Spring Practice notes

By Kyle

Some notes from Wednesday’s Spring Practice session:

The Defensive backs are looking really good. Jarvis Walker, Greg Wilson, and Cartier Rice made some good plays. Walker may have a real shot at the Strong Safety job regardless of whether Mychal Bailey makes it to campus this fall or not.

The Quarterbacks had a decent day, but I was hoping for more. Newton made some mental mistakes and saw passes sail high on him all day, but when he was on, he looked very good. Mossakowski made some nice throws and showed off his arm. The mid-to-deep ball wasn’t perfect, but was the best of the group. Hartline absolutely exudes confidence. He clearly has the best grasp of the offense and handles the “speed of the game” significantly better than the freshmen.

The entire defense looks fast. Not just the defensive backs, but every player. The linebackers looked especially quick, and to spotlight three guys, William Johnson (SO), Qua Huzzie(FR), and Danny Trevathan(JR) excelled, albeit in shorts. I don’t know what Johnson’s reported forty times are, but he looks faster than most of the defensive backs and wide receivers. Qua Huzzie looks like a MMA fighter, and could possibly give young children nightmares.

The Offensive line is bigger than last year according to the roster, but they don’t look like it. Rock Johnson has added the “good weight” to the players that they needed. Kevin Mitchell appears to have gotten the most out of the offseason workout sessions and is up to 320 pounds. I didn’t see redshirt freshman Ian Anderson, but someone said he looked really good.

The Tight End group is significantly more athletic than last year. Nick Mellilo and Ryan Wallace will provide the most balanced options as blockers and receivers. Anthony Kendrick looks like a clone of Antonio Gates and looked like a receiver running. If he can play in pads, Kentucky should be in good shape at TE. I noticed walk-on Gabe Correll looked really good too. Odds are long for him to see the field much, but if I didn’t know he was a walk-on, I would have never guessed.

Mister Cobble is really big. He has got to be taller than the 6’1 he’s listed at, and you can tell he’s dedicated to getting bigger and stronger. Watching him play is strangely similar to watching Myron Pryor.

It’s been reported everywhere, but junior Linebacker Matt Lentz has decided to take the advice of doctors and give up football due to multiple concussions. He was slated to start practicing with the Linebackers this spring after moving from Safety, and many fans had high expectations for him (myself included). He’ll remain with the team as a student coach.

It’s been noted elsewhere, but Brandon Thurmond and Kyrus Lanxter are not listed on the roster. Both have had extensive injuries throughout their careers and their lack of playing time did not result from a lack of skill. Having spoken with Kyrus, he’s decided to give up football to concentrate on his academics. Thurmond was a little more of a surprise, and I hope to know more soon.

A couple of major position changes have occurred over the last few weeks. I mentioned in the position previews that Moncell Allen was a likely candidate to move over to Fullback, and that Chandler Burden might be moved to the Offensive Line or to Defensive Tackle. Allen was moved shortly after the article, and Burden was moved to Offensive Tackle this week. Dakotah Tyler was moved to Safety from Running back prior to signing day. Jordan Aumiller was switched from Linebacker to Tight End, and his number has changed from #83 to #17. It also appears the staff has decided to keep Brian Adams at Wide Receiver after he was moved temporarily to Tight End. Greg Meisner will slide from Defensive End to Fullback as well. We may see other moves as spring progresses.

Keep tuned in to Wildcat Blue Blog for more gridiron updates throughout spring practice

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