Mark Stoops has high expectations for defensive back Jordan Lovett

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Redshirt freshman defensive back Jordan Lovett, left, had a team-high nine tackles in Saturday’s Blue-White Game and also broke up two passes. (Photo by Vicky Graff)

If there was an unexpected standout in Saturday’s Blue-White Game, it had to be defensive back Jordan Lovett of North Hardin.

The redshirt freshman had four solo tackles and five assists for a combined team-high nine tackles. He also broke up two passes to lead the defense.

“Jordan, to me, was one of the guys who kind of stood out,” said defensive coordinator Brad White after the scrimmage. “I’m sure it wasn’t perfect, but again he was a guy that I think everyone feels him on the field. He plays hard, he runs around, he plays with effort and he can just keep going.”

“He’s got incredible stamina to him. He loves ball. He wants to be out there. He doesn’t want to be taken off. Again, he’s one I wanted to see and from what I saw on the sideline I was pretty impressed with how he played.”

Everyone was.

He had just one tackle last season after enrolling at UK in January of 2021. He was a three-star prospect who picked UK over Cincinnati, Louisville, Missouri and West Virginia. However, he had a big upside because he did not start playing defense until his junior year at North Hardin and had 15 interceptions — second in the nation in 2019 and second all-time in a season in Kentucky.

“I think he needs to continue to mature and continue to approach the game in a serious nature, and if he does that, then he’ll make some really big strides before next fall,” White said.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops says he has “high expectations” for Lovett in part because of his athleticism.

“These kinds of situations really help him because it’s time for him to get very serious about the game and continue to really study and get quality reps out there because he has the ability and we need him to step up and be a player for us,” Stoops said after the Blue-White game.

Stoops said because he is expecting more out of Lovett — and UK needs help in the secondary — he’s going to continue to push Lovett.

“It’s not that I’m down on him, it’s just that I want him to continue to approach it in a very mature way. When you take the field in a scrimmage, in practice, in a game like today, you have to grow from that. You have to get better. You have to bank those reps because when we get out here in the fall, believe me, you’re going to see new things, you’re going to see different things,” Stoops said.

“The game moves fast, and you have to be able to bank all those experiences and be able to carry it over to the field because when he’s out there in the fall, you’re playing for wins and losses, and you can’t take any plays off.”

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