Kentucky Wildcats Football: Can the offense turn the corner in 2014?
By Kyle
The 2013 Kentucky offense was…just blah. There were moments where you thought you might see the light at the end of the tunnel, but those were few and far between and they were also stomped out quickly far too often. Inconsistent and sometimes incoherent quarterback play became the weekly discussion for the team and most fans felt a great deal of disappointment after hopes of a high flying offense finally subsided. As bad as the 2013 offense was, the 2014 version could really be that much better, and an infusion of young talent combined with the maturity of the current players actually has the right makeup for a reasonably prompt turnaround.
The offense is always going to be centered around the quarterback, and the Wildcats should have a fierce battle for the starting job this offseason. Jalen Whitlow and Maxwell Smith have failed to impress over the past two years, but both will only be juniors this coming season. Patrick Towles has the tools, but his inability to put everything together to this point has been puzzling. Reese Phillips is coming off of his redshirt season and should challenge despite his age, and of course there’s always that Drew Barker fellow, and he is going to be a serious wildcard in the battle. Essentially, Kentucky went from two serviceable quarterbacks (with Towles and Phillips redshirting) last season to having FIVE serious contenders for the position. The staff is substantially more likely to find a quality starter, but Smith missing spring practice will probably put him behind the eight ball with the other four competing all offseason. Even if Smith or Whitlow win the job this offseason, they will have had to improve dramatically to do so if Barker and Phillips are as good as they have been billed by the coaching staff. If competition truly breeds success, the Wildcats will have a signal caller that can allow the offense to run more smoothly in 2014, so we’re talking improvement.
The running back position is possibly the most puzzling, but probably not how one might expect. A combination of graduation and transfers has left Kentucky with what should be a completely different backfield look. Raymond, Sanders, Jonathan George, and DyShawn Mobley are all gone, leaving only true sophomore Jojo Kemp with 2013 experience. The backfield becomes much more dynamic with Braylon Heard and Demetrius Davis both becoming eligible after transferring from Nebraska and Pitt respectively. Heard has impressed enough to be the early favorite for the starting gig and Davis is expected to fill a Randall Cobb-like role of running, receiving and returning kicks. Those three would be enough, but then the addition of not one, but two four-star running backs in the signing class puts running back in contention for the most talented and deepest position on the roster. With so many versatile players that do so many different things well the staff will have a plethora of options next season.
The receivers have been a continual thorn in the side of Kentucky it fans for far too long. From failed attempts to convert high school quarterbacks, to untimely and unfortunate injuries, to simple flops, the Wildcats have truly struggled to field a competitive group of receivers since of Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons and Stevie Johnson suited up together. After getting their feet wet last season, Jeff Badet, Ryan Timmons, and Alex Montgomery return for their sophomore season and they will join junior A.J. Legree and seniors Demarco Robinson and Javess Blue to form a respectable receiving corps. Consider the additions of freshmen Thaddeus Snodgrass, T.V. Williams, Garrett Johnson, Dorian Baker, and Blake Bone, and the team finally has enough bodies to run a real passing offense and there is a realistic chance that the passing game looks completely different next season.
The offensive line loses only Kevin Mitchell, but adds Ramsey Meyers, Nick Haynes, and Kyle Meadows off of their redshirt seasons. Additionally, juniors Zach West and Jordan Swindle will have an offseason to heal up from some nagging injuries and the only player who’s starting position is reasonably safe is senior tackle Darrian Miller. The offensive line probably doesn’t have ideal depth just yet, but a signing class of highly touted and recruited linemen will surely help sooner rather than later.
So really, one offseason really could produce drastically different results. Serious reinforcements will be or have already been added to the offensive line and receivers, which were quite possibly the team’s thinnest two positions in 2013. A true stable of talented and versatile backs should make things interesting, but it seems as though things may come down to the quarterback position again this year. If coach Brown and his staff can get quarterback play that allows the other players on the offense to succeed, we could see a completely different product on the field as early as the upcoming spring practices.