FOUR DOWNS: Revelations from UK Football Media Day
Freshman defensive back Alex Afari spoke to reporters during UK Football Media Day. (JEFF DRUMMOND/CATS ILLUSTRATED)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
Oftentimes, it's hard to differentiate one media day from any that preceded it.
Smiles aplenty. Optimism abounds. Everyone is bigger, stronger, and faster.
Aside from the devastating summer when we learned that offensive line coach John Schlarman and defensive lineman Josh Paschal were both battling cancer going into the season, there usually aren't a great deal of surprises when Mark Stoops addresses the local media for the first time.
This year's media day event was largely par for the course, but there were a few really intriguing nuggets to keep Big Blue Nation hungry for more:
1. OFF-SEASON OFFENSIVE TACKLE CONCERNS OVERBLOWN?
One of the biggest questions for Kentucky coming out of spring practice was thought to be replacing All-American Darian Kinnard and fellow standout Dare Rosenthal at the offensive tackle spots. The staff was pleased with the progress of sophomore Deondre Buford and junior Jeremy Flax in during the off-season, and it appears there is even more reason for optimism. Asked about the situation Wednesday, offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello indicated that he's more concerned about interior pass protection than the edges. That raised a lot of eyebrows because the inside guys are thought to be the strength of the "Big Blue Wall" entering 2022. Buford and Flax have been nice development stories, and five-star freshman Kiyaunta Goodwin is a guy everyone wants to see with his 6-foot-8, 355-pound frame on the field. Mark Stoops also mentioned redshirt freshman David Wohlabaugh Jr. as a "pleasant surprise" since focusing on tackle. The Cats may have a nice two-deep rotation in the works.
2. ALEX AFARI JR. OPENING EYES EARLY
Although there were some players in Kentucky's 2022 signing class who commanded more fan and media buzz, possibly due to the higher-profile names on their offer sheets, Alex Afari Jr. was still a four-star defensive back out of West Chester High School in Ohio and one of the Buckeye State's Top 50 prospects. Based on what we heard at media day, he may not fly under the radar too much longer. After just one day of practice, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Afari drew high praise from both UK head coach Mark Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White. The latter referred to Afari as "a rare blend" of size, length, and athleticism, and noted that the staff has to find a way to get him contributing. He walks into a perfect situation due to the thin nature of the Cats' cornerback depth chart.
3. J.J. WEAVER HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD... AT WAY LESS THAN 100%
A scary thought for UK opponents this season is having to deal with a healthy J.J. Weaver coming off the edge. The long, athletic linebacker has already been a nice playmaker for the Cats' unit, but defensive coordinator Brad White says he is just now getting back to full strength -- physically and mentally -- after suffering a season-ending knee injury at Florida during the 2020 season. He had 10 tackles for loss, six sacks, four quarterback hurries, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup last season at what Weaver says was "about 80%" Now 100%, and at 6-foot-5 and an imposing 242 poounds, he could be poised for a huge junior season. The twitch is back. "He's brimming with confidence, playing fast," White said. NFL scouts will be taking notice. His presence should also benefit super-senior Jordan Wright back on the other side of the line. Prediction: there won't be too many better edge duos in the SEC.
4. BARION BROWN SOUNDS LIKE THE REAL DEAL
Kentucky's impressive overhaul of the wide receiver room included some big-time wins on the recruiting trail. Local product Dane Key stole the show when he enrolled early and consistently made big plays for the Cats this spring, and now it's Barion Brown who is causing a commotion. The 6-foot-1, 166-pound standout from Nashville's tradition-rich Pearl Cohn High School isn't quite as stout as Lynn Bowden was coming out of the prep ranks, but he's drawing some of the same preseason hype that we heard about the former UK superstar. According to UK quarterback Will Levis, he made quite a few nice plays on Day 1 of practice. "Showed up today already," Stoops said. "His explosiveness is really special," Levis added. Getting more production from the wide receiver group was a major point of emphasis in the off-season, and it appears that the Cats have gotten much better with the addition of Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson, Key, and Brown. They could help mitigate the loss of record-setting wideout Wan'Dale Robinson.
