Defensive Trio to Play in Saturday Bowl Games
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky seniors Farrington Huguenin and A.J. Stamps will play in the National Football Players Association Collegiate Bowl, set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and defensive tackle Cory Johnson will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.
Four Kentucky defensive standouts will play in bowl games, including Huguenin and Stamps on Saturday in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 at StubHub Center on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills. Huguenin will play on the American Team, coached by Mike Holmgren, and will wear jersey No. 91. Stamps will suit up for the National Team, coached by Mike Martz, and will wear No. 41.
Also on Saturday, Johnson will play in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., with the game live on the NFL Network with a 4 p.m. ET kickoff. Johnson will wear No. 67 for the West Team, coached by June Jones.
Senior linebacker Josh Forrest will play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET in Mobile, Ala., live on the NFL Network.
A 6-foot-4, 282-pound defensive lineman, Huguenin started all 12 games as a senior in 2015, totaling 52 tackles, four tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. He broke up two passes and had three QB hurries. A native of Columbia, S.C., Huguenin attended North Carolina Tech Preparatory Christian Academy prior to arriving at Kentucky in 2011 and after a redshirt season, played in all 48 games of his career.
Johnson, a 6-3 native of Columbia, S.C., led all Southeastern Conference defensive linemen in tackles during his senior season with 67. He added eight tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, one fumble caused, one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal. He recorded a career-high 19 tackles, including the game-ending quarterback sack, in an overtime win vs. Eastern Kentucky, had a 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Tennessee and an acrobatic interception vs. Charlotte. Johnson is on track to graduate in May with a degree in community leadership and development.
Stamps, a native of Vicksburg, Miss., was a two-year starter in the Kentucky secondary after transferring from East Mississippi Community College. He played in all 24 games of his Kentucky career, totaling 123 tackles, five interceptions and 13 pass break-ups. As a senior, Stamps ranked third on the team with 67 tackles, picking off a pass and equaling the team lead with eight pass break-ups.
Forrest, a 6-3 linebacker from Paducah, Ky., began his Wildcat career as a receiver before moving to defense in 2012. He excelled on the defensive side of the ball, totaling a team-high 110 tackles and ranking third in the SEC in tackles per game (9.2) during his junior season. In 2015, Forrest ranked among the SEC’s top 10 tacklers with 93 total tackles, along with six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one fumble caused. He also charted two interceptions and five pass breakups. Off the field, Forrest was one of six Wildcats to complete his degree prior to his senior season. He earned his degree in community and leadership development and was working on a second degree in communications.
