Four key position battles in Kentucky football preseason camp

[TuckyFB]

RT
CB
Kicker
Backup QB

I think backup QB and RT are the most important knowing Leary's history w/ injuries.


Article by Jon Hale sparked my interest this morning. What do y'all think?

 

[truebluewildcat]

Back up QB may be the most important position in sports. It's the difference in the game and season for any team that has the starter go down for any length of time.

Unfortunately, I think the transfer portal era has really handicapped programs when it comes to back-ups.

10 years ago, your back up was at the very least a program guy who'd been around 3-4 years, gotten some clean up snaps and/or emergency injury snaps, knew the playbook, and had chemistry with the team. Those guys are hitting the portal more than any position now looking for run. So, unless you're a top 10-15 program, you're back up is either a 19-year-old and/or former walk-on practice arm from some other program.

I mean remember when every year was a "qb battle..."? That isn't the case anymore. Nobody was close to Will Levis in any regard.

There was a stretch of seasons that if something happened to the starter our coaching staff thought it was a better idea to put a wr/rb as a wildcat QB and change up the playbook to some relic multiple run option offense than put in one of our actual QBs and run the actual offense!

So, back to the main point, yeah back up QB is worth a couple of games as we found out last year. A little bit more experienced and/or talented guy last year and we're playing in a better bowl and probably winning it...

 

[K_TIME]

RT
CB
Kicker
Backup QB

I think backup QB and RT are the most important knowing Leary's history w/ injuries.


Article by Jon Hale sparked my interest this morning. What do y'all think?

I'll go
1. Ford wins RT
2. Hairston sticks at CB opposite of Phillips
3. ?????
4. Sheron

 

[Rembrandt90]

RT
CB
Kicker
Backup QB

I think backup QB and RT are the most important knowing Leary's history w/ injuries.


Article by Jon Hale sparked my interest this morning. What do y'all think?

I think you are spot on in describing these as important competitions in camp. I would add the nickel back. Won't try to predict outcomes, because that is why they have competitions. You never know what mindsets and conditioning issues individual players will bring to camp the first week of August.

 

[JHB4UK]

Coen liked Sheron 1st time around, and complimented him in the Spring. I'll be shocked if Wade is #2. Frankly towards the end of the season might be time to have the move-to-safety-so-you-can-play talk with him.

2024 QB is either another vet tfer or Leary #1 with Cutter training as the #2.

 

[gamecockcat]

Can't decide about Wade. Coaches, I think, want him to improve and become a big-time QB but hard to tell from the bowl game if that's his ceiling. Iowa's defense was damn good and, even at full strength, we'd have had trouble scoring more than 17 points. Wade made a couple of very ill-advised throws that turned into Iowa TDs. But, had a few bright spots during the game (not many, granted). Evidently, in the spring, showed some real improvement but you've got to take that with a healthy grain of salt.

Didn't see enough of Sheron, either. USC game was screwed up from the outset and we had a pitiful game plan that was not executed very well. I think both Sheron and Wade have the physical ability to be solid backups but whether they can be starters at some point is very much undecided right now.

I'm confident with Coen back, both guys will be better coached, will have a set of plays that they can comfortably run and shouldn't look completely lost if thrust into action. Also, confident our chances of 8+ wins get very slim if Leary misses much time. Just the way it is nowadays.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Coen liked Sheron 1st time around, and complimented him in the Spring. I'll be shocked if Wade is #2. Frankly towards the end of the season might be time to have the move-to-safety-so-you-can-play talk with him.

2024 QB is either another vet tfer or Leary #1 with Cutter training as the #2.

I don't think Destin would ever be a safety. For one, he has the mindset of a QB. For another, he does not have the build of a safety. I will not judge his camp performance until he has a fair chance to compete. But if he has to move, IMO he would probably become a LB. I just think we are getting ahead of ourselves.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Iowa's defense was damn good and, even at full strength, we'd have had trouble scoring more than 17 points. Wade made a couple of very ill-advised throws that turned into Iowa TDs. But, had a few bright spots during the game (not many, granted). Evidently, in the spring, showed some real improvement

This is where I think a little bit of the UK basketball fan mindset creeps in for some people. As a freshman, Destin Wade gets his first start in a bowl game against arguably the best defense in the country. He didn't excel as a newby in that small, difficult sample. Therefore he can't ever be a successful QB. It's just irrational. It ignores the possibility that our coaches can develop tools into skills. But this is how some of our fans think.

In reality, there will be a competition and Coach Coen will pick the QB who wins the competition. The competition began in March and will reach a decision point in 4 weeks.

 

[Deeeefense]

SLB - Wade or Fearbry. I'm thinking Wade will win the starting job in the base 3/4, but Afari will sub in for the SAM in same nickle/dime alignments quite a bit.

RB - Davis seems to be the overwhelming fan choice but he could get some competition from Jefferson and DSK. at least 4 and maybe as many as 6 will see meaningful snaps You can say the same thing about TE with Kattus starting and 4 other guys rotating in and out.

I'm not worried about backup QB. I'm looking for a big season from the CATS offense with Leary, if for some reason he is out for an extended period of time it's another 7-5 Music City Bowl year anyway.

If Ford doesn't lock down the RT spot by week one I'll be shocked.

I think Raynor is a lock to be the place kicker for field goals and extra points with Poore kicking off.

So to summarize, I just don't see many position battles this season.

 

[TuckyFB]

I think Kicking will be just fine. We've got a kicker who is on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist (Best placekicker award)

 

[blue cincy]

RT Battle should be epic this fall camp.
Same for CB. There are gonna be some guys really battling or someone will wither and die out. QB2 will be fun to pay attention to but hopefully we will not have to have QB2 in a game. The other battle will be Oline vs Dline. I would love to be by those guys each day. See how much they leave out there.

RT - My guess will be USC transfer (Cox?)
CB- No idea
QB2 - Twin (Wade?)
Kicker - No idea.

Ready to get positive news on the football front with the upcoming camp.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Can't decide about Wade. Coaches, I think, want him to improve and become a big-time QB but hard to tell from the bowl game if that's his ceiling. Iowa's defense was damn good and, even at full strength, we'd have had trouble scoring more than 17 points. Wade made a couple of very ill-advised throws that turned into Iowa TDs. But, had a few bright spots during the game (not many, granted). Evidently, in the spring, showed some real improvement but you've got to take that with a healthy grain of salt.

Didn't see enough of Sheron, either. USC game was screwed up from the outset and we had a pitiful game plan that was not executed very well. I think both Sheron and Wade have the physical ability to be solid backups but whether they can be starters at some point is very much undecided right now.

I'm confident with Coen back, both guys will be better coached, will have a set of plays that they can comfortably run and shouldn't look completely lost if thrust into action. Also, confident our chances of 8+ wins get very slim if Leary misses much time. Just the way it is nowadays.

without CRod and a running game and going against one of the best defenses in the country, Wade had no chance in that game, and Sheron would have had no no chance. It was lamb to the slaughter in that game.

 

[TuckyFB]

 

[K_TIME]

without CRod and a running game and going against one of the best defenses in the country, Wade had no chance in that game, and Sheron would have had no no chance. It was lamb to the slaughter in that game.

i agree....Levis and CRod playing would have struggled to score 21 pts vs. Iowa. Very hard to determine much on Wade. But the big takeway that had nothing to do with Iowa....Wade was not quite the athlete i was thinking he would be.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Wade was not quite the athlete i was thinking he would be.

That's your opinion, based on a very small sample with a bad OL, and playing against some of the best defensive athletes in the country. I have seen you say this before, but there wasn't very much in that game upon which to base such a definitive conclusion. I am inclined to trust our coaches and give Destin more time to demonstrate his athletic skills.

 

[K_TIME]

That's your opinion, based on a very small sample with a bad OL, and playing against some of the best defensive athletes in the country. I have seen you say this before, but there wasn't very much in that game upon which to base such a definitive conclusion. I am inclined to trust our coaches and give Destin more time to demonstrate his athletic skills.

Having a bad Oline had nothing do with he wasn't running away from any defenders in open field, didn't have a burst/juke in space. I'd argue Will is/was a better athlete as a QB...and Will is a very solid athlete for a QB.....but Wade really in the same class to a Malik CUnningham of UL Vince Young, Pat White of old WVU days, KJ Jefferson, Jayden Daniels that I was hoping he could be athletically.

 

[JPFisher]

Having a bad Oline had nothing do with he wasn't running away from any defenders in open field, didn't have a burst/juke in space. I'd argue Will is/was a better athlete as a QB...and Will is a very solid athlete for a QB.....but Wade really in the same class to a Malik CUnningham of UL Vince Young, Pat White of old WVU days, KJ Jefferson, Jayden Daniels that I was hoping he could be athletically.

Will Levis was handicapped by Scan's play calling. Why should the backups that don't have any experience be any different?

 

[docholiday51]

UK is a good team as long as Leary is healthy. We don't have a back-up that can go into a game and play well enough for us to win. It is as simple as that. We have 4 games to find one if there is one to find. History tells us that Stoops probably won't take advantage of those games to do so.

We likely have enough defense to allow him to try and come up with one. Job one should be to identify the back-up and get him ready to play if he is needed

 

[bigbluehomer]

I'm kinda curious if there's any competition at the long snapper position...........

 

[UKSanders]

Having a bad Oline had nothing do with he wasn't running away from any defenders in open field, didn't have a burst/juke in space. I'd argue Will is/was a better athlete as a QB...and Will is a very solid athlete for a QB.....but Wade really in the same class to a Malik CUnningham of UL Vince Young, Pat White of old WVU days, KJ Jefferson, Jayden Daniels that I was hoping he could be athletically.

For the record, I agree with what you saw. He wasn't a statue back there, but he didn't exhibit the explosive type of athleticism I thought he may have. My guess is he has at least a little more than he demonstrated, but he was so hesitant due to second guessing that he wasn't just cutting it loose.

 

[K_TIME]

For the record, I agree with what you saw. He wasn't a statue back there, but he didn't exhibit the explosive type of athleticism I thought he may have. My guess is he has at least a little more than he demonstrated, but he was so hesitant due to second guessing that he wasn't just cutting it loose.

I can agree with that. Maybe being so inexperienced he was thinking vs reacting…hopefully we get a full year of Leary and don’t need to play with backup Qb

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I think Kicking will be just fine. We've got a kicker who is on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist (Best placekicker award)

View embedded media

This. K is done and we should be in good shape.

RT we can win with flax but I'd prefer someone take that job from him.

CB - will be interesting but I suspect we will be more true zone this year without a Valentine type guy; so we really just need guys who can play responsibility.

Backup QB - seems important but imo if we're there it's already bad anyway. Sheron definitely looked better than Wade. I didn't see the twitch from that Wade to suggest a position change would be successful. We'll see how much difference that makes with those twins

 

[JHB4UK]

I fully expect Leary to take 99.99% of the snaps week 1, 2 & 3. Just how Stoops operates. He prioritizes the starting QB getting comfortable with the system, working on timing, integrating with teammates over getting #2 or #3 live fire experience.

Its the way he has always rolled, doubt he changes in yr 11

 

[Justwantadecentteam]

Got to get a backup qb some experience. Didn't like anything I seen from Wade at the bowl game. Hopefully someone can become a serviceable backup

 

[Chum83]

I don’t get the backup QB discussion. It’s not important. Very few teams have a backup QB that could keep their season from derailing. If your QB goes down your season & preseason expectations are toast the vast majority of the time in the portal-era NCAA (same goes for the NFL & they’re professionals). Does it really matter who the backup is to Caleb Williams or Drake Maye or Patrick Mahomes or Devin Leary? Leary isn’t quite in that tier (obviously Mahomes is an extreme example and probably no one else on the planet is in his tier), but he’s a really good college QB & we’ll have a drastically different season than what we’re hoping for if Leary goes down.

You just hope like every NFL team that has a franchise QB (& every college team that has the equivalent) that your QB1 stays healthy. I’ll still watch every game & root for my Cats & hope for some Eddie Gran/Lynn Bowden style magic if we lose our QB1, but that’s the rare exception and our expectations are that this team will be much better than that one (whether the record reflects that with the added difficulty or not).

As to Wade, I’m not going to entertain whether he should change positions or how good he is or can be based on last year’s game against Iowa. He was a true freshman playing in his first game against the statistically #1 defense in the country with a weak OL, a turd of a lame duck OC, without one of the best (if not THE best) RB in schools history, and with his 2 main targets being true freshmen (& the 3rd best had basically checked out earlier). It’s not fair to him. I get it, it’s a message board & anyone is free to talk about anything or say that he’s trash or whatever, I’m just saying I can’t critique him based on that game in those circumstances…and Sheron didn’t have much better of a situation against sc.

 

[UKfirst]

I liked it when Coach White said in his interview today that the CB room had a chip on its shoulder bc of the outside ?s of how good of a unit they would be.

 

[K_TIME]

I fully expect Leary to take 99.99% of the snaps week 1, 2 & 3. Just how Stoops operates. He prioritizes the starting QB getting comfortable with the system, working on timing, integrating with teammates over getting #2 or #3 live fire experience.

Its the way he has always rolled, doubt he changes in yr 11

Agreed....and what does playing an extra series in 4th quarter of win vs. cupcake in non conference really matter in the end?

 

[Riddickulis]

I think Kicking will be just fine. We've got a kicker who is on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist (Best placekicker award)

View embedded media

People laugh at a kicker but that's potentially a couple wins a year with a top 3 SEC Defense or top 4 even is elite. IMO

 

[Lost In FL]

I think Kicking will be just fine. We've got a kicker who is on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist (Best placekicker award)

View embedded media

If that is the case, then UK needs a battle for snapper and holder.

In some ways, I hope he wins the Groza award. In other ways, I hope he only kicks PATs and no FGs ... meaning every single drive ends in a TD. Optimist.

 

[TuckyFB]

If that is the case, then UK needs a battle for snapper and holder.

In some ways, I hope he wins the Groza award. In other ways, I hope he only kicks PATs and no FGs ... meaning every single drive ends in a TD. Optimist.

We just got a big long snapper from Temple with a lot of experience. I don't think long snapper will be a problem this year. Holder? I don't know.

Ronald Gaines

ukathletics.com

 

[TuckyFB]

If that is the case, then UK needs a battle for snapper and holder.

In some ways, I hope he wins the Groza award. In other ways, I hope he only kicks PATs and no FGs ... meaning every single drive ends in a TD. Optimist.

I would suspect that since Boulware is a ST's guy, the entire unit is going to be improved.

 

[mrschwump]

OL from various reports elsewhere, FWIW:

LT M. Cox Dylan Ray(WVU transfer is making an impression)
LG Horsey Rodriguez
C Burton Bowles
RG E Cox Christman
RT Flax/Ford Flax took majority of RT1 snaps

Sheron took majority of QB2 snaps.

 

[Rembrandt90]

RT we can win with flax but I'd prefer someone take that job from him.

This is exactly why there is a competition in camp. The most prepared player wins. This is where the basketball fan in a lot of our posters shows up. We see 5 star freshmen play from day #1 for Cal and then go to the NBA draft at the end of one season. Football is more complicated than dribble drive. In dribble drive, the best athlete gets to the rim first. In football, eleven guys work together to execute a complicated game plan. Football players require years of development, especially linemen. Courtland Ford just got here. He did not get to participate in our spring practices. But Flax has a year as an SEC starter under his belt and is still improving. I have seen posters insist here that there is no way Flax can be a 2023 starter. But they disregard the possibility that Flax can learn and improve. That's the basketball fan in them. My impression is that Flax and Ford are in a fairly close competition. They are the same size. Flax is an incumbent starter, so Ford has to take the job away from him. Don't get me wrong. I am not necessarily a defender of Flax. I am a defender of practice competition and I trust our coaches.

CB - will be interesting but I suspect we will be more true zone this year without a Valentine type guy; so we really just need guys who can play responsibility.

And we need more pressure on the opponent's QB.

Backup QB - seems important but imo if we're there it's already bad anyway. Sheron definitely looked better than Wade. I didn't see the twitch from that Wade to suggest a position change would be successful. We'll see how much difference that makes with those twins

Destin Wade is a 225# athlete. He is a big guy. He isn't going to dance on the head of a pen. Nobody questions Keaton's athleticism. Destin is his fraternal twin brother. It still amazes me that some of our fans are still judging Destin on the basis of one afternoon playing as an inexperienced freshman behind a bad OL against arguably the best defense in the country. LOL! How naive can people be? But based on that, one or two posters here are pushing this narrative that Destin is not athletic. In reality, Destin is an inexperienced, athletic young QB who, like almost all other young players, needs more development. He is demonstrably more athletic than Sheron. Whether Destin will ever receive important snaps at UK is another discussion because of the presence of Boley and the ability of Stoops and Coen to exploit the transfer portal. But let's not pretend like Destin has had an opportunity to prove what kind of a football player he can become. On the basis of one game against an elite defense, without CRod, that narrative is indefensible.

 

[Rembrandt90]

OL from various reports elsewhere, FWIW:

LT M. Cox Dylan Ray(WVU transfer is making an impression)
LG Horsey Rodriguez
C Burton Bowles
RG E Cox Christman
RT Flax/Ford Flax took majority of RT1 snaps

Sheron took majority of QB2 snaps.

Right.

And it is interesting that Dylan Ray appears to be a smarter and better player than anyone has anticipated. So far, he is one of the stories of this camp. If one reads about his distinguished hs career in IN, it isn't a total shock.

 

[TuckyFB]

Right.

And it is interesting that Dylan Ray appears to be a smarter and better player than anyone has anticipated. So far, he is one of the stories of this camp. If one reads about his distinguished hs career in IN, it isn't a total shock.

Hopefully he turns into another Cole Mosier for us

 

[mrschwump]

Right.

And it is interesting that Dylan Ray appears to be a smarter and better player than anyone has anticipated. So far, he is one of the stories of this camp. If one reads about his distinguished hs career in IN, it isn't a total shock.

We both know Stoops isn't bringing these guys in if he didn't think they could help. Ray's story could be a great "feel good" story.....plus he has 3 years left. Reason to be excited.

 

[megablue]

We just got a big long snapper from Temple with a lot of experience. I don't think long snapper will be a problem this year. Holder? I don't know.

Ronald Gaines

ukathletics.com

Nice to know that snapping may be a strength this year.

 

[mrschwump]

This is exactly why there is a competition in camp. The most prepared player wins. This is where the basketball fan in a lot of our posters shows up. We see 5 star freshmen play from day #1 for Cal and then go to the NBA draft at the end of one season. Football is more complicated than dribble drive. In dribble drive, the best athlete gets to the rim first. In football, eleven guys work together to execute a complicated game plan. Football players require years of development, especially linemen. Courtland Ford just got here. He did not get to participate in our spring practices. But Flax has a year as an SEC starter under his belt and is still improving. I have seen posters insist here that there is no way Flax can be a 2023 starter. But they disregard the possibility that Flax can learn and improve. That's the basketball fan in them. My impression is that Flax and Ford are in a fairly close competition. They are the same size. Flax is an incumbent starter, so Ford has to take the job away from him. Don't get me wrong. I am not necessarily a defender of Flax. I am a defender of practice competition and I trust our coaches.



And we need more pressure on the opponent's QB.



Destin Wade is a 225# athlete. He is a big guy. He isn't going to dance on the head of a pen. Nobody questions Keaton's athleticism. Destin is his fraternal twin brother. It still amazes me that some of our fans are still judging Destin on the basis of one afternoon playing as an inexperienced freshman behind a bad OL against arguably the best defense in the country. LOL! How naive can people be? But based on that, one or two posters here are pushing this narrative that Destin is not athletic. In reality, Destin is an inexperienced, athletic young QB who, like almost all other young players, needs more development. He is demonstrably more athletic than Sheron. Whether Destin will ever receive important snaps at UK is another discussion because of the presence of Boley and the ability of Stoops and Coen to exploit the transfer portal. But let's not pretend like Destin has had an opportunity to prove what kind of a football player he can become. On the basis of one game against an elite defense, without CRod, that narrative is indefensible.

Sheron apparently got most of the 2D team snaps at Fan Day with Wade/Hogan splitting 3D/4th team snaps.. But lets not fool ourselves, that was a tightly scripted practice, more "for show" than anything else.

 

[seccats04]

We just got a big long snapper from Temple with a lot of experience. I don't think long snapper will be a problem this year. Holder? I don't know.

Ronald Gaines

ukathletics.com

I don't know anything about him other than what I've read. But I thought I read that he got replaced at Temple. Could be wrong about that. Nonetheless, there's no way we can be any worse than we were last year snapping the ball.

 

[Lost In FL]

I would suspect that since Boulware is a ST's guy, the entire unit is going to be improved.

I agree and hope your right. Improved can mean a lot of things looking from the F grade. Lol.

I hope you are right and i hope the kid kicks 100 PATs this season. That would def get UK into the playoffs.