Players to Watch: Kentucky-No. 25 Louisville

Rivalry week has arrived in Lexington, as the No. 25 Louisville Cardinals will enter Kroger Field for the Governor's Cup on Saturday afternoon. The Cards (7-4, 4-4 ACC) are one of the hottest teams in the nation, while the Wildcats (6-5, 3-5 SEC) are looking to snap a two-game losing skid to close out the 2022 regular season.

Ahead of the matchup, here are some Wildcats to watch as they look for a fourth-consecutive win over the Cardinals:

Kenneth Horsey / Deondre Buford

Georgia's defensive style may have matched up better with Kentucky's offensive line, but sophomore Deondre Buford did a fantastic job in relief of Kenneth Horsey at left tackle on superbly short notice. Is it possible that having Buford on the left side for a change is a big difference in the Big Blue Wall finally finding some consistency? Perhaps.

Horsey was listed as the starting LT on the depth chart on Monday, and there has been no update confirming whether or not he is 100 percent to play against Louisville. It's no secret that the Cards are going to stack the box and bring the heat on defense, so whoever that player is at left tackle for UK must step up in the pass protection.

Tayvion Robinson

Tayvion Robinson was expected to be the guy for Kentucky's wide receiver room this season. They were lofty expectations, sure, but in the beginning of the year it felt like he was capable of being that true primary target for Will Levis. We've now reached the end of the regular season, and Robinson feels like the third target behind Barion Brown and Dane Key. In spurts he's been a go-to guy for UK, but that consistency has lacked. He then missed almost all of last week's game against UGA due to being "banged up" according to head coach Mark Stoops.

Presuming he's able to give it a go, the Virginia Tech transfer may want to leave a stamp on his lone season in Lexington. Brown has garnered a majority of the attention at WR over the past few weeks, so it's possible that Louisville will leave some chances open for the veteran.

Jordan Lovett

Flashback to week two in Gainesville, and starting free safety Jalen Geiger went down with a blindside block in the second half against Florida, suffering an injury that ultimately caused him to miss the rest of the season. In stepped redshirt freshman Jordan Lovett.

The first couple of starting assignments were rough, if you ask defensive coordinator Brad White. But now, in what was supposed to be a season of rotation for the Radcliff, Ky. native, quickly turned into invaluable experience that is going to turn him into a vital piece of the UK secondary for the next few years. Don't be surprised if he caps off the important campaign with a turnover on Saturday.

For important players to watch on Louisville's side, click here for our Governor's Cup preview.

Kentucky coordinators and players previewed the rivalry game on Tuesday.

Will Levis didn't commit to playing in Kentucky's bowl game. More here.

Kentucky's latest depth chart can be found here.

More on Mark Stoops' new contract extension here.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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