Flax gets the start on Saturday
- Thread starter bluecoon1
- Start date
Was researching him, had eight starts as a RFr but three as a Soph. Was beaten out by UVA transfer Haskins who started out as a TE with a 5.5 rr, guess he had good footwork like the guys we looked for back in the day.
Faint praise of Flax IMO saying he's starting because Ford not ready/doing well.
To start the season with just having one true position "question", which has at least been somewhat addressed, is an excellent place to be IMO. Injury wise we get through fall camp losing just one player who was a backup O-lineman. That's probably the best starting situation we have had in many years.
Pray for the health of Devin Leary.
Agree, both will clearly be needed. Ford now becomes our only experienced depth at OT although Dylan Ray has become one of the stories of camp. Looks like we got a steal from the portal in Ray.
With due respect to all concerned, it's high time for people to respect Flax for his hard work and improvement. This happens a lot in our football program, but it is still worth discussing in this case. I want to see the improvement in games, but I trust our coaches. Flax was a highly recruited prospect out of Robichaud hs in Detroit where he was a 3 year starter and also played basketball. He attended Independence CC to improve his academic status, then picked UK over AU and TX Tech. Flax has talent and good size. The SEC is the best football conference in the country and all of us know Flax gave up sacks on the edge in 2022. But he has always been a physical run blocker. When a player fights to keep his job and works hard to improve, he earns the respect of his teammates and coaches. He should earn the respect of the team's fans too.
Respectfully, I need to see it on the field before I give Flax credit. I need to see it game after game, snap after snap. This isn't Pee Wee football where everyone gets praise, deserved or not. It's cool that he's trying hard in practice and that should help. But don't be telling us to praise him before he earns it on game day.
Will be a great thing for the team when he does.
Literally nobody told you to praise him. A lot of fans are tired of other fans shitting on a player with the same over-worn narratives.
The whole offensive line sucked last year. The OC sucked last year. Scheme sucked last year. It is what it is. Nobody is telling you to write sonnets for the kid – just asking that fans respect the fact that Flax has busted his ass and our bomb-ass coaching staff has said he's improved. Whipping his tail in the comments section of videos, on social media, and in posts has gotten old. We'll see how he does this season. End of story.
Unlike our last OC, Liam Coen isn't stubborn or bull headed. If he sees Flax struggling to pass block in space he will chip & send TE help to the right side. Same for Ford being given help in run block sets.
Sounds like both are going to get a chance to show what they have on game day. No matter what some guys are not great during practice (just a mental thing against teammates meaning not wanting to hurt anyone in blue) but once they get into game situation they turn into that big meanie that we really need. I hope that is the case with RT Tackle. Be it Flax or Ford lets hope the wall is back as strong as ever. Also like the kid from WVU Dylan R. I think he will pay dividends by the end of the season. I hope our center is in good shape be it starter or back up. We need 8 or 9 guys and per Stoops he thinks they have 8 or 9 guys.
LOL. I am not telling you anything you don't already know. If you actually read my comment, you will see I too want to see it in games. All I said was that Flax deserves our respect for "hard work and improvement". If you can't agree with that, then don't. But I think it is entirely reasonable. If not hard work and improvement, then just what do you expect from our guys?
Ford being a LT before be got here, and only a LT, is being overlooked here. Flax greatest advantage over Ford is that he’s a RT, and has been getting reps at RT for the majority of his time here. It was a big ask for Ford just to overcome that and beat Flax out, from the jump at least. Time will tell who’s the better RT for us this year, but at this moment, Flax, and all of his experience at the position, is our best option. That may change, it may not, but it is what it is. Our first three games will answer a lot of questions we have about the position going forward. No need to panic….yet.
I think the fact that Ford has been dinged up in camp and missed some practices is the bigger factor, but you are obviously correct as far as it goes. Some players can switch sides with less confusion and adjustment than others, but it is a factor. However, Ford played some RT at SoCal, even though LT was his main position. Ford just got here in June, so he is still adapting. One thing we can probably say would be that Flax and Ford appear to have different strengths and limitations.
.
Again, apparently correct. The other day, Stoops said the RT competition will continue into the season. There are a couple of things to take into consideration. For one thing, Ford probably has the inside track to the starting LT job in 2024, while Flax will be gone after this year. Another thing is that Coen knows Flax better than he knows Ford and vice versa, which means this is not much of an adjustment for Flax. Yet another thing is that the entire OL (except Flax) is adapting to new positions, not just Ford. The entire OL is probably still searching for the ideal chemistry. And as you say, that's what the nonconference schedule is for.
I'm cautiously optimistic about that. Horsey and E. Cox are returning to positions they played before under the current OC, and Horsey, Burton, and Cox have all played together in that order, albeit shifting one spot to the right this season. If Burton is as well prepped at center as has been hinted, and if M. Cox is the seasoned veteran he's reputed to be, I'm hopeful that our OL will show tremendous improvement at least through the RT-LG spots. Proof will be in the pudding, though.
Like the rest of the OL, he wasn't nearly as bad as fans made him out to be. They tried using a TE to help but dingle wanted nothing to do with blocking. Kattus was a major upgrade there but we didn't see him till pretty late.
A different QB will have these guys looking like a brand new unit. A better OC and another year experience will add to that difference.
Also I posted in one thread or another after Ford committed that I wasn't really a fan of taking that commitment. I predicted then he likely wouldn't start (he was beat out at USC and slow afoot) and it caused us to lose two OTs we recruited and developed. Imo should've stayed with who we had with Buford and wohlabaugh, both of whom are starting for their new teams.
A different QB will have these guys looking like a brand new unit. A better OC and another year experience will add to that difference.
Also I posted in one thread or another after Ford committed that I wasn't really a fan of taking that commitment. I predicted then he likely wouldn't start (he was beat out at USC and slow afoot) and it caused us to lose two OTs we recruited and developed. Imo should've stayed with who we had with Buford and wohlabaugh, both of whom are starting for their new teams.
Interesting, although there is another side to that coin. Last year Wohlabaugh got moved to RG and Buford to RT. We will never know if those would have been their permanent positions at UK, but neither appeared to have what it takes to play LT in the SEC. With a year in the program, Ford eventually might. I'm not saying he will. If your assessment is right, his feet might hurt his chances. But he was primarily a LT at SoCal. Within limits, footwork can be taught.
In any case, the back injury suffered by Nik Hall hurts, but it looks like UK got a steal out of the portal in Dylan Ray. But we have to add more OTs, and I still expect new names to emerge on UK's recruiting radar this fall.
I think these two could have helped us this year but I would not trade M. Cox and Ford for these two coming back. Cox may be the best lineman we have this year and Ford's not starting has more to do with the position change (OT to RT) IMO.
I remember seeing that but I'm pretty sure that was a misprint of some sort. I think they got him mixed up with maybe John young.
Definitely agree cox was a take all the way and I don't think it impacted either of those. Ford was the unforeseen addition.
I'm all for upgrading via the portal but Ford really wasn't an upgrade over those two. It just cost us quality depth. Plus wohlabaugh is still very young with a long way to go
At the end of the day, I am all about Kentucky football wins and becoming more of a force in the SEC as well as getting more national recognition. However, I am not so cynical and transactional that I can't simultaneously understand the college football is a chance to mold young men. Flax was not good last year, there were popular videos circulating around of him getting pancaked, part of the fan base mocked him openly and without restraint, and the team went to the portal to replace him. What did he do? Did he transfer and run away? No, he faced the challenge, doubled-down for himself and with his team, and worked hard / stuck it out. Of course, he only gets credit for being a better football player only if he plays better, and the future there is uncertain; but this experience of toughness and resolve will make him a better husband, father, neighbor, community member, and increase is chances of his professional success outside of football. That makes me feel good about Kentucky Football too. My guess is that this also has made him a better football player and I am rooting for him as hard as any other player on our roster to succeed. People can praise or not praise whomever they wish - but in this day and age in a society where so much is entitled and taking the easy way out is so popular, Flax's conduct has made me proud of him and proud of our program.
How can anyone state the entire OL as well as Flax wasn’t as bad as fans made them/him out to be?
Who was the fault of dropping to 19 points per game in 2022 from 32 points per game in 2021 with the Qb And all sec RB back ? I get Scangerello was a bust but rhe Oline was disaster and Flax or Jager were by far the worst two Oline off that unit.
I’m all for moving on to a new year …but Flax has to show it before many fans will see him beating Ford as a good thing
Already addressed it ad nauseam.
Ford didn't have the foot speed to keep his job at USC. That's a very concerning physical limitation considering the major step up in the sec.
1. Your comment that the Oline wasn’t that bad last year…I think they were a bottom handful Oline for any P5 program…that is really bad. Not many are exaggerating …that group was the second worst Oline under stoops (his first year was the only worse unit)
2. If Ford ends up worse then Flax…it is what it is and we have to play it out. But when we took Ford…..the repercussions was Buford leaving (and Wohlbaugh). And I have no idea why Yenser played Flax over Buford….but that was s bad coaching decision
Yenser better get this unit to perform is rhe bottom line
Maybe we are in damn good shape as a 2023 team if out of 24 starting slots only RT is controversial?!?!
This^^^^
School is still out on Yenser being a competent OL coach.
CMS can be loyal (stubborn) to a fault where his personal friends on staff are concerned.
Here's hoping that Yenser doesn't become the next D J Eliott.
Rich Scang wasn't the only coaching issue with last year's team.
Hoping Liam can bring Yenser along.
Yeah he did. He said we had best start respecting Flax's improvements in practice and within the system. How would one do that? Through praise. I'm with Allen Iverson on this one. And stop being so melodramatic. Geez.
As I say that's practice. Flax laying flat on his back while his man hurtles at our QB is etched in my mind. I need to see far less of that. Only time will tell and practice reports aren't always indicative of game success. I'll save my praise until then.
The fact that it's a competition tells me all I need to know about how Flax has *improved*.
The problem I see is going to be that he has success in our first 4 easy games and then we're going to be stuck with him when it really matters.
And if he struggles, at that point it might be too late for Ford to take over as he'll be thrown to the wolves against far superior competition and might not be ready like he would be if he started game one.
That's what I'm afraid of...
The problem I see is going to be that he has success in our first 4 easy games and then we're going to be stuck with him when it really matters.
And if he struggles, at that point it might be too late for Ford to take over as he'll be thrown to the wolves against far superior competition and might not be ready like he would be if he started game one.
That's what I'm afraid of...
I hear that he's well on his way to winning the Butch Jones' Championship of Life.
Pretty sure Ford will get reps. I don't think Flax is playing 100% of the downs first 4 games. I'd almost put money on it.
If you wish to be snarky and invoke a past Tennessee embarrassment in the effort to marginalize a positive take on meaningful growth by a current Kentucky Football player, be my guest. That says much more about you than it does about me or about Flax.
While I feel pretty good about the 2023 offensive unit....I'd argue we have more questions than RT spot.
1. Are we really sold on RB spot. Ray Davis is solid but not great talent to me. Backup RB is a big iffie spot IMO.
2. Will Dingle actually try to block somebody this year at TE? At least we have Kattus who is an elite blocking TE...but those 2 TE sets....Dingle has to get much tougher at point of attack.
3. Significant depth issues at WR...outside of Anthony Brown backign up Tayvion....we feel good at WR rotation?
4. Flax, as noted, had a bad year at RT....but also Jager Burton was a mess as well. Will he be fine at Center....he needs to show it as well.
5. The huge issue to me is Yenser as Oline coach in general.
All in all, I think many of these issues will not turn out to be a negative in 2023....but a few might be a true issue in the end. But UK offense has some questions beyond 1 spot.
I'm sure he won't but he's going to have to REALLY f up to lose the spot and going into game 5, that could be too late. Just my thoughts.
Similar threads
