6 Lessons Learned from Kentucky Football Spring Practice

It was a windy morning at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility where Mark Stoops opened up spring practice to members of the media for the first time since he completely revamped the roster this offseason. The wind prevented Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley from pulling the pin and throwing a ton of deep balls, but there are far more pressing matters to attend to. Let’s not waste any time and get into the top takeaways from the two hour practice.

Interior Offensive Line will be a Strength for Kentucky

It’s no secret. Offensive line play has been a weakness for Kentucky. It was only one practice, but it looks like the interior of the offensive line will be able to pave the way for the Cats.

Kentucky brought in five transfer portal offensive linemen. One who was expected to be the starting center, Evan Wibberley, was not at 100%, opening the door for Jager Burton to take all of the first-team reps. Kentucky does a lot of cross-training during the spring, but we cannot rule out Burton as UK’s starting center. More on that later.

Burton played in between Jalen Farmer and Arkansas transfer Josh Braun. Those guys have SEC experience at multiple stops and were moving bodies in the run game. After practice, Burton said that they’re already moving on the same plane, and that cohesion is abundantly clear.

The running backs all have different styles, but they all can hit the A-gap. The IOL will opens the doors for Kentucky to run it right up the gut against SEC foes.

Henry Boyer Embodies the Trench Upgrades

Pardon my French, but Henry Boyer is a big sum’bitch. No. 87 towers on the edge of the Kentucky offensive line. It’s hard for the defense to get around that guy. He’ll primarily be an asset in the run game, but when you’re that big, it’s an easy target for quarterbacks.

Boyer is among the many new faces that may not move the needle to the general population, but it’s abundantly clear that Kentucky got bigger in the trenches. Shiyazh Pete fits the billing, and so does his backup, Malachi Wood. There is one exception to that rule.

A Different Kind of Kentucky Defensive Line

While standing next to some reporters, we all had the same thought. “This defensive line looks different.” For the last three years, the core remained the same. Instead of seeing a giant in the middle of the defensive line wearing No. 0, David Gusta looks a foot shorter than Deone Walker at nose guard.

For years, size and strength were the primary prerequisites for Kentucky defensive linemen. They still have some of those guys, you have to, but this group has a more versatile skillset. Being smaller isn’t a bad thing when you’re quicker.

During run drills, I feared that Gusta would get pushed around against Kentucky’s enormous IOL in the run game. Once the team period started, he had a knack for slipping through the cracks to get tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Mi’Quise Humphreys-Grace is similar in that regard on the EDGE of the defensive line. Jaden Williams blew up a pass play or two from the 3-tech. Guys like Jerod Smith and Tavion Gadson provide that traditional look. Now Brad White has a changeup to create explosives.

People Shouldn’t Forget About Jason Patterson

Jamarion Wilcox and Dante Dowdell took up almost all of the offseason oxygen at the running back position. We mistakenly forgot about Jason Patterson, who looked like the complete package today for the Cats.

No. 26 got off to a strong start during his true freshman season. Patterson averaged 5.6 yards per carry and caught a 15-yard reception on a wheel route before an injury sent him to the sideline in a redshirt season. That same wheel route was money in the bank at today’s Kentucky football practice. He caught so many in 7-on-7 and team periods that I lost count. When they handed it off to him, he looked like a Mark Stoops running back, finding gaps between the tackles for long runs.

Adam Luckett predicted that Kentucky may go fishing for another running back in the spring transfer portal window. They might still need the depth, but Patterson’s growth in year two should mitigate serious concerns at the position.

Kendrick Law will be a Popular Target

It felt like deja vu all over again watching a No. 1 catch balls out of the slot. Based on one practice, Kendrick Law could be carrying a heavy workload similar to what we saw from Wan’Dale Robinson.

On the first play of the live team period, he got loose on a play-action, reeling in a deep corner route for a 35+ yard gain. If they got behind the chains and needed 8-10 yards on third down, Law delivered tough, contested receptions. We didn’t see a lot of jet-sweep stuff, but that’s in his repertoire as well. Expect to see him as the featured pass-catcher, with Ja’Mori Maclin used as a vertical threat on the outside.

Kentucky Freshmen Wide Receivers Flash

The best play of the day was made by someone who hasn’t been on campus but for a few months. The defense brought a blitz, the offensive line picked it up, then the quarterback went to D.J. Miller, who had a one-on-one on the outside. The 6-foot-3 athlete rose up and caught the ball on top of the cornerback’s head. It was impressive.

He still has a long way to go in his development, but the tools are clearly there. Montavin Quisenberry is the exact opposite kind of player. The short slot receiver is shifty and seemingly always finds a way to get an open spot in the middle of the zone. He was the most reliable target for the twos. His development will be fascinating to follow.

Want more from Kentucky spring practice? Find all of the live updates from the day on KSBoard.