2023 Kentucky Football Position Previews: Defensive Line

Kentucky football fall camp is right around the corner. Before the Cats officially begin the 2023 season in August, KSR is taking a closer look at the roster and analyzing each position group. Personnel, storylines, questions, and one bold prediction.

And just like that, we’re onto the defense where Kentucky is deploying a front seven that is among the deepest and most talented we’ve ever seen in Lexington. The Wildcats have a superstar surrounded by four-star talents. There’s plenty of potential. Can defensive line coach Anwar Stewart maximize it? Let’s dive in.

KSR Position Previews: Quarterback, Tailback, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Line

Defensive Line Personnel

— Deone Walker (Sophomore): The Kentucky Goliath was a four-star prospect that exceeded expectations right away, announcing his entrance to college football with a pair of explosive havoc plays in game two at Florida. Walker finished his debut with 40 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 5 quarterback hurries. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors from the AP, one of only three true freshmen to make the cut. The versatile big man is a freak. Period.

— Octavious Oxendine (Senior): Kentucky secured a high-profile recruiting win when the four-star from North Hardin picked the Cats over Tennessee. Just as he was beginning his breakthrough in 2021, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Ox shed weight through the recovery process and his production dipped the following year. The vocal leader of the defensive line, we’re on the verge of seeing the best version of Ox yet.

— Josaih Hayes (Senior): Another Blue Chip win on the defensive line in the class of 2020, the Mississippi native has been a consistent contributor in the rotation at nose guard over the last two years. Toward the end of the 2022 season he fell out of favor with the coaching staff. Challenged by Brad White this offseason, he responded in spring practice. Hayes switched his No. 97, hopefully a sign of a fresh start that leads to more production at nose guard.

— Tre’vonn Rybka (Junior): An edge-setting, run-stopper at defensive end, he’s played in all but two games over the last two season, including five starts in 2022. The Tennessee native had a career-high four tackles and his first career sack last fall at Neyland Stadium.

— Keeshawn Silver (Sophomore): A former five-star talent, he was ranked higher than Drake Maye in North Carolina’s star-studded 2021 recruiting class. However, scheme changes and minor injuries put Silver behind the 8-ball. Now he’s looking for a fresh start at nose guard. If he gets right, the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder will be an imposing figure on the Kentucky defensive line.

— Kahlil Saunders (Sophomore): He came to Kentucky as a 3-technique from Jon Sumrall’s alma mater. In his second year on campus he tallied five tackles against Georgia as a 5-technique defensive end. Even though he’s built to play in the interior, he’s shown an ability to move well enough to maintain gap integrity on the edge, making him a difficult opponent to block in run situations.

— Jamarius “Spider” Dinkins (Sophomore): Similar to Saunders, Spider arrived on campus with low expectations and was a bonafide playmaker by the end of year two. Unlike the other nose guards, Dinkins has consistently been explosive in passing downs. Even though it only turned into one sack, he moved the pocket and forced opposing quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations.

— Darrion Henry-Young (Junior): A former Top 150 recruit from Cincinnati, DHY transferred from Ohio State last offseason. He has more wiggle and juice than most at his defensive end position, but needs to be more consistent at the point of attack to regularly enter the rotation.

— The Freshmen: Boyle County’s Tommy Ziesmer will spend most of the year in the weight room. You can probably say the same about Tavion Gadson, but there’s a chance Kentucky could use Kendrick Gilbert‘s large, lengthy frame in year one.

Projected Defensive Line Rotation

Anwar Stewart has a beautiful problem on his hands. Not only does he have a lot of different tools in the box, they can be used in a variety of ways. Deone Walker can play any spot, allowing the Cats to give opposing offensive lines multiple looks. We want to confuse offensive lines, not our readers, so allow this to serve as a basic two-deep rotation.

Ones

• DT: Ox
• Nose: Big Deone
• DE: Saunders

Twos

• DT: Deone
• Nose: Hayes
• DE: Rybka

Deone Walker is at his best playing a 3-technique, but I have a hard time believing Ox won’t get the nod to start, especially at the beginning of the season. To be frank, it really doesn’t matter. If quarterback is the most important position to find a starter, defensive line is the least important.

Key Storyline: Depth and Size are Incomparable

When Mark Stoops arrived at Kentucky, the Wildcats’ weakness was in the trenches. If you just watched both teams get off the bus, you knew Kentucky was at a disadvantage. That has completely transformed over the last decade. This year Kentucky could roll out a lineup (Walker, Silver, Saunders) where the smallest guy on the defensive line is 6-foot-4, 300 pounds.

Defensive line is arguably the most difficult position to recruit from the high school ranks because there is such a small pool of acceptable athletes. By prioritizing traits, Kentucky has turned a bunch of big-boned, long athletes into SEC run-stuffers.

Kentucky has a potential superstar, Big Deone, surrounded by a bunch of solid, gap-sound players. Eight different players may be a part of the rotation. Even if injuries add up, most of these guys can move to multiple positions, ensuring there isn’t a down-to-down drop off in production, particularly against the run.

One Big Question: Can Kentucky create more havoc plays in the pass rush?

In order to be stout against the run, Kentucky has sacrificed some juice in the pass rush. The Cats have finished in the bottom half of the league in sacks every year since 2019. Last fall they only had 20 sacks, ranking 11th in the SEC.

Astute football minds (not just Brad White water-carriers) will tell you those sack numbers matter less than quarterback pressures. Are they affecting the quarterback? Are they moving the pocket? The Wildcats have what it takes to develop an excellent interior pass rush. Much of that falls on the shoulders of Walker and Ox. Kentucky needs its superstars to play like superstars in order to create havoc in the backfield.

One Bold Prediction: Redshirt Sophomores Surprise as Playmakers

The difference-makers on the defensive line will come from an unexpected source, Dinkins and Saunders. Each player flashed in the pass rush last year, but struggled to get home and take down the quarterback. Another year of experience should close that gap, especially if this stout run defense is forcing opponents into obvious passing situations in later downs.

Saunders and The Spider are the blueprint for Kentucky’s long-held “Recruit and Develop” mantra. While all eyes are on Walker and Ox, these two redshirt sophomores will regularly put the crowd on their feet this fall at Kroger Field.