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Kentucky Dealing With Multiple Injuries Following Ole Miss Loss

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2 years ago

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Kentucky was the better team when they played Ole Miss on Saturday, but self-inflicted mistakes cost them the game. To make it worse, three key players are dealing with injuries, with two of them potentially missing an extended period of time, according to Ryan Lemond and Kentucky Sports Radio.

Those three players are Jeremy Flax, Jacquez Jones, and Kavosiey Smoke.

Jeremy Flax

Flax was injured in the final offensive drive of the game, going down as he grabbed his hamstring with what many thought was just a cramp – which Ole Miss fans loudly booed at. However, it is now to be believed to be more severe and is “50/50” that Flax will play this week, and could miss several weeks according to Lemond.

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While all three injuries are significant, Flax’s injury may be the most concerning due to the inconsistency of the offensive line. That was put on immediate display as Flax was replaced by redshirt freshman, David Wohlabaugh Jr., who gave up the quarterback rush that resulted in the game-ending fumble.

Jacquez Jones

Prior to Saturday’s game, Jones – a transfer from Ole Miss – had been one of Kentucky’s key defensive leaders and led the team in total tackles. Early in the first quarter, the star linebacker was slow to get up after an Ole Miss run.

Jones was able to walk off under his power and even returned to make a key interception to halt a quickly moving Ole Miss drive to end the first half. However, the injury seemed to be too bothersome after multiple plays in the second half, and did not return.

Lemond went on to say that Jones could be out for “the rest of the season”, but in his weekly press conference on Monday, Stoops said, “He’s banged up, we’ll see,” when asked about Jones’ status.

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Linebacker is a position where Kentucky has depth, and JJ Weaver could be making a return this week, which will be much needed.

Kavosiey Smoke

Contrary to the other two, Smoke’s injury was not one that was as noticeable but the senior back is believed to have suffered a concussion.

Smoke has been the primary back since his breakout half at Florida, but with Chris Rodriguez’s return and Jutahn McClain showing some strong runs, the Wildcats are equipped to handle it if he is ruled out. However, for the sake of depth, it is hopeful that Smoke does not miss too much time.

It is important to note that all three players are still on this week’s depth chart and no official announcement has been made, but it is best to prepare as if they will be out.

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Fortunately, Kentucky is playing South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC), who cannot be overlooked but is the easiest opponent the Wildcats will play until Missouri next month.

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Kentucky Athletic Collectives Rank 11th of 16 Teams in SEC, Bring in over $11 Million

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2 weeks ago

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December 10, 2024

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Kentucky ranks 11th of 16 SEC teams in collective fundraising.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

For better or for worse of college sports, NIL is here to stay and it certainly gives an advantage to schools with more money. Just looking at the SEC alone, collectives raised more than $200 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Unfortunately, Kentucky is ranked in the lower half of that.

According to documents from the House v. NCAA proposed settlement, Kentucky raised $11,254,204 from athletics collectives for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That ranks 11th of the 15 public universities in the SEC and is just more than half of the top collective, Texas who raised over $22 million.

Full Rankings

Rank
School NameCollective Funding
1Texas22,272,474
2LSU20,137,141
3Georgia18,326,566
4Texas A&M17,228,714
5Alabama15,995,406
6Florida15,802,237
7Oklahoma14,817,595
8Tennessee11,602,164
9Auburn11,588,953
10Arkansas11,544,039
11Kentucky11,254,204
12S. Carolina9,554,700
13Ole Miss8,872,378
14Missouri7,146,859
15Mississippi St.6,467,166
NRVanderbiltNot Available (Private School)

While collective funding is low, Kentucky has been a top 20 athletic program in total revenue, partly thanks to being a school that profits from its basketball program. Looking ahead to 2025, Kentucky is expected to stay in the top 20 nationally in athletic revenue, fifth in the SEC by bringing in an estimated 131,139,792. Ahead of programs like Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee.

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With revenue sharing coming in the near future, even more money is going to be involved in roster and program building. Schools in the Big Ten and SEC have an even bigger advantage due to their new TV deals, giving them up to an extra $70 million or more.

A new era of college sports is here. It’s time to prepare and embrace it.

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Kentucky Wide Receiver Calls for “A Lot” More Leadership and Accountability from Staff

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3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

A poor offensive line. Inconsistent quarterback play. A lot of things led to Kentucky football’s abysmal 2024 season. However, they had the talent to finish better than 4-8, only defeating one power opponent this season. So what could have helped?

Kentucky wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin was asked that question after the Wildcats’ loss to Louisville on Saturday. To his credit, he answered honestly and professionally.

“A lot more leadership,” Maclin said. “Holding guys accountable for things. A lot more discipline for all the guys… All around, players and coaches. We’re still a team, I don’t want to point at any one person or specific group. All around we need better leadership.”

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Maclin is a junior and could return for another season. Despite talking about Kentucky taking the next step, he has not made his decision and will be returning home to talk to his family to do so. If Maclin does return, it sounds like Kentucky will have a leader in the receiving room.

Despite being a 1,000-yard receiver at North Texas, Maclin was not targeted often. However, on his 13 receptions, he caught four for touchdowns, the most of any receiver on the team.

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Kentucky Player Seen At Concession Stand During Kentucky’s 41-14 Loss to Louisville

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3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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A Kentucky football player was seen at buying food from the concession stand in Kentucky's 41-14 loss to Louisville.

Kentucky’s on-field product against Louisville was poor to say the least, sending 99% of Wildcat fans home early. It even sent an injured player from the sideline to get a snack…

Yes, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey, one of Kentucky’s most expensive transfer portal additions, was seen at one of the concession stands at Kroger Field during Kentucky’s 41-14 defeat.

Watching a 4-8 team is bad, but even worse to do on an empty stomach.

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Mincey is a senior and will not be returning next season, but it is nice to see him reinvesting some money back into the program.

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