The University of Kentucky is known for basketball as it has the most successful program in the NCAA and is responsible for some of the best NBA talent in the league’s history. That hardly means they don’t have a say in affairs when it comes to the NFL, however.
This list looks at three current pros who are the most notable to come from the UK.
Will Levis
Quarterback Will Levis has yet to play for the Tennessee Titans after getting picked out of the second round in the most recent NFL Draft. However, he is still one of the most notable former Wildcats in the NFL.
Levis is thought to be closing in on his regular-season debut for Tennessee as starting QB Ryan Tannehill is injured and first-choice backup Malik Willis doesn’t appear all that convincing.
Levis played for Penn State before transferring to Kentucky and was tipped to go top five in the 2023 draft. He showed up to the first-round event looking all dapper, with his smokeshow girlfriend Gia Duddy at his side and his family in support. But he started sweating once the No. 10 pick was called before he heard his own name. It was a very embarrassing night for Will, who was not picked on the night as his name slipped all the way to the second round.
The Titans made him the 32nd overall pick on the following night, though he was not in attendance as he probably packed just one suit.
Even before that first night, Levis had seen his popularity soar due to his strange dietary habits. The QB fears milk, drinks his coffee with mayonnaise, and eats bananas with the peel on. Whether or not this had anything to do with his embarrassing slip is still unknown.
Kelvin Joseph
Kelvin Joseph is a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, who recently joined the team via trade from the Dallas Cowboys.
Joseph, also a rapper who has released music under the name “YKDV Bossman Fat,” played nine games for Kentucky and another 11 for LSU. He started all of those nine games for the Wildcats, making four interceptions and defending five passes.
He declared for the 2021 draft early on the back of his redshirt sophomore season with the Wildcats and his prospects went up drastically after he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash and leaped for a 128-inch broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Cowboys selected him 44th overall, but he only started in three of the 26 games he played with them.
Joseph has made three appearances for Miami so far this season. The Dolphins will capitalize on his zone coverage ability and speed in the long run. And UK fans will likely be paying attention now that he’s been handed a new start, which could reflect on the sportsbooks as Kentucky betting apps for NFL followers are becoming increasingly popular.
The Dolphins have gotten off to a great start this term and are now 9/1 to win the Super Bowl and 4/1 to win the AFC.
Randall Cobb
Randall Cobb reunited with Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets only to see the QB go down with a season-ending injury on the fourth drive of his debut.
Cobb himself has had a horrible season, having registered just three catches for 20 yards in six games, despite playing half of the team’s offensive snaps and facing 12 targets.
The wideout has the worst drop rate among qualified WRs at 40 percent while he ranks 11th out of 112 players in his position, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also the worst run-blocking receiver in the league, ranking 129 out of 129.
As if the above isn’t bad enough, Cobb has averaged an embarrassing 0.16 yards per run, with no other wideout averaging below 0.45 and only two others below 0.60.
Still, he’s had a good career playing alongside Rodgers and was a Pro Bowler in 2014. It would be hard to leave him off any list naming the most notable current NFL players to have represented the University of Kentucky.
