Kentucky Wildcats Football: The future of the defense
By Kyle
On Thursday, I evaluated the offensive side of the ball and the talent returning to the 2012 Kentucky football team. Today I’ll work on the defense. Once again, no recruits were considered in this breakdown.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Sr – Taylor Wyndham
Sr – Collins Ukwu
Jr – Done Rumph
Jr – Mister Cobble
Jr – Tristian Johnson
Jr- Patrick Ligon
So – Mike Douglas
So – Alvin Davis
So – Christian Coleman
So – Lionel Inanzala
So – Travaughn Paschal
Fr – Farrington Huguenin
Losing: Mark Crawford, Antwane Glenn, Jacob Lewellen, Luke McDermott
It always seems like the defensive line is Kentucky’s biggest weakness, but the Cats will actually return most of their talent from this year. Rumph and Cobble will be back to eat up space in the middle of the field, and Ukwu, Wyndham, Douglas, and Coleman will all be back after seeing extended time this year. With the wildcats using a three-man front more frequently, the depth that’s been built up at defensive line should only improve.
Linebackers
Sr – Ridge Wilson
Jr – Avery Williamson
So – Malcolm McDuffen
So – Miles Simpson
So – Tyler Brause
So – Justin Henderson
So – Alvin Dupree
Fr – Josh Forrest
Fr – Demarius Rancifer
Fr – Jabari Johnson
Fr – Tim Patterson
Losing: Winston Guy, Danny Trevathan, Ronnie Sneed
The Kentucky defense can blur the line between defensive end and linebacker at times and the line between a strong safety and a linebacker at others. I’ve included everyone on the roster here that: 1. Is on defense, 2. Lines up without their hand on the ground on some plays, and 3. Is not more than 8 yards off the ball when they line up. The team looks to be in very good position at the rush-end. As a more typical 3-4 outside linebacker, Wilson, Brause, Henderson, Dupree, Forrest, Johnson, and Patterson all fit this role VERY well. The safety/linebacker hybrid that Winston Guy played this year looks to have a capable Miles Simpson step in, but I’m not sure who backs him up? Avery Williamson is expected to take over for Sneed and McDuffen is expected to take over for Trevathan. The way that this defense evolves over the next year should be very interesting with all the different body types the staff has accumulated.
Defensive backs
Sr – Martavius Neloms
Sr – Mikie Benton
Sr – Cartier Rice
Jr – Christian Hudnell
So – Eric Simmons
So – Ashely Lowery
So – Glenn Faulkner
So – Eric Dixon
So – Daylen Hall
Losing: Randall Burden, Antohony Mosley, Mychal Bailey, Taiedo Smith, Dale Trimble
It was apparent that the defensive backfield was a priority in last year’s recruiting class and it’s pretty obvious why. The Wildcats will head into the off-season with only three scholarship cornerbacks on the roster and four scholarship safeties. Distressing to say the least. The recent departure of Dale Trimble and Jerrell Priester’s departure earlier this year have devastated the corner position so much so that the staff may need to look at moving a couple of safeties to the position to make sure they have enough bodies. Freshman Eric Dixon is listed on the depth chart as a safety, but played a lot of corner in the nickel package this season. Depth and experience will certainly not be things the Kentucky defensive backfield can count on this coming year…Of course they did have both of those things in this season, and it didn’t seem to matter anyway. Regardless of how the team fills the holes on the roster, they will also be breaking in a new defensive backs coach as well.
Projected Starting Defense for 2012
DE – C. Ukwu
DT – M. Cobble
DE – D. Rumph
LB – R. Wilson
LB – A. Williamson
LB – M. McDuffen
LB – M. Simpson
CB – M. Neloms
CB – C. Rice
S – A. Lowery
S – G. Faulkner
Disclaimer: This is all purely speculation on my part*