As unfortunate as injuries are in sports, they can open up unexpected doors of opportunity for players as well. One such benefactor? Kentucky football’s Kendrick Gilbert.
Injuries stacked up fast for the Wildcats on the defensive line as head coach Mark Stoops announced that Josaih Hayes and Tavion Gadson would both be out for a large part, if not all of the 2024 season.
This created a big hole at nose guard, which has allowed Gilbert to create a lane for himself to potentially see some playing time this fall.
“With Josaih Hayes being out and Tavion Gadson, who are two really good nose guards for us, I have to come in and be able to fill that position.” Gilbert said.
While he was thrust into the position due to injuries, it hasn’t exactly been an easy journey for Gilbert during his time at UK.
The redshirt sophomore arrived as a four-star defensive tackle and was ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Indiana according to Rivals.
Gilbert originally committed to play for Purdue before flipping his commitment and joining the Wildcats.
With the expectations high for such a touted recruit, his hopes of a breakout freshman season were paused when he came down with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
“When I had shoulder surgery, I probably dropped like 20, almost 30 pounds,” Gilbert said. “So right now, I am back up to 270 trying to get back up to 275, just putting that muscle mass on has really helped me a lot.”
While already working to overcome the challenges caused by the rehabilitation process of surgery, he was also tasked with the challenge of moving positions.
“It’s been hard going from playing (the) field to moving in the inside,” Gilbert said. “I’ve been getting better each day and I’ve just been trying to stack those days.”
Along with the experience, the “iron sharpens iron” approach has helped Gilbert improve as he credited veteran Eli Cox and even freshman Koby Keenum for helping him improve in his new position.
Furthermore, Gilbert has leaned on his teammates to help him grow as a player while continuing to learn a new position.
“We actually have a close bond in the D-line room,” Gilbert said. “When we are on the field, we really try to help each other get better, it’s really no selfishness in our group at all.”
This bond has been on display in front of coaches, who have taken notice of just how close the bond within that room is when they are on the field.
“When guys are talking, when they’re flying around, good, bad or indifferent, they’re gonna go to their teammate,” defensive coordinator Brad White said. “They’re celebrating the good things they do, they’re coaching them on the things that they’ve done wrong. You feel the communication coming off the sideline.”
During every season, in every sport, there is always at least one player who has a breakout season. For Kentucky, fans need to look no further than Maxwell Hairston last season.
This year, in a perfect position to succeed, that breakout candidate could very easily be Gilbert, who continues to impress as kick-off draws closer.
Gilbert and the rest of the Wildcats will make their 2024 season debuts at home on Saturday, August 31, against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The game is set to begin at 7:45 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network.
