Takeaways from UK's Fan Day Open Practice
Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen watched Joey Gatewood drop back to pass as quarterbacks Will Levis (7) and Beau Allen (11) awaited their turn during Saturday's practice. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
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@JDrumUK
Kentucky Football opened the gates of Kroger Field on Saturday for the annual "Fan Day" practice. Here are some of the major talking points from the two-hour workout...
TYPICAL HELMET-AND-SHORTS DAY:
Coaches are always quick to warn fans and media alike not to take too much from the early practices conducted in helmets and shorts. You don't get a real sense of actual football until the full pads come on in a couple more days, but that's not to say one can't learn anything from a practice like this. You get to see how guys' bodies have changed in the off-season, how they're moving, how they carry themselves, their body language with coaches and teammates. One thing that jumped out at me today was the noticeable boost in overall team speed. Things look different out there when you add guys like wide receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and Dekel Crowdus to the mix, among others. The Cats have some guys who can scoot.
PREDICTABLE DAY FOR THE QUARTERBACKS:
Of course, almost everyone in attendance was eager to see how the UK quarterbacks looked. It was, predictably, a hit-and-miss day for those guys. I was impressed by the arm strength of the top three guys -- Joey Gatewood, Will Levis, and Beau Allen. You can envision the Cats being able to stretch the field vertically with any of them at quarterback. Levis, as advertised, has an absolute cannon of a right arm. He seemed a bit amped up when practice began and missed some open targets, but I thought he settled in and made some nice throws as the day went along. Accuracy-wise, Allen may have had the best day. They used Gatewood a lot in the Pistol formation, perhaps a nod to his zone-read running ability, while Levis and Allen were under center a lot. Bottom line: We didn't learn too much about the QB battle today.
THE LIAM COEN OFFENSE:
We have talked about the running backs and tight ends being a much bigger part of the passing attack ever since Coen was hired, and we got a glimpse of that Saturday. We saw routes for both of those positions that we haven't seen at UK in a long time. The backs looked really smooth and comfortable catching the ball on some check-downs, swing routes, and even out in the slot at times. I think this has the potential to take Chris Rodriguez's stock to another level. Sophomore running back JuTahn McClain also looked really natural catching the ball out of the backfield. The Cats also seemed to be using the middle of the field more than they have in recent years. A lot of crossing routes by the receivers while the tight ends worked outside quite a bit.
DEEP SECONDARY:
The Cats have so many talented, experienced options on the back end of the defense, even after losing two guys to the NFL Draft. And that's one of the reasons the quarterbacks may have looked a bit inconsistent today. You can almost go three-deep at safety with guys that you would not be too concerned about playing in an SEC game right now, led by seniors Yusuf Corker (who looks phenomenal from a physical standpoint) and Tyrell Aijian. You have guys like Davonte Robinson and Vito Tisdale, both of whom could play hybrid linebacker/safety roles, behind them. One of the guys who has been talked up by the coaching staff back to the end of last season is sophomore corner Carrington Valentine. On Media Day, UK defensive coordinator Brad White singled him out as a potential breakout star this season. The Cincinnati native did not disappoint on Saturday, picking off a Gatewood pass with a spectacular ball-hawking play that drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd. I think he and senior Cedrick Dort will form a really nice corner tandem this season to help overcome the loss of Kelvin Joseph and Brandin Echols to the NFL.
SURPRISE PLAYMAKER:
The player who may have stolen the show on Saturday was junior wide receiver Rahsaan Lewis, a transfer from Florida Atlantic and the son of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. The 5-foort-11, 184-pound Lewis had fans and media alike scrambling for their roster sheets to see who No. 28 was after making a series of impressive plays. Two of those were touchdowns against tight coverage. Lewis showed a knack for making the "50/50 ball" competitive plays that UK head coach Mark Stoops has always beckoned from his receiver corps. Keep an eye out for his name as camp moves along.
