:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70866773/1235091576.0.jpg)
Excitement amongst the fan base heading into the 2022 football season has reached new level under head coach Mark Stoops.
The Kentucky Wildcats look poised to build off of last year’s remarkable 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl victory.
If there was a specific area of concern heading into the summer, it’d be on the defensive side of the ball, specifically in the secondary.
Key departures and Vito Tisdale’s season-ending injury have left that position group thin, so adding depth via the transfer portal has been a forgone conclusion for Kentucky for the past several months.
A target that emerged over the past several weeks was Texas State’s Zion Childress. The 6-foot, 190-pound safety from Houston (TX) entered the portal in late April and was immediately on the radar of several schools.
Childress visited Kentucky, Washington and TCU in the weeks leading up to his decision. From a geographic standpoint, those three schools are about as opposite as it gets.
Unsurprisingly, the city of Lexington must have won him over, as Childress ultimately decided to be a Wildcat.
He announced his intentions to join the program today on Twitter and will will have three years of eligibility remaining.
let’s rock big blue nation pic.twitter.com/l0SMflTxsg
— champ (@freecchamp) May 13, 2022
The positive buzz around adding Childress to the roster seems to be focused around his versatility. As a sophomore, he started 8 games and was the third-leading tackler on his Texas State team with 74 total.
Obviously moving from the Sun Belt to the SEC there’ll be a big step-up in talent and offensive scheme but by all indications Childress should be ready for the challenge.
He’ll be stepping into a great opportunity to secure some playing time if he can acclimate quickly this off-season.
The Cats have already added several pieces to their secondary via the transfer portal this spring. Childress will join Keidron Smith and Jordan Robinson as the newest members of Brad White’s defense.
It’s unclear if Kentucky will go after many more defensive backs or if adding Zion Childress to the fold will be enough.
Regardless, the hardcore football fans who’ve found themselves stressing over a depleted secondary can take a breath of relief.
Loading comments...