Some former Kentucky Wildcats football stars are still looking for an NFL home after recently being waived.
One of those happens to be the greatest kicker in the history of the program, Austin MacGinnis.
MacGinnis had a shot to be the Week 1 starter for the Los Angeles Rams, but after not getting the job, MacGinnis was one of 17 Rams players waived Friday as they cut their roster down to 53.
Hard Knocks spoiler alert: Rams have waived the following players: pic.twitter.com/Hp0ZMqgqyf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 4, 2020
During the preseason camp, MacGinnis battled Lirim Hajrullahu and Sam Sloman for the staring spot, losing to Sloman, despite having better numbers than both in the scrimmages.
I would say the second scrimmage offered the most game-like feel, but they also didn’t have their holder.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 4, 2020
MacGinnis: 6/8
Hajrullahu: 5/8
Sloman: 5/8
MacGinnis recently was a part of the Dallas Renegades in the XFL where he went a perfect 10/10 before the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short.
Another former Cat that is looking for a new home is wide receiver Ahmad Wagner.
Once again, NFL teams were in the process of trimming their rosters down to 53 players before the start of the season, and Wagner was among those that didn’t make the cut for the Chicago Bears.
We have waived RB Napoleon Maxwell, WRs Alex Wesley and Ahmad Wagner, OL Corey Levin, DL Lee Autry and LB Keandre Jones.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 3, 2020
Wagner went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft but was quickly picked up by the Bears and had hopes of making the final roster but didn’t make it through the final cut.
However, despite not being on the final roster, the Bear are interested in bringing Wagner on as a practice squad player, as each team has 16 practice squad spots.
During his time at Kentucky, Wagner totaled 15 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns which averaged out to 16.9 yards per catch. Out of his 42 total targets, Wagner also drew 12 pass interference calls.
Over in Cleveland, the Browns included former Kentucky center Jon Toth among their final cuts. Toth is one of the best centers to ever suit up for the Wildcats, but that hasn’t translated to NFL success. He’s spent time on the Eagles and Jets practice squads while also playing for the XFL’s D.C. Defenders before the league folded.
The Steelers waived former Kentucky defensive lineman Calvin Taylor on Saturday, while the Cowboys did the same with former Wildcats cornerback Chris Westry. Taylor was one of the SEC’s top pass-rushers this past season with 8.5 sacks. Westry finished his four-year Kentucky career with 134 tackles, 14 pass deflections and three interceptions in his career. He spent all of the 2019 season stashed on the Cowboys’ injured reserve list.