Super Senior Linebacker Jordan Wright Will Play in Music City Bowl for Kentucky, Then Declare for NFL Draft
Kentucky football will be without some important pieces when it takes on Iowa in the Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve in Nashville.
Quarterback Will Levis, running back Chris Rodriguez and cornerback Carrington Valentine have all opted out of playing for the Cats inside Nissan Stadium and have declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Super Senior linebacker Jordan Wright will also head to the draft, but he's not done playing for UK just yet. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native announced on Thursday that he's suiting up in blue and white one final time against the Hawkeyes:
The 6-foot-5, 231-pound outside backer has been a staple of Kentucky's defense for the last few seasons. He returned in 2022 for a sixth season after missing four games in 2021 due to injury.
After redshirting in 2017, Wright saw action in nine games the next season, totaling four tackles. He would breakout as a redshirt sophomore, adding 27 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. He capped off UK's Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech, returning a fumble 28 yards into the end zone to end the game.
He started 11 games in 2020, racking up 45 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, four PBUs, two QBHs, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He added 30 more tackles in 2021, 10 of which came in the Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa.
This season, he was a team captain and tallied a season-high 58 tackles in 11 games, including a one-handed interception against Florida that set up a touchdown in the Cats' win over the Gators.
Wright will leave the loaded UK linebacker core, joining DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones, both of whom are out of eligibility. The Wildcats are adding two backers in the 2023 recruiting class: 4-stars Grant Godfrey and Jayvant Brown.
Kickoff between the Cats and Hawkeyes in the Music City Bowl is set for noon EST on Dec. 31.
Kentucky's Early Signing Period tracker can be found here.
Kentucky's transfer portal tracker can be found here.
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