Kentucky football: These signees for 2021 can hopefully make immediate impact

Kentucky football will need to replace a lot of key people so we take a look at who can make an immediate impact from the newest class.

For Kentucky football fans the 2020 football season was as usual a kind of “well if this or that had happened” kind of year. The season isn’t complete with an undecided bowl game to play so that season wrap-up will come later.

So for now let’s optimistically focus is what can happen in 2021-22 as the next batch of Cats signed early letters of intent on Wednesday.

Mark Stoops and his coaches added a solid recruiting class ranking including six from the Bluegrass State. In 2018 Kentucky failed to sign any from the state.

Stoops likely isn’t done with this signing class and is expected to pull in some from the transfer portal and a few others who have yet to sign especially with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen and offensive line coach Eric Wolford.

Wolford comes from South Carolina and just possibly could swing some to Kentucky and away from the Gamecocks.

The Wildcats lost one today in redshirt freshman cornerback M.J. Devonshire who is transferring according to a post on his Instagram page. Devonshire recorded just a single tackle in nine games this year.

Well moving on let’s take a peek and what potential the newcomers could bring to the table and who could and needs to make an early impact.

Kentucky has 20 seniors who will be moving on and thus far a class of 18 has been signed.

That includes 15 starters with11 on offense (Terry Wilson, Asim Rose, Josh Ali, Landon Young, Drake Jackson, Luke Fortner, Justin Rigg) and defense (Quinton Bohanna, Phil Hoskins, Jamar Watkins, Brandin Echols, Devonte Robinson) our punter Max Duffy, kicker Matt Ruffolo and kick returner Zack Johnson. Key No. 2 backups also departing are Kordell Looney, Quandre Mosely, Devonte Robinson, and Colin Goodfellow.

There will be a need for many to step up quickly to fill these losses.

The university said that eight of the 18 future Wildcats will enroll for the spring semester and be on campus in January. That will allow them to participate in spring practice and get an early transition into college life and football. That list includes the biggest key member of the class offensive lineman Jager Burton.

Others joining Burton include OLB Justice Dingle who is transferring from Georgia Tech, CB Maxwell Hairston, DB Jordan Lovett, WR Chauncey Magwood, QB Kaiya Sheron, OL David Wohlabaugh, and RB La’Vell Wright.