Marshall transfer Landyn Watson could play a “big” role for the Kentucky defense this season.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Texas native started his collegiate career at Texas Christian for two years before transferring to Marshall for the 2023 and 2024 season where he started 11 games and had 65 tackles, including four tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries.

Watson does not figure to start for defensive coordinator Brad White, but he’s bigger than projected starters Alex Afari and Daveren Rayner and his added weight could be important to stopping SEC offenses.

Watson feels he has “great brothers” on the team who have welcomed him with open arms just like the coaching staff has.

“I was able to basically come in and get adjusted pretty quickly with the help of the coaching staff and the players here and the staff around the building,” Watson said. “Coach White is like being around a defensive mastermind. I see that as a blessing being able to learn more football knowledge, and just learn more about the game, from him.

“He knows a lot about the game, but so do all the coaches. So just being able to be around them and kind of pick their brains is something I have really liked.”

Watson was an ESPN four-star recruit coming out of high school in Austin, Texas, and redshirted his second season at TCU in 2022 when the team advanced to the national title game. He had offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan State, Penn State and others when he signed with TCU.

“Obviously coming into a new locker room, you have definitely got to earn the respect of your peers. But I feel like I earn the respect of my peers by the way I work, not what I say,” the Marshall transfer said. “So I feel like once the guys were able to see me busting my tail and able to perform on the field, that’s when you get the leadership role.”

“I try to lead by example, not too much by telling people what to do and what not to do. Just try to be the guy that tries to set the right example on and off the field. I play with relentless effort and I want fans to know every time I am on the field they will get my all.”

Watson understands how frustrating a 4-8 season was for UK last year. His first season at Marshall the team went 6-7 and then came back to win the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2024.

“We wore 6-7 shirts all season at Marshall to remind us that we did not want to feel that way again,” Watson said. “That’s why Kentucky’s record last year did not concern me at all.”

Watson’s journey has not been easy. He originally committed to LSU, but then flipped to TCU because he could not make an official visit to LSU during COVID and he had been to TCU multiple times.

He played sparingly his first three years — two at TCU, one at Marshall — and admits it was a “humbling” experience that will motivate him at UK.

“I think every highly recruited player expects to play right away and not getting to play was very humbling,” Watson said. “Now I want to prove people wrong and show I can play in the SEC.”

Watson believes Stoops and his staff are as motivated as he is and want to see a dramatic improvement in this year’s team.

“The little things that they probably let slide last year, they’re not letting slide this year. I like that,” he said. “All the coaching staff seem to have a chip on their shoulder and so do us players as well because we know we’re better than a lot of o people think.

“I feel like everything happens for a reason. I feel like everything fell into place at the perfect time. I’m here for a reason and want to make the best of my opportunity while I’m here. I’m definitely playing with some dogs, some people whose backstory is a lot deeper than mine. It all makes you want to work a little harder for them and their struggles.

“So we just want to be able to put all of our struggles together on defense and dominate offenses in the SEC is my goal. A lot of us are anxious to get out there and perform and show guys what we are capable of.”

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Jasper Johnson has played in all-star showcase games across the country since his Overtime Elite season ended and even spent a week in California training with some of the nation’s elite high school and college players, including Duke’s Cooper Flagg.

Johnson is now on campus at Kentucky starting to prepare for his freshman season under coach Mark Pope. However, he recently held a free meet-and-greet with Kentucky fans at Playa Bowl in Lexington.

“It was really, really good,” Johnson said. “Got to meet a lot of fans and signing autographs for some people was really cool. There are a lot of good people in the city who have supported me and people also came from other places.

“Knowing how big this fanbase is and how much these people really care about us each and every day is amazing.”

Johnson said he would “definitely” like to do other events like that when time permits.

“I feel it is always good to go out and meet people. Networking, but also hearing people’s different stories is cool,” the 6-4 guard said. “Some people were fans of my father (former UK all-SEC defensive lineman Dennis Johnson) and were telling me stories about him, so that’s always good, too.”

Jasper Johnson also continues to appreciate the lessons he learned from his late grandfather, Alvis Johnson. He has a tattoo on his calf honoring Alvis Johnson, the longtime football and track coach at Harrodsburg High School as well as the school’s athletic director.

“My grandfather always told me to play and fear nobody,” Jasper Johnson said. “He was one of the people who really introduced me to sports. He coached my dad and uncle and a lot of great athletes at Harrodsburg. Every time I go back (to Harrodsburg) everybody’s telling me how great he was as a person and a coach.

“I know he’s living through me and watching me. He’s in the back of my mind every time I go on the court. My grandfather was a great man and he left a great legacy.”

•••

Kentucky seven-time All-American Isabella Magnelli competed at the national championship with sophomore teammate Creslyn Brose, who also earned All-American honors on floor exercise.

When Brose came on her visit to Kentucky, Magnelli pointed out the church she attended and Brose says that helped convince her to attend UK.

“When I first got here the one thing I cared about was the church. At first I didn’t get involved too much with that. I kind of lived for the world a little bit,” Magnelli admitted. “Going into senior year when I hosted her (Brose), I was fired up about the Lord and the culture of the team starting to shift with more faithful girls.

“We were driving on the road and I mentioned to her that I remembered being a recruit and was scared to talk about life to girls already on the team. I wanted her to know girls on the team were faithful to God and go to church and belong to FCA. Creslyn comes from a Christian home and it was important for me to spread the gospel and share God’s love.”

•••

Huntington Prep coach Arkell Bruce understood that “nobody was hot on the recruit trail” for wing Braydon Hawthorne when the 2024-25 high school basketball season started.

The 6-8, 175-pound Hawthorne eventually committed to play for West Virginia. The Beckley, West Virginia, native made his official visit to West Virginia before the season started and other coaches got to see the improvement he made. However, when coach Darian DeVries left to take the head job at Indiana, Hawthorne re-opened his recruitment.

He was a lifelong Kentucky fan and UK had always been his dream school.

“Even though he grew up in West Virginia, these guys follow pros and highly ranked guys,” Bruce said. “Coach (John) Calipari did a great job marketing his players and showing off the lottery picks he had at Kentucky. He was probably a John Wall fan.

“They did have exciting teams with players like Patrick Patterson, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson. So he was pretty excited when Mark Pope and his staff reached out when he decommitted from West Virginia.”

Pope actually saw Hawthorne play against UK signee Jasper Johnson in a showcase game at Woodford County.

“When his recruitment opened back up, Pope jumped on him,” Bruce said. “Pope is very relatable, very approachable. He really enjoyed getting to know him.

“Braydon really got so much better this year. It was just one of those things that people (coaches) were fixated on the usual suspects going into the season, but once the dust settled he played with more confidence and free will.

“We played a lot of big-time events with a lot of eyes on him and everybody loved him. That’s why he jumped up so much in the recruiting rankings. He got better, but it was also the right people seeing him at the right time and understanding how well he can shoot the ball with the length he has.”

•••

Sean Woods did not play with Mark Pope at Kentucky, but he knows plenty about Pope and closely watched his first season as UK’s head coach.

Woods, one of “The Unforgettables” who played for coach Rick Pitino, liked what Pope did to get UK to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a new roster but he does think Pope has to make one change in year two.

“He has to change on the defensive end,” said Woods, who has over 20 years of college coaching experience and will coach LaFamilia in the TBT. “Starting off, he has got to hone in on teaching defense.

“I know that is not his forte, but he has got to put more emphasis on defense than last year. I think he thought he could out offense SEC teams and shoot 3s and outscore them. Now he realizes how tough and physical the SEC is because Kentucky got embarrassed in some games last year.

“This year he has brought in tough, physical guys that come from big-time programs. They may not shoot the ball as well, but they will be tougher and more physical which is what you need in the SEC.”

•••

Quote of the Week: “This is the most meaningful basketball I’ve played in my career. From how the organization has made me feel — the front office, and my teammates and playing with Ant (Anthony Edwards) as our leader. I love it. There’s a lot to be excited about. I haven’t really thought about (the player option) but having the ability to compete for a championship is everything I can ask for at this point in my career,” former UK star Julius Randle, after his first season with Minnesota ended with Western Conference Finals loss.

Quote of the Week 2: “He wasn’t expected to be the first, second, or third best player on that roster a year ago today when we knew what Kentucky’s roster would look like, but he did become that. He was their leading scorer, had more 20-point games than anyone, hit a couple of game-winning shots, and now he gets to come back again and be projected to be the best and most important player,” CBS Sports analyst Matt Norlander, on UK senior Otega Oweh.

Quote of the Week 3: “We’d like to preserve these games. That’s one of the problems we’re encountering right now. We’ve seen that. I’ve heard that. We’ve even had discussions with our ADs who are thinking maybe I shouldn’t play this game,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, on keeping traditional non-conference football rivalry games.