Hello again, HOB. After the conclusion of our Media Day festivities this morning, UK invited us back to watch part of today's practice. Here are a few notes and observations from the periods that we got to see:
* Let's start with QBs. That's always a major point of emphasis in football. Kentucky's QB room looks so much different now than it has in quite some time. In Vandagriff, Allen, Boley, and Wimsatt, you see four guys going through drills who you could actually envision getting snaps in a game and holding their own. I don't know when the last time that was the case at UK. All of those guys carry themselves like they are competing for QB1. All of them spun it well on the accuracy drills with the hole in the net. I think Wimsatt may have bullseye'd that more than anyone.
* Wolford is, let's say, "colorful" with his coaching of the O-Line. Dude is not messing around. I think he's going to drive those guys to a new level of play.
* The WRs seem to have more urgency/energy in their drills. A lot more purpose in their route-running and precision under Shorts. You can also see the impact of having older, experienced guys in that room. Businesslike.
* Freshman RB Tovani Mizell is an impressive physical dude. He's listed at 215, but he looks 225+ He had a red jersey on today, so he wasn't involved in all the drills.
* Another guy that falls into the "This does not look like an ordinary freshman" is TE Willie Rodriguez. Already a great frame and build. No telling what he'll look like after a year in the program.
* DL Keeshawn Silver looks leaner to me. Really good shape entering the season. Moving well.
* The new addition to the D-Line, Dennious Jackson is a load at NT. Could be just what they needed with Hayes and Gadson hurting. He's listed at 335, and let me tell you, he looks every bit of it. Not in a bad way. WIDE LOAD. Kind of a prototype 3-4 NT. Interested to see how he plays.
* Former Boyle County DL Tommy Ziesmer seems to have really put in some good work in the S&C program. He's listed at 282 now and looks even bigger than that. Held his own on some DL drills against bigger, veteran dudes like Silver.
* Waller is a specimen who jumps out at you as a CB. Kinda reminds me of those guys Stoops had with Westry, Baity, L. Johnson. Loooooong. Max Hairston told me earlier today he dreams of looking like Waller. Hopefully, he can play as good as he looks.
* Speaking of look test... Freshman Quay'sheed Scott really caught my eye. Physical-looking kid. Kind of DB body you see at Bama, LSU, Miss. State, if you know what I mean. UK's had some good DBs in the Stoops Era, but a lot are on the wiry side. This kid is thick.
* When they went to 11s, this is the personnel I saw for offense and defense:
O: M Cox, Burton, E. Cox, Farmer, Mincey, Vandagriff, Trayanum, Dingle, Key, B. Brown, (unsure of 11th guy, possibly A. Brown-Stephens)
D: Silver, Walker, Rybka, Jackson, Dumas-Johnson, Rayner, Afari, Weaver, Hairston, Hardaway, Dunn, Childress, Lovett, Bryant (mix of 13-14 guys depending on package called, highlighting their depth on that side of the ball.)
* 11s that we were able to watch were dominated by the defense. Granted, I don't know what the focus of this period was, but it looked to me like they were working a lot of run game and play-action pass off the run game, and the defense kinda had their way with it. Stuffed a lot of the runs. Hardly anything converted on passes. Really flying around. There was more 11s later, but we had been escorted out after 7 of 13 periods.
* Scouts from Titans, Falcons, Bucs seen at the JCFTC today. Spent a lot of time on DL and CB/S position group work.
* Brutally humid day at the JCFTC. I'm still amazed people can practice football in those conditions. It stormed all morning in Lexington, then the sun came back with a vengeance. Humidity 8000. I'm gonna need another shower.
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