Spring practice updates?
- Thread starter UKSanders
- Start date
There was no practice this week because of spring break.
Since it’s been cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey I had totally forgot about spring break! lol
2nd week of Spring Practice starts Monday, there will be reports and interviews like week 1
Good I am tired of BB, I am a FB lover I like BB but FB is by far the best sport...
GBB
GBB
Yeah he practiced last week!
He was on a “pitch count,” but UK released a video showing him throwing in 7 on 7 skellies.
Buddy and l Got to chat with Lonnie D at ST last weehost he thinks Leary is going to terrific. Also said the kid from No. Ill will be a hoss.
From everything I see if leary is much more accurate than Levis is, but doesn’t have the arm strength for down field throws Levis had
It was certainly good to read about football and spring practice today !!
Started reading Maggards post (it’s a good post overall) and compares a current player to an all time great after a spring practice and one season. Never change Freddie!
Kinda tempted to dive into the KSR archives and link to their write up after the first open practice from 2022. I assume it’s also generally optimistic.
All the talk the first week + 1 day about the offense is about O line, Leary, recievers. Zero commentary about how Ray Davis looks, or any running back.
I started finding last spring's stuff on page 94 of the On3 football vertical. Nobody knows anything this time of year:
Freddie Maggard - April 5th, 2022 - My First Impressions of Zach Yenser
...I first interacted with Kentucky offensive line coach Zach Yenser on Tuesday. The result was that I found two walls to run through on my way back to my Corolla in the parking lot. This dude gets it.
Freddie Maggard - April 5th, 2022 - My First Impressions of Rich Scangarello
...First, it’s obvious that Scangarello is a detailed, highly intelligent, and analytical coach that appears to eat, sleep, and do football stuff twenty-four hours a day. He is calmer by nature than Liam Coen. The former coordinator had a tendency to get a little excited. That’s not a bad thing by the way. Scangarello possesses a quietly confident personality. Xs and Os oozed from his remarks.
...I have to say that I was impressed and left the media opportunity confident in the play caller’s ability to expand on UK’s upward offensive trajectory.
Adam Luckett - March 29th, 2022 - Impressions of Kentucky offense after open spring practice
Under new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, the Wildcats are emphasizing throwing the football to the running backs and are adjusting to a passing offense without super slot Wan’Dale Robinson.
Therefore, timing must be crisp and Kentucky must figure out where the holes are in defenses that utilize zone coverage. Against Brad White’s defense, the Wildcats had some issues in team period as Levis threw a pair of interceptions and both were due to some bad reads against zone drops.
Whether it was the receiver not sitting down in the right area or Levis throwing inaccurately, Kentucky had some issues connecting in the throw game. The Wildcats are looking to grow as a passing offense and suffered through some growing pains on Tuesday. However, Scangarello reported that it was the first time the offense had issues in the spring.
Two steps up and one step back.
....
- Iowa transfer Deuce Hogan was a surprise addition, and the newcomer appears to be QB4 at the moment. However, the Texas native has a bazooka and flashed the arm talent in team periods with a couple of bombs on go routes. The walk-on can spin it.
- At the moment, JuTahn McClain is a heavy factor and was the first running back up behind Chris Rodriguez Jr. The former four-star recruit will be a factor this season.
- Believe in the interior of the offensive line. Eli Cox, Kenneth Horsey, and Tashawn Manning are a strong trio who held up very well in pass protection. Kentucky must find solutions at tackle, but the inside gives them a strong backbone.
- Dekel Crowdus has legitimate vertical speed and can be a field stretcher. The redshirt freshman is still working himself back from a knee injury, but the Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product can help the offense.
Great post. I like Freddie but he’s a homer all the way and can’t put too much validity into his preseason predictions
If I'm not mistaken, that's Poore kicking, right? Is he finally gonna kick FGs and XPs? When he was recruited, I fully expected that we had our PK for 3+ years. Hard to believe he hasn't beaten out previous kickers with all the problems we had with low/blocked kicks, missed XPs, etc.
Whoever wins the job, I expect them to be an upgrade as we seem to be concentrating on STs unlike years past.
Arm strength is important, but not every QB needs to have Levis' outlier arm strenth. Leary's arm strength is more than adequate. No QB compiles the stats Leary has posted in a Power 5 conference without a strong and accurate arm.
Amen! There's only a couple of gripes I have about Stoops, and at the top of the list was that he never seemed to concerned about special teams play. Lets hope this fixes things and we continue it going forward.
Kid has fine arm...not Levis but not Beau Allen either.
Look :19
1:42
2:17
3:19
3:32....look at the touch on sideline route
3:45
3:54....off back foot
4:32
Now ACC is some pitiful defenses and the windows won't be the same.....but he can throw back shoulder, keep in field of play, throws a ball receiver can make YAC, etc... The major downgrade to me isn't so much arm strength but he doesn't pop like Will could on running the ball. Will, when healthy, was a guy that could run and he was a bull to bring down.
But Will wasn't healthy, because he got hit by defenders too much. Some of that was poor pass protection, but some of it was a willingness to get hit. As far as it goes, the point about Levis being a better runner is correct. Leary is not a dual threat. But if a QB is beat up and not 100%, that hurts nearly every aspect of the offense. I liked Levis, but I would rather have a QB who gets more yards through the air even if he doesn't run as often on designed QB runs. I am hopeful about Leary, if he can stay healthy. Looking at published comments by football people, everyone seems to think Leary and Coen are a match made in heaven, so to speak.
Coen has said many times he wants a qb who is a point guard....dish to playmaker for them to make plays & score, don't do it yourself.
As Cole Cubelic said in his excellent YouTube breakdown of UK football 2023, the amout of talent we have at WR now is so far above any other time recent memory as to be jaw dropping. The reports of Crowdus coming on, Anthony Brown is here to play now, Anthony the national track star....mercy.
Oh, and told y'all my man Silver would be starting Nose! Stoops wouldn't have brought him in otherwise.
As Cole Cubelic said in his excellent YouTube breakdown of UK football 2023, the amout of talent we have at WR now is so far above any other time recent memory as to be jaw dropping. The reports of Crowdus coming on, Anthony Brown is here to play now, Anthony the national track star....mercy.
Oh, and told y'all my man Silver would be starting Nose! Stoops wouldn't have brought him in otherwise.
Agree I’m excited for leary and the weapons Kentucky has
I will share my opinion about the WRs, and I could be wrong. I think there is a huge amount of separation between the starters (Key and B. Brown) and the others. Key is that rare receiver with excellent strength and length who also runs well. Key is a disciplined route runner with strong, dependable hands and is a pretty good blocker too. B. Brown is one of the fastest players in the SEC, but also has good length. As B. Brown's route discipline and strength improve, he will be a real handful for any SEC CB. UK has other fast WRs, but they are shorter, with a smaller catch radius and less strength. Jordan Anthony and Brandon White are fast, but tiny. Not only do they have smaller catch radius, but both will have trouble with getting bumped off their routes by stronger SEC CBs (a problem B. Brown had at times in 2022). If you get bumped off your route, it doesn't matter how fast you are, because the timing of the route is disrupted and the QB is looking for the next progression. Dekel Crowdus and Anthony Brown will also have this problem, even though both have nice upsides. Crowdus has not established himself. The coaches would like for him to have a breakout year. Crowdus has a hs reputation, but he has caught four passes in his UK career. So he has work to do, and a lot of competition for playing opportunities. When Porter and Banks get here, I expect them to get chances to play in the rotation. Those two have excellent length and can run. Izayah Cummings is a combo receiver who will play in the slot and also on the outside at times. With a QB like Leary, Coach Coen will need to use a lot of receivers.
Silver has not won the starting job. Other than a QB in Leary's position, you don't come in through the portal and win a starting job at a deep position in one week. It is too early in spring practice for any DL starting job other than Walker to be safe. According to multiple recent accounts, Silver and Hayes are competing for the starting job. Both will probably play a lot of snaps, and Dinkins too. Dinkins can also play 3 tech. Our NTs are among the heaviest players on our team. Occupying two offensive blockers as a zero tech is a physical job, so rotating players keeps everyone fresh going into the 4th quarter.
I'd rather us not have to rely on bombs that travel 4-50 yards in the air anyway. We FINALLY have enough speed at the receiver position that we can work with shorter and intermediate throws in space and let the speed do its work. This helps with Leary not having to hold onto the ball as long, protecting his health. I'm just hoping our speed allows us to finally have some guys who can create some separation.
Dane Key is an ideal receiver for intermediate routes as you are describing. Big, strong, good hands, and more than enough speed and agility. Shamar Porter will also be this kind of receiver. Maybe Banks. Some of our TEs, including Cummings and Dingle, can also play this role.
In the SEC, your passing attack must spread the field vertically and horizontally. In order to put real pressure on an SEC defense, you have to be able to isolate defenders and attack all over the field. This is exactly what TN did so well in 2022 with Hooker and their stable of big, athletic receivers going uptempo. This is also likely to be Coen style football.
We are being told that our OL is significantly improved. I will have to see that actually happen before I will be more confident, but the addition of Marques Cox and the spring position changes are the right moves. We should be good to go on the left side. What is needed is more depth and competition on the right side of our OL. We need younger players to step up, and we might need another new lineman out of the portal in May. In the meantime, I am glad Coach Coen is back.
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Totally different kind of QB than Levis. Those back shoulder throws are a thing of beauty.
Levis has to see an open guy and throw a laser through a window before it closes.
Levis has to see an open guy and throw a laser through a window before it closes.
It is true now, and was true 4 months ago:
Levis is the bigger play QB, with long throws or long runs, and has far bigger potential for successful professional career. but still needs lots of development for accuracy and reading coverages and feeling pressure in the pocket
Leary has always been the better college football quarterback, accurate, pocket presence
Levis is the bigger play QB, with long throws or long runs, and has far bigger potential for successful professional career. but still needs lots of development for accuracy and reading coverages and feeling pressure in the pocket
Leary has always been the better college football quarterback, accurate, pocket presence
NCS OL looked a level below us when I saw them play. Leary has to be happy with an upgraded OL he hasn't been used to having. Flip side, the DL he will face will not be like anything he has seen either.
That dude better coach it up....he's the person (player or coach) that has the most to show in 2023. Yenser I hope doesn't stink....I don't want to hear talent level or experience in 2023.
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