Kentucky will undoubtedly see a hiccup or two at linebacker this year after losing senior standouts Sam Maxwell and Micah Johnson. Junior returning starter Danny Trevathan will man the weak-side position again this year, but the Cats will be forced to play newcomers at the other two positions. Regardless of which players eventually take over the strong-side or middle spots, the Wildcats have recruited talented players with SEC-level speed that will help the defense compete against the best offenses in the country.
Linebacker
The Main Attraction:
#22 – Danny Trevathan – JR – 6’1 / 223 – Leesburg, FL
Trevathan came to Kentucky as a lightly regarded two-star player as a high school senior. He came to Kentucky with relatively low fan expectations, and then raised a few eyebrows when the coaches elected to bypass a redshirt season and play him as a true freshman. After playing special teams and seeing the field in mop-up duty as a freshman, he managed to take over and win the starting job on the weak side last year as a sophomore. Trevathan will bring toughness to the unit this year along with his trademark speed. He’ll be Kentucky’s most experienced linebacker this year and will have to use his experience to help bring along the other linebackers, whoever they end up being.
The Contenders:
#46 – Ronnie Sneed – JR – 6’2 / 233 – Tallahassee, FL
Backing up Micah Johnson is no easy job and Ronnie Sneed attempted to do so as a sophomore last year. He played admirably, but being about 30 pounds lighter than Micah made filling running lanes hard. He was able to play really well this spring and went into the fall camp deadlocked with freshman Qua Huzzie for the starting job at middle linebacker. Sneed brings more experience to the unit than his competition and significantly more size. If he wins the job, it will probably be due to his ability to step up and stop the run.
#2 – Qua Huzzie – FR – 5’10 / 210 – LaGrange, GA
Huzzie was having a monster camp last year before being injured and the feeling most fans got was that he would be playing as a true freshman. Unfortunately he was forced to sit out the season and use his redshirt season. After a great spring, he’ll be competing with Ronnie Sneed for the middle linebacker or “Mike” spot and while he’s a little lighter than Sneed, he packs just as much punch. Huzzie would represent a big change from Micah Johnson because he is one of the fastest linebackers on the roster and will bring true sideline-to-sideline speed to the defense. It should be a pretty close battle between he and Sneed and regardless of who wins the job, the other should play a lot.
#48 – Ridge Wilson – SO – 6’3 / 240 – Louisville, KY
It’s hard to bring Wilson up without mentioning that he managed to get himself in Coach Brooks’ doghouse last year. Now that he’s essentially wasted his freshman year, it will be important for him to step up and make his presence felt in the competition to replace Sam Maxwell at the strong-side linebacker position. He has the size and speed to be a starter on most teams, but he’ll need to show he can get the coverages and blitz assignments down if he wants to win the job. If Wilson can put it all together, he has the chance to be one of the best linebackers Kentucky has had in a ling time, and that’s sating something. He should see the field as a third down pass rusher from time to time as well.
#57 – Jacob Dufrene – SR – 6’1 / 211 – Cut Off, LA
To be blatantly honest, the fact that Dufrene is even in the mix for a starting job is a testament to how tough of a guy he is. He is too short, too light, and too slow to play linebacker in the SEC. But somehow he manages to overcome all obstacles to fight for the starting strong-side linebacker job and leave spring practice as the leader at the position. Dufrene brings experience, coachability, and an old school tough guy mentality to the defense. He should at least see the field on special teams if he doesn’t win the starting job.
The supporting cast:
#11 – Greg Wilson – JR – 6’1 / 218 – College Park, GA
It was just announced this month that junior Greg Wilson was switched from safety to linebacker. He’s been an outstanding special teams contributor in his time at UK, but hasn’t made a huge impact on defense. This move will allow the big hitter to work in smaller spaces and use his ability to light up offensive players a little better. He’s likely to be a top special teams player and may see the field on defense in obvious passing downs or in a backup role.
#44 – Ryan Mosby – SO – 5’11 / 206 – Heath, TX
Mosby is a big player in a small package. Despite weighing in just over 200 pounds, he is able to throw his weight around, and use his excellent speed to make plays. He packs a big punch and will likely contribute on special teams this year. Mosby has a bright future with UK, but with Trevathan healthy he is unlikely to make a push for playing time on defense this season.
#49 – Antonio Thomas – JR – 6’1 / 236 – Cowpens, SC
It’s hard not to root for Thomas. He’s a guy that has done everything the coaches have asked of him since he arrived on campus and has just been stuck behind some really talented players in his time at Kentucky. That being said, it’s pretty much now or never for Thomas if he hopes to ever win a starting job for the Wildcats. The incoming recruits are talented and wont slow down to give Thomas a chance to keep up. He is likely to be a top special teams player this season.
#40 – Avery Williamson – FR – 6’1 / 221 – Milan, TN
As one of the strongest players on the team, it’s hard to remember that Avery Williamson is only a freshman. He will bring serious brute strength to the defense and actually has the speed to match. There has been some speculation as to which position he will eventually land at, but it’s hard to believe he won’t have an impact at strong-side or middle linebacker. He will surely see the field on special teams at the very least, and there’s even a chance he could win the starting job at middle or strong-side linebacker as a true freshman.
#39 – Jewell Ratliff – FR – 6’1 / 230 – New Orleans, LA
When Ratliff’s commitment to Kentucky became public knowledge, there was a collective “who?’ from fans. Being a late addition, most assumed a redshirt or even a greyshirt season was likely for him. Due to other players not making the grades to qualify, he’ll get his chance right away, and he has an outside chance to play
his way into the mix for the middle linebacker job. If he doesn’t redshirt this season, he will probably see time on special teams and as a backup in the middle.
#54 – Malcolm McDuffen – FR – 6’3 / 205 – Hopkinsville, KY
Despite linebacker being a position of need for the Wildcats, it is extremely likely that McDuffen will redshirt this season. He was used as everything from a quarterback to defensive end in high school and he’ll probably need some time to settle in to his new position. He can use this season to work out with Coach Oliver and add some muscle to his long frame.
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