We are now more than one week into the first portal wave, which opened for non-graduates on 12/4. Kentucky has begun its work in the portal and it is a methodical process. The staff has an idea of some guys who may be going into the portal as do coaches everywhere. But there are many players who go in and then you pivot and try to make a play. It was never going to be an overnight deal. More like a trickle that gets hot at a couple of different inflection points. Right now we're in the trickle phase where guys come in one-by-one.
Who they've got:
QB Brock Vandagriff - Two years of eligibility. The hope is those two years give him all the material scouts need. He has not been a starter at the college level but neither had Levis. I believe one of the main reasons there is some optimism for an upgrade at quarterback is the belief that Vandagriff will be able to run the offense faster than UK was able to run it with Leary this year. For whatever reason, I think Leary struggled with getting the plays in, lined up, snapped quickly. Vandagriff has been under center, has gotten some great QB coaching, and has intangibles not only from being a coach's son but from being a part of the sport's best program over the last three years.
RB Chip Trayanum - Talent-wise and in terms of the circumstances of Trayanum's transfer it looks very good. He was Ohio State's second-leading rusher this season, although it's fair to point out that it was not a vintage Buckeye rushing attack. Trayanum has played well when he has had opportunity at two different players, Arizona State and Ohio State. That bodes well, as does the fact that he is another high character and thoughtful kid who should be good for the locker room. It is worth mentioning that Trayanum has never been the workhorse in the way that Snell, C Rod, or even this year that Ray Davis was. He seems to be a very different kind of back than Davis, who really thrived in Coen's pro-style offense. Trayanum should be very good for Kentucky's short yardage and red zone running. Do they lose some explosiveness as a offense swapping Trayanum for Davis, and how do they compensate to get more of it?
WR Raymond Cottrell - I spoke with Mark Passwaters of the A&M Rivals site and he told me that Cottrell was one that they did not want to see leave in Aggieland. There have been a lot of A&M players go into the portal and many of them are no loss, but he said that Cottrell is a young prospect they would have done well to keep. Big, physical player, like Shamar Porter it has been mentioned to me a couple of times by different folks. It looked like Cottrell was in line to get some playing time for Texas A&M this year and then he got hurt so that set him back. But a very good sign that a RS-Frosh was going to play for a Bobby Petrino offense before the setback. A real piece to get excited about for the future and helps restore some of the second-line depth that was lost last offseason.
Position-for-position how have needs been met?
1. QB - Needs met but could add another. Vandagriff will have to win the job. Cutter Boley is coming in a year early. Beau Allen is coming in as someone who knows the offense and has some game experience at a lower level. He is coming back as a walk-on. One would think that Allen could step in and play if he needs to, but it would not surprise me if they added another quarterback. I have said that Donaven McCulley would be a great addition not only because he was a breakout receiver when he played last year, but he has extensive backup QB experience. But I have no clue if that would be something that UK would even be interested in. They could theoretically add another quarterback depending on numbers because it's a light room once again. However, with Boley you at least have a coveted prospect. Still, when you think about young guys like Drew Allar at Penn State, Nico Iamaleava at Tennessee, etc., there's an obvious preference to let even the highly-ranked guys have a year of work behind the scenes and off the field, maybe even two years preferably.
2. RB - Need met but could add another. Trayanum is the most likely candidate to start based on the running backs who are in line to be on the roster but there are some X-Factors. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is someone they started to use more as the season went on but he doesn't have the look of someone who is going to carry a big workload in the backfield. However, he could get more carries and with more receivers on the roster that might be his best path to getting more PT. Jamarion Wilcox is a big variable. We don't know how he will be looking going into fall camp. This will be his first spring practice with the program and could help a lot. He didn't benefit from that last year. Jaquez Keyes is a guy they have been looking at for a couple of years and he could be someone to track as well. UK has two high school running backs coming in but one, Mizell, is coming off another injury so you wonder about his immediate impact potential. Right now it looks like Trayanum at the top and then anybody's guess for carries after that.
3. WR - One added, maybe two more to go. We know about some of the players to watch here. McCulley, Ja'Mori Maclin, perhaps Matthew Golden if he doesn't go to Texas, and some others. I feel strongly about Kentucky adding another and it should really boost the unit. I could still see them adding three receivers in total. If they pair Cottrell with the guy who I think they are in good shape for, I am not sure if another receiver add would be a developmental guy (long-term play) or an immediate impact. Becomes harder to get the splash impact guys the more you have already added.
4. TE - There has been quite a bit of attrition with Izayah Cummings and Jordan Dingle leaving, and of course Brenden Bates moving on. That means Josh Kattus and Khamari Anderson are probably in line to play quite a bit next year. I think you can make a strong case they are the two best prospects moving forward but losing Dingle does hurt their pass-catching at the position. Willie Rodriguez is coming up and I think he's the kind of guy who could conceivably play as a freshman because of his physicality and approach. I don't think they will add a tight end, but depth could be something to watch next year whereas the last couple of years it certainly was not. I'm just not sure it will rise to the level of a portal priority given other needs. They also won't need tight ends as much to cover up a lack of depth at receiver and could run a deeper WR rotation and keep more on the field.
5. OT - Need one. If Courtland Ford elevates his game then it's totally conceivable that he and Marques Cox could hold down the starting tackle positions for the whole season. Malachi Wood and Austin Ramsey are a couple of guys that they apparently feel pretty good about. Remember, Dylan Ray has the flex ability to kick out to tackle, but he was a mainstay at guard this year and that's probably where he is more likely to be. Kentucky lost a couple of its developmental tackles before last year (Deondre Buford, David Wohlabaugh). In an ideal world they would be able to add another player like Cox who could be around for multiple years. It will be interesting to see if its as easy to find a Marques Cox this year when there is a little more uncertainty as to the starter on the right side. Will be a lot easier to find a guy with 2-4 years not expecting to start than someone who knows he would come in and start for a year or two.
6. OG/C - Could use one. There just is not a lot of depth right now. Is Paul Rodriguez going to be ready to play next year? We heard that he was someone who could be a guy this year but he didn't get an opportunity. Tough with so few snaps. It was Cox, Burton and Ray in the iOL spots and they return, but you could definitely see them adding someone.
6. DL - TBD. I don't see a huge need here. You think about someone like Dinkins going into the portal to get more playing time. He landed several P5 offers. That tells you something about who Kentucky has on the DL. They could conceivably add another longer-term piece like Silver but other positions seem to be the priority. Anwar Stewart may have the team's best position group on paper as it stands.
7. LB - Could use at least one. I do see a need here. JJ Weaver could theoretically return for another season but even so, you would like to add some pass rush help. Keaten Wade didn't give them much pass rush but they needed to upgrade that regardless of what he did. Alex Afari will play more in Wade's absence but they aren't identical players. There are some younger linebackers like Rayner, Matthews, Fearbry, and I think Fearbry could reasonably be expected to step up as a starter next year but whatever pass rush help they can add, they should add. Problem is it's just going to be so competitive for those guys.
8. DB - Could use one or two. De'Carlos Nicholson is obviously one that would help them. He had an OK season for Mississippi State. Staff knows him very well. Would hit the ground running and could be expected to play a lot. May not be a lockdown corner but he has really good length for matchups, better length than they had this year. If you add Nicholson that might be it at corner. I know folks have their opinions on JQ, Dunn, and Robinson, but those are the kinds of players that you do have to keep and develop. Guys don't come in as good as they are going to be and they didn't really have a pass rush this year. I could see them adding a safety as well but with Childress returning and Ty Bryant emerging you once again have a three-man rotation as you did coming into this past year.
9. Specialist - Punting is going to be in focus after the way things ended this past offseason and I'm sure Jay Boulware is going to devote a lot of time to it.
