Keyon Cox Steps In and Steps Up for UAB

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 11, 2026

UAB offensive line coach Matt McCants kept it simple when he sent Keyon Cox on the field in the season opener against Illinois.

The play before, Cox was on the sideline watching his teammates. In an instant, though, he was headed on the field to take over at left tackle as teammate Payton Kirkland was assisted off the playing surface with a leg injury.

“I said ‘Hey, it’s just like practice,’” McCants said. “I remember my very first time playing. I was a senior in high school. I hadn't played for seven games and a guy gets hurt in a game. Those butterflies, those feelings, those are real. You know, you're getting in, but it's just that calming sensation of, "Hey, it's just like practice. What I practice, it’s what I do. Trust my technique. Go play as hard as I can play and I’ll be fine.’ You don't want to make it this big scenario where you feel like you gotta put on a cape. No, just go out, do your job and we’ll be alright.”

An advantage for Cox was his college football experience. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Phenix City native spent two seasons at UCF and another at Oregon State before coming back to his home state to play at UAB. He doesn’t have a ton of game experience with seven games and one start in three seasons but he has played significant minutes before. He ran on the field at Gies Memorial Stadium for the matchup against the Big 10 opponent with thoughts of doing his job.

“I mean, for one, I was always ready,” Cox said. “You just never know. I, I got a good group of teammates around me, a good group of coaches around me that always keep me ready for the situation. So it was just like riding a bike, for real. Like once you get off, you just get back on like nothing happened.”

Cox played 52 snaps after entering the game in the second quarter. Overall, he was the highest graded UAB offensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus. He was rated third on the line in pass blocking, behind guard Cooper Young and center Adam Lepkowski, and led the team in run blocking, again according to PFF.

“Obviously everybody has things that they need to improve on,” McCants said. “But, for him, man, just to see him compete and his intensity was good. Some things we want to clean up but his intensity, his focus, his willingness to compete, all those things are at a high level. He's only gonna continue to keep getting better.”

Cox didn’t grow into an offensive lineman until his final two years at Alabama prep power Central Phenix City. He said he was tall and slender while growing up and kept that frame his first two seasons in high school. Once he added the weight, his recruiting interest grew and Cox signed with UCF out of high school. After playing little in two seasons he journeyed across the country to play at Oregon State.

The adjustment to Oregon wasn’t easy.

“It rains every single day in Oregon,” Cox said. “Getting used to that was tough. And just looking around and all we see is mountains. I'm more of a Southern guy. When I walk outside here, I see grass. You go outside in Oregon, you see a mountain towering over your house.”

After playing in four games with one start for the Beavers, he decided to enter the transfer portal and happily found a spot about two hours away from his hometown. He came into spring practice ready to compete but was missed a chunk of time after suffering an injury. That experience helps him support Kirkland while he’s on the sideline.

“You know, anytime somebody is hurt and out, it’s hard,” Cox said. “The way that they rallied around me when I was hurt is the same way we're doing with Payton. Of course it's frustrating for him right now, but he's not really taking too much stress about it because the guys have his back. There’s a lot of pride with this team. It's really like a family.”

UAB head coach Alex Mortensen said on Monday that the timetable for Kirkland’s return is undetermined but he is expected to return. Kirkland was wearing a brace and boot on his left leg and foot during practice on Wednesday. Cox is slated to get the start in Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Monroe and the left tackle depth chart includes Barry Walker and Kyrik Mason.

Cox said his week of preparation was no different than any other week.

“I'm always dialed in and I'm always ready for the next step,” Cox said. “I gotta stay within (myself) and just keep learning. It’s being a sponge and keep learning. So I wouldn't say it's really any different for real, because I'm always trying to prepare as if I'm playing, whether I'm a one, two, three or whatever it is.”