Most of you have already read Jeff's notes from today. After some conversations, here is what I have heard about practice recently, the scrimmage, and where things seem to be with the season a few weeks away.
** Asked about Brock Vandagriff and folks seem pretty pleased with where he's at. I'm not expecting him to come in and pass for 3,500 yards necessarily but I haven't been hearing concerns. He's an unknown until he does it in live game action but I think there's a belief he can be what they hoped he would be.
** Hearing that Gavin Wimsatt is doing some good things too, and the sense is they probably shouldn't have let him get away the first time coming out of HS. Brock is still the starter but here's the thing. Rutgers runs the ball all the time. It's kind of like Stoops when Gran was the OC. Not exactly a QB-friendly offense. Put him in a different system, like UK's now, and maybe the light turns on.
** Jamarion Wilcox is trending in the right direction. Last year I think he was just young, immature, and couldn't get it on track. But I'm now hearing that he's showing some Boom-like qualities with his acceleration and breakaway speed. These are the best Wilcox reviews I have heard since he signed with the program and that's very interesting.
** The receivers looked good today. Fred Farrier continues to be a standout. Someone they will count on, someone who will play a lot. Dane Key and Anthony Brown-Stephens had their moments. Ja'Mori Maclin impressing as well. Didn't hear Barion mentioned but he's been good so far on the whole. Haven't heard Hardley Gilmore mentioned much lately but not saying that's bad news or anything.
** Jordan Dingle and Willie Rodriguez have been standouts at tight end recently. Khamari Anderson has had a good fall camp and is going to play a lot, didn't have his best day today but this is a deep room with lots of options.
** Jalen Farmer has been impressing with consistency and I think he will be a starter for them. The other piece of good news at guard is that Dylan Ray is back to the size UK wants him at, apparently, after coming back a bit lighter after he went to Costa Rica on a trip. Hearing the starting tackles Mincey and Cox are looking good. UK's probably going to need portal help there eventually.
** Another offensive lineman who is impressing lately is Aba Selm, a RS-Frosh this year. He's primarily a guard who is being cross-trained to play center. Folks starting to talk like Aba can provide depth maybe even as soon as this year but in the big picture he'll be a good add.
** "The whole defense, really, is standing out," one person told me. I've floated my belief it could be one of Stoops' top-2 defenses and there has been no pushback. They are expecting this to be one of the better defenses in college football.
** Ty Bryant and Zion Childress two of the defensive backs I have heard mentioned as doing good things lately. True frosh corner Terhyon Nichols continues to be one of the standouts from the '24 signing class and he will push to get on the field. Still hearing solid things about Waller but Nichols has gotten the most talk lately, sounds like he's a dog.
** Asked about Brock Vandagriff and folks seem pretty pleased with where he's at. I'm not expecting him to come in and pass for 3,500 yards necessarily but I haven't been hearing concerns. He's an unknown until he does it in live game action but I think there's a belief he can be what they hoped he would be.
** Hearing that Gavin Wimsatt is doing some good things too, and the sense is they probably shouldn't have let him get away the first time coming out of HS. Brock is still the starter but here's the thing. Rutgers runs the ball all the time. It's kind of like Stoops when Gran was the OC. Not exactly a QB-friendly offense. Put him in a different system, like UK's now, and maybe the light turns on.
** Jamarion Wilcox is trending in the right direction. Last year I think he was just young, immature, and couldn't get it on track. But I'm now hearing that he's showing some Boom-like qualities with his acceleration and breakaway speed. These are the best Wilcox reviews I have heard since he signed with the program and that's very interesting.
** The receivers looked good today. Fred Farrier continues to be a standout. Someone they will count on, someone who will play a lot. Dane Key and Anthony Brown-Stephens had their moments. Ja'Mori Maclin impressing as well. Didn't hear Barion mentioned but he's been good so far on the whole. Haven't heard Hardley Gilmore mentioned much lately but not saying that's bad news or anything.
** Jordan Dingle and Willie Rodriguez have been standouts at tight end recently. Khamari Anderson has had a good fall camp and is going to play a lot, didn't have his best day today but this is a deep room with lots of options.
** Jalen Farmer has been impressing with consistency and I think he will be a starter for them. The other piece of good news at guard is that Dylan Ray is back to the size UK wants him at, apparently, after coming back a bit lighter after he went to Costa Rica on a trip. Hearing the starting tackles Mincey and Cox are looking good. UK's probably going to need portal help there eventually.
** Another offensive lineman who is impressing lately is Aba Selm, a RS-Frosh this year. He's primarily a guard who is being cross-trained to play center. Folks starting to talk like Aba can provide depth maybe even as soon as this year but in the big picture he'll be a good add.
** "The whole defense, really, is standing out," one person told me. I've floated my belief it could be one of Stoops' top-2 defenses and there has been no pushback. They are expecting this to be one of the better defenses in college football.
** Ty Bryant and Zion Childress two of the defensive backs I have heard mentioned as doing good things lately. True frosh corner Terhyon Nichols continues to be one of the standouts from the '24 signing class and he will push to get on the field. Still hearing solid things about Waller but Nichols has gotten the most talk lately, sounds like he's a dog.
