Mark Stoops: A hand injury keeps Kentucky football’s projected starter out of the lineup “for the foreseeable future.”

Kentucky football offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan addresses the tempo issue during the Wildcats’ Media Day on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at Kroger Field in Lexington. UK coach Mark Stoops has said he wants to play at a faster tempo on offense. BY JOHN CLAY| UK ATHLETICS Kentucky football will likely be without its projected starting running back for at least the 2024 season opener. Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum, who was expected to head a running back committee for UK this fall, suffered a hand injury in a recent preseason practice, a UK spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday. Trayanum will be out for “the foreseeable future,” according to UK’s statement. The injury was first reported by Kentucky Sports Radio earlier Tuesday. Trayanum was signed by UK out of the transfer portal to help replace star running back Ray Davis, a fourth-round NFL draft pick of the Buffalo Bills. The Akron, Ohio, native has totaled 1,157 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns across four seasons at Arizona State and Ohio State.

Trayanum has yet to serve as the featured running back for his team in college but is best known for scoring the game-winning touchdown for Ohio State against Notre Dame last season. Even before Trayanum’s injury, UK coaches had suggested a committee approach was likely at running back with no single player emerging from the pack of candidates to replace Davis, but at 5-foot-11, 227 pounds Trayanum was seen as the power option in the rotation and projected to receive the first carries. With Trayanum out, senior Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox and freshman Jason Patterson could split carries in the Aug. 31 opener against Southern Miss.

Sumo-Karngbaye split time between running back and slot receiver in his first season as a Wildcat last fall after transferring from N.C. State but has focused most of his practice time at running back since Bush Hamdan was hired as offensive coordinator just before the start of spring practice. “Yes, there’s a huge difference in Demie and his approach,” running backs coach Jay Boulware told the Herald-Leader on Monday. “… His maturity level, being all focused in on running back only this spring and this fall camp has paid off dividends for him.” Sumo-Karngbaye totaled 139 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries while backing up Davis last season. He added 14 catches for 69 yards and one touchdown.