Jager Burton. Daveren Rayner. Tornado Relief Drive. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

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Jager Burton has played in 38 games at Kentucky and started 34 of those games, including 10 in 2024. He was a four-star recruit coming out of Frederick Douglass High School in 2021 and considered one of the nation’s top 10 offensive guard prospects in his recruiting class by ESPN.

Burton knows last year’s 4-8 season was disappointing to UK fans but says it was even more disappointing to players who went through it.

“My growth from last season as a player to now has been huge and a lot of that is just changing how you think as a person,” said Burton. “You get to a point where you have a lot of self doubt. You hear people talking, even in the (football) facility, when things are not going well.

“There is a lot of pressure when you come here. I am not complaining. That is what I wanted. I just lost my confidence for a while going through the ups and down of being a college athlete. Now I’ve got it back it feels so much better playing with confidence.

“Thankfully the coaches never lost confidence in me. Now I feel the best I have ever felt mentally and physically. I am ready to go.”

Burton chose Kentucky over Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon and others. He says he has no regrets about staying home to play for the Cats.

“I wouldn’t change anything, not even the ups and downs,” Burton said. “Everything coach (Mark) Stoops and (coach Vince) Marrow and other guys here were telling me about what it would be like has been true.A lot of places that is not how it is. There are truly some of the best coaches and best dudes I have ever been around, so I love being here.”