Kentucky DB Darius West out for season

Kentucky will be without an expected starter for the whole 2016 season.

UK head coach Mark Stoops told reporters Saturday that redshirt sophomore safety Darius West injured the patellar tendon in his left knee during Friday’s practice. Stoops said the injury is a “tough blow” for a player with a history of leg ailments. West previously broke a bone in his right leg twice in less than a year, causing him to miss the 2014 season.

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“He’s been through injuries before. It is not the same leg, it’s not the same injury that he had before,” Stoops said per Cats Illustrated. “We had really good battles going inside there at safety and he was certainly competing and running with the ones. Ever since the end of spring he’s been the starter.”

West was a solid special team contributor in 2015. Overall, he appeared in 10 games and had 17 tackles.

With West out, seniors Blake McClain and Marcus McWilson should see increased snaps at safety. McClain has played primarily at nickel corner during his UK career.

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Kentucky opens up the 2016 season at home against Southern Miss on Sept. 3.

For more Kentucky news, CatsIllustrated.com.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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