Kentucky Coach Provides Injury Updates as Season-Opener Nears

On Saturday, Kentucky had their final scrimmage before beginning the 2024 season in just two weeks against Southern Miss. After the scrimmage, head coach Mark Stoops spoke with the media to provide updates as the season nears. He had a couple of injury updates as well after the scrimmage.

Stoops says he noticed a couple of injuries that popped up after last week's scrimmage, where he thought at the time it was a clean scrimmage with no injuries. "That didn't really happen," Stoops said. "There was a few things that popped up on us after that. Two guys that will have some significant time missed that were important to us. But other than that, just bumps and bruises, few days. Some guys missed a little bit of time this week."

The head coach also confirmed an injury to wide receiver Hardley Gilmore, who has flashed during fall camp, but will be forced to miss significant time. "Hardley will be out for a decent bit. At least mid-season or more." Stoops isn't worried about the impact of his injury, but doesn't want it to lead to more injuries at the position. "We've got good depth at that position, but as I've mentioned before, I really believe in the guys we have, it's just total numbers. You can't start losing more, because then you're into a problem with capacity of practice."

Also on the injury list, it was recently reported by KSR's Matt Jones that Chip Trayanum would miss a couple of weeks with an injury, and could keep him out the first week or two of the season. With Trayanum seen atop the depth chart at running back, who will step up at that position? "Demie (Sumo-Karngbaye) has been really good, and Jamarion (Wilcox), he's got a push. He's got the talent. I think Jamarion's a guy that has some juice, he has talents, and he's getting more and more reps and he just needs to be very consistent. We have a ton of confidence in Demi and where he's at, and then the young guys are really good. You've heard us talking about them since the spring. We'll be okay, and we gotta get Chip back when we can." Stoops addressed some of the other injuries for those out an extended period of time a few weeks ago during media day.

The word depth has been thrown around a lot when the coaches speak on this year's team, and it's a strength that the Wildcats will have this season at a number of positions, something that is good to have through the course of a grueling season. Kickoff is just two weeks away, BBN.