Kentucky Football: How can Matt Elam bounce back from negative comments?
Kentucky Football defensive lineman, Matt Elam caught some major heat during the SEC Media Days.
Being called lazy, underachieving, and a disappointment is pretty harsh. When it comes to Kentucky football defensive tackle, Matt Elam, he’s living the nightmare right now. During the SEC Media Days, former Alabama Quarterback Greg McElroy had some choice words to say about Elam. McElroy is now prominent face on the SEC Network. You can read the full excerpt of McElroy’s comments in this article by the Courier Journal’s Jon Hale.
When it comes to Elam’s play, it has been quite a disappointment. In reality, a human of his size and stature would be a burden on any offensive guard or center in the SEC. The problem with Elam has been his inconsistent production. In some ways, McElroy is just stating facts. But, he didn’t really sugar coat things. He does think that Elam could play at the next level, but he needs to be better.
Elam is a massive figure. A Vince Wilfork type of body with insane strength. He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds. At that weight, its difficult for anyone to be productive for a whole game, let alone a whole season.
If Matt Elam wants to put on a show for the Kentucky Football fans and have any hopes to make it to the NFL, some things have got to change.
Matt Elam’s adjustments
In order for Elam to silence the haters AKA Greg McElroy, he needs to play at a higher level. Coming out of high school in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elam was rated as a five-star product according to 247Sports. As one of the top rated recruits in the school’s history, Elam sure hasn’t lived up to the hype. To be honest, I think every Kentucky Football fan could agree in saying that Elam should be doing more than what he’s doing. But, the situation with McElroy was overkill. Also, it was highly disrespectful. As a one-time top Alabama recruit, Matt Elam should’ve been better on the field, period.
With an improved conditioning and work ethic, Elam could silence these negative comments. But, he also has to be on the field. According to the recent defensive depth chart, Elam will begin the fall camp playing behind Naquez Pringle at the nose tackle position. He’s got to drop some pounds and be able to have the stamina to play consistently on every down. Elam wants to be a good player that is obvious. If he wants to make it to the next level, he’s got to produce on the field. Elam needs to find his way into the starting lineup and record at least 50 tackles.
Next: 3 takeaways from the Kentucky Football depth chart
This Kentucky defensive line needs to have more production as it is. If Matt Elam can record 50 tackles with 25 of them being tackles for loss, the Wildcats will be sitting in great shape defensively. A good Matt Elam means a good Kentucky Football team.