What Vito Tisdale's season-ending injury means for Kentucky football's 2022 season

LEXINGTON - Less than one third of the way through spring practice, Kentucky football's depth concerns in the defensive secondary are growing.

Junior defensive back Vito Tisdale will miss the entire 2022 season after suffering a knee injury in practice this week, UK coach Mark stoops confirmed Thursday. Tisdale entered the offseason as the Wildcats' top option at nickelback but was also spending practice time at cornerback this spring.

"It’s definitely a big loss for our team, especially for Vito because he’s a very good and very active football player, very versatile," said Stoops, who earlier this spring called Tisdale one of the defense's best 11 players.

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Tisdale was spotted on crutches at the practice facility Thursday morning. Doctors will wait for the swelling in his knee to go down before scheduling surgery in the coming weeks.

"Hopefully everything will go smooth," Stoops said. "Our doctors have always done a good job and we’ll get him back in time."

As a sophomore in 2021, Tisdale totaled 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in seven games. The start of his season was delayed after he was charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree wanton endangerment after being involved in a fight between several football players and a UK fraternity last spring. A grand jury later declined to indict Tisdale or the other five football players charged with burglary.

How Vito Tisdale injury affects Kentucky football depth chart

While it was far from certain that Tisdale's move to cornerback would stick, the injury removes one option from an already thin position.

Kentucky returns one starter at cornerback, junior Carrington Valentine, but no other players with significant game experience at the position. Sophomore Andru Phillips is the early favorite to start alongside Valentine, but Stoops and company will likely try to add to the position through the transfer portal in the coming months.

"I think Dru Phillips over the first two days has really flashed, which is good," defensive coordinator Brad White said before spring break. "He needs to continue to progress."

UK also returns redshirt freshmen Maxwell Hairston and Adrian Huey to the position, but neither player appeared in a game last season. The Wildcats list mid-year enrollees Andre Stewart and Elijah Reed, a Pleasure Ridge Park graduate, as cornerbacks on the spring roster.

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Tisdale's injury also deals a blow at the nickelback position, but Kentucky was likely to play more of its base 3-4 defense with four linebackers on the field this fall anyway thanks to the return of outside linebackers J.J. Weaver and Jordan Wright. Among the defensive backs on the roster, junior Joel Williams is the most experienced option at nickelback.

"He’s doing a really good job at that position," Stoops said of Williams. "When you’re asking me about (Tisdale's) versatility, we don’t have somebody who can do that but as far as playing that spot, Joel has done a nice job with the nickel, medium position. So yes, we’re going to count on him a lot, and we’ve got to bring some others along.”

How Kentucky football can replace Vito Tisdale in transfer portal

Even before the injury, Kentucky was expected to add at least one cornerback in the transfer portal before the season. That need grows now.

Former Ole Miss defensive back Keidron Smith has been linked to UK as a transfer target. Smith played cornerback and safety at Ole Miss, but UK's biggest position of need is cornerback. In four years at Ole Miss, Smith totaled 224 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five interceptions.

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Even if Kentucky lands Smith, more additions might be needed in the secondary following Tisdale's injury. The good news is a new wave of players will likely enter the transfer portal after spring practice.

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Vito Tisdale injury: Kentucky football DB to miss 2022 season