10 Lessons Learned from Kentucky Football Fall Camp

The games are still about 10 days away, but the beginning of classes on campus effectively ended fall camp for the Kentucky football team. As Freddie Maggard noted, it’s much different than the old days, but the preseason practices still lay the foundation for the upcoming football season. If the last few weeks are any indication of what’s to come, this is a solid team with a high ceiling.

Devin Leary is Good

The new Kentucky quarterback is good at the game of football. So good that the investigative journalist in me has tried to find holes to poke in the praise and I’ve come up empty-handed. He is checking every single box you want in a quarterback.

• Accuracy: His command of the ball is eye-opening, even from the defense.
• Intelligence: He exhausts all eligible targets, progressing through every read until he finds an open man.
• Arm Strength: We can’t let Will Levis’ big right arm let us take for granted what Leary is able to do down the field this fall.

Kentucky will go as far as Devin Leary will take them and a top 10 finish is not out of reach. As Courtland Ford said to kick off fall camp, “We give Devin time, you gonna be able to see him shine.”

Improved Offensive Line still looking for Right Tackle

Speaking of Courtland Ford, many expected the USC transfer to immediately step into a starting role at Kentucky. A late addition in the spring, he’s still getting his feet underneath him while switching from left tackle to right to compete with Jeremy Flax. Liam Coen says this competition — really the only one anyone is paying attention to — will not be over when the season kicks off next Saturday.

“That competition I could see playing out through maybe even the first few games,” Coen said Tuesday. We want to have more depth, play more guys, get more guys involved.”

The good news? Kentucky has everything figured out at the other four spots. Last fall players were cross-training at multiple positions through week two. Kenneth Horsey and Eli Cox are back at their preferred spots, left and right guard, respectively. Jager Burton might go through a few growing pains at center, but one thing is for sure: Marques Cox was an absolute steal from the transfer portal. Not only is he an above average left tackle with NFL Draft potential, he’s been an excellent locker room guy, playing an integral role in re-establishing the Big Blue Wall’s brand. They may not be Joe Moore Award finalists, but the Kentucky offensive line will be much improved.

Cats get Healthy

Serious injuries are always the biggest preseason concern. The Kentucky starters appear to have dodged that bullet while getting significant contributors healthy.

Jalen Geiger was expected to be the leader in the secondary last fall when he went down at Florida. The success of Zion Childress and Jordan Lovett caused many to overlook Geiger’s return. Don’t be surprised to see Geiger screaming downhill and making plays this fall.

Kahlil Saunders and Jordan Dingle missed the spring and were slow to return to practice in August, but got back into the action with enough time on the clock. Barion Brown also missed a few practices with a soft tissue issue, but he looks pretty healthy to me.

🙌 @DevinLeary1 ➡️ @BarionBrown pic.twitter.com/dFBps6UKHV

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 21, 2023

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Max Hairston Emerges at Cornerback

Outside of right tackle, the other tight competition entering fall camp was at cornerback. Replacing two starters, Kentucky picked up a pair of players from the transfer portal. Instead of a competition, Maxwell Hairston ran away with the job. Projected to start opposite of Andru Phillips, the Michigan product picked off more passes than any other player this spring. The momentum followed him to fall camp. Now many around the team believe he could be the fastest Kentucky Wildcat, even faster than Barion Brown.

Hairston has taken a step in the right direction as a sticky cover corner, but Kentucky cannot play only two cornerbacks. Ideally, Phillips is the slot corner in passing situations. J.Q. Hardaway and Jordan Robinson will receive some early tests in September. If they pass them, this defense will be humming by SEC play.

Deone Walker is a Beast

A difference-maker on the Kentucky defensive line, Deone Walker can be the most dominant UK interior defensive lineman in a generation. The versatile playmaker was so disruptive, the coaches had to sideline him for a portion of the second scrimmage. If it all clicks on a consistent basis, Walker might surpass All-SEC expectations as an All-American.

Josh Kattus is Crazy

Lovingly known as “The Ass-Kicker,” Josh Kattus is a baby-faced assassin. He doesn’t look like a dude that will throw opponents all over the field, but the second year tight end is an absolute menace at all times.

“Kattus is crazy. I can say that right now, Kattus is crazy,” Kentucky junior linebacker Trevin Wallace said on Saturday. “He just screams out of nowhere, you’ll be like that man is crazy. Kattus is real crazy and he brings that intensity. If you slacking he’s gonna hit you in the mouth. It’s real good to have someone like Kattus.”

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Hybrid Weapons for Leary in Passing Game

The Kentucky wide receivers receive plenty of attention from the fanbase, but there aren’t a whole lot of them on scholarship. In order to keep a healthy rotation of pass-catchers, Liam Coen is going to lean on the running backs and tight ends.

NC State transfer RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye has spent as much time lining up as a receiver in the slot as he has taken carries out of the backfield. TE Izayah Cummings is also bouncing back and forth between the in-line and split out at wide receiver. Their versatility will be used to create mismatches this fall.

Don’t forget about JuTahn McClain either. Coen was a big fan of his tools as a pass-catcher two seasons ago. We also think of Ray Davis exclusively as this power runner, but the Vandy transfer has hands and juice in open space.

STOUT Defensive Line

Whenever I ask folks close to the program about defensive linemen not named Deone Walker, I hear a familiar refrain. “Man, they’re all solid.” Across the board from the first to the third team, there is not a lot of drop off. The Wildcats are enormous and experienced in the trenches, creating a gap-sound defense. Players will pop from time to time, but the consistency is what’s key. This will be the biggest defensive line and should be the best rush defense I’ve ever seen at Kentucky.

Kentucky has a Kicker

It’s not a big deal until it is a big deal. Kentucky’s special teams were a big deal last fall for all of the wrong reasons. Not only have those problems seemingly been fixed in practice, but there’s a pretty darn good weapon kicking field goals this fall, Georgia Southern transfer Alex Raynor. It’s difficult to discern exactly how far the special teams unit has come in a year outside of game action. We can safely say that Raynor is going to extend Kentucky’s scoring range this fall.

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The Kentucky Coaching Staff is Comfortable, Confident

It’s difficult to specifically articulate the mood around the coaching staff. “They like their team” is a cookie-cutter cliche. What is true is that the combination of Stoops-White-Coen-Marrow is one of the best in program history. In addition to that, their key decision-makers on the field are all players who have logged a ton of meaningful college football snaps. If White wants to dial up something exotic, he doesn’t have to worry about blown assignments. No matter how complex the read may be for Devi Leary, Coen trusts his quarterback to make the right call.

Despite significant turnover on the roster this offseason, Kentucky is clicking at the end of fall camp. Now it’s time to consistently put it all together on Saturdays at Kroger Field.