Kentucky Football: Recruiting the defensive line recruiting must become a priority
Kentucky Football recruiting has taken a turn for the better since the addition of Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow, but one position group in particular needs improvement.
Kentucky Football has reeled in some highly touted recruits in the past few seasons. Mark Stoops and his staff have done an unbelievable job working to get top rated talent to Lexington. But, with all of the recruiting success, the lack of production from the defensive line is eye opening.
When you look at the top ranked teams in the SEC they all have one thing in common. A strong defensive line. Look at Alabama for example. Now, obviously, Alabama is on another level compared to Kentucky at the moment, but the script is still the same. The Crimson Tide defensive line is big, physical and frequently produces NFL talent.
With Kentucky Football trying to get to the level of an Alabama, recruiting the defensive line must become a priority. It would be pretty juvenile to think that Kentucky isn’t trying to get the best defensive lineman that they can. But, the results from recent recruits just haven’t been getting the job done. This goes without mentioning the pass-rushing tandem of Denzil Ware and Josh Allen. Both are very skilled and seem to project as outside linebackers at the next level but sometimes fine themselves with their hand in the dirt.
Lack of Production
On the interior, the tackles and nose position just haven’t produced at high levels. In comparison to other programs in the SEC, Kentucky must land some significant prospects to take the next step toward winning the SEC East.
Defensively, the Wildcats have built incredible depth in the secondary and the linebacker positions. In addition to intense recruiting on the offensive side of the ball, Kentucky isn’t too far away from seriously becoming a contender. From the looks of things,
Mark Stoops knows that the defensive line is a liability. The hiring of Derrick LeBlanc explains the need for intensified recruiting for the position. Kentucky is winning intense recruiting battles for wide receivers and offensive lineman regularly at this point. But, the defensive line must be a priority in the future.
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Things are starting to look up with the addition of Joshua Paschal, a four star defensive end out of Maryland. Also, Alex Reigelsperger projects to be a pass rushing threat in the very near future. With the incoming 2017 recruiting class featuring a total of five defensive ends and two defensive tackles, I’d say the heat is on in the trenches. With the heat turning up in Lexington, the key to producing more wins revolves around an improved defensive line unit.