Seidt has Hall of Fame credentials
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, September 16, 2026
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Asia Seidt was the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year at Kentucky and set more records than any Kentucky swimmer.
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Kentucky freshman wide receiver Kenny Darby is going to continue making fans happy with his play if former all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles is right about his future.
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Asia Thigpen can hit the ball as “hard as anyone” on the Kentucky volleyball team according to coach Craig Skinner.
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Jager Burton (left) appreciates the opportunities he had at Kentucky that helped him make the Green Bay roster as a rookie.
(VICKY GRAFF)
Asia Seidt has never been to a Hall of Fame ceremony, but the former University of Kentucky swimmer should certainly enjoy the one Sept. 25-26 in Lexington because she will be part of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.
“It is really exciting knowing I am going into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. It is such an honor for anyone and is a bit overwhelming,” Seidt said. “As a freshman something like that might be in the back of your mind if you are performing well and you think about how exciting it would be to have your name up there (in the Hall of Fame).
“When I got the call from (former UK athletics director) Mitch (Barnhart), it was just the icing on the cake. It’s pretty cool to see my name with all the other inductees, but still kind of hard to believe.”
Other inductees will be Paul Calhoun (football), Tim Duckworth (track & field), Leah Edmond (volleyball), Patty Jo Hedges-Ward (women’s basketball) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (men’s basketball).
Seidt certainly has Hall of Fame credentials. She holds more Kentucky records than any other swimmer or diver and has more All-America honors (21), NCAA Championship podium finishes (eight), SEC Championship medals (15) and All-SEC selections (three) than any UK swimmer. She also won a USA Swimming Summer National gold medal and one World University Games silver medal to go with four SEC individual titles.
She was the 2020 CoSIDA At-Large Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2019 Arthur Ashe Female Sports Scholar of the Year and 2020 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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She was named the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year from a field of 600 nominees. Seidt was the first Kentucky athlete to be named NCAA Woman of the Year. That got a congratulatory Twitter message from then UK men’s basketball coach John Calipari that put more eyes on her than ever before.
“I definitely think winning NCAA Woman of the Year is one moment I will never forget, I had graduated but the night it was announced I was surrounded by everyone on the team,” she said. “Even a couple of teammates that had graduated came back.”
Seidt somehow kept a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average at UK before going into UK’s Physical Therapy Graduate Program after graduation. She also volunteered more than 450 hours of professional shadowing and more than 200 hours of community service with various charitable organizations in Lexington.
“Sometimes I look back and feel like I made a bigger deal about my grades than I should have. I would really get worked up about tests, practice, racing. Obviously, there were times I could have had a little more fun but that was just the mindset I had about my grades,” she said. “But I don’t regret anything.”
Seidt, a Louisville native, has been working as a travel physical therapist — “It was fun to see new places, but exhausting.” She has been married about three months now and soon will be moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where her husband will finish medical school.
Seidt took a break from swimming after COVID when she had to step away from the pool completely due to the pandemic.
“I am back in the pool now. I do casual swimming for exercise,” the former UK All-American said. “What I don’t do is look at the (timing) clock anymore. Everyone makes fun of me. I am a fish, a water bug. I was not meant for playing sports on land. The pool is definitely my happy place.”
Seidt was ranked as the No. 7 recruit nationally by CollegeSwimming.com and the top recruit from Kentucky overall in 2016 coming out of Sacred Heart High School. She qualified for the U.S Olympic Trials and was a junior national champion but had doubts about whether she could compete in the Southeastern Conference.
“When I first committed to Kentucky, my family was not the happiest. They wanted me to get out of state and go to a bigger program, but representing my home state meant so much to me,” she said. “I have so much love for Kentucky. I never wanted to leave. But I did really worry if I was good enough.”
Obviously, she was good enough to become UK’s most decorated swimmer even if she was not always confident in herself. Her first media interview was one I requested.
“I remember getting the call to do the interview. I was terrified to do media,” Seidt said “I was never great at public speaking, I was pretty nervous. You were the first one I talked to.
“It’s kind of funny because looking back now, I feel I have gotten better at public speaking. But I remember I was sweating and my hands were clammy talking and then you also did radio with me. But I was so nervous the whole time.”
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Prince Jean had offers from more than 20 schools, including Georgia, and Kenny Darby had almost 20 offers, including Alabama and LSU, but both wide receivers signed with Kentucky. They both had touchdowns in their UK debut against Youngstown State and former Kentucky All-SEC defensive back Van Hiles think both have terrific futures.
“They are both terrific. We have something in those guys because they can both make plays with their legs,” said Hiles, a UK football radio analyst. “They are both able to make moves and screen plays are going to be a huge advantage in the offense.
“ … I want Prince Jean to run more routes against tight coverage and show he can consistently get open because that is not always easy for a freshman to do in the SEC. But both those guys are true freshmen and potentially could have four more years here, and if that happens they could both eventually be top draft picks in the NFL because they have something you can’t coach – speed and shiftiness.”
The 6-foot-1 Darby had five catches for 45 yards on 10 targets against Alabama but the 6-foot-1, 187-pound Prince Jean did not play in UK’s SEC opener.
“They’ve looked really that way since they’ve gotten here. Both are extremely competitive and really high football IQ players as young players. That’s really cool to see,” UK coach Will Stein said. “They’re able to plug and play.”
Stein also likes that they both missed very little practice time and consistently played well every snap.
Hiles knows it is impossible to predict future stardom, but he’s anxious to watch the two freshmen progress playing in the offense created by Stein and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
“For what they did in the first game out of the gate in college was very impressive because you are only going to get better,” Hiles said. “Sure there will be some tough games for them as freshmen, but you can see they both have a chance to be very special and Kentucky needs them to be.”
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Third-year Asia Thigpen does not get the national recognition that many of her Kentucky volleyball teammates do, but Kentucky coach Craig Skinner certainly appreciates the versatility the 5-foot-10 outside hitter provides.
“She has a cannon. She hits the ball as hard as anyone,” Skinner said. “Sometimes we need her to play like a badass and sometimes we need her to get crafty. She does have to trust her arm and trust her first decision and then she can terminate with anybody.
“At times when teams are scheming on stopping Brooklyn (DeLeye) or the middles, she is going to detonate one-on-one blockers.”
Thigpen, fourth on the team with 62 kills going into Sunday’s match with Louisville, understands how talented her teammates are and that she also is not as tall as some of UK’s other hitters.
“I have to be a little bit more creative with how I score. Morgan Gaerte is obviously a lot taller, so she’s hitting higher. For me, I feel like on the right side last year, I was just finding a lot more edges on the block, having more shot selection and then just being a little bit more creative with my hands blocking,” Thigpen said.
“Obviously I’m not as tall as some of our other players, so just being more creative with how many touches I’m getting versus blocks is something I have to be aware of.”
Thigpen has already played in a national title game, helped UK win two SEC championships and been part of the historic match at Wrigley Field. She likes the way her sport is growing and the recognition UK players receive.
“I think volleyball in general in the U.S. is one of the biggest growing sports for young women,” Thigpen said. “I feel like young girls and a lot of UK fans have a lot of respect for us. Even if I go to the grocery store, sometimes I’ll get noticed and people ask how are you guys doing and we can’t wait to come see you play. They really appreciate how much work we put into the sport to give back to BBN.”
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Former Kentucky offensive lineman Jager Burton was a 2026 NFL Draft fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers and not only made the roster but has been in contention for a starting spot. He was the backup center for the opening game against Minnesota, but also has got valuable playing time at guard due to injuries to returning starters.
Burton recently told Tom Leach on the Leach Report it was a “surreal feeling” going through the different steps to make the roster.
“Initially just super grateful for those that were a part of my journey at UK and those that helped me at Frederick Douglass or LCA (Lexington Christian Academy) growing up,” Burton said. “Just a bunch of guys that played a huge part in my whole development through college. Then you get the news that you’re going to be able to live out your dream.”
Burton excelled at Kentucky playing against Southeastern Conference competition. The step up to the NFL was about what he expected.
“You hear people say it all the time, but it truly is a step above whether it’s the playbook or the play speed. Obviously the competition you’re going against is the best in the world,” Burton said.
He told Leach it could be a bit overwhelming just looking at practice rosters and pregame rosters and seeing the overall talent.
“I think the message is pretty consistent for everybody as far as playing the sport and then the non-negotiables, which are always your effort and knowledge of the playbook and not making the same mistake twice, which I felt like Kentucky did a great job preparing me for that stuff,” Burton said. “The way we practiced was similar to how it is here.”
Burton talked to various former UK linemen playing in the NFL before going to training camp to know more about what to expect.
“I am still nowhere where I want to be,” Burton said.
He thought playing center last season at Kentucky after playing guard before would benefit him in the NFL and it did because versatility can be the key to making a roster.
“I’m just trying to be where my feet are and super excited to experience what all this will feel like this season,” Burton said.
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Quote of the Week: “I want to thank Big Blue Nation for coming out. This was an elite atmosphere. Our fans really showed up and showed out and I hate this is the result they have to live with. Our fans did exactly what I asked them to do and I hope they know how important that was. We will put a better product on the field for them,” UK football coach Will Stein, after his team’s 45-17 loss to Alabama.
Quote of the Week 2: “At least in our league right now, I feel like we know where the rules are coming from. They are coming from the NCAA, but mostly the imperatives are coming from the SEC, and that clarity is something that we’re all welcoming,” Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope, praising SEC officials on the Paul Finebaum Show for letting coaches know what they can and cannot do recruiting-wise.
Quote of the Week 3: “Big Blue Nation isn’t interested in moral victories. After an underwhelming season, Mark Pope landed Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic and now pairs him with talented youngster Malachi Moreno. Kentucky looks deeper, tougher and better suited for the SEC grind. But here’s the deal: The SEC is a monster. The conference retained 10 of its top 30 scorers and imported 11 more top-30 scorers from other major conferences. Kentucky has to contend, not just compete,” ESPN’s Dick Vitale, on his top storylines for the 2026-27 basketball season.
