University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops announced Tuesday the hiring of Daikiel (pronounced duh-KEL) Shorts Jr. to coach the wide receivers.
“Daikiel Shorts is a young and talented coach who is a great addition to our program,” Stoops said. “I’ve been impressed by him. He’s got a lot of energy, he’s personable and he’s relatable. The most important thing is that he will be a great mentor to our players. We are excited to get him here.”
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Shorts, 29, comes to the Bluegrass after three seasons (2021-23) as the wide receivers coach under Dana Holgorsen at Houston. He also spent two years as the Director of Player Development (2019-20) for the Cougars.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the Big Blue Nation,” Shorts said. “The opportunity to work under Mark Stoops and Liam Coen is very exciting and it’s an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up. I’ve watched over the years what they have been able to accomplish at Kentucky and in the Southeastern Conference and I want to help continue that success. Coach Coen is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game and I’m very eager to learn under him. I’m already so impressed with the young men in the wide receivers room and I’m ready to bring my energy and passion to this place. I can’t wait.”
In his first season as a collegiate coach in 2021, Shorts led Tank Dell to first-team American Athletic Conference honors and top-15 national rankings in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,329) and receiving touchdowns (12). As a team, UH ranked 23rd nationally in passing offense (271.6).
In 2022, nine players combined to catch 40 touchdowns, once again led by Dell, who totaled a nation-high 109 catches for 1,398 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and earned first-team all-conference selection for the second straight season.
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In two seasons under Shorts (2021-22), Dell combined to pace the country in receiving yards (2,727), receiving scores (29) and receptions (199). He went on to be selected by the Houston Texas in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 11 games with the team, he has caught 47 passes for 709 yards and a Texans’ rookie-record seven touchdown catches.
Also under Shorts’ tutelage, true freshman Matthew Golden set Houston’s true freshman record in 2022 with seven receiving touchdowns and he finished tied for first nationally among true freshmen with four receiving scores of 20-plus yards and second among true freshmen in total receiving scores (7).
In 2023, Houston’s first season in the Big 12, Shorts’ youthful wide receivers made an immediate impact. According to Pro Football Focus, five of the league’s Top 11 graded underclassmen wide receivers came from Houston. Three players – Joseph Manjack IV (74.7), Samuel Brown (72.9) and Golden (68.4) were in the Top 7.
Brown led the receiving corps with 62 catches for 815 yards and three scores. Manjack and Golden each had a team-high-tying six receiving touchdowns.
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Before getting into the coaching ranks, Shorts was a standout receiver under Holgorsen at West Virginia from 2013-16. The four-year letter winner led the Mountaineers in receiving in three of his four years.
As a senior team caption in 2016, he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and the Iron Mountaineer Award after totaling a team-high 63 receptions for 894 yards and five touchdowns.
Shorts led WVU in receiving in 2015 with 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns and in 2013 with 45 receptions for 495 yards and two touchdowns. He added 24 receptions for 346 yards and two touchdowns in 2014.
He closed his collegiate career ranked fifth on the WVU career chart with 177 receptions and sixth with 2,263 receiving yards and 14 scores. He owns the program’s freshman receptions record with 45 in his first year with the program.
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Shorts, originally from Clayton, New Jersey and standout at Eastern Christian Academy, graduated from West Virginia in 2016 with a degree in multidisciplinary studies. During his career, he was named to the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Shorts’ Coaching/Playing Career
Year
Position
School
Bowl Games
2021-23
Wide Receivers
Houston
Independence Bowl (2022)Birmingham Bowl (2021)
2019-20
Director of Player Personnel
Houston
New Mexico Bowl (2020)
2018
Program Assistant
West Virginia
Armed Forces Bowl (2018)
2017
Wide Receiver
Buffalo Bills Practice Squad
2013-16
Wide Receiver (player)
West Virginia
Liberty Bowl (2014)Cactus Bowl (2015)Russell Athletic Bowl (2016)
A unanimous 4-star prospect and top 20 safety nationally, Carter chose the Cats over finalists Auburn Tigers, Colorado Buffalo, and Louisville. He also held offers from some of the biggest programs in the sport, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Oregon among others.
Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Carter moved to Paducah last summer where he starred for Paducah Tilghman High School, helping them to an undefeated regular season and a deep run in the 4A state playoffs, falling in the semifinals.
While it’s okay to celebrate his commitment, it will still be a battle until signing day. Auburn is seen as Kentucky’s biggest threat with Carter planning multiple visits, and he also has a family connection to Deion Sander’s Colorado program.
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That said, he will almost certainly take an official visit to Kentucky this fall. Vince Marrow has made Carter a priority of this class and will do everything in his power to retain the talented defensive back.
Carter makes the sixth commitment for Kentucky’s 2025 class, to go along with two talented offensive players and fellow four-star recruits Quintin Simmons Jr (WR) and Marquise Davis (RB).
On the eve of a huge recruiting weekend for Kentucky football, the program has received some bad news. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is leaving for the NFL again, this time taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator position.
The #Buccaneers are working on a deal to hire Liam Coen as their new offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet. After bouncing between the #Rams and Kentucky the last six years, Coen likely heads to Tampa for a possible reunion with pending free agent Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/ijwtJel2RE— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 2, 2024
When Coen returned to Kentucky last offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, for his second stint as offensive coordinator, he talked about Lexington being a place that he and his wife had missed. In his return press conference, on January 12, 2023, he went as far as saying he wanted to be somewhere for a “few years”, at least.
“I want to go somewhere, make a real impact. Plant some roots for a little bit. Be somewhere for a few years — at least — that you feel really good about. I’m excited about being back in Lexington… I’m not in a rush to go anywhere.”
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That “few years” was just a year, but to be honest, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After many games last season, Coen talked to the media with frustration about fundamental things such as lack of discipline and dropped passes. Even then, it always felt he was holding his words back. With his name circulating around multiple NFL jobs, it was clear this was the direction it was heading.
Now for Kentucky, it’s about getting the next hire right. In a time where offense is becoming the premium in college football, going through five offensive coordinators in ten seasons is not ideal. Paying $1.8 million to Coen, they have shown they will pay amongst the top in the country. Now, go get someone who keeps this core of offensive talent, can recruit, and brings much-needed consistency.
During last year’s NFL Draft, Will Levis was one of the last players left in the green room after dropping to the second round. That moment fueled Levis, and he’s since earned the starting quarterback spot with the Tennessee Titans, appearing to have a bright future with the team.
Entering the season with no shortage of motivation, Levis entered the franchise as QB3 and wasn’t even on the active roster for the first six weeks of the season, being deemed the “emergency quarterback.” However, following an ankle injury to Ryan Tannehill in Week 6, the Titans gave their rookie quarterback an opportunity.
Levis certainly capitalized and had one of the best debuts in NFL History, throwing for 238 yards (19/29 passing) and four touchdowns. From the game, Levis has been put in the Hall of Fame. Well, at least his Houston Oiler throwback helmet from the performance has been placed on display in the Hall of Fame’s “Pro Football Today Gallery.”
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🗣️ New to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Oilers-styled helmet that @Titans QB Will Levis wore in Week 8, when he became only the third player in NFL history to throw four TD passes in his NFL debut.
Levis started his career with a bang and had his moments. The former Kentucky Wildcat will look to build on his rookie campaign, going into a year where he should be the starter under new head coach Brian Callahan.
