Former Kentucky Receiver Bryce Oliver Returning to Lexington in Different Uniform

The Youngstown State wide receiver will return to Kroger Field as a Penguin this Saturday

This Saturday, the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats will welcome the Youngstown State Penguins to Kroger Field, as both teams look for 3-0 starts to their respective seasons. 

The matchup will be a homecoming of sorts for UK head coach Mark Stoops, who hails from Youngstown, Ohio. He won't be the only player having a reunion in Lexington over the weekend, however. 

Bryce Oliver, Youngstown State's top receiver, should be a familiar face to Big Blue Nation. He played three years in blue and white from 2018-20 before transferring to the Penguins. 

As a Wildcat, he hauled in eight catches for 125 yards. The switch to Youngstown proved to be a game changer for the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native. In his first season in 2021, Oliver played in nine games with six starts and was second on the team with 24 receptions while posting a team-best eight touchdowns. Those eight scores were the most in a season by a Penguin since 2011. In two games this season, he has 10 grabs for 121 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in Youngstown's latest win over Dayton. 

When asked about Oliver at his game-week press conference on Monday, Stoops had this to say about his former receiver: 

“Bryce is a good football player just like we thought when we recruited him. Sometimes those guys just need that opportunity and reps and get playing. A lot of time as you play, you get better. You have heard me talk about the talented guys we have on our roster right now but we have to get them playing some more. That is the plan. The really good ones that we feel like we have to get more snaps for them. Bryce is doing a really good job, I’m really proud of him and happy for him.”

Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips echoed Stoops' sentiments on Tuesday when speaking about Oliver's transition from Kentucky. 

"(Stoops) really liked Bryce, you know, and just like all coaches, young kids, when they're young, they just want to play right away and you know, that was during COVID, But he spoke so highly of Bryce and thought that this would be a great fit for him," Phillips said.

Oliver is a classic case of someone who just needed more reps and made the necessary switch to do so. He'll have a chance this weekend to make a statement in the city he called home for three seasons, just in a different uniform. 

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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