PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Josh Ali
Kentucky's offense is going to be very different in 2020 compared to what fans saw for most of 2019.
Assuming Terry Wilson is healthy, or whoever is behind center for Kentucky can serve as a stand-in here, receivers are going to need to step up. In spite of playing less than half the season at receiver, Lynn Bowden led the team with 30 receptions and 348 yards as a pass-catcher.
Some of the more promising wideouts on the team were still young, Ahmad Wagner was still only one year removed from a transition back to football, and Isaiah Epps' injury kept him out for the season.
So there are still plenty of questions for the position going into 2020, when the receivers will be blocking but not as much and presumably targeted a lot more.
Rising senior Josh Ali is probably the player who needs to step up more than anyone else.
Ali had 23 catches, second-best on the team, for 233 yards, third most of any Wildcat. He led Kentucky with three touchdown receptions.
While those numbers aren't going to jump off the page, Ali only had more than half of his receptions and more than half of his receiving yards in the five games before Bowden took over at quarterback, which indicates he was primed for a bigger season than he had.
More importantly, Ali's best game of the year, not by numbers but by impact, was against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl. He made a huge reception to extend UK's game-winning drive and then scored the game-winning touchdown as the clock ticked down.
Ali could have a big role on next year's team because he's probably the player who is most likely to lead Kentucky in receiving. But for Kentucky to have a great season offensively, those numbers may need to be doubled. Not only because UK needs Ali's production, but because that would indicate the passing game is thriving in the bigger picture.
Even if he doesn't approach a 1,000-yard season, something that doesn't happen too often at Kentucky, if he can be that safety valve and clutch, reliable receiver in third down and late game situations, that would be helpful.
He's not lacking in experience. Ali led Kentucky receivers with a whopping 687 snaps played last season.
Ali's 23 receptions came on 50 targets a year ago and that is an area of inefficiency that has to improve. But only two of those failed target attempts were drops.
Ali flashed his athletic ability early in the season with Terry Wilson and then Sawyer Smith at quarterback, with 19 or more yards after the catch in four of Kentucky's first six games.
His long reception of the season was 25, against Virginia Tech, and that needs to improve with the Wildcats looking for a deep option.
In a sign of what Kentucky was forced to do offensively last year, Ali was blocking on 391 snaps and running routes on 253.
For the past two seasons, during spring football and fall camp Ali was a player who was routinely singled out for praise by Kentucky's coaches based on his play in practice and some scrimmages.
He has shown flashes of what the coaches have talked about and had Kentucky run a more pass-happy offense it might have been consistent production by now. Being a receiver in Kentucky's offense is hard work, last year more so than ever before, but Ali has one more opportunity to showcase himself in 2020 and with Wilson and a fantastic offensive line returning it could be his best platform yet.
Kentucky's offense is going to be very different in 2020 compared to what fans saw for most of 2019.
Assuming Terry Wilson is healthy, or whoever is behind center for Kentucky can serve as a stand-in here, receivers are going to need to step up. In spite of playing less than half the season at receiver, Lynn Bowden led the team with 30 receptions and 348 yards as a pass-catcher.
Some of the more promising wideouts on the team were still young, Ahmad Wagner was still only one year removed from a transition back to football, and Isaiah Epps' injury kept him out for the season.
So there are still plenty of questions for the position going into 2020, when the receivers will be blocking but not as much and presumably targeted a lot more.
Rising senior Josh Ali is probably the player who needs to step up more than anyone else.
Ali had 23 catches, second-best on the team, for 233 yards, third most of any Wildcat. He led Kentucky with three touchdown receptions.
While those numbers aren't going to jump off the page, Ali only had more than half of his receptions and more than half of his receiving yards in the five games before Bowden took over at quarterback, which indicates he was primed for a bigger season than he had.
More importantly, Ali's best game of the year, not by numbers but by impact, was against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl. He made a huge reception to extend UK's game-winning drive and then scored the game-winning touchdown as the clock ticked down.
Ali could have a big role on next year's team because he's probably the player who is most likely to lead Kentucky in receiving. But for Kentucky to have a great season offensively, those numbers may need to be doubled. Not only because UK needs Ali's production, but because that would indicate the passing game is thriving in the bigger picture.
Even if he doesn't approach a 1,000-yard season, something that doesn't happen too often at Kentucky, if he can be that safety valve and clutch, reliable receiver in third down and late game situations, that would be helpful.
He's not lacking in experience. Ali led Kentucky receivers with a whopping 687 snaps played last season.
Ali's 23 receptions came on 50 targets a year ago and that is an area of inefficiency that has to improve. But only two of those failed target attempts were drops.
Ali flashed his athletic ability early in the season with Terry Wilson and then Sawyer Smith at quarterback, with 19 or more yards after the catch in four of Kentucky's first six games.
His long reception of the season was 25, against Virginia Tech, and that needs to improve with the Wildcats looking for a deep option.
In a sign of what Kentucky was forced to do offensively last year, Ali was blocking on 391 snaps and running routes on 253.
For the past two seasons, during spring football and fall camp Ali was a player who was routinely singled out for praise by Kentucky's coaches based on his play in practice and some scrimmages.
He has shown flashes of what the coaches have talked about and had Kentucky run a more pass-happy offense it might have been consistent production by now. Being a receiver in Kentucky's offense is hard work, last year more so than ever before, but Ali has one more opportunity to showcase himself in 2020 and with Wilson and a fantastic offensive line returning it could be his best platform yet.
