Kentucky Wildcats Football: Montgomery set up for a breakout

“The stage is set” is a phrase we use frequently to describe a lot of different circumstances. There may not be a better collection of words to properly identify the current situation freshman wide receiver Alex Montgomery finds himself in, and you may not even know a thing about him.

Despite being a highly regarded high school prospect, Montgomery is easily forgotten when discussing Kentucky’s receiving corps. Returning players like junior Demarco Robinson and redshirt sophomore Daryl Collins are expected to do big things this season after showing glimpses of their potential throughout the last two years. Another redshirt sophomore, Rashad Cunningham, was the star of the spring game, and true sophomore A.J. LeGree had a coming out party of sorts as well. Even in Montgomery’s own signing class, fellow receivers Jeff Badet and Ryan Timmons are getting much of the attention.

Why exactly do we forget about Montgomery? Well, it’s kind of hard to put your finger on. He’s big, but he isn’t 6’5 or anything. He’s fast, but he certainly won’t be the team’s fastest receiver either. Actually, even his name “Alex Montgomery” might be vanilla enough to have something to do with it.

My suggestion… Remember his name.

The Kentucky receiving corps was ravaged by graduation and attrition. Seniors Aaron Boyd, LaRod King, Gene McCaskill, and E.J. Fields have all exhausted their eligibility at UK and the dismissal of Bookie Cobbins and Demarcus Sweat leaves the Wildcats with only FOUR scholarship receivers returning. A signing class of the three above mentioned freshmen along with junior college transfer Javess Blue will help matters, but the fact remains that the roster has about half of the scholarship receivers that the Air Raid offense probably needs. Walk-ons like Austin Sheehan and Cameron Fogle should help matters and the tight ends and some of the backs can split out, but the reality is that every single body will be needed this season at the receiver position, everyone will get plenty of snaps, and anyone redshirting is unlikely.

This is where Montgomery comes in.

Where he doesn’t fit solely as a burner or a huge possession guy makes him versatile. Standing at 6’2 and weighing in at 210 pounds, Montgomery is a physical receiver. He has the size and skills to line up on the perimeter of the offense and his leaping ability will make him an easy redzone target. Don’t let his size fool you though. Montgomery is a fluid runner that has more than enough speed to be successful in the SEC. That speed will also allow him to play effectively in the slot. Honestly, Montgomery even has adequate enough size to move down to tight end if needed. The staff should be able to move him all over the field to multiple different positions, and this should in turn create all kinds of matchup problems for the defense. He’s big enough to overpower corners and safeties and fast enough to outrun linebackers underneath. Simply put, Montgomery is a weapon.

Just ask Apopka High School. The traditional Florida powerhouse saw Montgomery catch nine passes for 199 yards in the state championship game. That’s in Florida’s top division (8A) in case you were wondering what type of competition this was against.

So, just to recap…

Montgomery is a big, physical receiver with great speed and excellent hands and athleticism. The opportunity to shine has never been better at Kentucky and he should be in great position to have a big freshman year. While you may not know Alex Montgomery yet, he could be a household name very soon.