Being ranked AP preseason top 25 for the first time since 1978, the Kentucky Wildcats are entering this season with high expectations. Given those high expectations, Mark Stoops and Co will attempt to take another big step for the program.
Of course, it will ultimately be up to how the players perform on the field, but there is a lot of talent on the roster, including a loaded tight end room that the staff has a lot of confidence in.
According to offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, “three or four or five in that room that are going to play on Sundays,” as he said earlier this month on media day.
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A notable member of that group that Scangarello has been impressed with is in-state redshirt freshman, Jordan Dingle.
Jordan Dingle
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Measurements: 6-foot-4, 236 lbs.
Hometown: Bowling Green, Kentucky
School: Bowling Green High School
Recruiting Rankings: 3-star, top-500 recruit and the No. 21 tight end in the country (247 Sports Composite)
Last season, the Bowling Green native appeared in only four games in his freshman campaign and was able to retain his redshirt. In his limited appearances, Dingle caught two catches for 54 yards.
For those that have kept up with the football team through the summer and fall camp, Dingle has been a player that has consistently been mentioned, and he seems to be ready to make an impact.
After last Saturday’s scrimmage – the final scrimmage before the regular season – Stoops called Dingle “a complete tight end”. In the scrimmage, Dingle used his impressive catch radius and caught four passes.
With all the talent in the tight-end room, playing time will be at a premium, but Dingle is a versatile piece that can line up at fullback, receiver, or tight end.
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On a side note, Dingle has an older brother on the team as well, Justice Dingle, a former four-star defensive lineman who transferred from Georgia Tech last season.
Despite having many talented tight ends in recent years, the Big Blue Nation has expressed concern over the inconsistent use of tight ends. With Scangarello coming from a San Francisco 49ers system that is heavily reliant on multiple tight-end personnel, and with a talented tight-end group, this could be the year we see that narrative change.
However it plays out, it looks like it is going to be difficult to keep Dingle off the field in some fashion.
On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.
This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.
As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.
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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”
Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.
Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.
The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.
Freshman Standout today:
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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.
Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.
Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.
Defense Bounces Back:
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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense
Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.
Box Score
With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC.
To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.
Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.
At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:
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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”
Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.
If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.
“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”