30 To The Buffalo Bills

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Maxwell Hairston
Caleb Bowlin | UK Athletics

Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston has officially started the next chapter of his career, selected No. 30 by the Buffalo Bills in the late first round.

At 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, Hairston has come a long way since signing with the Wildcats as a 3-star prospect out of Michigan in 2021.

Although he missed five games this past season due to injury,  Hairston was still selected to Second-Team All-SEC with 19 tackles, two forced fumbles, an interception and four deflections.

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“Mad Max” took a huge jump in the draft boards after running the fastest 40-yard dash among cornerbacks in Indianapolis, completing the drill in just 4.28 seconds.

At 21 years old, Hairston brings a level of experience from the toughest conference in college football, the SEC, to go along with elite speed and length to make him a potential starter for defensive coordinator Bobby Babich.

As one of the few invited to the NFL Draft, Big Blue Nation had a good look at Hairston with his family before his name was called.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the former Wildcats’ name just before the night ended, making the West Bloomfield native’s dreams come true.

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Ray Davis went to social media to share his excitement to have a familiar face in the locker room.

The National Football League shared an emotional video of Hairston embracing his father after the Bills drafted him.

Time will tell how Hairston’s role will pan out in the league, but rest assured, “Mad Max” will go down as one of the best defensive players in the Mark Stoops era.

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