Kentucky will be without Josh Ali, Marquan McCall for multiple games

The victory over Florida did not bring just good news for the Kentucky football program. Seniors Josh Ali and Marquan McCall are expected to miss multiple games over the next few weeks, according to KSR’s Matt Jones.

Source tells KSR Marquan McCall will be out at least 5-6 weeks and then re-evaluated

Josh Ali likely out next 2 games…Miss State is the target for return

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) October 5, 2021

The veterans suffered injuries in the win over Florida. Kentucky will be without both for the upcoming games with LSU and Georgia. These are significant losses.

Ali is currently second on the team in receptions (17), targets (23), and leads the team with a receiving success rate of 60.87 percent. The super senior from South Florida has 107 receptions in his career for 1,094 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ali’s streak of 29 consecutive games started will end this week.

McCall opened the season as the starter at nose tackle after backing up Quinton Bohanna from 2018-20. The former four-star recruit from Detroit has 9.5 tackles for loss in his career and was emerging as one of the premier run stoppers in college football. The NFL Draft community was starting to take notice before McCall hurt his left ankle against Florida in the first quarter.

.@UKFootball staff told us over summer that big 5️⃣0️⃣ Marquan McCall dropped 40 lbs and you can see the unusual explosion & suddenness in this clip. @MccallMarquan might have best knock-back of any IDL on @seniorbowl board. Big upside. 📈#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️#BestoftheBest pic.twitter.com/KS2iQNlOLj

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 26, 2021

Instant impact

Kentucky is off to a 5-0 start on the season, is in the top 25, and has an unblemished mark in SEC play. The path to the New Year’s Six appears to be on the table. However, two key veteran starters won’t be available for the next few weeks.

On offense, this is a significant blow. Ali’s loss now means Kentucky will be without him and Keaton Upshaw — the two top returning receivers from the 2020 team. Wan’Dale Robinson has emerged as a true WR1, but the passing game has struggled the last two weeks without some proven secondary options. No Ali will make getting the passing game ramped up for offensive coordinator Liam Coen and quarterback Will Levis even harder.

There were some serious depth questions at nose tackle before the season, but former blue-chip recruits Josaih Hayes and Justin Rogers have answered the bell in recent weeks. Each has shined when given reps, and Rogers looked like a big-time player at times against Florida. Neither is the run defender that McCall, is but Kentucky could get more pass-rushing from the interior with these two second-year players.

The Wildcats should get both veterans back this season, and Josh Ali may miss just two games. However, they might be the two biggest remaining on Kentucky’s schedule. The class of 2020 defensive line will get its chance to shine while a maligned wide receiver unit will be under the microscope as Kentucky looks to fix their passing game woes.