UK freshman receiver Aaron Boyd could make his season debut on Saturday vs. Norfolk State. Boyd missed most of fall camp due to mononucleosis but was cleared for contact this week and went through his first practice in full pads on Wednesday.

UK Coach Rich Brooks said he still hasn’t decided whether to play Boyd, but offensive coordinator Joker Phillips thinks Boyd could provide a boost to a receiver unit that struggled in Sunday’s 27-2 win over Louisville.

“Our mindset is to play him this week, and if we play him this week, we’ve got to play him the next 2-3 weeks,” Phillips said. “If he plays 5-10 snaps, he’s got to look like he can help us for those 5-10 snaps. He’s a little behind, but we’ve got to do some things to give him a chance to have some success. We’ve got to get him in the game if we think he can help us.”

Freshman receiver Aaron Boyd has been cleared to participate in contact drills, Coach Rich Brooks announced at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. Boyd missed most of fall camp and UK’s season opening win over Louisville with mononucleosis. Brooks said that he’ll evaluate Boyd for the next week or two before making a decision on whether to redshirt him.

Brooks also said that freshman receiver E.J. Fields, who has been slowed in camp by a pulled hamstring, would more than likely redshirt the 2008 season.