Kentucky Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up

Strengths & Question Marks

I think the biggest strength revealed by spring practice is Kentucky’s dept at running back. With the addition of Nebraska transfer Braylon Heard, the improvement of last year’s freshman breakout Jojo Kemp, the return of Josh Clemons from injury and the matriculation of freshman Mikel Horton, Kentucky has remarkable depth at the spot. Kemp was excellent in the spring game, Clemons was impressive returning off injury, Heard and Horton were both very good. Stanley “Boom” Williams is not yet with the team, but he should make the position even more secure.

The offensive line also seems much better than expected, although I’d hesitate to call it a strength, and it’s hard to really evaluate their play at this point. Defensive end also looks like a strong position for Kentucky.

Weakness-wise, they have to worry a bit about the receiving corps. Even though we saw some good performances by Demarco Robinson, Ryan Timmons and freshman Thaddeus Snodgrass, with so many receivers down with injury and their lack of sheer numbers at the spot, that has to be a concern. That’s a bit deceptive, though, because Kentucky’s 2014 class is heavy with receivers, and most of them did not arrive on campus in time for the spring game. Blake Bone, Dorian Baker, and Garrett Johnson will all be here in the fall, and are likely to have an impact, as well as returners Jeff Badet and Javess Blue, who were injured.

The linebacking corps is also a worry, as they didn’t hold up particularly well against Kentucky’s running attack. Finally, the defensive backfield didn’t look bad, but it was a major problem last season and it is still a young unit.

Breakout Players

Offensively, I think you’ll see both Kemp and Heard be major forces in the fall. They are both tough, hard-running backs that bring speed and power to the running game.

I think it’s possible that Demarco Robinson finally delivers on his promise this season. The Big Blue Nation has been waiting for Robinson to explode for two seasons now, and while he’s shown flashes, he’s never looked particularly comfortable in his role. He looked much better in the spring game, and I expect big things from him this season.

I think Patrick Towles may surprise. While he hasn’t been officially named the starter and Reese Phillips and Drew Barker both still have a good shot to unseat him, he’s the leader in the clubhouse and his performance in the spring game was easily the best.

Defensively, look for Jason Hatcher to have a big impact. The 4-star sophomore saw quite a bit of action last season and was very impressive at times. Glenn Faulkner, a 4-star player out of Arkansas, has been slow developing due to injury, but he’s due to “get it” this season, and I expect big things from him.

Position Grades

Quarterback: B   Better than expected, not outstanding;

Running backs: A   Maybe the best offensive backfield Kentucky has had in the last ten seasons;

Receivers: Incomplete   too many injuries/missing players to properly evaluate, but a position of concern;

Offensive line: B-minus   Better than expected, but lines are tough to evaluate at this point;

Defensive line: C  Again, lines are tough in the spring.

Linebackers: C-minus   Not a lot of people flying around in the linebacking corps. We are missing Avery Williamson’s speed and leadership;

Secondary: C-minus   Kentucky needs to get a lot better there. They have more experience this year, but some critical parts like Nate Willis were missing due to injuy;

Special teams: Incomplete   Special teams do not really do much in our spring game, but Landon Foster is a good punter. Other than that, no idea.

2014 Expectations

Considering Kentucky’s youth, probably something like a 2-5 game improvement in the overall record on the win side. 6-6 or better is probably too much to hope for, but I’d be very surprised and disappointed if Kentucky didn’t win four games. I’d like to see the Wildcats win at least two conference games, and if they manage that, a 5-7 season would be about right.

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Glenn Logan of A Sea of Blue provided the information for our Kentucky football 2014 spring wrap up.  For more kentucky football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Glenn on Twitter @ASeaOfBlue.

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