Alabama transfer defensive back Kristian Story has announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats. Story will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Story is Kentucky’s ninth addition from the transfer portal. He joins Georgia transfer LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson on the Kentucky defense. The offense has gotten a big boost with Brock Vandagriff, Raymond Cottrell, Chip Trayanum, Ja’Mori Maclin, Jalen Farmer, Fred Farrier II, and Beau Allen. The defense is likely not done, as the secondary could use some more help as the Cats allowed 240.5 passing yards per game.
Kentucky returns Maxwell Hairston, Jordan Lovett, Zion Childress, and Ty Bryant from last season. The story will help with experience in secondary. The Cats signed four secondary members in the class of 2024. Those are Terhyon Nichols, Cam Dooley, Quaysheed Scott, and Jiquavious Marshall.
Let’s take a look back at Story’s high school recruitment. Story was a four-star athlete in the class of 2020, out of Lanett, Alabama. He held offers from schools like Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Penn State. The Cats offered back in 2020, and they ended up getting a commitment in 2024. That is why relationships are so important in college sports.
As everyone knows, Story ended up staying home and committing to Charles Kelly and the Alabama Crimson Tide. He redshirted in 2020 when Alabama won the National Championship. In 2021, he played in 12 games for the Tide. Most of the snaps were on special teams. He appeared in the SEC Championship game against Georgia, the Cotton Bowl win against Cincinnati, and the National Championship game against Georgia.
During the 2022 season, Story saw more snaps as he played in 13 games. He had five tackles on 37 snaps. The 2023 season was his best by far; he got his first career start against the Cats in November. He played 166 snaps on defense for the Crimson Tide over 13 games. He ended the 2023 season with 15 tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception.