LEXINGTON – It’s safe to say no one is more excited for Kentucky’s Nov.2 trip to Neyland Stadium to take on the Tennessee Volunteers more than new Wildcats offensive tackleGeral d Mincey.
Mincey spent his first two college seasons at Florida but then transferred to Tennessee, where he played the 2022 and 2023 seasons for the Vols, starting 14 games with eight at left tackle and six at right tackle. During his introductory press conference in Lexington on Wednesday, Mincey mentioned the date Nov. 2 four times.
“I think I owe it to all the Kentucky fans that we got to handle business on November 2,” Mincey said.
Now, in Lexington, where Mincey is initially thought he’d start his college career. The 6-foot-6, 337-pound offensive tackle committed to Kentucky out of high school on February 11, 2019, but wound up de-committing and landing in Gainesville and Knoxville before making his way back north to the Bluegrass State.
“Coach Gran (then offensive coordinator) Eddie Gran was the first to offer from an SEC school,” Mincey said. “Now I have a chance to be a part of the Big Blue Wall and I’m excited
Mincey missed the Vols 2022 win over the Cats but did start at right tackle when the Volunteers beat Kentucky 33-27 at Kroger Field this past season.
“The workouts’s been crazy. I have to tell you that now. I was like, dang, I didn’t know that the guys work that hard, but it shows. They work out that hard,” Mincey said on now being teammates with those he competed against. “It’s cool; it’s been real fun.
“I just can’t wait for November 2.”
Since announcing he’d be transferring to Tennessee, Mincey had heard an earful from the volunteer fan base on his decision to transfer to the rivals from the North.
Mincey responded to the criticism on ‘X’ posting “Really gave my all to Tennessee reading all these negative comments hurts man not gonna lie played this past season with a torn MCL and was able to help my team win a bowl game with a big smile on my face because I did love being a Volunteer but business is business.”
“I’m a troll. I guess. If I’m gonna say something, I’m going to use my main account and obviously, that’s what I’ve been doing,” Mincey said of his social media message. “It’s just a fire to the fuel. Just get to work and know that I have a target on my back, so that’s making me work even harder.”
Tennessee has dominated the Wildcats for the better part of the last four decades.
The Volunteers have won 36 of the team’s last 39 matchups, won each of the last matchups between the two long-time rivals, have won each of the last three games and are 9-2 since Mark Stoops became UK’s head coach ahead of the 2013 season.
