Spring Practice Begins For The University Of Kentucky Football

Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

With march Madness in full swing and the Kentucky men’s basketball team playing at an optimal level, it is hard to think of anything except basketball, but one other team has begun practice and they are eager to make some noise.

Yes, it’s football time again and I couldn’t be happier. As a Kentucky fan who wouldn’t? Our basketball team is headed to the final four when just a few weeks ago people thought that they wouldn’t make it out of the first round. Now we have the opportunity to see how our football team has progressed after a winter of strength and conditioning as day 1 got under way Friday morning at the Nutter Field House.

Coach Stoops said it was hard to compare this first spring practice to last season’s but did admit that Friday’s two-hour practice felt “a lot better”. He believes his team has done what they needed to do in winter conditioning to make them better. This is what coach Stoops had to say;

"Good to be back and good to get out there today and be practicing,” Stoops said. “It has felt like it has been a long winter and we needed that to get bigger and get stronger. It was good to get back out on the field. Very excited about where we are at. We have improved as a football team, obviously the first things and common mistakes and being sloppy at times today, but overall we have improved and look a lot better. Good to get out there and see that. I am excited about where we go the rest of the spring."

The football team (which practiced again this past Monday) and staff have 13 more practices to improve, with the last practice being live in front of all the fans on April 26th at 3:30 pm in Commonwealth Stadium. That will be the second spring game practice under head coach Mark Stoops and we all hope to see a much more competitive football team as does he.

Below is the up-dated spring roster.

1              A.J. Stamps         Cornerback         6-0          189         JR-JC      Vicksburg, Miss./Vicksburg/East Mississippi CC

1              Ryan Timmons  Wide Receiver   5-10       193         SO-RS    Frankfort, Ky./Franklin County

2              Alvin Dupree      Defensive End   6-4          267         SR-3L     Irwinton, Ga./Wilkinson County

2              Jalen Whitlow    Quarterback       6-2          217         JR-2L      Montgomery, Ala./Prattville

3              Jojo Kemp           Running Back     5-10       196         SO-1L    DeLand, Fla./DeLand

3              Fred Tiller            Cornerback         6-0          176         JR-2L      Homerville, Ga./Clinch County

4              Mikel Horton     Running Back     6-1          236         FR-HS    West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West

5              Braylon Heard   Running Back     5-11       198         JR-Tr      Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney/Nebraska

5              Ashely Lowery  Safety   6-1          215         SR-3L     Cleveland, Ga./White County

6              A.J. Legree          Wide Receiver   6-1          190         JR-2L      Fort White, Fla./Fort White

6              Jason Hatcher    Defensive End   6-3          244         SO-1L    Louisville, Ky./Trinity

7              Drew Barker       Quarterback       6-3          216         FR-HS    Burlington, Ky./Conner

7              Daron Blaylock  Safety   6-1          213         JR-2L      Marietta, Ga./Walton

8              Javess Blue         Wide Receiver   6-0          190         SR-1L     Babson Park, Fla./Lake Wales/Butler CC

9              Landon Foster   Punter  6-1          208         JR-2L      Franklin, Tenn./Independence

9              Demarco Robinson          Wide Receiver   5-10       158         SR-3L     Ellenwood, Ga./Martin Luther King

10           Tyler Brause       Linebacker          6-4          245         SR-3L     Sycamore, Ohio/Wynford

10           Thaddeus Snodgrass      Wide Receiver   6-1          178         FR-HS    Springfield, Ohio/Springfield

11           Maxwell Smith  Quarterback       6-4          236         JR-2L      Granada Hills, Calif./Birmingham

12           Reese Phillips    Quarterback       6-2          222         FR-RS    Signal Mountain, Tenn./Signal Mountain

13           Jared Leet           Holder  6-3          196         JR-2L      Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Orange

13           Jeff Badet           Wide Receiver   6-0          173         SO-1L    Orlando, Fla./Freedom

14           Patrick Towles   Quarterback       6-5          236         SO-1L    Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands

14           Dorian Hendrix  Linebacker          6-0          230         FR-HS    Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne

15           J.D. Harmon       Cornerback         6-2          192         SO-1L    Paducah, Ky./Tilghman

15           Marcus McWilson            Safety   6-0          209         SO-1L    Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney

16           Cody Quinn        Cornerback         5-10       172         JR-2L      Middletown, Ohio/Middletown

17           Alexander Montgomery               Wide Receiver   6-2          210         SO-1L    Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay

17           Zack Blaylock      Safety   6-1          190         SO-1L    Marietta, Ga./Walton

18           Glenn Faulkner Safety   6-2          201         JR-2L      East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis

19           Jaleel Hytchye   Cornerback         5-10       170         SO-1L    Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle

20           Josh Harris          Safety   6-0          197         SO-Sq    Maysville, Ky./Mason County

21           Nate Willis           Cornerback         6-0          174         SR-1L     Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee/Arizona Western College

21           Rodney Cox        Cornerback         6-0          178         JR-Sq     Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual

21           Josh Clemons    Running Back     5-10       216         JR-1L      Fayetteville, Ga./Whitewater

22           Khalid Henderson            Linebacker          6-1          231         JR-2L      Mableton, Ga./Pebblebrook

24           Blake McClain    Defensive Back 5-11       190         SO-1L    Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park

25           Patrick Sermersheim      Safety   5-11       170         FR-RS    Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier

26           Tre’ Dunn            Linebacker          6-2          240         SR-1L     Harrodsburg, Ky./Mercer County/Campbellsville

27           Demitrious Davis              Running Back     5-9          185         SO-Tr     Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch/Pittsburgh

28           Eric Dixon            Safety   5-11       190         SR-3L     Mobile, Ala./Vigor

29           Austin Sheehan                Wide Receiver   5-9          160         SO-Sq    Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands

30           Chris Davis          Defensive Back 5-8          189         SO-Tr     Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch/Pittsburgh