Roster Rundown: No. 23 Tyrell Ajian
Next up in Cats Illustrated's Roster Rundown series leading up to the 2020 season is No. 23, defensive back Tyrell Ajian.
Kentucky's secondary overperformed outside expectations last season and Ajian was a part of that group.
How did Ajian get to this point and what lies in store?
That's what we tackle here.
Background: Ajian was a major recruiting victory for Vince Marrow and Kentucky in Ohio. In a good year for talent in the Buckeye State, the 2017 recruiting cycle, Ajian ranked No. 12 overall in Ohio and was a four-star prospect.
Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, NC State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Wisconsin were among the other schools that had offered Ajian, who attended and graduated from Madison Comprehensive in Mansfield, Ohio. Coaches from Notre Dame and Michigan visited Ajian's high school the week he made his decision for Kentucky.
Ajian was not expected to play a major role for Kentucky early in his collegiate career because the Wildcats had depth at safety, with Mike Edwards, Darius West returning to health, and with the later emergence of Davonte Robinson. So he redshirted as a true freshman. The following season as a redshirt freshman Ajian saw action in every game for Kentucky and had a pick against Mississippi State, in a big 28-7 UK win.
Last year Ajian had 17 tackles and was a member of the SEC's Honor Roll team for his work in the classroom.
2020 Outlook: Ajian started twice and played in every game last season so it stands to reason he should be in line to see the field again this fall.
One of the things working in Ajian's favor is he is fairly versatile within Kentucky's scheme. He saw a lot of time at free safety but can play as the slot corner, very occasionally more wide based on the opponent, and can come into the box.
Ajian could work himself onto the field a lot playing nickel, where he was often listed last year. On the high end he could play starter-level snaps. But there will be a lot of competition in the defensive backfield once again.