Kentucky Football Fall Camp Storylines We Love (and Hate) to See

It’s Preseason Football time in the Bluegrass. The Kentucky Wildcats are back in Lexington, preparing for what will be a trying two+ weeks at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. All of the action begins on Wednesday, the shoulder pads come on Friday and then it’s on like Donkey Kong. From practice to weights, to meetings and team bonding activities, the Cats are together pretty much non-stop until classes begin Aug. 21. The only exception is an off-day on Sunday, but many will still be at the facility receiving treatment or watching film.

Fall camp is a grind. That goes for the players, coaches and the media. No, it’s not that taxing on your favorite bloggers. However, when speaking with these players and coaches for a month without a game, eventually they run out of stuff to talk about. After going through the grind for more than a decade, allow me to forecast what you will hear from the Kentucky football team throughout fall camp, starting with the last thing you want to hear.

Fall Camp Injuries

Football happens. “How come it happens to my team every year” is a silly way to look at it. Your team is not more snake-bit than any other. Injuries happen. As a collective BBN, we must all keep our fingers crossed and hope any major injuries stay away from the significant starters.

Guys will get “banged up” through the entire month with soft tissue ailments. Those can be consequential, just ask the 2022 offensive line, but the real big ones are ligament injuries. The most memorable was in the final preseason scrimmage in 2018 when Landon Young tore up his knee and ended his season before it ever began. The best news is no news from fall camp.

Continuity on the Offensive Line

Kentucky did not figure out its starting five on the offensive line until the Florida game in week two, maybe even later. Injuries in the preseason are partially to blame, but more of it falls on the lack of depth at tackle. Offensive line coach Zach Yenser and his boss, Liam Coen, will be hesitant to praise the transfer portal additions too much, particularly Courtland Ford; they want the players to remain hungry and vigilant. Instead of getting individual shout outs form practice to practice, continuity will be the key talking point, preaching the importance of having all five guys working together on the same page to achieve a common goal.

It’s good to have Liam Coen back at Fall Camp

Even though most of the team got to experience a spring with Liam Coen, it’s still going to be a talking point, particularly in the later stages of the offensive playbook install. The offensive line will praise the simplified style, while Devin Leary commends the working relationship he is cultivating with Kentucky’s offensive coordinator. The QB probably won’t be as colorful as Barion Brown, who’s good for at least one seemingly outrageous moment in front of a microphone in August.

“These guys can’t wait to hit somebody else”

This quote may not surface during fall camp. We’ll most likely hear it once school starts, one week before the Cats get into their game week routine. It’s a cliche because it’s true. There’s only so much practice you can do in this sport before you need to take out aggression on a new opponent.

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WOW Plays from Devin Leary at Fall Camp

Turn your Twitter notifications on for @UKFootball. There’s going to be at least one video a week of a jaw-dropping spiral that will make you want to run through a brick wall.

Coaches will try to keep their praise in check at various times throughout fall camp, but players will shoot you straight, particularly when you ask the other side of the line of scrimmage how their opponents are performing. I have a feeling a few defensive backs will be tipping their cap to a quarterback who consistently finds ways to accurately deliver precision passes to wide receivers in tight windows.

Challenges, and Shout Outs, in Position Competitions

Unlike various iterations of fall camp, this one does not include a ton of high-profile position competitions. Outside of the conversation around the offensive line, most of the oxygen in the room will be consumed by the cornerback competition. With as many as six different players jockeying for playing time, coaches will carefully craft their comments. Sometimes mum will be the word. Other times coaches will publicly issue praise, or demand more from the players. Unfortunately, I think in this specific case Brad White and co. will remain relatively quiet about the cornerbacks through most of fall camp.

The Team Gets Ripped Halfway through Fall Camp

To be completely candid, this is one of my favorite days of fall camp. You can set your watch to it. Whether it’s following a scrimmage or a practice, the team will hit a wall. I project it will be between Aug. 15-17. The lazy practice will piss off the coaches who can no longer hold back.

Mark Stoops’ painted his Mona Lisa this spring, describing his team as entitled in-between curses. It was some of his best work behind a podium.

There will come a time during fall camp where the players fall short of expectations. No need to fret. It’s just another part of the growing process.

A Few Impressive Underclassmen

Outside of Friday’s media day, Kentucky prevents its true freshmen from speaking publicly until they play significant snaps. That doesn’t mean we won’t be talking about them. Last year proved you don’t need to have a ton of experience to be an impact playmaker. Some of the new guys will flash at times and it will be the treat everyone is looking for in the daily practice reports. We’ll still have plenty right here, but go ahead and join KSR+ for only $1 this month to receive behind the scenes scoop throughout fall camp.