With junior tight end Patrick Ligon getting his first career start on Saturday against Missouri, the University of Kentucky football team has now had 15 players earn the first starts of their careers this season, ranking the Wildcats top 10 nationally in that category.

Joining Ligon on the first-time starts list is true freshmen Jalen Whitlow, Zack Blaylock, Daron Blaylock and Cody Quinn, redshirt freshman Daryl Collins and Zach West, sophomores Ronnie Shields, Tyler Brause, Miles Simpson, Ashely Lowery and Demarco Robinson, and juniors Jonathan George, Tristian Johnson and Avery Williamson.

Overall, Kentucky has played 26 freshmen, fourth in the nation and only two behind the national leader. UK has played 14 true freshmen this season, which ranks UK fifth in the nation for playing the most true frosh – again, only two behind the national leader. Of Kentucky’s 80 recruited scholarship players, 55 are freshmen and sophomores.