By LARRY VAUGHT

South Carolina defensive lineman Donte Rumph has qualified academically to play football at Kentucky and will report with other players when practice starts next week.

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips confirmed today at the Governor’s Cup press conference that he received word today that Rumph was eligible.

“We’ve got to play him and get him ready. We know he will be out of shape. We expect that,” Phillips said. “He’s been buried in his academics the last three years.”

He originally signed with Kentucky in 2007 after earning all-state honors his senior season when he had 107 tackles, including 14 quarterback sacks.

He spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy working on his academics.

“It gave me cold chills when I got the message he was cleared to play,” Phillips said. “Listening to his dad talk about it was very emotional. It means a lot to him to get this opportunity.

“I do think it is unrealistic to think he can set the world on fire after not playing much the last two years. I think eventually he will be a huge help.”

But will he play right away?

“If we don’t play him, he will be 40 years old before he plays,” Phillips joked. “But we were expecting him. He has done a good job staying with this thing. The reason we stayed with him is that not only is he a good person but we need defensive lineman. We were able to stay with him and he did everything he should. We’re glad to have him.”

That leaves three players — redshirt freshman defensive tackle Mister Cobble, incoming freshman linebacker Tim Patterson and junior college safety Mychal Bailey — that the Cats are waiting on to see if they are eligible.

“It’s a day-to-day thing with all three players,” Phillips said. “We feel good about all three’s chances. Trying to put together a roster and making the numbers work out is a stressful thing. But it’s just part of football that you deal with now.”

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