Kentucky Football Brings In Former Vanderbilt Star As Honorary Captain For Vanderbilt Matchup

This former Vanderbilt football star clearly isn't embracing the program as much as his other former team. At least, he wasn't on Saturday night in Lexington.

Sep 23, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Ray Davis (1) runs for a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

LEXINGTON, KY—Former Vanderbilt and Kentucky running back Ray Davis has clearly made his allegiances known. If they weren't already, they are now.

Davis started his career at Vanderbilt and was the MVP of one of the best early wins of the Clark Lea era in Lexington in 2022. He ran for 129 yards in that game on 5.0 yards per carry and a touchdown. He left Vanderbilt for Kentucky ahead of his final college season, though, and appears to identify more with Kentucky than Vanderbilt as he occupies an NFL roster spot with the Buffalo Bills. 

Saturday, Davis was an honorary captain for Kentucky and met Kentucky coach Will Stein and his team outside their practice facility as they walked across the sidewalk and into Kroger Field for their week eight matchup with Vanderbilt. 

Davis was one of the best players of the early Lea era and was sorely missed in 2023 after he left Vanderbilt for Kentucky. He never made a bowl game in his two years as a Vanderbilt player, but he set a physical tone for it and was as reliable a running back as Lea has had in his tenure.

Former Vanderbilt and Kentucky running back Ray Davis is an honorary captain for Kentucky today for Vanderbilt’s matchup with Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/zsDbOOPUSL

— Joey Dwyer (@joey_dwy) October 24, 2026

When Davis returned to FirstBank Stadium in 2023 as a Kentucky player, he went for 78 yards on 4.6 yards per carry. Davis ran for two touchdowns in that 45-28 Kentucky win, in which the Wildcats ran away from Lea's team early and never let it back into the game.

Davis clearly enjoyed his time at Kentucky and has been significantly more vocal about representing the Wildcats than Vanderbilt since he joined the Bills. Saturday was the most public embrace of Kentucky and shooing of Vanderbilt that Davis has conducted, though.

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