Film Room: Kendrick Law

Kentucky did not have a true slot receiver in the rotation in 2024. As offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and the rest of the staff at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility set to rebuild the offensive roster through the transfer portal, finding someone who could play a high volume of slot snaps was a high priority.

Alabama transfer Kendrick Law could fill that void for the Wildcats in 2025.

The former top-100 recruit out of Shreveport (La.) Captain Shreve picked Kentucky over Arkansas and Florida State after playing 685 total offensive snaps over three seasons for play-callers Bill O’Brien, Tommy Rees, and Nick Sheridan. Law’s slot volume was up over 53 percent during his career in Tuscaloosa.

KSR’s Film Room is taking a closer look at what the senior with one year of eligibility will be bringing to the offense in Lexington. The SEC transfer brings a gadget skill set with a physical playing style.

Quick game receiver

Kendrick Law was a secondary receiver at Alabama for three seasons while playing with quarterbacks Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. The rocked-up wideout (5-11, 201) has a running back build and was a factor in Bama’s quick game under Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer.

The newest Kentucky receiver will need to show more from a route-running perspective, but this is a north-south runner who can gobble up yards once the ball is in his hands. There is not a ton of wiggle in the open field, but Law gets his shoulders square and can run through contact.

Law does a good job of reading blocks and quickly getting his foot in the dirt to gain yards. The running style is not electric, but the receiver can gain the yards that are blocked and designed. This efficiency in quick game can help the offense stay ahead of the chains. That was a massive issue last season as Kentucky’s quick passing game struggled all year. The SEC transfer owns some YAC creation out of the short passing game, and is strong enough to run through contact.

That play strength also shows up as blocker. Serving as the point man in bunch formations, Law brings value as a block in any perimeter action via the pass or run. Kentucky will be getting a big upgrade in this area of the offense.

Kendrick Law about to have a standing invite to the block party… pic.twitter.com/SbBz0ngD0C

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 2, 2024

Blue-collar wide receiver

Kentucky is looking to fix the culture this offseason. It’s becoming clear that a theme over at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility to become a blue-collar football team that will play for each other and do the little things to win football games.

Kendrick Law is a blue-collar football player who will get an opportunity to become a permanent threat for an SEC offense in Lexington.

The transfer is a true slot receiver with a physical play style. Law can provide immediate value in the short passing game, but route-running must get better to become a true factor in the intermediate passing game. Should plug into the jet sweep role immediately in Kentucky’s offense and give Bush Hamdan a run-and-catch receiver who can consistently turn short passes into efficient gains.

It is probably an unfair expectation to expect Law to be a vertical playmaker for Kentucky in 2025, but the slot receiver will provide the offense an efficient short passing game target and gives new wide receivers coach L’Damaian Washington a tenacious blocker who will help Kentucky’s perimeter actions succeed.

Expect the former blue-chip recruit out of Louisiana to have a big role in the offense and for his snap count volume to increase significantly at Kentucky.