With coaches heading back out on the road and spring practice wrapped up it's a good time to take a comprehensive look at the strength and depth of the roster at each position on the field. This will help us understand why the coaches are targeting what/who they are from the portal, and soon once those spots are filled, we'll be able to really compare Kentucky's roster with the teams it will face this upcoming fall.
QB - Leary is the obvious starter and it's not clear who the No. 2 would be. Kaiya Sheron has been in the system for a while and Liam Coen has known him for a while. Destin Wade got experience against Iowa in the bowl game. The question is whether Kentucky will go into the portal for next year's starting quarterback as a bridge and I'd have to assume they will but they're set for now. Once again, UK is in a situation where they are one injury away from being a vastly different team than they look right now. Leary has the potential to be one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC this year but he has been injured twice in three seasons so everyone will be holding their breath on that again.
RB - JuTahn McClain and Ray Davis got a lot of work this spring and the Cats will also have Ramon Jefferson and others in the backfield. It still looks like a committee as one player has not clearly separated himself from the pack. But it is probably safe to say that McClain, Davis, Jefferson, and incoming freshman Jamarion Wilcox will all be in the mix to get on the field. It's unlikely that Kentucky would add a transfer here since there are several good by-committee options. There may be a need for a bigger younger back to bring into the program in the near future to keep things balanced.
WR - Lots of turnover here with several guys transferring out. Here at receiver we have seen, more than anywhere else, the difficulty of KEEPING depth in the portal era. Chris Lewis, Rashaan Lewis, DeMarcus Harris, Chauncey Magwood ... all guys who could have had opportunities. Fortunately UK is very strong in its front line receiver talent. If there's an injury this year to either Barion or Dane then you could really see the impact of those losses in terms of depth but they have several good slot options for depth. I wouldn't expect them to bring in another receiver because barring injury it's easy to see the top tier guys hoarding lots of targets and chances.
TE - UK has a bunch of guys on scholarship here but Bates, Dingle, and Kattus have all missed time because of injury and recovery. Khamari Anderson flashed a lot of potential in the spring and could be in the mix for time. Assuming guys return to health with no rust the position is in good shape and the younger guys will have the luxury of development before they're called upon to make an impact. Kattus seems like a safe bet to get a ton of time because of his excellent blocking ability and how the offense would benefit from that. Don't expect this to be an area of focus in the portal.
OT - Marques Cox is the starting left tackle and if Kentucky can lock down USC OT transfer Courtland Ford then the Cats will have a new pair of starting tackles which could really change the line's performance this fall. I'm of the opinion that David Wohlabaugh and Deondre Buford are two of the more important players in the program this year, looking long-term. UK needs to get those guys some real positive experience in order to really develop depth here for the following year. True, both Cox and Ford are coming off injuries, but should be far enough removed that it's not a huge concern. If you could have those two as starters along with the other two plus Flax, etc., then it looks a lot better than last year. Still not "great" but potentially pretty good and that's a far, far cry from last year.
OG/C - It was interesting to see Kentucky offer Wyoming OG transfer Emmanuel Pregnon but a lot of schools are offering him so it speaks less to need and more just to the kind of player he is. Right now it looks like Burton's at center and that's a better spot for him. He's not a wide body and there at center he can snap and help block as opposed to having to deal with a lot of one-on-ones that caused problems last year. Keenum looks like a really good long-term option. At guard, Horsey and Cox both have experience and have played at a high level there. But there isn't a ton of depth. I would expect Tanner Bowles to be a second stringer who gets some run. Not a lot proven behind the starters so we will learn a lot about what they've got if someone goes down. Portal is possible but not a given.
DL - UK has liked the younger defensive linemen in the program for a while. Talking about guys like Saunders and Dinkins. We will see about guys like Anaele and Durojaiye, just haven't heard as much. The big thing to watch is what they will get from Keeshawn Silver next to Deone Walker of course, and what kind of weight gain we might see from Oxendine. I could see Kentucky possibly adding another guy up front if it's one of those "best available" usages of remaining scholarships but it's not a necessity. They're in pretty good shape here.
ILB - Last year was a crazy unique depth situation for Kentucky and Jackson/Wallace ended up with more snaps than Jones/Square, so while you are replacing team captains you still have a lot of starting experience returning. Martez Thrower sounds like he has taken some steps forward and could be a help for them at times. We saw UK offer Jurriente "JD" Davis from Jackson State but he's thinking about and visiting other schools so that's TBD. The depth is not as good this year and there's some wear and tear that we saw last year. The big thing to watch is what kind of leap Wallace could make. Will he be an All-SEC caliber player this season? If so, the unit could take a step forward.
OLB - JJ Weaver has put on some good weight and should have his best season for Kentucky yet. That will help a lot. Keaten Wade and Tyreese Fearbry have now been in the program for a year. Fearbry can really move but physicality is something that will be interesting to see. Wade's a very different kind of player. I think he can be an impact player this year for them. It wouldn't be a total shock to see Kentucky offer one of those "best available" guys here but again far from a necessity and probably not the need of some other positions for backups given how the defense can scheme based on personnel and opponent. They do have a lot of good 2024 OLB options available so it will be an important year for getting those evals correct.
CB - My opinion is the starting corners will be Andru Phillips and JQ Hardaway. I've said that Phillips is my pick for breakout player of the year for Kentucky. Have heard some Brandin Echols comparisons and think he will be a really nice player for them. Max Hairston apparently did some really good things in the spring. Not sure of what to expect from Dunn in his first year coming from Ohio State and having spent less time at the position than some of the others here. With Andre Stewart entering the transfer portal you have to think internally there's a sense that the 1-3 or 1-4 spots are pretty much wrapped up. As with DL, best available, but not a necessity to look for guys in the portal.
S - Three guys for the SS/FS/Nickel spots are Geiger, Lovett, and Childress. That works out perfectly. Alex Afari's in the medium position so in terms of front line players everything's good. I think what we will see is versatility in the portal guys they target. Somebody like the Rhode Island transfer -- Antonio Carter -- could be ideal because he has experience and could with one scholarship provide depth to multiple positions. I would probably expect them to add someone in the secondary, definitely someone who they could trust to play some at safety if needed.
K/P - I haven't heard anything for sure about adding another kicker to the competition but it would make sense if they have a free scholarship and can find a one year rental. Just something to watch.
On paper, Kentucky's got a chance to have a really good team. Adequately fill the right tackle position and there are no glaring holes after offseason.
I do have some questions, though.
- How much will Kentucky miss that workhorse in the backfield? They're going to be without one, safe to say, but they have some good options
- How much can the o-line realistically improve? Bring in a second new starting tackle and you almost have to throw last season's line play out because they're starting anew
- How much of a step forward do the following players take: Dane Key, Barion Brown, Deone Walker, Trevin Wallace. Others too, but those in particular. Those players have high draft pick potential and going into their next season big-time breakouts could propel Kentucky to new heights
- Devin Leary's health. Don't need to add much to that
Has the feel of a team with a pretty high floor except for the schedule thanks to Brad White's defense.
QB - Leary is the obvious starter and it's not clear who the No. 2 would be. Kaiya Sheron has been in the system for a while and Liam Coen has known him for a while. Destin Wade got experience against Iowa in the bowl game. The question is whether Kentucky will go into the portal for next year's starting quarterback as a bridge and I'd have to assume they will but they're set for now. Once again, UK is in a situation where they are one injury away from being a vastly different team than they look right now. Leary has the potential to be one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC this year but he has been injured twice in three seasons so everyone will be holding their breath on that again.
RB - JuTahn McClain and Ray Davis got a lot of work this spring and the Cats will also have Ramon Jefferson and others in the backfield. It still looks like a committee as one player has not clearly separated himself from the pack. But it is probably safe to say that McClain, Davis, Jefferson, and incoming freshman Jamarion Wilcox will all be in the mix to get on the field. It's unlikely that Kentucky would add a transfer here since there are several good by-committee options. There may be a need for a bigger younger back to bring into the program in the near future to keep things balanced.
WR - Lots of turnover here with several guys transferring out. Here at receiver we have seen, more than anywhere else, the difficulty of KEEPING depth in the portal era. Chris Lewis, Rashaan Lewis, DeMarcus Harris, Chauncey Magwood ... all guys who could have had opportunities. Fortunately UK is very strong in its front line receiver talent. If there's an injury this year to either Barion or Dane then you could really see the impact of those losses in terms of depth but they have several good slot options for depth. I wouldn't expect them to bring in another receiver because barring injury it's easy to see the top tier guys hoarding lots of targets and chances.
TE - UK has a bunch of guys on scholarship here but Bates, Dingle, and Kattus have all missed time because of injury and recovery. Khamari Anderson flashed a lot of potential in the spring and could be in the mix for time. Assuming guys return to health with no rust the position is in good shape and the younger guys will have the luxury of development before they're called upon to make an impact. Kattus seems like a safe bet to get a ton of time because of his excellent blocking ability and how the offense would benefit from that. Don't expect this to be an area of focus in the portal.
OT - Marques Cox is the starting left tackle and if Kentucky can lock down USC OT transfer Courtland Ford then the Cats will have a new pair of starting tackles which could really change the line's performance this fall. I'm of the opinion that David Wohlabaugh and Deondre Buford are two of the more important players in the program this year, looking long-term. UK needs to get those guys some real positive experience in order to really develop depth here for the following year. True, both Cox and Ford are coming off injuries, but should be far enough removed that it's not a huge concern. If you could have those two as starters along with the other two plus Flax, etc., then it looks a lot better than last year. Still not "great" but potentially pretty good and that's a far, far cry from last year.
OG/C - It was interesting to see Kentucky offer Wyoming OG transfer Emmanuel Pregnon but a lot of schools are offering him so it speaks less to need and more just to the kind of player he is. Right now it looks like Burton's at center and that's a better spot for him. He's not a wide body and there at center he can snap and help block as opposed to having to deal with a lot of one-on-ones that caused problems last year. Keenum looks like a really good long-term option. At guard, Horsey and Cox both have experience and have played at a high level there. But there isn't a ton of depth. I would expect Tanner Bowles to be a second stringer who gets some run. Not a lot proven behind the starters so we will learn a lot about what they've got if someone goes down. Portal is possible but not a given.
DL - UK has liked the younger defensive linemen in the program for a while. Talking about guys like Saunders and Dinkins. We will see about guys like Anaele and Durojaiye, just haven't heard as much. The big thing to watch is what they will get from Keeshawn Silver next to Deone Walker of course, and what kind of weight gain we might see from Oxendine. I could see Kentucky possibly adding another guy up front if it's one of those "best available" usages of remaining scholarships but it's not a necessity. They're in pretty good shape here.
ILB - Last year was a crazy unique depth situation for Kentucky and Jackson/Wallace ended up with more snaps than Jones/Square, so while you are replacing team captains you still have a lot of starting experience returning. Martez Thrower sounds like he has taken some steps forward and could be a help for them at times. We saw UK offer Jurriente "JD" Davis from Jackson State but he's thinking about and visiting other schools so that's TBD. The depth is not as good this year and there's some wear and tear that we saw last year. The big thing to watch is what kind of leap Wallace could make. Will he be an All-SEC caliber player this season? If so, the unit could take a step forward.
OLB - JJ Weaver has put on some good weight and should have his best season for Kentucky yet. That will help a lot. Keaten Wade and Tyreese Fearbry have now been in the program for a year. Fearbry can really move but physicality is something that will be interesting to see. Wade's a very different kind of player. I think he can be an impact player this year for them. It wouldn't be a total shock to see Kentucky offer one of those "best available" guys here but again far from a necessity and probably not the need of some other positions for backups given how the defense can scheme based on personnel and opponent. They do have a lot of good 2024 OLB options available so it will be an important year for getting those evals correct.
CB - My opinion is the starting corners will be Andru Phillips and JQ Hardaway. I've said that Phillips is my pick for breakout player of the year for Kentucky. Have heard some Brandin Echols comparisons and think he will be a really nice player for them. Max Hairston apparently did some really good things in the spring. Not sure of what to expect from Dunn in his first year coming from Ohio State and having spent less time at the position than some of the others here. With Andre Stewart entering the transfer portal you have to think internally there's a sense that the 1-3 or 1-4 spots are pretty much wrapped up. As with DL, best available, but not a necessity to look for guys in the portal.
S - Three guys for the SS/FS/Nickel spots are Geiger, Lovett, and Childress. That works out perfectly. Alex Afari's in the medium position so in terms of front line players everything's good. I think what we will see is versatility in the portal guys they target. Somebody like the Rhode Island transfer -- Antonio Carter -- could be ideal because he has experience and could with one scholarship provide depth to multiple positions. I would probably expect them to add someone in the secondary, definitely someone who they could trust to play some at safety if needed.
K/P - I haven't heard anything for sure about adding another kicker to the competition but it would make sense if they have a free scholarship and can find a one year rental. Just something to watch.
On paper, Kentucky's got a chance to have a really good team. Adequately fill the right tackle position and there are no glaring holes after offseason.
I do have some questions, though.
- How much will Kentucky miss that workhorse in the backfield? They're going to be without one, safe to say, but they have some good options
- How much can the o-line realistically improve? Bring in a second new starting tackle and you almost have to throw last season's line play out because they're starting anew
- How much of a step forward do the following players take: Dane Key, Barion Brown, Deone Walker, Trevin Wallace. Others too, but those in particular. Those players have high draft pick potential and going into their next season big-time breakouts could propel Kentucky to new heights
- Devin Leary's health. Don't need to add much to that
Has the feel of a team with a pretty high floor except for the schedule thanks to Brad White's defense.
