4 Downs with the Kentucky Defense at Spring Practice

Kentucky is on the verge of ending its final week of spring practice. The Wildcats will take the field for a scrimmage on Saturday morning to wrap things up. Today’s practice ended with a competitive red zone period. A few of the young players’ heads were spinning during the intense period. Brad White shared a few updates from the Kentucky defense following the action.

1st Down: Kentucky Pass-Blocking Improves

On Wednesday, Mark Stoops tipped his cap to the Kentucky offensive line for improving in the pass protection department. Brad White confirmed the head coach’s statement. That was evident today during one period in particular.

“They’ve done a nice job with blitz pick-up. We had a one-on-one pass rush competition at the end of the day and the O-line won it,” said the Kentucky defensive coordinator. “They’re giving us everything we can handle, that’s for sure.”

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2nd Down: DJ Waller Excited to Compete

DJ Waller was a celebrated transfer portal recruiting win. He received significant reps as a true freshman on Michigan’s National Championship team and was competing for a starting cornerback position. He took that competition to Kentucky and was expected to play early, until the injury bug bit.

“It was really frustrating. I definitely wanted to come in and play, come in fast,” Waller told KSR. “God gave me a tough battle. I found out who I was during that process and I’m happy to be here now.”

Brad White says they have high expectations for the lengthy cornerback in year two of the system.

“He plays with great length and physicality. You can tell that he loves football. There’s a passion in what he does. Now it’s just about cleaning up some of the little details. It’s eye discipline, it’s footwork, it’s being consistent day in and day out. We’ve seen growth in those areas, but we need to continue to see that here over the next six months and throughout the season,” said White.

3rd Down: What Kentucky saw in Kam Olds

Kentucky is starting from scratch on the EDGE. The Wildcats landed Sam Greene from USC and Kam Olds from Kent State in the transfer portal. Even though the latter played in the MAC, White and the defensive staff were confident his skills would transfer to the SEC.

“So much of when you’re evaluating guys in the portal, how are they going to relate to the competition that you’re going to play? Sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith,” said the Kentucky defensive coordinator.

“In his case, it was nice. Last year at Kent State, he played Penn State and had a good game. He played against Tennessee and had some good plays. He had some plays we obviously gotta correct as well. That’s part of coaching. But he showed that he could do it against top-level competition and that stood out.”

4th Down: Terhyon Nichols is a Film Junkie

Terhyon Nichols showed athleticism and playmaking at the high school level to play in the SEC. What allowed him to do that as a true freshman was between the ears. He’s a student of the game who stays in the film room.

He had five pass deflections in six games off the bench, until an injury ended his season. It’s sidelining him from full contact during spring practice, but that doesn’t mean Nichols isn’t taking steps in the right direction. The game continues to slow down for him as he learns more and more about SEC football.

“When you’re a film junkie, it helps you play faster. You can anticipate things. Now I just gotta elevate and trust what I watch on film,” Nichols told KSR.

“I feel like Coach White and Coach Collins do a great job of instilling that belief in me. They understand and trust that I’ve watched the film, and want me to trust what I’ve seen. It helps you play faster and see the game slower.”