Maxwell Hairston (Vicky Graff Photo)
Pro Football Focus graded Kentucky’s cornerbacks as the best in the Southeastern Conference for their play against Vanderbilt.
While UK coach Mark Stoops liked the rating, he doesn’t want anyone to make too much out of it going into Saturday’s game against Florida.
“I’m not sure that is a great thing for people to read PFF all the time. I’m not knocking them, I think there is a lot of really good information that comes out of that as far as seeing reps and seeing guys,” Stoops said Monday.
“Again, I’m not demeaning our players, I like the way Andru (Phillips) is playing, I like the way Maxwell is playing, I really do. I think they are playing real good football, they have been very unselfish, they’re playing really good on special teams and doing everything we ask them to do.
“I love the way they are playing and the way they’re growing, but that’s for the media (to rate them).”
Maxwell Hairston was exceptionally good at Vanderbilt. He had four tackles and a pass breakup — along with two interception returns for touchdowns, the first time any UK player had ever done that in a game. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
“I think he is just getting better. I mentioned it last week in here, I mentioned it the week before and I have mentioned it each week y’all have asked and it’s true that you see the growth and maturity from him,” Stoops said about the sophomore.
“I like his energy, he comes to work every day. He has a great focus about him, he’s excited to come to work and you are starting to see some of that pay off. We often talk about that and not every player buys into it, but if you constantly put in the work and plant those seeds, eventually you are going to reap that harvest and get something out of it.
“If you just keep on grinding and working and growing and he is a great example of that because he has been working for several years.”
Stoops likes how “aggressive” Hairston has been
:He was playing through the football, he was finishing the play and that’s what you should be allowed to do in this league,” Stoops said. “I watch people play, I watch other games, I watch elite defenders defend and they are aggressive, and they are strong and they play through the football – exactly what we teach them to do.”
