Wednesday Quickies: Xavier Peters Edition

The NCAA took its sweet time, but yesterday evening, we found out that LB Xavier Peters will be immediately eligible to play at Kentucky, starting with the Wildcats game against the Florida Gators on Saturday.

“We’re excited to have Xavier available to play this season,” head coach Mark Stoops said in a press release. “I appreciate the NCAA understanding Xavier’s situation. I also want to thank our compliance office for the great job they did with the appeal and for Xavier’s patience with the process.”

Peters, who originally committed to Kentucky in high school only to flip to Florida State, transferred to Kentucky from FSU and appealed to the NCAA for immediate eligibility, citing the transfer as placing him closer to his young son, who lives in Ohio.

“I’m so excited,” Peters said “I was hoping this would happen because all of this has been for my son. He’s my life.

“I can’t wait to get out there with my team on Saturdays. I want to thank the NCAA and everyone at Kentucky who helped make this happen.”

Many thought that Peters and UK would receive word before the season opener on his eligibility status, but two games went by without any official word from the NCAA. Ultimately, they granted Peters immediate eligibility and he will have four seasons of eligibility at Kentucky.

In the short term, Peters shouldn’t be expected to be a star right away. He has the potential but still has some growth and learning to do. He should, however, be able to provide depth behind Josh Paschal and also mix into some pass-rush packages where we can see his raw talent shine through.

It will be interesting to see how involved he will be in the defensive game plan against the Gators on Saturday. As the season goes on though, we will likely see more and more of him.

Tweet of the Day

Thank you NCAA!

Quickies

Peters ruled immediately eligible - Herald Leader

Xavier Peters will have four years of eligibility left.

What can Peters bring to the UK defense? - KSR

Peters provides raw edge rushing talent right away.

High school coach loves Sawyer Smith’s leadership - Courier Journal

Sawyer will have to rally the locker room.

UK doesn’t need to change the playbook for Smith - KSR

Continuity in the playbook will be huge.

Tuesday practice report - Cats Pause

Eddie Gran wasn’t thrilled with the receivers on Saturday but likes the progress Sawyer Smith has made.

UK’s offensive line will need to be on their A game against Florida - Herald Leader

The O-line will have its hands full against the Gator pass rush.

UK in the NFL: Week 1 - Cats Pause

Several Cats had solid performances.

Despite fighting bone cancer, Kentucky golfer Cullan Brown continues to inspire - Golfweek

Excellent story!

OBJ plans to continue wearing $190k watch in games - ESPN

More power to him?

Is time running out for Jameis Winston? - Bleacher Report

After a rough Week 1 showing, things aren’t looking great for the former #1 pick.

Do Week 1 injuries prove longer NFL season is a bad idea? - Yahoo

This is the position the players have long held.