Even though he grew up in northern Kentucky, Evan Wibberly was not a Kentucky fan.

Instead, he grew up a Cincinnati fan and went to Western Kentucky to play his college football before transferring to Kentucky in January.

However, the offensive lineman already knew plenty about the history of the Big Blue Wall created by the late John Schlarman because he had a high school friend who was Schlarman’s cousin.

“Coming up through high school I even won the John Schlarman Offensive Lineman of the Year award in northern Kentucky,” Wibberly said. “I have kind of always known who Mr. Schlarman was and I’ve had great respect for his family.

“I know about the culture here and that at one point the Big Blue Wall was the team’s identity. I think we can do that again and just try to appreciate his legacy and try to fulfill the things he would want now.”

Wibberly, who started 15 games at center at Western Kentucky, did not ask to wear Schlarman’s No. 65 at Kentucky because he wanted to stay with No. 58.

“We had one of our assistant coaches at Dixie Heights who had his son pass away while he was away at college,” Wibberly said. “Every single year they would decide on one person to wear this number. My freshman year, I ended up being chosen because he (the assistant coach) told me that he thought that I had the most resemblance to his son.

“He was like, ‘You’re a hard worker.’ Those were some of the greatest words that a father could say about his passed son. Since then, 58 has been my number. All four years in high school and my past three seasons at Western, and I’m excited to continue the legacy by wearing No. 58 here.”

Wibberly, a three-star prospect, did not have a Power Four scholarship offer coming out of high school. He redshirted his first season at Western Kentucky in 2022, played in 11 games in 2023 and then started all 14 games at center last year as a sophomore.

Wibberly and Western Kentucky were preparing for the Boca Raton Bowl when he got the call from UK offering him a scholarship. Wibberly talked with WKU coach Tyson Helton about what he should do. Helton told him he should take the offer.

“I have nothing but respect and love for coach Helton. He did wondrous things for me. He’s a great man, a great head coach. After I heard what he had to say, I realized coming to Kentucky was an incredible opportunity,” the UK offensive lineman said.

Wibberly felt he “dominated” opponents at times in high school, but believed it was “part of God’s plan” for him to start his collegiate career at Western Kentucky.

“I firmly believe that good things come to those who wait and I knew that I would be here someday. Even if it wasn’t out of high school, I knew I would be here someday because I believe in my ability and the hard work that I can put in to be able to get to wherever I want,” said Wibberly, who was injured most of spring practice.

Still, making the move to UK and competing in the SEC was a risk. Wibberly was happy at Western Kentucky and appreciated having his college education paid for. He had an apartment close to campus.

“This past (season) I started trying to get better every week,” Wibberly said. “We played against a great defensive line in Alabama. We went to the conference championship, and I felt like every single week I was able to build on what I did previously. I felt like it was a scary jump (to UK), but I was confident because I played against the best D-line at Alabama. I had a good performance against Boston College. I was able to help anchor our offensive line and lead us to the conference championship and a bowl game.

“I loved my years at Western, but it was time to move on. I’m grateful for the time I had there, but I’m also excited to be here at UK and this was the right decision for me.”

He knows his father, Matt, who passed away a few years ago, would be proud of him and is still helping guide his career.

“When times are tough, I just feel like I’m having a conversation with him. I can talk to him at any time, and I know that he’s with me, and he’s brought me through a lot of troubles in the past,” Wibberly said. “He’s gotten me through a lot of hard stuff. He was a basketball player, but he was glad at least that I was able to do something athletically.

“He was a big fan. He might not have played football growing up, but once he found out that I had a love for football, he did all he could to help me. He started being my coach. He started learning things about offensive line play. He started doing all this stuff so that he could understand what it was that I was so emotional about football.

“He might not have played football growing up, but he was always there for me. He came to all my games and he would tell me not to forget what brought me here and that was hard work. Just because you get to a place through hard work doesn’t mean that once you get there that you stop working. You have to consistently do what is hard to do. My dad would say, ‘Let’s just trust God and keep on grinding,’ and that’s what I am going to do.”

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Great Crossing center Malachi Moreno is someone that Dennis Johnson, father of UK signee Jasper Johnson, watched play a lot in high school and he also got to see him when the two UK signees played recently at the Nike Hoop Summit.

“Malachi had a great week. I loved that he didn’t go outside of his game. He didn’t try to score 20 points, block every shot. He would come in the scrimmage and block a couple of shots, get two or three rebounds,” Dennis Johnson said. “I think we (Kentucky) will be able to run next season and will be able to use him as a point center if needed.”

Former Wildcat Cameron Mills, UK coach Mark Pope’s teammate on the 1996 national championship team, watched Moreno lead Great Crossing to the state high school championship.

“I know he improved all of his game from last year to this season, but the one thing he intentionally worked on was his outside shooting and you could tell that,” Mills said. “The most impressive thing I saw during the tournament was in the first game in the first quarter when he had a wide-open 3-pointer. It wasn’t that he made it, which was wonderful, but he didn’t second guess himself before he shot it.

“That’s the evidence that he put in the work and knew if he was open, he was shooting. That’s one way he can fit in at Kentucky next year. But for a big guy he also has great footwork, great hands, plays smart.”

Mills knows there will be “growing pains” as freshmen for both Moreno and Johnson.

“But I think both of them are going to fit in very well and I think they both have a chance to be special players,” Mills said.

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Vince Marrow knew that cornerback Maxwell Hairston’s Kentucky statistics and combine numbers — had the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine — had impressed NFL personnel.

“All the NFL people I was talking to said he might be in play with pick 18 or 19,” said Marrow, UK’s associate coach and NFL liaison. “I told him and his dad that anything before 25 to 30 is a bonus.”

Hairston ended up being picked 30th by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of last month’s NFL draft.

“The look on his face (when he was drafted) … every time somebody was picked (before him), he would jump up and you would think he got an interception. He celebrated with all of them,” said Marrow, who attended the draft in Green Bay. “I was texting with the Bills and kept telling him that everything was good. I was texting with one of the head scouts (of the Bills) and they didn’t think he was going to get to them.”

Not long after that, former UK running back Ray Davis — a 2024 Buffalo draft pick — texted Marrow telling him that the Bills were going to get Hairston.

“Ray told me, ‘They love him,’ and I said I think he’s going to Buffalo, too,” Marrow said. “I was drafted by Buffalo years ago and just to be drafted into that fraternity and the opportunity of hearing your name being called is a blessing. But to do it in the first round, I think that is just way beyond what you can imagine.

“Maxwell was so excited and so was I. I like all the teams, but I have a special place in my heart for Buffalo. I am very close with those guys and I couldn’t be happier that he is going to Buffalo.”

The Bills received high grades overall from the national media for taking Hairston in the first round.

“They had to get an upgrade at that position and he should start as a rookie. He excels as a man-cover player, which means maybe the Bills will play more of it this season,” CBS Sports’ NFL analyst Pete Prisco said. “The Bills had to get a corner, a young edge and inside player for their defense. They got all three in the first four rounds. That’s good drafting.

“Hairston will be a star. He plays with an attitude that you love at the position.”

•••

Transfer Jaden Williams might be stepping up in competition playing for Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, but the chance to prove himself is still not the biggest motivation the Wyoming transfer has.

The Inglewood, California, native spent the three previous seasons at Wyoming where he played in 20 games and had 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks.

He picked Kentucky because he liked the “family environment” on his visit and he also said he could feel the “love from the fan base” and how fans cared about the Kentucky football program.

Williams didn’t have any scholarship offers going into his high school senior season when he told his mother he had to get a scholarship so he could attend college.

“She told me I could do it, I could get that scholarship but right before my senior season started she passed away,” the defensive lineman said. “That was my main motivation going into that year, trying to help my family. God put me in that position to be able to get a scholarship to go play football somewhere. I tried to use that opportunity the best I could.”

Unfortunately, his 48-year-old mother suffered a fatal brain aneurysm and passed away. He was 16 and let his mom’s passing provide the inspiration to make 30 tackles in the season’s first five games and earn a scholarship offer from Wyoming.

“You have to trust the process and God’s timing. There are going to be some days where you are stressed and wondering about playing time and stuff. But you have to stay focused on the main goal and just go one day at a time.”

•••

Quote of the Week: “He is going through this draft process, and we’re cheering for him every step of the way — but I know a lot of his heart is back here at Kentucky. If he does return, he will return as the presumptive SEC Player of the Year. Clearly, he’s got a beautiful future ahead of him,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope on Otega Oweh, on podcast with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

Quote of the Week 2: “He doesn’t say much at all. He smiles, he goes to work and he makes plays. You ask him to do anything, he just does it,” UK receivers coach L’Damian Washington, on freshman receiver Montavin Quisenberry.

Quote of the Week 3: “I had a very good grade on him before he ever played a game this year, based on his 2023 film, His 2024 film was a little inconsistent. The more research you do, you find out he’s dealing with a back situation. This is a young, moldable player who is not anywhere near his ceiling. And I believe if he had come out a year ago, he would have been in the first round,” Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, on drafting defensive lineman Deone Walker of Kentucky.