Five Wildcats Named Preseason Media Days All-SEC
Five University of Kentucky football players have been named to the 2024 Preseason Media Days All-Southeastern Conference teams, it was announced Friday.
Junior defensive lineman Deone Walker and junior defensive back Maxwell Hairston were named first-team defense, while junior Barion Brown was named to the first team as a return specialist. He also earned a spot on the third team as an all-purpose player. Senior offensive lineman Marques Cox and senior linebacker Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson were also named to the third team.
Walker, a 6-foot-6, 345-pound native of Detroit, is coming off a sensational sophomore season in 2023. He led the Blue and White in tackles for loss (12.5), quarterback sacks (7.5) and quarterback hurries (8). He also added two pass breakups, including one in Kentucky’s win over Florida on Sept. 30, which was intercepted by UK and returned to the UF 15-yard line for an eventual touchdown.
The Wildcat was named one of seven permanent team captains last season, as he went on to play and start in all 13 games. In fact, he improved his streak of 24 straight starts, a stretch dating back to his freshman season in 2022. Walker set or tied single-game career highs in every category last season, including recording nine tackles at South Carolina, 4.0 tackles for loss (-7 yards) at Missouri, 1.0 sacks (-6 yards) last at South Carolina, one pass breakup last at Georgia and two quarterback hurries against EKU.
Brown, a 6-foot-1, 182-pound all-purpose player from Nashville, had a nation-high three kickoff returns for TDs in 2023. It also set a single-season UK record (former record two by Derek Abney in 2002) and tied the SEC record (Willie Gault, Tennessee 1980; Brandon Boykin, Georgia 2009; Warren Norman, Vanderbilt 2009; Evan Berry, Tennessee 2015).
His four career kickoff returns for TD also set a new UK record (former record three by Craig Yeast, 1995-98) and tied the SEC career record shared with seven other players.
The lightning-quick playmaker’s 36.0 kick return average (16 returns for 576 yards) led the nation and set a new UK single-season record. The previous record was 30.42 (14 for 426 yards) by Calvin Bird in 1959. He was named a first-team All-American by the Sporting News and a second-team All-American by 247Sports and CBS Sports.
Brown also has caught at least one pass in 26 straight games, which is every game of his college career, and he currently has 1,167 career yards receiving, which ranks 28th in school history.
Hairston, a 6-1, 186-pounder also from Detroit, totaled five interceptions in 2023, including four in SEC action, and ranked fifth in the nation in that category. His five interceptions tied for fifth-most interceptions in a single season in program history, the most since Sam Maxwell in 2009 (six). He totaled 131 interception return yards, the most since Greg Long had 176 return yards in 1981 (school record is 197 by Dave Hunter in 1968).
The Wildcat had two interceptions alone at Vanderbilt, returning both for touchdowns, tying an SEC single-game record. He was named National Defensive Player of the Week and National Defensive Back of the Week for that game.
Along with his five takeaways, Hairston ranked eighth in the SEC in passes defended in 2023 with 11.
Cox, a 6-5, 318-pounder of Peoria, Illinois, played left tackle on an offensive line last year that was on the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award, which honors the top offensive line in the nation. He also helped create holes for one of the top rushers in the conference last season in fourth-round draft pick Ray Davis and blocked on an offensive line that allowed quarterback Devin Leary, a sixth-round draft pick, to record the second most touchdowns in the SEC (25).
Johnson, a 6-1, 245-pound senior from Hyattsville, Maryland, transferred to Kentucky in 2024 after three seasons at Georgia. He played in 38 career games with 24 starting assignments and helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. He enters the 2024 season with 126 career tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. Last year, he started in nine games, missing four due to injury, and totaled 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. He earned a spot on the several national watch lists, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award and the Lombardi Award.
Season-tickets, mini-packs and single-game tickets for Kentucky’s games vs. Southern Miss, South Carolina, Ohio, Vanderbilt and Murray State are now on sale at ukfootballtix.com.
Based on availability, tickets for the eagerly anticipated home matchups vs. Georgia, Auburn and Louisville will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, August 9 at 9 a.m. ET.
With strong demand continuing for all ticket options, inventory for Kentucky’s SEC and non-conference rivalry games is expected to be extremely limited, and there is no guarantee hat tickets will be available on August 9. Fans are encouraged to consider season ticket options to secure tickets for those games.
For more information on the UK football team, visit ukathletics.com/football and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and “X,” formerly Twitter.
