The 'Big Blue Wall': Why Kentucky's rebuilt OL will determine the Wildcats' 2022 ceiling

The Kentucky Wildcats are set for their annual Blue-White spring scrimmage Saturday, and while Big Blue Nation is excited to see Will Levis, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and several new wideouts back in action, my curiosity about the ‘Cats in 2022 has little to do with who is throwing, running or catching the pigskin.

At its simplest, football is about blocking and tackling, and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has fully-embraced that ethos in turning around the Wildcats’ program over the last decade. 

Stoops is the best UK football coach since Bear Bryant in the 1950s, making six consecutive bowl games and winning 10 games twice in the last four seasons. Stoops has thrived at a school that is notoriously difficult to find success at, establishing a Big Blue Collar culture built around a salty defense and a mauling offensive line. 

A year ago, Stoops wanted to get more explosive on offense, so he sought an upgrade at offensive coordinator and hired wunderkind wiz kid Liam Coen from the Los Angeles Rams. The 35-year-old assistant had never called plays, but the influences from the Sean McVay offense paid immediate dividends for the ‘Cats, as Kentucky’s passing offense became much more dynamic and efficient (113th in passing efficiency in 2020 vs. 39th in 2021). UK averaged 6.4 yards per play last season — its highest production in nine seasons under Stoops. 

But Coen’s stay in Lexington was short-lived, as McVay plucked him back as the Rams’ new OC in February. Stoops was able to maintain a semblance of scheme continuity by hiring Rich Scangarello, the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach who also has tentacles to McVay’s extensive coaching tree. 

So on the heels of another 10-win season, the return of a veteran quarterback and perhaps the most underrated skill-player in the SEC in tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr., there’s natural optimism that the Wildcats will continue their recent success and push for the No. 2 spot in the SEC East.  But Kentucky’s 2022 offense — and the team’s overall ceiling — will only be as good as its rebuilt offensive line room. 

Can Kentucky build a ‘Big Blue Wall’ in 2022?

The late, great OL coach John Schlarman, who passed away from liver cancer in 2020, established the ‘Big Blue Wall’ in Lexington, and for the last half decade, the not-so-secret ingredient to the success of the Kroger Field ‘Cats was a dominant offensive line. 

Wildcats have had one of the best units in the country in recent years, and first-year coach Eric Wolford continued the group’s strong play last season. Kentucky had an All-American right tackle in Darian Kinnard, an All-SEC center in Luke Fortner and a productive left tackle in LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal. The trio anchored a group that allowed the fewest hurries (40) in the SEC, per Pro Football Focus, and ranked in the Top 5 in the conference in rushing yards, per carry average and touchdowns. 

All three linemen are off to the NFL now though, and Wolford was such a good assistant Nick Saban hired him away to Alabama. 

In steps Zach Yenser, who worked with Rich Scangarello in San Francisco but also got his coaching career started working as a GA under Schlarman at Troy in 2007. Yenser is a Kentucky native who has fully embraced the tradition and legacy left by Schlarman. His passion and enthusiasm were key selling points for Stoops on the hire. 

Thanks to the recruiting efforts of Stoops, Vince Marrow, Schlarman and others, Yenser has the bricks he needs to build his own ‘Big Blue Wall,’ but he still faces a tall task of continuing what’s driven so much of Kentucky’s recent success. 

One of the hallmarks of Schlarman’s offensive lines were depth and development, rotating 7-8 linemen evenly and keeping lots of bodies fresh and engaged. 

Kentucky didn’t do that in 2021, but Yenser is inclined to revert back to his mentor’s approach. 

That’s fine and well, but that lots of youth up front for the Wildcats this fall.

Kentucky is set to rely on talented but inexperienced options at multiple positions in 2022, including left tackle. Freshman Kiyaunta Goodwin was the highest-rated signee of the Mark Stoops Era, and the massive (6-8, 355 pounds) early enrollee is in contention to protect Levis’ blindside. While Goodwin stands to be a future anchor up front for UK, for now, former four-star recruit Deondre Buford is the favorite to win the left tackle job. Still, the redshirt sophomore has limited playing time, too, seeing just two games of action in 2021. Former JUCO product Jeremy Flax has locked down the right tackle spot, but he has zero career starts. 

The Wildcats are more settled on the interior, as Auburn guard transfer Tashawn Manning has impressed in camp, while Eli Cox, who will start at center, was really good last season before suffering a season-ending hand injury.  UK fans are also excited about the potential of redshirt freshman Jager Burton and former blue-chip recruit John Young. 

Yenser recently declared “we go as he goes,” referring to potential All-SEC center Cox, but he might as well been talking about his entire unit. Replacing three bonafide future pros is a big challenge. Kentucky’s OL will determine whether the offense — and team as a whole — either takes a step back in 2022 or continues to be a feisty SEC East foe.