Kentucky released the pre-spring depth chart this week and there are some interesting developments.
OFFENSE
Quarterback:
As expected, Maxwell Smith sits atop the depth chart at QB. Morgan Newton is listed as the number two man, but will not throw at all this spring while recovering from surgery. EKU transfer Jacob Russell is the third string quarterback and will presumably take reps with the second team during the spring. All three ofKentucky’s top signal callers are 6’4 and all weigh at least 230 pounds.
Running Back:
Senior CoShik Williams will start spring out as the starting running back and has bulked up to 194 pounds. Raymond Sanders will start the spring as the #2 back. Josh Clemons will start at #3 on the depth chart and will be limited as he recovers from injuries, but will participate at least partially. The remainder of the depth chart will be Jonathan George (who is up to 216 pounds) at #4, Brandon Gainer at #5, and redshirt freshmen Derek Bishop and Chad Merida at #6 and #7 respectively. Clemons has also changed his jersey number from 20 to 21.
Fullback:
No surprises here as DJ Warren is atop the depth chart and Cody Jones will be backing him up again this season.
Wide Receiver:
The Wildcats have three receiver positions on the depth chart and seniors La’Rod King, E.J. Fields, and Gene McCaskill sit at the top of those three spots. Junior Brian Adams, sophomore Demarco Robinson, and redshirt freshman Daryl Collins will compete at the #2 spot at each position and senior Aaron Boyd, redshirt freshmen Bookie Cobbins and Rashad Cunningham and walk-ons Jared Leet, William Tanner, and Derrick Quarles will be next in line on the depth chart. It appears the offseason has allowed the receivers to bulk up (with the exception of Demarco Robinson at 157 pounds) and Kentucky will have seven receivers at 190 pounds or more. Cunningham, Boyd, and Adams all measure in at 6’4 and tip the scales at 220 pounds or more. Cobbins was moved to receiver from quarterback, where he played much of last season.
Tight End:
While a competition is sure to ensue, Tyler Robinson will head into spring as the top tight end on the roster. Fellow juniors Jordan Aumiller and Anthony Kendrick and sophomore Ronnie Shields will vie for the backup spot and converted defensive end Patrick Ligon has changed to jersey number 46 and is listed as the fifth tight end. Shields has bulked up to 245 pounds and Aumiller has added weight as well, while Anthony Kendrick has slimmed down from 264 to 250.
Left Tackle:
As expected, Darrian Miller is listed as the starter. He is up to 306 pounds and appears to be the future and the now for the Wildcats at the position. Walk-ons Tyler Davenport and Jack Gruenschlaeger will be at #2 and #3 on the depth chart respectively, butDavenportwill miss contact portions of the spring, leaving the 6’11 / 354 pound Gruenschlaeger as the number two guy in scrimmages.
Left Guard:
Redshirt freshman Zach West will begin the spring as the starting guard, but mammoth sophomore Teven Eatmon-Nared (6’7 / 342) will rotate in. Eatmon-Nared was moved over to guard from tackle for this season.
Center:
Incumbent starter Matt Smith will be back at center and is listed as the number one guy. His backups will be Sam Simpson and Max Goodby. Simpson will sit out of contact this spring with a back injury and guard Larry Warford will take reps at center on Wednesdays and in Smith’s absence (due to academic obligations).
Right Guard:
Returning starter Larry Warford will return for his senior season to anchor the offensive line from the guard position. The svelt (sort of) Warford is down to 320 pounds from 336 last season, and will also work in at center. Warford’s top backup will be converted defensive tackle Shaq Love, who moved to the offensive line last season.
Right Tackle:
Converted guard Kevin Mitchell will begin the spring as the starting right tackle, but will have to hold off senior Trevino Woods. Mitchell is the bigger of the two at 6’6 and 300 pounds, but Woods has managed to get his weight up to 290+ and should challenge Mitchell. If neither player impresses, expect some of the other linemen to get a look at this spot before the freshmen arrive this summer.
DEFENSE
Defensive End:
Senior Collins Ukwu will sit at the #1 spot this spring, but will not participate in contact drills while recovering from injury. Top backup Michael Douglas will be listed as the number two player at the position and has bulked up to 265 pounds. Redshirt freshman Farrington Huguenin has managed to get his weight up to 266 after coming toLexingtonin the 230 pound range. Douglasis expected to be a major contributor in the defensive end rotation this fall and will likely take the first team reps in Ukwu’s absence.
Defensive Tackle:
Junior Donte Rumph will start at one of the defensive tackle positions and has trimmed down to 303 pounds. His top backup will be sophomore Christian Coleman, who impressed while playing as a true freshman last year. The #3 player on the roster will be Alvin Davis, who will move over from defensive end.
Defensive Tackle:
Mister Cobble returns for his junior year and will go into spring as a starter next to Rumph. Cobble will be expected to be one of the key cogs inKentucky’s defense. Junior Tristain Johnson originally arrived at Kentucky as a linebacker, but has now bulked up to 272 pounds and will compete at tackle as the top backup to cobble. Nermin Delic has rejoined the team after missing last season and will be #3 on the depth chart at 6’5 and 280 pounds. Delic will wear number 66.
Defensive End:
When Kentucky uses four down linemen, Senior Taylor Wyndham will start at the defensive end opposite Ukwu. Sophomore TraVaughn Paschal will be eligibile to play this fall and will be Wyndham’s top backup. Paschal has gotten bigger (up to 258) and changed jersey numbers from 61 to 41.
Strong-side Linebacker:
After the dismissal of incumbent starter Ridge Wilson, sophomore Alvin Dupree will move to the top spot of the depth chart. Dupree was one of the top freshmen performers for the Cats last season and has bulked up to 255 pounds for this season. Fellow sophomore Justin Henderson will serve as Dupree’s primary backup, and he has excelled in previous spring practices.
Middle Linebacker:
Avery Williamson has moved to the #1 spot on the depth chart after Ronnie Sneed’s graduation. After playing extensively on special teams and when relieving Sneed over the past two seasons, Williamson looks to be ready to take over as the full-time starter. Sophomore Tyler Brause came to Kentucky as a quarterback, but moved to outside linebacker for last season and has now moved again to the #2 spot at middle linebacker. He now stands 6’4 and weighs in at 241 pounds. The #3 player at the position will be Jabari Johnson, but he will not go through contact portions this spring.
Weak-side Linebacker:
Sophomore Malcolm McDuffen will take over the starting job at this spot after Danny Trevathan’s graduation. He will be backed up by redshirt freshmen Demarius Rancifer and Tim Patterson. The weak-side linebackers have utilized the offseason to get bigger and all three players on the depth chart have added weight. McDuffen is up to 228 (from 217), Rancifer is up to 232 (from 206), and Patterson is up to 248 (from 224). The added size will undoubtedly help stop opposing running attacks.
Hybrid Safety/Linebacker:
Winston Guy’s graduation has opened the door for sophomore Miles Simpson to take over and he sits atop the depth chart at the position. Simpson originally came to UK as a running back before moving over to the defense as a safety. Josh Forrest is listed as #2 on the roster and the former wide receiver/tight end recruit has bulked up to 234 (from 213 last season). Junior college transfer Kory Brown will go into the spring at #3 on the depth chart and will wear jersey #34 this season.
Cornerback:
Senior Cartier Rice will start at one of the vacant cornerback spots and should give the Cats an experienced option at the position after playing extensively last season in nickel and dime packages. Sophomore Eric Dixon will start the spring backing Rice up at the #2 spot on the depth chart after playing extensively as a true freshman last season. Walk-ons Christian Hudnell and Kirk Smith will man the #3 and #4 spots on the depth chart respectively.
Safety:
Senior Mikie Benton will return as a starter at one of the two safety positions this season. Joker Phillips identified Benton as the quarterback of the defense and he will be critical in getting everyone lined up and in the correct coverage. Sophomore Ashely Lowery will be Benton’s backup and is expected to see the field plenty between defense and special teams.
Safety:
Senior Martavius Neloms will return to start the safety position oppositeBenton. Neloms moved from corner to safety last season and, based on Coach Phillips’ comments, will spend some time at cornerback as well. His backup will be sophomore Glenn Faulkner, who played special teams as a true freshman and was a backup safety despite missing a big part of the summer camp. Neloms has changed his jersey number from 15 to 1.
Cornerback:
Redshirt freshman Marcus Caffey came toLexingtonas a running back, but depth at the position and a dire need for defensive backs prompted a move to corner for him. While his move to defense is not surprising, the fact that he sits atop the depth chart as a redshirt freshman is. Caffey has also changed jersey numbers from 30 to 15. The #2 cornerback will be sophomore Eric Simmons. Behind Caffey and Simmons, walk-ons Jerry Williams and Kristopher O’Bryant will man the third and fourth spots on the depth chart respectively. Williams played quarterback and receiver at Henry Clay High School and practiced at receiver for Kentucky last season before being moved to safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker:
Senior Craig McIntosh will return for a final go-round as Kentucky’s starting placekicker after holding the position for the past three seasons. His backup on field goals and extra points will be junior Joe Mansour, who will also handle kickoffs again this season.
Punter:
To replace Ryan Tydlacka, the Cats will look to junior Joe Mansour and his powerful leg. He served as the team’s backup placekicker, backup punter, and starting kickoff specialist in each of the past two seasons. Now, He will go into the spring as the team’s starting punter in addition to handling kickoffs and backup placekicking duties. Redshirt freshman Jay Wilmott from Scott County High School will be the team’s backup punter.
Long Snapper:
Redshirt freshman Kelly Mason and sophomore Kyle Budde will battle this spring for the starting long-snapping job. Both are capable players and Coach Phillips pointed them out as guys that the staff feels good about.
Kick Returner:
Sophomore safety Ashely Lowery will utilize the athleticism that made him famous on youtube to return kicks for the Wildcats. He will be pushed by redshirt freshmen receivers Daryl Collins and Bokkie Cobbins. Realistically, any of the three would be good options for the Wildcats based on their athleticism as the staff would undoubtedly like to get some playmakers on special teams.
Punt Returner:
Senior receiver Gene McCaskill will start out as the team’s primary punt returner, but will have to contend with Collins and Cobbins as well. While McCaskill might start out returning punts, the dark horse in this race might be Cobbins, whose excellent speed and playmaking ability prompted his move from quarterback to receiver.