Kentucky cornerback leaves program

Kentucky’s secondary took another hit Thursday when Coach Joker Phillips announced the departure of cornerback Jerrell Priester. The 5-foot-9 sophomore from Ulmer, S.C., opted to leave the program. “We wish him well,” Phillips said after practice. “It’s one of those things that’s kind of common at this time of the year, that kids leave. We’ll wish him well and keep this thing going.” Priester, who was rated the No. 17 prospect out of South Carolina and the nation’s No. 59 all-purpose athlete, according to Rivals.com, played in nine games last season. He got several snaps as a backup at cornerback, getting four stops and two tackles for a loss against Charleston Southern. He also played on special teams, where he returned two kickoffs for an average of 27.5 yards. Last week, Phillips announced the departures of senior free safety Josh Gibbs for undisclosed “personal reasons” and sophomore linebacker Qua Huzzie, who ended up transferring to Murray State.