Jamin Davis, Chance Poore, J.J. Weaver and Landon Young each honored by the league
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Novmeber 16, 2020
Four Kentucky football players received weekly player honors from the Southeastern Conference for their efforts in the Wildcats’ 38-35 victory over Vanderbilt last weekend, the league announced on Monday. It is the most single-week honorees for the Wildcats in school history.
Junior linebacker Jamin Davis was named Defensive Player of the Week, sophomore kicker Chance Poore Special Teams Player of the Week, redshirt freshman outside linebacker J.J. Weaver Freshman of the Week and senior offensive tackle Landon Young co-Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Young earned Offensive Lineman of the Week for the second time this season and third time in his career. It was a particularly meaningful performance for the senior who wore No. 65 in honor of his late position coach John Schlarman, who died Nov. 12 after a two-year battle with cancer and had worn that number during his playing career at UK.
The Lexington, Kentucky native graded at 91 percent, led the team in knockdown blocks with 10 and 14 blocks at the point of attack. He did not miss an assignment, allow any sacks or pressures or get penalized despite the mental strain the previous 48 hours had taken on him with Schlarman’s passing. Young also was the team’s game captain. Previously, he was the SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Cats’ 34-7 win at No. 18 Tennessee on Oct. 17 and the 38-17 win over Eastern Michigan in 2019.
Davis, from Ludowici, Georgia, totaled a career-high 15 tackles in the win over Vanderbilt, pacing the team despite missing a portion of the game with an injury. It was the fifth-straight game with double-digit tackles for the breakout star of the 2020 season, making him the first UK player to accomplish that feat since linebacker and current Chicago Bears star Danny Trevathan in 2010. The 15 tackles marked the second consecutive game Davis set a new career-best for tackles and he now leads the team with 73 stops on the season, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 22nd nationally.
Poore (Anderson, South Carolina) had a perfect day, making all six of his kicks, including five extra points and a 28-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. He also capably handled kickoff duties and helped pin the Commodores on their own one-yard line with a sideline-hugging kickoff that created field position and ultimately led to the Cats’ second touchdown of the day.
Weaver (Louisville, Kentucky) continued to show his remarkable playmaking ability in a promising freshman season. He totaled four tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup on the day with the breakup forcing a Vanderbilt punt in the fourth quarter. He currently leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss to go along with 24.0 total tackles on the season.
Kentucky returns to the field this Saturday, Nov. 21 at No. 1 Alabama. Game time is 4 p.m. EST on the SEC Network (TV) and the UK Sports Network (radio).