Kentucky Depth Chart: Not much has changed for offense since spring

Not too long ago, Kentucky would publish official depth charts at SEC Media Days. Unfortunately, that is now a thing of the past. But with training camp officially beginning when the calendar turns to August, now feels like a good time to take a dive into the personnel.

Back in the spring, KSR dove into the depth chart game and gave projections for both offense and defense. In preparation for fall camp, we’re doing it all again as we are all in on getting ready for the 2020 season in the Bluegrass.

Let’s dive into the two-deep. Football is coming.

Quarterback

1. Will Levis (6-3, 232, RSr.)
2. Beau Allen (6-2, 208, RSo.) or Deuce Hogan (6-4, 205, RSo.)

Will Levis is the clear No. 1 option for Kentucky this season, and the former Penn State transfer has chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football season. The redshirt senior has a chance to take Kentucky to new heights this season. However, one of the biggest positions battles in fall camp will be for QB2.

Iowa transfer Deuce Hogan arrived at Kentucky as a walk-on but did close some ground during spring practice. The Texas native is firmly in competition with Lexington (Ky.) Catholic product Beau Allen. The winner of this battle could take an early lead for the QB battle in 2023.

Tailback

1. Chris Rodriguez Jr. (5-11, 224, RSr.)
2. JuTahn McClain (5-9, 201, Jr.)
3. La’Vell Wright (5-11, 217, RFr.)
4. Mike Drennen II (5-11, 204, Jr.)
5. Kavosiey Smoke (5-9, 209, RSr.)
6. Ramon Jefferson (5-10, 215, Super)

To say Kentucky is deep at tailback would be an understatement. Chris Rodriguez Jr. enters the season as one of the top tailbacks in college football and has a chance to set records this fall. However, there are still eligibility concerns surrounding the star tailback and those were not specifically addressed at SEC Media Days.

Therefore, some other players could get a lot of snaps early. We should expect a committee approach.

JuTahn McClain has some legit two-way ability and will be a key part of the package. La’Vell Wright is a player people are excited about heading into year two. Mike Drennen II was a big recruiting win in 2020, and Kavosiey Smoke has made more than a few big runs in SEC games.

To add another quality option to the room, Kentucky went out and landed FCS transfer Ramon Jefferson in June. The former All-American has been extremely productive and durable during five seasons in college football. The New York native is bringing a high floor to the program.

Levis is the star, but the offense will remain a run-first attack at Kentucky where new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello will have many options to get the ground game established.

Fullback/H-back

1. Justice Dingle (6-3, 267, RSr.)
2. Dee Beckwith (6-5, 230, RSo.)

The biggest difference we will see under Scangarello is the use of both a traditional fullback and an off-ball tight end who will serve as anchors in the rushing attack. That was used a little bit by Liam Coen last year but is going to be a bigger piece of the puzzle this season.

Kentucky converted defensive lineman Justice Dingle to fullback in the fall and that seemed to be a success. Meanwhile, the coaching staff dipped into the transfer portal to land former Tennessee running back Dee Beckwith. The jumbo athlete could play many roles for the offense.

Elsewhere, players like Brenden Bates and Izayah Cummings could also be used here due to their versatile skillsets. The utilization of this position will help bolster Kentucky’s rushing attack and also give defenses some difficult decisions to make when it comes to matching personnel groupings on the field.

Tight end

1. Brenden Bates (6-5, 264, RSr.)
2. Izayah Cummings (6-3, 240, Jr.)
3. Keaton Upshaw (6-6, 246, RSr.)
4. Jordan Dingle (6-4, 236, RFr.)

Kentucky appears to have great depth at tight end as this may be one of the best rooms at this position in college football. The Wildcats will spend a lot of time in two tight end looks with Brenden Bates playing in-line and Izayah Cummings in a hybrid role off the ball.

The big wild card is veteran Keaton Upshaw who returns to the field after missing the entire 2021 season. The Ohio native has pro potential as a pass catcher but seemed to be still recovering from the injury in spring ball.

Only @UpshawKeaton was gonna come down with this one.

Tune in on @espn https://t.co/cE4mH9KaDn pic.twitter.com/MMWlljNj4U

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 28, 2020

Jordan Dingle was a very good in-state recruiting win who also has a bright future. Maximizing this position will be a top goal for Scangarello and the rest of the offensive staff this season.

Slot

1. Tayvion Robinson (5-11, 187, Sr.)
2. Chauncey Magwood (6-0, 198, So.)

Staying true to the Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan blueprint, the slot position will remain very important in Kentucky’s offense. The passing game will start with this position. Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson is stepping in and should have a huge season before becoming a draft pick.

After him, there will be some depth questions. A big step forward from sophomore Chauncey Magwood would be a great sign.

X receiver

1. Dane Key (6-3, 194, Fr.)
2. DeMarcus Harris (6-1, 183, RJr.)

Blue-chip true freshman Dane Key made a big splash in the spring, and the Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product enters fall camp as a starter at wideout. We all likely need to not let first-season expectations get too high, but the Wildcats have found a prototypical X wideout that can win in isolation.

As Key adjusts to college ball, Kentucky appears to have a solid second option. DeMarcus Harris is entering year four and has played a lot of football. Getting 20-plus grabs from the veteran is a very reasonable expectation.

Z receiver

1. Chris Lewis (6-4, 202, RFr.)
2. Dekel Crowdus (5-10, 171, RFr.)
3. Barion Brown (6-1, 166, Fr.)

At the other outside spot, Chris Lewis seemed to shine in spring camp and has some folks excited. A solid recruiting win in 2021 is a projected starter heading into the fall who has a high ceiling as a player.

Dekel Crowdus was on his way to getting playing time as a true freshman before suffering a knee injury in fall camp. The local product is now healthy and could give the offense a vertical deep threat that’s been missing for a long time.

At SEC Media Days, Mark Stoops gushed about true freshman Barion Brown and the former top-100 recruit will clearly have a package in the offense early.

Left tackle

1. Deondre Buford (6-3, 312, RSo.)
2. Kiyaunta Goodwin (6-8, 351, Fr.)

One of the biggest developments in spring camp was that Deondre Buford locked up the starting left tackle spot. The former top-500 recruit fits recent development plans for the Big Blue Wall, and Kentucky is confident in the young player.

But there are also depth concerns at tackle. Kiyaunta Goodwin was a major blue-chip win on the trail, and the highly-ranked prospect will seemingly get a shot at some playing time somewhere down the line in 2022.

Left guard

1. Kenneth Horsey (6-3, 304, RSr.)
2. John Young (6-6, 304, RSo.)

Kenneth Horsey enters the season as one of the top guards in the SEC and the redshirt senior is entering his third season as a starter. The Central Florida native looks like the best bet to be the next draft pick on the Big Blue Wall thanks to a high-level pass pro skillset.

John Young was a quality in-state recruiting win in 2020 who has taken some time to develop in Lexington. The former top-500 recruit made a big jump in the spring and could be a quality rotation option for the offense this season.

Center

1. Eli Cox (6-4, 298, RJr.)
2. Quintin Wilson (6-1, 295, RSr.)

In his first year as a starter, Eli Cox was very solid at right guard before being lost for the season after the loss to Tennessee. The coaching staff is a big believer in Cox and is sliding the redshirt junior to center where his ability to reset the line of scrimmage in run blocking will be very valuable.

Quintin Wilson has played a lot of football over the last two seasons and could be used at any of the three middle spots in the offensive line as a rotational player.

Right guard

1. Tashawn Manning (6-4, 330, Super)
2. Jager Burton (6-4, 301, RFr.)

For the second year in a row, Kentucky went into the transfer portal to find a starter on the offensive line. Auburn transfer Tashawn Manning was a revelation during the spring and is a player that has NFL potential.

Jager Burton was another top-100 recruiting win for the Big Blue Wall who took a redshirt year to develop. The local product added over 20 pounds in the offseason and is a future cornerstone piece for this unit. The redshirt freshman will have a role this season and could push for a starting spot late in the year.

Right tackle

1. Jeremy Flax (6-6, 328, RJr.)
2. David Wohlabaugh Jr. (6-6, 302, RFr.)

At this time last year, Jeremy Flax was seen as a potential starter at offensive tackle. However, the former junior college transfer was beaten out quickly and did not see much playing time this season. The redshirt junior is back at his more comfortable position, and Kentucky is hopeful that leads to consistent play.

David Wohlabaugh Jr. has a big-time pedigree and was impressive during his redshirt season. The Ohio native is the top candidate to be Kentucky’s swing tackle this fall. The redshirt freshman has a chance to push for a starting role this year.

This offense has a chance to be special

There are some obvious concerns as Kentucky begins fall camp. What is the status of Chris Rodriguez Jr.? Can young receivers produce right away? Will the offensive line hold up at tackle? Can Will Levis take the next step? How will Rich Scangarello operate as a play-caller?

All of those are legitimate questions that need to be answered. However, it’s clear that this is both a high floor group with a high ceiling.

The offensive system has been established, and there is a line of scrimmage DNA that is not going to go away. Kentucky will be able to run the football. The passing game being able to take the next step is what will allow this offense to go from good to great.

In reality, it all likely comes down to the guy behind center. If Levis takes the next step and Scangarello is able to maximize the skill talent depth, the Wildcats could light up scoreboards this fall.