Takeaways from Kentucky's updated roster
Yesterday Cats Illustrated made note of all the spring-to-summer weight changes for Kentucky's scholarship football players.
Today we dig into what that might mean in real terms for some of the team's key players.
-- Kentucky is expected to start Landon Young, Darian Kinnard, Kenneth Horsey, Luke Fortner, and Drake Jackson on the offensive line. The average heights and weights of those players: 6'4.6, 311.6 pounds.
-- DeAndre Square's weight gain was already evident from the pictures we've seen posted online and on social media. He's up to 224 points, which is up seven from the spring and up 19 from the roster update prior to that, going into the 2019 season. Not all of the weight fluctuations make sense but in Square's case it could be a very good thing. He's going to need to play a lot of snaps for Kentucky because of the lack of proven depth at inside linebacker. He'll still have to stay healthy but he's not so undersized anymore and that should help him hold up for a higher level of sustained play in the box.
-- Kavosiey Smoke's weight loss (204 to 201) might not seem like a lot but going back to last season he's down about 20 since his arrival at Kentucky. He attributes that earlier and more substantial weight loss with giving him more burst and the fact that he's kept it off and continued to slim down a bit could help him be even more of a home run threat in the backfield.
-- Two of Kentucky's younger outside linebackers appear more prepared to stand up to the rigors of playing near the line of scrimmage. Redshirt freshman KD McDaniel went from 237 to 250 so he's really packed on the pounds.
Samuel Anaele is beginning at outside linebacker for Kentucky and if the roster update is accurate his 29 pounds gained, putting him at 275, prompts a question: Will he move to the defensive line, and sooner rather than later?
Anaele now has a build similar to Josh Paschal's, with the latter now playing on the defensive line. Since Anaele was listed as a defensive end during his recruitment, it's a fair question that Brad White may be able to speak to on Thursday. For now he's still listed as an outside linebacker.
-- Quinton Bohanna and Marquan McCall are moving in opposite directions on the scale. Bohanna is down 10 to 357, which makes sense because he told Cats Illustrated in a spring interview that his goal is to improve his pass rush and become more of an every down player. The weight loss could bring more quickness and burst off the snap, which would help. McCall is now a mammoth 379, the highest weight on the team.
-- Former nose Qua Mahone is now at defensive tackle and that somewhat different role seems like it could be well-served by him dropping 11 pounds.
-- With true freshmen defensive tackles Octavious Oxendine and Josaih Hayes checking in at 318 and 314 respectively, both about 20-25 pounds more than Mahone, it will be interesting to see which of those players ends up moving over to nose to start to develop longer term depth there.
-- Speaking of large linemen, how about Jeremy Flax checking in at 356? His weight as a JUCO prospect on Rivals.com was 315, so we'll have to hear what John Schlarman thinks about the quality of that weight on his build.
-- Deondre Buford did exactly what everyone had to hope. He showed up at 6'3, 265 in the spring and is up to 295. That kind of change, assuming it's mostly good weight, may speed his ability to climb the depth chart perhaps as soon as next season.
-- Nick Lewis arrived at Kentucky at 367 pounds. He was recruited as a bit of a project, with the widespread recognition that he needed to rebuild his frame. He's slimmed down to an impressive 320 pounds, which could make it more likely for him to be in the mix at tackle in the longer term. He's still listed as a tackle on the depth chart.
Drake Jackson's weight is also substantially down from the spring. He's at 292 as one of the lighter offensive linemen on the team. Because he's not the tallest lineman he's still built sturdy as a rock and he's never had an issue dealing with bigger players so being lighter on his feet seems to be more a positive than a negative.
-- Kenneth Horsey, widely believed to be the frontrunner for the left guard spot vacated by Logan Stenberg, is up eight pounds and at 300, undoubtedly a positive for someone who has more athleticism than his predecessor but who will need to prove he can move the line of scrimmage.
-- Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood doesn't seem to have rested on his laurels, dropping 21 pounds and checking in at a very slimmed down 221. He's got a big frame regardless. That could make him faster with that long stride but Gatewood's running style has been more punishing as a quarterback. At that much reduced weight he might be intent on doling out less contact to linebackers.
-- True freshman receiver Izayah Cummings checks in at 228, very big for a wide receiver. He's listed as such but it could be interesting to see how his body develops, as he could start to be viewed as a hybrid in that physique.
Fellow receiver Allen Dailey is up to 208. He could already dish out some impressive blocks on the outside and he could manhandle corners even more in the run game at that size.
Yesterday Cats Illustrated made note of all the spring-to-summer weight changes for Kentucky's scholarship football players.
Today we dig into what that might mean in real terms for some of the team's key players.
-- Kentucky is expected to start Landon Young, Darian Kinnard, Kenneth Horsey, Luke Fortner, and Drake Jackson on the offensive line. The average heights and weights of those players: 6'4.6, 311.6 pounds.
-- DeAndre Square's weight gain was already evident from the pictures we've seen posted online and on social media. He's up to 224 points, which is up seven from the spring and up 19 from the roster update prior to that, going into the 2019 season. Not all of the weight fluctuations make sense but in Square's case it could be a very good thing. He's going to need to play a lot of snaps for Kentucky because of the lack of proven depth at inside linebacker. He'll still have to stay healthy but he's not so undersized anymore and that should help him hold up for a higher level of sustained play in the box.
-- Kavosiey Smoke's weight loss (204 to 201) might not seem like a lot but going back to last season he's down about 20 since his arrival at Kentucky. He attributes that earlier and more substantial weight loss with giving him more burst and the fact that he's kept it off and continued to slim down a bit could help him be even more of a home run threat in the backfield.
-- Two of Kentucky's younger outside linebackers appear more prepared to stand up to the rigors of playing near the line of scrimmage. Redshirt freshman KD McDaniel went from 237 to 250 so he's really packed on the pounds.
Samuel Anaele is beginning at outside linebacker for Kentucky and if the roster update is accurate his 29 pounds gained, putting him at 275, prompts a question: Will he move to the defensive line, and sooner rather than later?
Anaele now has a build similar to Josh Paschal's, with the latter now playing on the defensive line. Since Anaele was listed as a defensive end during his recruitment, it's a fair question that Brad White may be able to speak to on Thursday. For now he's still listed as an outside linebacker.
-- Quinton Bohanna and Marquan McCall are moving in opposite directions on the scale. Bohanna is down 10 to 357, which makes sense because he told Cats Illustrated in a spring interview that his goal is to improve his pass rush and become more of an every down player. The weight loss could bring more quickness and burst off the snap, which would help. McCall is now a mammoth 379, the highest weight on the team.
-- Former nose Qua Mahone is now at defensive tackle and that somewhat different role seems like it could be well-served by him dropping 11 pounds.
-- With true freshmen defensive tackles Octavious Oxendine and Josaih Hayes checking in at 318 and 314 respectively, both about 20-25 pounds more than Mahone, it will be interesting to see which of those players ends up moving over to nose to start to develop longer term depth there.
-- Speaking of large linemen, how about Jeremy Flax checking in at 356? His weight as a JUCO prospect on Rivals.com was 315, so we'll have to hear what John Schlarman thinks about the quality of that weight on his build.
-- Deondre Buford did exactly what everyone had to hope. He showed up at 6'3, 265 in the spring and is up to 295. That kind of change, assuming it's mostly good weight, may speed his ability to climb the depth chart perhaps as soon as next season.
-- Nick Lewis arrived at Kentucky at 367 pounds. He was recruited as a bit of a project, with the widespread recognition that he needed to rebuild his frame. He's slimmed down to an impressive 320 pounds, which could make it more likely for him to be in the mix at tackle in the longer term. He's still listed as a tackle on the depth chart.
Drake Jackson's weight is also substantially down from the spring. He's at 292 as one of the lighter offensive linemen on the team. Because he's not the tallest lineman he's still built sturdy as a rock and he's never had an issue dealing with bigger players so being lighter on his feet seems to be more a positive than a negative.
-- Kenneth Horsey, widely believed to be the frontrunner for the left guard spot vacated by Logan Stenberg, is up eight pounds and at 300, undoubtedly a positive for someone who has more athleticism than his predecessor but who will need to prove he can move the line of scrimmage.
-- Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood doesn't seem to have rested on his laurels, dropping 21 pounds and checking in at a very slimmed down 221. He's got a big frame regardless. That could make him faster with that long stride but Gatewood's running style has been more punishing as a quarterback. At that much reduced weight he might be intent on doling out less contact to linebackers.
-- True freshman receiver Izayah Cummings checks in at 228, very big for a wide receiver. He's listed as such but it could be interesting to see how his body develops, as he could start to be viewed as a hybrid in that physique.
Fellow receiver Allen Dailey is up to 208. He could already dish out some impressive blocks on the outside and he could manhandle corners even more in the run game at that size.
