By LARRY VAUGHT

It’s official. Kentucky won’t have talented defensive lineman Donte Rumph this year to help offset the unexpected loss of Jeremy Jarmon after his NCAA suspension.

Coach Rich Brooks officially announced today that Rumph, a defensive lineman from St. Matthews, S.C., will go to junior college rather than join the Wildcats. He originally signed with Kentucky in 2008 and re-signed with UK in 2009 while he was attending Fork Union Military Academy. He’s a big-time playmaker who could have helped this year, but he could not qualify academically.

The good news is that receiver Anthony Kendrick from Katy, Texas, has qualified academically  and will soon be on campus. The 6-3, 220-pound Kendrick had Division I football and basketball offers. However, tight end is where he’s projected to have a potential NFL future. He averaged 17 yards per catch last year and could find  himself in the mix for playing time this season.

Brooks also announced that wide receiver signee Brian Adams of Gainesville, Ga. will report to campus for the beginning of school on Aug. 26, but will not participate in the contact portions of practice this season.  Adams had rib surgery in July and hopes to return to full action in spring practice.

At the recent Southeastern Conference Media Days, Brooks had confirmed that wide receiver Justin Bean of Tupelo, Miss., defensive end Demetri Merritt of LaGrange, Ga., and tight end Terrell Mitchell of Hiram, Ga. would not be with the team this year. He said they would attend either prep school or junior college.

Losing Rumph was not unexpected. Brooks had said several times that he was hoping he would gain his eligibility, but UK coaches had confirmed recently that it did not look like it would happen. That means junior college transfer DeQuin Evans will be needed to show he can play immediately even more now to help compensate for the loss of Jarmon.