By LARRY VAUGHT
Former Kentucky receiver Brad Pyatt had not been back to Lexington for years when he recently brought his son, Jaxon Pyatt, to see the UK football facilities.
“That place has really changed,” said Pyatt. “It was nice before but the facilities now are amazing. I thought it was nice back then when I played but it is a whole different deal now. It’s really nice how everything is right there together.”
Brad Pyatt was a two-time high school All-American in Colorado — he had 100 receptions his final two years of high school, 12 kick return touchdowns and 13 career interceptions — and picked UK over Southern California, Miami, Michigan State and over 50 total offers when he signed with Kentucky.
He played at UK from 1999-2001 and had 21 catches and started seven games his freshman season before an injury limited him to only two games in 2000. He caught only seven passes in 2001 before transferring to Northern Colorado. He went on to play three seasons in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the Arena Football League for two years and finished his professional career with 165 catches for 1,859 yards and 31 scores. He also returned punts and kickoffs — he had a 90-yard kickoff return against Tampa Bay in 2003.
Now his son, Jaxon, is already a big-time linebacker prospect as a freshman. Brad Pyatt is his son’s coach at Arvada West High School in Colorado.
The 6-1, 190-pound freshman is ranked as the No. 9 linebacker nationally in the 2026 recruiting class and No. 83 player overall by ESPN. He’s already got interest from Arkansas, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame and others along with Kentucky. The Pyatts took a trip to Rutgers in the fall.
“He is getting a lot of looks. He’s not a traditional 14-year-old kid. He has my speed but he’s taller,” Brad Pyatt said. “He’s long and fast and more than passes the eye test for college coaches. He started nine games for us as a freshman and our goal is to get him exposure and get ahead of the recruiting stuff.”
Brad Pyatt understands the transfer portal has changed how college coaches recruit high school players. He’s had players good enough to play for a Power Five team now have to go to FCS schools because of fewer Power Five scholarship opportunities.
“We went to Arkansas in December and he started learning about the SEC,” Brad Pyatt said. “I told him then I played in the SEC and he wants to look at the SEC as a potential destination. Kentucky intrigued him. He wants to make his own path. I have a few relationships there still (defensive line coach Anwar Stewart was his UK team and assistant athletics director Marc Hill was his UK strength coach). It was just an easy trip to take. I would love for him to go to Kentucky but this is his journey, not mine. However, he is excited about SEC football.”
Jaxon Pyatt never had any interest in being a receiver. His father joked he never even wanted to play catch with him growing up and was a late bloomer even in Little League.
“We were okay with him not liking football but he always liked to hit,” Brad Pyatt said. “In Little League he was mainly a defensive end. In eighth grade he converted to linebacker. This last season he played outside linebacker and middle linebacker for us. He also played running back but he would rather knock you down than catch the ball.
“It’s actually kind of nice not having him follow my path. He knows who I was but he needs to define his own path. Now I am coaching on offense and he’s playing defense, so we really do not even speak that much in practice.”
Jaxon Pyatt has been timed in 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash which is no surprise since his dad ran a 4.3 in the NFL.
“He has long strides and is running track now. He has the ability to be faster than me because he has those long legs I didn’t have,” Brad Pyatt said. “I think he will definitely be a low 4.4.”
Brad Pyatt said his son really liked the UK coaching staff and now they are trying to “hone” in on which schools have a true interest in him.
“Kentucky would definitely be a school of interest for him if they have genuine interest in him,” Brad Pyatt said. “We really liked everything at Kentucky. As he progresses in his career, we’ll see what ends up happening.”
During an interview with HoopsHype at the Nike Hoop Summit, Kentucky signee DJ Wagner said he has taken parts of what NBA stars Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry do best and tried to incorporate that into his game.
“They all got that killer mentality. Every time they step on the court, they try to play as hard as they can. I just love to compete. Anytime I step on the court, I’m just happy to compete, so I try to compete as much as I can,” Wagner, the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP, said in the interview.
He also confirmed again that even though he could eventually become a third-generation NBA player, he seldom talks about that possibility with his father, DeJuan, or grandfather, Milt.
“They just guide me through every step of the process, so we didn’t really talk about that,” the future Wildcat said. “(We talk) A lot of different advice or tips on the game. Just coming up when I was young, going through all the levels because they play on a different level with certain things, expectations and stuff like this. They give me a lot of different types of reasoning, different tips of the game. The main thing they said was really just have fun.”
They have both also warned him about taking care of his body to prevent injuries to hopefully help him reach his goal of winning a national championship at Kentucky next season where he wants coach John Calipari to push him to reach his maximum limit.
“Push me to be the best player that I can be. Just try and help me develop as much as I can. Just push us all to that national championship and hopefully win that in the end,” he told HoopsHype.
Wagner won the 3-Point Contest at the Iverson Classic last weekend making 16 of 25 shots from beyond the arc.
Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy believes Kentucky’s lack of NCAA Tournament success the last three years has been less about coaching philosophy and more about overall roster talent.
“His (Calipari’s) players have just not been as good. He started losing recruiting battles he had always won between 2009 and 2014,” DeCourcy said. “Now he’s winning those battles again. He’s out there swinging because he knows that is where it is all at. They just have to continue to build on the momentum they have with this current recruiting class.”
The final Rivals.com rankings have three UK signees – Aaron Bradshaw (2), Justin Edwards (3) and Wagner (6) – in the top six. Another signee, Rob Dillingham, was 14th and the fifth UK signee, Reed Sheppard, finished at 26.
Jeff Sheppard averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game on Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team — still the best UK team I ever saw play. He probably thought he would play an even bigger role on the 1996-97 team but coach Rick Pitino wanted him to redshirt so he would be back for the 1997-98 season.
“Coach Pitino thought it would be in the best interest of me and the program to do that,” Sheppard said. “I don’t remember even thinking very hard through the decision process.
“If Coach thought it was a good idea, he was the leader of the program and that is what we are doing to do. I don’t know that there was even a decision process to it. He just said that’s what we were going to do.”
Sheppard’s son, Reed, has signed with Kentucky and will play for coach John Calipari next season.
Sheppard averaged a team-high 13.7 points per game during the 1997-98 season playing for coach Tubby Smith after Pitino left following the national runner-up 1996-97 season. Sheppard also added 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in the 1997-98 season when UK did win another national title.
“Back then if the coach told you to dribble with your left hand, you did it. There was not all this analysis or bringing in consultants, handlers and parents to make a decision,” Sheppard said. “He was the coach and what he said was the end of the story.
“Today is a little different and there’s nothing wrong with that. It was a great decision for me personally (to redshirt). It worked out wonderfully. I got to spend another year on the UK campus and enjoy being a college student.
“I got to be a part of one of the more special runs in Kentucky history in 1998. I am thankful that Coach had idea (for me to redshirt) and it worked out the way it did.”
Kentucky associate football coach Vince Marrow’s nephew, John McCrear, was on Woodford County’s 8th Region championship basketball team that reached the state semifinals.
Woodford’s athletics director and football coach is former UK defensive lineman Dennis Johnson, who earned all-Southeastern Conference honors at Kentucky before playing in the NFL.
Johnson’s son, Jasper, is a top basketball 25 player in his recruiting class and had an impressive opening session at the Nike EYBL in Atlanta last weekend.
Marrow has observed Dennis Johnson as a coach and administrator. He’s been impressed.
“I am going to be honest. This is probably an understatement,” Marrow said. “Dennis has done a really good job. Not only has he done it with the football program but as the AD he has rallied all types of sports there.
“The diversity they have and what they have done in all sports is impressive. I really think Dennis would be a great addition to any college coaching staff. I don’t even know if he would have any interest but this business is all about relationships and he’s great with relationships.
“He’s an amazing coach and person who is making a huge difference in high school sports. But I have no doubt he could do the same thing at the college level.”
Johnson received the Woodford County Distinguished Citizen Award presented to individual community leaders who provide outstanding civic service to the adults and /or youth in their community last week. Award winners are selected by the Woodford Boy Scouts but do not have to be Boy Scout volunteers.
Instead, award winners need to personify what the Boy Scouts stand for and this is what was said when Johnson received his award:
“Coach Dennis Johnson exemplifies all of the values and traits of a great citizen, living his life with the dedication and desire of treating our community like family, leading by example and being a mentor for those in need of direction. Always being there to lend a helping hand and listen when no else is. The bedrock of kindness and all that is good in the world.”
Quote of the Week: “They have a record for sending guys to the league. And that’s the end goal for me, so that’s something that sticks out,” No. 1 2024 recruit Tre Johnson to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim about Kentucky basketball.
Quote of the Week 2: “Ryan (Tannehill) will be the starting quarterback on Monday. Malik (Willis) will be the backup. Will (Levis) will be the third quarterback. And what I’ve told them is whatever happens after that will be up to the players. That’s what it’s always been here. That’s what we always want it to be,” Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel after his team drafted Levis.
Quote of the Week 3: “You want long, athletic corners? Carrington Valentine from Kentucky … I think he will be a really good cornerback moving forward as a starter in the NFL,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper on UK cornerback Carrington Valentine.