LEXINGTON, Ky. (BBN TONIGHT) — Kentucky Football welcomes Daikiel Shorts, Jr. as the wide receivers coach for the 2024 season.
Shorts joins the Wildcats after five seasons at the University of Houston. Starting in 2019, Shorts was the Director for Player Development, and in June of 2021, he moved to a full-time coaching role in the receivers room.
From the start of the 2021 season, Houston ranked fifth nationally in receiving touchdowns (96), 12th in receptions (905), and 16th in receiving yards (10,780). Houston's 25 games of 250+ receiving yards in that timeframe also ranks 11th nationally.
During Shorts' inaugural campaign, Junior Nathaniel "Tank" Dell exploded for over 1,300 yards, later named First-Team American Athletic Conference.
The Cougars ranked 23rd nationally in passing offense (271.6).
EXCLUSIVE: WATCH FIRST SIT DOWN INTERVIEW AS A WILDCAT ON BBN TONIGHT
FIRST LOOK: @KeithFarmer18 sits down with the newest @ukfootball wide receiver coach, Daikiel Shorts! @D_shorts6’s first interview in blue airs tonight at 7:30 p.m. on @lex18news! pic.twitter.com/5BB9fPXXDA
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) December 19, 2023
The 2022 season was a standout year for the Cougars' receivers. Tank led the nation in receiving yards (1,398) and receiving touchdowns (17) while ranked fourth in receptions per game (8.4) en route to being named an All-American by a litany of publications. In his two seasons with Shorts, 2021-22, Dell combined to pace the country in receiving yards (2,727), receiving scores (29) and receptions (199). The 2022 First-Team All-Conference selection ended the year with a receiving touchdown in 11 games.
In Shorts' college days, he played receiver at West Virginia University, leading the Mountaineers in receiving in three of his four years, and was 2016 team captain. He also earned the 2016 Iron Mountaineer Award, the same season he earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after leading the Mountaineers with 63 receptions for 894 yards and five touchdowns.
Shorts is ranked fifth on WVU's career chart with 177 receptions and sixth with 2,263 receiving yards. He also owns WVU's freshman receptions record with 45.
During the 2023 season, UK's wideouts had 195 catches for 2,445 yards and 23 touchdowns.
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