freshman star wide receiver has joined the Nike Football family, it was announced on Tuesday. Darby has been sensational for the Wildcats this season, boasting 38 receptions for 507 yards and three touchdowns through eight games.
Darby’s play has been key in the Wildcats’ 7-1 start to the season, which has them up to No. 8 in this week’s AP Poll. Kentucky, led by first-year head coach , is seeking its first ever College Football Playoff appearance this season.
The Louisiana native was a four-star recruit out of Bossier City, LA () in the Class of 2026, and originally committed to . He instead followed former LSU offensive coordinator to Kentucky, which has turned out to be a great decision for the star receiver. His breakout performance came in Kentucky‘s 35-34 OT win over on Oct. 3, in which he hauled in 12 receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown.
Darby, who currently sits at 38 receptions and 507 receiving yards with four regular season games remaining, is just 13 catches and 122 yards away from breaking two of Kentucky‘s freshman receiving records. Both records are currently held by , who set them in 2022. The two-time SEC Freshman of the Week was named to On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-America Team.
College Football Playoff berth remains on table for Kentucky
Kentucky heads into its final four regular season games with history on the table. Those four games will come against No. 16 , No. 25 , No. 19 , and . If the ‘Cats can get through that stretch with a 3-1 record (or better), a 10-2 Kentucky team very well could find itself in the CFP for the first time ever…