By LARRY VAUGHT
The transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) revenue have been linked constantly in recent months but former Mississippi cornerback Keidron Smith is not like a lot of athletes.
He made his decision recently to transfer to Kentucky for his final season of eligibility for football reasons, not financial gain.
“Honestly, NIL is becoming the big picture for college football. I let each and every school know NIL was not something I was looking for. I was looking for a place to start and contribute,” said Smith. “NIL was the last thing on my mind when it came to my decision. To me, NIL was just an extra benefit.”
Smith admitted NIL can be a distraction unless you have the right mindset after entering the transfer portal.
“You cannot let that be the main reason for your decision. You have to look at it from a football perspective. The school with the best NIL deal might not be the best for football,” Smith said.
He said Kentucky did come up with NIL “opportunities” for him and expects to get some financial offers but insists his focus is on football.
“I am more than open to do NIL. That is the next step in getting my name out there. I am looking forward to it,” he said. “Kentucky is headed in the right direction with (coach Mark) Stoops. I am looking forward to playing for him.”
Apparently Smith was not a hard sell for Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White. He had started the last two seasons for Ole Miss and played in 47 games with 22 starts and had 223 tackles in his four-year career. His former roommate/teammate, linebacker Jacquez Jones, transferred to UK last year and became a starter. Jones is back for a super senior season.
“He was the first person to hit my phone when I first got into the (transfer) portal,” Smith said. “He let the (UK) coaches know and when I was officially in the portal coach White and (cornerback) coach (Chris) Collins were the first coaches to hit my phone.
Smith did not know what to expect recruiting-wise when he put his name in the transfer portal with only one year of eligibility left. He said it was a “blessing” when Kentucky reached out to him.
“They told me they needed a corner and a one-year guy was perfect with the young guys they had in the (position) room,” Smith said. “Me being able to teach young guys what they need to be elite players, I just thank God that he gave me an opportunity like this.”
Kentucky also checked all the boxes for Smith — rising program expecting another good season with a definite need at his position. It also helped that he was not looking to enroll at UK in January and go on scholarship because Stoops did not have an available scholarship then.
“I told them I wanted to graduate first and that worked out perfectly,” Smith, who is now in Lexington taking summer classes, said.
It also helped that Lexington will be even easier for his parents in West Palm Beach, Fla., to visit. Lexington and Oxford, Miss., are about the same distance from West Palm Beach but Smith noted his parents can take a direct flight to Lexington compared to having to fly into Memphis and then drive to Oxford.
“I am telling you, NIL was the last thing I was thinking about when I transferred. I was taking everything into consideration, not just NIL, and you see where I am now,” he said.
He’s not worried about adjusting to White’s system at Kentucky. He played for four different defensive coaches at Ole Miss and says learning the playbook has never been an issue for him. Instead, he’s more worried about building “cohesiveness” with teammates.
“Summer goes by fast but it will help having Jacquez by my side,” Smith said. “He can help me get introduced to teammates and I can pick up what they do on the field and how they work on and off the field. I can learn from him.”
He won’t “speak too much” about what he can do but is confident in his ability.
“Expect to hear my name called a lot (during games). I will be around the ball,” he said.
He believes Kentucky has all the tools to have a “big run” this season.
“They have a great quarterback. The majority of the team is back. They lost some key pieces (from last year) but that happens to every team. I think we have one of the teams with the best chance to make it far this season,” Smith said.
He only saw UK quarterback Will Levis play on TV last year. He was impressed then. He’s more impressed now.
“I came on an official visit and saw him in person and thought, ‘That is a big quarterback.’ He has a very strong arm, too,” Smith said. “Coming from Ole Miss and playing with a great quarterback in Matt Corral, I know what a first-round prospect looks like and Will has all the tools to be that guy.”
Keion Brooks surprised many when he decided to leave his name in the upcoming NBA Draft rather than return to Kentucky for a senior season or transfer to another school as many thought he would.
Brooks averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season and 10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He’s not projected to be picked in any NBA mock drafts but on a Zoom call from the NBA G League Camp in Chicago he thinks his game is better suited for the NBA than UK.
He says his ability to switch and defend multiple positions should be a plus in the NBA.
‘I switched a lot at Kentucky, but I didn’t switch at everything, per se. Being here, being part of the league, those guys switch everything for the most part,” Brooks said.
“Just showing that I can do that, fight through screens, whether that’s guarding a smaller guard, giving them some space because they might be quicker than me and showing my length, or guarding somebody down there on the block and him being bigger than me and using my speed and my athleticism to make it difficult for them.”
He’s still hearing from other schools because he is in the transfer portal and didn’t 100 percent rule out staying in college even though he made it clear his preference is to try and play professionally next season.
Incoming Kentucky freshman basketball player Chris Livingston, a top 10 national player, is bringing a family member with him to Kentucky to play basketball — just not at UK.
His twin brother, Cordell, is a 6-0 guard who will be playing at Kentucky State next season.
“Chris and Cordell are very close. That’s probably why he went to where he could be near Chris,” Steve Smith, who coached both players at Oak Hill Academy (Va.) last season, said.
“Cordell was not a starter for us. He came off the bench. He is a guard who can play on or off the ball. I think Kentucky State is the right level for him. He wanted to go D1 which all kids do, but I encouraged him to go where he would be able to play and Kentucky State is a good fit, especially with it being close to Chris.”
Boyle County High School football coach Justin Haddix said defensive lineman Tommy Ziesmer’s verbal commitment to UK “kind of came out of the blue” when he made it a few hours before heading to his prom after a phone call from UK coach Mark Stoops.
“I think they (UK) wanted to get it over with and get him on board,” Haddix said.
Last season Ziesmer had 27 solo tackles, 34 assisted tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in 15 games. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he had 21 solo stops, 21 assists, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles in only nine games. Boyle won state championships each season.
“We are going to move him around to different things for us to attack the offense this season,” Haddix said. “On offense we are going to play him more at tight end. He is probably the fastest kid on our team. Definitely in the top three.
Ziesmer, who recently set a school record with a 330-pound power clean, said committing now takes the pressure off him.
‘I did not want to get left in the dust. I knew Kentucky was right and I didn’t want to wait any longer,” he said. “Winning another (state championship) ring is also a must for us. That’s what we practice from January to December to do. It’s a culture here. We win for a reason because that’s what we expect and I want my focus on our season.”
“Tommy really wanted to commit before the season got going to where he could focus on our team,” Haddix said.
Father Jim Sichko, a Papal Missionary of Mercy, considers Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops a friend even though he’s interacted with him only a few times.
“Never have socialized with him and have never been to a game,” Sichko said. “I have been grateful to coach Stoops and (UK associate coach) Vince Marrow for every time they see me, they always make time to greet me. Personally, I am a ‘no one’ in the world, especially sports, but they make me feel as if I am one of their best friends. As I often share, #smallthingsmatter.”
Sichko saw Stoops May 15 at Jeff Ruby’s when he was picking up a to-go order and the UK coach “gifted” him with a signed commemorative bottle of Old Wm. Tarr Manchester bourbon celebrating last season’s Citrus Bowl win over Iowa.
“Unbeknownst to Coach, I was traveling to Rome the next day for a private gathering with Pope Francis,” Sichko said. “When he gave me the bottle, I asked him to autograph it for me and then personalized it to ‘Pope Francis.’
“He thought I was crazy — and I am. He couldn’t find his blue sharpie, then remembered he had one in his backpack in the trunk of his car and the rest is history!”
How did Pope Francis react to the gift from the Sichko, one of 100 missionaries of mercy in the U.S. and one of only 1,000 in the world?
“The Holy Father loved it! This is about the fifth bottle of Bourbon I have brought Pope Francis,” Sichko said. “I told Pope Francis that this bourbon would help his knee better than any tequila. The previous day the Pope said he could use some tequila for the bum knee as he was joking with some pilgrims from Mexico.”
Sichko said not to worry about the bourbon being put to good use.
“He shares with guests and other people. They know when I come I will have bourbon for him,” Sichko said.
The Kentucky missionary is known for his random acts of kindness. He recently covered funeral expenses for a 10-year-old boy killed in a shooting and never seems to slow down.
“I receive energy from giving and doing good for others plus watching their expressions. Though I do things ‘out of the box’ — sometimes it’s good to get people outside of their comfort zones,” he said.
But Sichko also hopes the gift might help Kentucky football find a new comfort zone.
“This gift solidified Stoops and his team going to Atlanta (for the SEC Championship game for the first time,” Sichko said.
Quote of the Week: “It won’t be the negative hatred for John Calipari from me. It’ll be a game that I’m going to try to do everything in my power to help my team win and he’s going to do the same. I hope I win by one, but we’ll see how that goes and regardless of what happens, we’re going to give it our best shot,” new Louisville coach Kenny Payne on playing against Kentucky.
Quote of the Week 2: “Liam Coen is a genius. He knows what he’s doing. I didn’t have a pro-style offense at UK for five years and wasn’t a highly touted prospect. Then my last year, we got a pro-offense and I get drafted,” third-round NFL draft pick Luke Fortner on the former UK offensive coordinator.
Quote of the Week 3: “We don’t want man-made players. I want basketball players who react to things. That you watch play and it’s not, ‘This is the drill I’ve been working on’ because chairs don’t have arms and cones aren’t bones. We want players. We want guys who can play,” John Calipari on what he wants his staff to look for in recruiting.