LEXINGTON – Kentucky wrapped up its 2024 fall camp slate Saturday with its second and final scrimmage.
Saturday’s second scrimmage saw several key starters get a rest day as UK head coach Mark Stoops opted to create more playing time for the team’s younger players.
With this scrimmage, we did a lot of work with the younger guys,” Stoops said. ” We feel like there’s some young talent that needs to just play football and we did that. Got the one’s some good work as well. In particular, I think we had I want to say a 12 or 13 good play drive that was good just to get the wind of both sides and used to a long drive.”
UK will have a walkthrough-heavy week next week and then will jump into game prep mode as the Cat’s Aug. 31 season opener against Southern Mississippi is just 14 days away.
“Normally, we break camp right now and school normally starts on Monday. It starts a week later this year. I like that. I feel like it gives us more time for walkthroughs, meetings, lets the players get a little rest,” Stoops said. “We need to take advantage of that.”
Here are the news and notes to come from Saturday’s scrimmage and media session afterward with Stoops, center Eli Cox, and cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
Stoops confirmed the widely reported news that starting running back Chip Trayanum will miss time with a broken hand and wide receiver Hardley Gilmore IV will miss a large chunk of the season with a collarbone injury.
He did not give a timeline on Trayanum but noted Gilmore’s earliest possible return would be at least until “mid-season, or more.”
While Stoops noted he believes the team escaped Saturday’s second scrimmage without any injuries, he noted last week’s first scrimmage had more minor injuries in the day’s following pop-up.
“Last week, when I spoke to you, I said I thought we got out of this scrimmage unscathed, and that didn’t really happen,” Stoops said. “There are a few things that popped up on us after that, two guys (Trayanum and Gilmore) that will have some significant time missed that was important to us, but other than that, just bumps and bruises out for a few days. Some guys that missed a little bit of time this week.”
The Cats Pause’ learned tight end Josh Kattus, who has been out all of fall camp so far, did not participate Saturday, and neither did Tre’Vonn Rybka, who missed the team’s first scrimmage last week. Cornerback Jantzen Dunn and starting left tackle Marques Cox also did not practice Saturday, per source.