Kentucky Wildcats Football: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

Nov 23, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Javess Blue (8) tries to prevent a tackle by Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Shaq Wiggins (6) during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

There was a ton of excitement at last week’s Spring Game and the team showed us lots of reasons for optimism.

At the same time, there were several areas that could be considered cause for concern. But there was undoubtedly an increase in the talent level on the field. Many fans are forgetting that what we saw was an incomplete picture. Over a quarter of this team wasn’t even on the field last week and while not all of the missing players will be impact guys, most will play and provide depth.

The list of missing players includes two senior starters in Javess Blue and Nate Willis, both playing positions of need. Blue will be ready for Fall camp with a shoulder surgery and Willis should be back by the first game following his recovery from hernia surgery.  Part-time starting linebacker Travaughn Pascal sat out large portions of the Spring. Sophomore wideout Alex Montgomery started in some sets last year and flashed great hands and possession qualities, he is coming back from a torn ACL suffered in November. Quarterback Maxwell Smith is recovering from a shoulder injury as well.

Now add in the rest of the ballyhooed 2014 recruiting class that hasn’t enrolled already. It would be preferable for as many of those players to redshirt as possible, but many will be counted on. Guys like Matt Elam, Ryan Flannigan, Darryl Long  and all of the receivers will have a chance to come in and compete for a starting position.  The defensive backs that Kentucky signed in Februaury will all have a chance to earn playing time on defense and on special teams. Stanley “Boom” Williams is coming into a packed backfield but is the type of talent that will find his way on to the field at some point.

One more name that many have forgotten is Junior College athlete Michael Mathis. Mathis didn’t sign with UK in February but plans on enrolling this Summer and joining the team. Mathis could make an impact on defense this year, the only question is where. During his recruitment Mathis was projected at linebacker, safety and cornerback. That’s a pretty wide range that just shows Mathis’ versatility.

In a year and a half, Mark Stoops and his staff have dramatically improved this roster. Without a doubt there is more SEC talent at UK than anytime in recent memory. It was easy for fans to see last week, just wait until the Fall.

Below is a list of all players missing from the Spring Game that will be on the team this Fall:

WR Javess Blue

CB Nate Willis

LB Travaughn Pascal

WR Alex Montgomery

QB Maxwell Smith

ATH Michael Mathis

DB Mike Edwards

DB Darius West

DB Kendall Randolph

DB Jared Tucker

DE Tymere Dubose

DE Lloyd Tubman

DE Denzel Ware

DT Matt Elam

DL Adrian Middleton

LB Nico Firios

LB Kobe Walker

OL Josh Krok

OL Jarrett Larubbio

OL Nick Richardson

OL Jervontius Stallings

RB Stanley Williams

TE Darryl Long

WR Dorian Baker

WR Garrett Johnson

WR Blake Bone