Wanted to share some information on recent fall camp activity that has come through the grapevine from various places.
** Leary continues to look really good. When I would hear that UK's quarterback production would likely be better this year than last it made sense but based on some of the reviews so far, once again, my expectations are on the rise.
** Still not sure how the running back workload is going to play out and it might be the kind of thing Coen figures out as the season goes. My assumption is that Ray Davis will end up as the first guy in the backfield. Probably didn't come in from Vanderbilt to be second string after how he finished last year. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is probably going to get a lot of his action as a receiver where he is already very proven compared to the relatively small workload he has seen at the college level. JuTahn McClain is probably somewhere between those two in terms of rushing and receiving.
What I heard recently about Ramon Jefferson was interesting. To this point I've just considered him an X-Factor, an unknown variable, and we still have to see how he has come back from injury but I've heard that he's someone the guys up front really love blocking for due to him being such a patient runner (a knack for it but also very experienced) and then when there's a hole he hits it with a head full of steam. That slow off the snap, fast through the hole is something he is evidently pretty good at. He's probably faster than Chris Rodriguez in the open field and I'd add that Chris was pretty underrated in that regard. All this is to say that I wouldn't be surprised if Jefferson is a guy we're talking about much more than we expected to. That's not inside info from the staff or anything at all just from what I've heard about his running style.
As for Wilcox, someone a lot of people have asked about, I wouldn't worry about him or the lack of chatter. My understanding is he has been somewhat limited. He's still going through team work but I don't think he's 100% in a position to be a full go at the moment. Doesn't seem to be a long-term thing but that could be one reason for the lack of mentions early on.
In short, my appraisal of the RB situation is now that I'd guess Davis may get first crack in what will be a spread out workload and Jefferson is more interesting than I've probably depicted him until this point.
** Brad White mentioned to local media/Jeff today that JQ Hardaway had a really good day and that has been echoed to me. From what I heard there were two or three really impressive PBUs on throws by Leary and Sheron. He turned some heads and plays with a swagger. Doesn't talk quite like Bossman, I've heard, but he will get in your ear after a nice play. You like that attitude when harnessed in a corner.
** Recently had started to trend toward believing that Andru Phillips and Maxwell Hairston might be the two starting corners but Hardaway's day today makes me believe that's the biggest position battle on the team right now. Phillips is going to play corner and also some nickel per the coaches today. The really good news is we're hearing good things about Hairston and Hardaway, so it's not a situation where two guys are swimming and nobody is separating. Rather, it seems to be like a genuine positive competition where guys are putting in good work. It does seem like Hardaway has a build they love for a boundary corner as some have said but I think back to the 2020 season when Kentucky had three corners who were basically starters (Bossman, Dort, Echols). I guess I wouldn't be all that concerned about corner since those three seem to be doing pretty well. That's not writing off Jantzen Dunn either but my expectations for him have been influenced by him being newer to the position at the college level.
How it's been relayed to me is that Hardaway isn't as athletic as somebody like Lonnie Johnson, who was an absolute freak at that size. Johnson made some good plays at Kentucky but his draft slot was about athletic potential more than anything. So to not compare Hardaway favorable to Johnson's athleticism is no knock on him. At least one person I've spoken with believes he's a better athlete than someone like Keidron Smith, who was more about production than being super fluid and natural.
** Would imagine Saturday is going to tell the staff a lot because there will be tackling to the ground. In a position battle such as at corner, where UK really wants its guys to be physical, that might be when the battle gets real.
** Have been asked and tried to answer the question about the fourth safety in the mailbag and I would go back to Ty Bryant. He's a guy who I mentioned could be more of a contributor than some anticipated based on ranking alone and I would still guess he is the No. 4 safety out there.
** Scouts from at least the Steelers, Eagles, and Cardinals were on campus today.
** Still hearing some positive talk about the interior of the offensive line. Those guys apparently blew open some nice holes in the run game today. No change to the expected Horsey-Burton-Cox starting rotation and I don't know about the backup situation or how they're playing.
At tackle nobody I've spoken to seems overly concerned about Marques Cox. Still positivity there. He's not going to be perfect but should be a big upgrade from the major struggles last year. The question is the right side where I would guess Courtland Ford has the upper hand in a position battle with Jeremy Flax but you just need to see how they're going to put it together. The good news is if you're confident in even 3 or 4 of the five spots on the o-line that's better than last year when they really couldn't predict where the hole was going to spring on any given play. But that's what I've heard. May not be the full picture because very few people see the full picture.
** I think the tight end room is mostly healthy. Heard that Dingle has maybe been less than 100% but I haven't heard that would be anything that is going to linger into the season. I guess we shall see. Pretty healthy room though. Khamari Anderson just looks like an NFL player in the making. That's what I've heard since he arrived. Apparently he missed a ball over the middle today but physically he looks like you want a freshman to look, and like not many look that way.
** Have heard some good things about Shamar Porter too. He's kind of like Anderson in passing the look test with flying colors. Heard that he took a throw in the middle to the house today.
** Leary continues to look really good. When I would hear that UK's quarterback production would likely be better this year than last it made sense but based on some of the reviews so far, once again, my expectations are on the rise.
** Still not sure how the running back workload is going to play out and it might be the kind of thing Coen figures out as the season goes. My assumption is that Ray Davis will end up as the first guy in the backfield. Probably didn't come in from Vanderbilt to be second string after how he finished last year. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is probably going to get a lot of his action as a receiver where he is already very proven compared to the relatively small workload he has seen at the college level. JuTahn McClain is probably somewhere between those two in terms of rushing and receiving.
What I heard recently about Ramon Jefferson was interesting. To this point I've just considered him an X-Factor, an unknown variable, and we still have to see how he has come back from injury but I've heard that he's someone the guys up front really love blocking for due to him being such a patient runner (a knack for it but also very experienced) and then when there's a hole he hits it with a head full of steam. That slow off the snap, fast through the hole is something he is evidently pretty good at. He's probably faster than Chris Rodriguez in the open field and I'd add that Chris was pretty underrated in that regard. All this is to say that I wouldn't be surprised if Jefferson is a guy we're talking about much more than we expected to. That's not inside info from the staff or anything at all just from what I've heard about his running style.
As for Wilcox, someone a lot of people have asked about, I wouldn't worry about him or the lack of chatter. My understanding is he has been somewhat limited. He's still going through team work but I don't think he's 100% in a position to be a full go at the moment. Doesn't seem to be a long-term thing but that could be one reason for the lack of mentions early on.
In short, my appraisal of the RB situation is now that I'd guess Davis may get first crack in what will be a spread out workload and Jefferson is more interesting than I've probably depicted him until this point.
** Brad White mentioned to local media/Jeff today that JQ Hardaway had a really good day and that has been echoed to me. From what I heard there were two or three really impressive PBUs on throws by Leary and Sheron. He turned some heads and plays with a swagger. Doesn't talk quite like Bossman, I've heard, but he will get in your ear after a nice play. You like that attitude when harnessed in a corner.
** Recently had started to trend toward believing that Andru Phillips and Maxwell Hairston might be the two starting corners but Hardaway's day today makes me believe that's the biggest position battle on the team right now. Phillips is going to play corner and also some nickel per the coaches today. The really good news is we're hearing good things about Hairston and Hardaway, so it's not a situation where two guys are swimming and nobody is separating. Rather, it seems to be like a genuine positive competition where guys are putting in good work. It does seem like Hardaway has a build they love for a boundary corner as some have said but I think back to the 2020 season when Kentucky had three corners who were basically starters (Bossman, Dort, Echols). I guess I wouldn't be all that concerned about corner since those three seem to be doing pretty well. That's not writing off Jantzen Dunn either but my expectations for him have been influenced by him being newer to the position at the college level.
How it's been relayed to me is that Hardaway isn't as athletic as somebody like Lonnie Johnson, who was an absolute freak at that size. Johnson made some good plays at Kentucky but his draft slot was about athletic potential more than anything. So to not compare Hardaway favorable to Johnson's athleticism is no knock on him. At least one person I've spoken with believes he's a better athlete than someone like Keidron Smith, who was more about production than being super fluid and natural.
** Would imagine Saturday is going to tell the staff a lot because there will be tackling to the ground. In a position battle such as at corner, where UK really wants its guys to be physical, that might be when the battle gets real.
** Have been asked and tried to answer the question about the fourth safety in the mailbag and I would go back to Ty Bryant. He's a guy who I mentioned could be more of a contributor than some anticipated based on ranking alone and I would still guess he is the No. 4 safety out there.
** Scouts from at least the Steelers, Eagles, and Cardinals were on campus today.
** Still hearing some positive talk about the interior of the offensive line. Those guys apparently blew open some nice holes in the run game today. No change to the expected Horsey-Burton-Cox starting rotation and I don't know about the backup situation or how they're playing.
At tackle nobody I've spoken to seems overly concerned about Marques Cox. Still positivity there. He's not going to be perfect but should be a big upgrade from the major struggles last year. The question is the right side where I would guess Courtland Ford has the upper hand in a position battle with Jeremy Flax but you just need to see how they're going to put it together. The good news is if you're confident in even 3 or 4 of the five spots on the o-line that's better than last year when they really couldn't predict where the hole was going to spring on any given play. But that's what I've heard. May not be the full picture because very few people see the full picture.
** I think the tight end room is mostly healthy. Heard that Dingle has maybe been less than 100% but I haven't heard that would be anything that is going to linger into the season. I guess we shall see. Pretty healthy room though. Khamari Anderson just looks like an NFL player in the making. That's what I've heard since he arrived. Apparently he missed a ball over the middle today but physically he looks like you want a freshman to look, and like not many look that way.
** Have heard some good things about Shamar Porter too. He's kind of like Anderson in passing the look test with flying colors. Heard that he took a throw in the middle to the house today.
