UK football and the December transfer portal

[Rembrandt90]

Agree 10000000%. Have to match up better, we got killed in the short zone and flat areas this year. Thats why I wasnt disappointed in losing a Nicholson type. Dont care as much about length as I do quickness and agility at corner.

I'm just not a zone guy, cant stand to see 8 guys dropped back staring in the backfield instead of matching up physically to run with guys in their area. It takes a good QB a second to fit in a pass around any of them on short routes I dont care how hard you try to break on it after seeing the release. And the LBers are completely wasted in those coverages, could have been much more usefull coming after the QB and brining pressure.

Nicholson could have helped us. Lincoln Riley took him for a reason. But Nicholson is a zone CB. It's fine to be a zone first team. Nearly every team plays zone coverages. But we have to be able to cover man to man and press in some situations. For example, when you blitz, your secondary is left in man coverage.

And it really helps to change up the coverage schemes in some situations. When you change up your coverage schemes, the opposing QB doesn't know what is coming. Many of our fans have blamed Clemson's final drive on "soft coverage". This shows a lack of understanding. The problem was that we didn't have two CBs who were effective in man coverage against physical receivers, so Dabo and Klubnik knew the coverage would be zone and not press. Klubnik didn't have to read the coverage. He and his receivers knew what was coming.

We need CBs like Kelvin Joseph and Carington Valentine with the size and quickness to play press, man, or zone as the situation requires. Avery Stuart, Quaysheed Scott, and Terhyon Nichols may be that kind of CB but are still in the learning phase. Taking one from the portal would be a good move for 2024 but we whiffed on several during the January portal window.

 

[ukalum1988]

Anybody seen Fred Farrier play? WR in the portal we offered. From Frankfort?

Looks like he’s committed to UK!!! Let’s go!!!

 

[gobigblue812]

Depth piece

 

[Rembrandt90]

Depth piece

I agree

Fred Farrier is a native of Frankfort and a graduate of Franklin Co hs. UK didn't recruit at Franklin Co. IIRC he was a part time starter at UAB as a WR and slotR.

To be realistic, UK whiffed on number of WRs during the December portal window. We got Raymond Cottrell transfer from TX A&M and JaMori Maclin from NTX. Maclin is lined up to become our starting slotR, replacing Tayvion Robinson who has used up his eligibility. Cottrell is big, athletic, and promising but has no college playing experience. So he will be groomed. As you said, Farrier is a depth piece. He has adequate size but probably won't take playing time from Key, BB, Maclin, Gilmore, or ABS. I am not saying Farrier won't play, but I suspect he will be competing with Porter, Cottrell, Gilmore, and Washington for a role on the playing chart. I don't think this is a major development but it's good that he is coming home. That's a good story. Good luck to the young man and welcome home.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Bausley to WV. Looks like OT and CB will be the two top positions that Stoops will go after in the portal for the spring.

 

[BluegrassSportsNet]

Bausley to WV. Looks like OT and CB will be the two top positions that Stoops will go after in the portal for the spring.

Need guard bad.

 

[mrschwump]

Need guard bad.

Farmer.

 

[JHB4UK]

Hopefully Christmas will be 100% by August to help at G

 

[Pelosigalore]

I hope so, but I’m not counting on Chrisman

 

[Seakat311]

I agree

Fred Farrier is a native of Frankfort and a graduate of Franklin Co hs. UK didn't recruit at Franklin Co. IIRC he was a part time starter at UAB as a WR and slotR.

To be realistic, UK whiffed on number of WRs during the December portal window. We got Raymond Cottrell transfer from TX A&M and JaMori Maclin from NTX. Maclin is lined up to become our starting slotR, replacing Tayvion Robinson who has used up his eligibility. Cottrell is big, athletic, and promising but has no college playing experience. So he will be groomed. As you said, Farrier is a depth piece. He has adequate size but probably won't take playing time from Key, BB, Maclin, Gilmore, or ABS. I am not saying Farrier won't play, but I suspect he will be competing with Porter, Cottrell, Gilmore, and Washington for a role on the playing chart. I don't think this is a major development but it's good that he is coming home. That's a good story. Good luck to the young man and welcome home.

Hey, have you heard anything about Diego Pounds, OT from UNC? My son talked to him this weekend and he said he was setting up a visit to UK.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Hey, have you heard anything about Diego Pounds, OT from UNC? My son talked to him this weekend and he said he was setting up a visit to UK.

What a huge get that would be. Former 4 star, a starter at LT last season. Great feet and smart the way his coach describes him. At 6-6 330, I think his blocking grade was around 61 overall. A good pass blocker already and may have three years left.

 

[Seakat311]

What a huge get that would be. Former 4 star, a starter at LT last season. Great feet and smart the way his coach describes him. At 6-6 330, I think his blocking grade was around 61 overall. A good pass blocker already and may have three years left.

Yeah, he’s a big dude. Hope he was talking ish cause he knows my sons a huge UK fan

 

[entropy13]

What a huge get that would be. Former 4 star, a starter at LT last season. Great feet and smart the way his coach describes him. At 6-6 330, I think his blocking grade was around 61 overall. A good pass blocker already and may have three years left.

Looks like Ole miss thinks they're getting him, but he'd be a good addition to UK. OT is definitely a position of need.

https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/industry/football/2024/?position=ot

 

[mrschwump]

Hey, have you heard anything about Diego Pounds, OT from UNC? My son talked to him this weekend and he said he was setting up a visit to UK.

Works for me. At least 8 SEC offers out of HS but not one from UK.

 

[birdstheword]

Works for me. At least 8 SEC offers out of HS but not one from UK.

going to Ole Miss

 

[Soupbean]

Nicholson could have helped us. Lincoln Riley took him for a reason. But Nicholson is a zone CB. It's fine to be a zone first team. Nearly every team plays zone coverages. But we have to be able to cover man to man and press in some situations. For example, when you blitz, your secondary is left in man coverage.

And it really helps to change up the coverage schemes in some situations. When you change up your coverage schemes, the opposing QB doesn't know what is coming. Many of our fans have blamed Clemson's final drive on "soft coverage". This shows a lack of understanding. The problem was that we didn't have two CBs who were effective in man coverage against physical receivers, so Dabo and Klubnik knew the coverage would be zone and not press. Klubnik didn't have to read the coverage. He and his receivers knew what was coming.

We need CBs like Kelvin Joseph and Carington Valentine with the size and quickness to play press, man, or zone as the situation requires. Avery Stuart, Quaysheed Scott, and Terhyon Nichols may be that kind of CB but are still in the learning phase. Taking one from the portal would be a good move for 2024 but we whiffed on several during the January portal window.

Agee and I overstate my disdain for zone defense. I understand agree you have to play some zone and it can be effective when played effectively but that to me means matching up when in you area and matching up aggressively and I see too many teams that seem to have their guys staring in the backfield instead of matching t guys coming at them in their area.

As some here know I even advocate for a matchup zone over man on the basketball board because it allows you to play man defense without the chasing and still get some of both benefit . . . the security of zone coverage to protect against getting beat one on one, but with still the ability to match up when in your area just as aggressively as man defense. The key is the MATCHUP part and it takes guys that can react and read quickly and not get passive looking at the QB.