Ray Davis on Kentucky offensive line: ‘Ain’t nothing to worry about’

According to Kentucky running back Ray Davis, the team’s offensive line is coming along well after a poor year in 2022.

“Man, my guys are good. You know, those guys up front been doing what they got to do,” said Davis, listing the top players on the OL. “Marques (Cox), (Kenneth) Horsey, Eli (Cox), Jager (Burton), (Jeremy) Flax, you know, (Courtland Ford), a lot of those guys, even in the second group, those guys are coming and working every day.”

Well, those are the likely starters for UK as Cox comes in to shore up a miserable left tackle position from a year ago after a solid college career thus far at Northern Illinois. Meanwhile, Kenneth Horsey enters his sixth year of college ball and slides back into his natural left guard position after having to kick out as an emergency LT last fall.

Burton and Cox also return as dependable veterans in the middle, while Flax and Ford are battling for the RT spot, which Flax held last year. But he needed to improve quite a bit so Kentucky brought in the USC transfer Ford for some competition and depth across the line.

Per Davis, with four returners and a pair of elder transfers, the guys up front are getting along well.

“It starts with what they do in their room and they’re building that chemistry and that bond and that brotherhood and that translates to on-the-field,” he said.

“You got guys who are stepping up on stepping out of their comfort zone and I think, when it’s time to go against somebody else, they’re going to show what they’ve been working on. And again, I know it’s been a constant thing about those guys.”

The new UK running back assures fans not to worry, the O-line will be back to its dominant ways.

“But man, they ain’t got nothing to worry about. You know, those guys gonna go out there and play that game and I’m 1,000% confident in them and I would hope everybody else needs to be 1,000% percent confident in them.”

Credit OL coach Zach Yenser and those six guys mentioned earlier, says Ray Davis, because there is going to be an immense step up from a season ago.

“Because what coach (Yenser) is doing is… he’s stepping up to the plate. You know, a lot of guys are always talking about the old line, but y’all got to give him his respect as a coach.

“And you know, I got to give those players respect too. They’re coming out here and they’re working every day, extra work constantly, they’re doing what they got to do, and I think we’re going to be successful as long as they do what they got to do.”