Who’s Next at Center for Kentucky Football?

All-SEC center Jon Toth started 48 consecutive games between 2013 through 2016. Drake Jackson followed Toth and went on to start 44 straight contests from 2017-2020 while earning all-conference honors. Luke Fortner, an All-SEC guard, replaced Jackson last season and produced yet another All-SEC performance by a UK center. Fortner is preparing for the NFL Draft which leaves a valued open spot in the middle of the Big Blue Wall. Three centers in nearly a decade all earned all-conference honors. Quite impressive and a daunting legacy to uphold. So, who’s next? Let’s take a look. 

Quintin Wilson

The 6’1, 295-pound senior has served as the primary backup to Jackson and Fortner. After redshirting in 2018, Wilson has also started and played a significant amount of meaningful snaps at guard. The college graduate is an academic star and fully capable of playing multiple positions along the line of scrimmage. His versatility is highly thought of within the Joe Craft Football Training Center after earning a reputation as a consistent and dependable teammate. Wilson will compete to be a starter in 2022. The only question is at which position. A full-time role at center is the logical choice given his experience at the position and production while at guard.

Eli Cox

Guard Eli Cox’s rapid emergence into the starting lineup and onto the national stage is a testament to Kentucky’s player development and the Nicholasville native’s hard work and determination. Talks of Cox as a potential starter at guard surfaced in spring practice. He did not disappoint. Cox is an old-school, classic mauler and is the team’s most physical returning offensive linemen. A move to center has been rumored. The transition makes sense. 

The 6’4, 300-pound junior started the first nine games of the 2021 season. He earned Midseason All-American honors prior to suffering a season-ending injury against Tennessee. His downright nastiness was on full display in Kentucky’s victory over LSU. Cox won SEC Co-Offensive Line Player of the Week after helping the Wildcats rush for over 330 yards. He graded 91% against the Tigers while registering seven knockdowns and 15 blocks at the point of attack. 

Others 

Most likely, the starter will be either Cox or Wilson. However, John Schlarman started the tradition of cross-training offensive linemen for multiple positions which has carried on with second-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford.  There will be multiple players earning snaps at the center position during spring practice. These reps will boost the younger players’ development by gaining a more detailed understanding of the offensive line as a whole. One of those linemen could be redshirt freshman guard Jager Burton. Burton is a 6’4, 305-pound former 4-star guard out of Frederick Douglass High School who many, including me, consider a riser. Burton is a future starter and has an exceptionally bright future in Lexington. John Young, early enrollee Grant Bingham and more could see snaps in the middle this spring. 

What Does All This Mean?

The Big Blue Wall is under major construction. Mark Stoops is faced with replacing center Luke Fortner and tackles Dare Rosenthal and All-American Darian Kinnard. Finding replacements for those three is going to be a tough task. Kinnard and Fortner combine for an amazing 75 consecutive starts. For the first time in a long time, the Kentucky offensive line will feature multiple new faces. The most essential personnel decision of the 2022 season lies at center. 

Midseason All-American guard Eli Cox could potentially move to center and take over for Luke Fortner. Cox’s positional placement will initiate a domino effect which would define starters at center, guard, and tackle. Eli Cox has the experience, strength, and temperament to develop into Kentucky’s fourth consecutive all-conference center. Every program in America would love to have Quintin Wilson on their roster. The reliable and selfless veteran plays a versatile role and is the most experienced center on the roster. He’s more than capable of moving into the starting lineup.  

So, who’s going to be next in Kentucky’s distinguished sequence of centers? We’ll see. The standard is extraordinarily high after the stellar and consecutive careers of Jon Toth, Drake Jackson, and Luke Fortner. The center position is a critical piece of the up-front unit and called upon to make pre-snap blocking adjustments, sniff out blitzes, and so much more. Actually, snapping the football is the easiest part of the job. There is also a trust factor that needs to be established with quarterback Will Levis. Effective communication between the two is vital. 

Spring practice is going to be fun. Lots of positions will be up for grabs and the Cats bring back a preferred blend of returning starters and eager players that will be fighting for a spot in the rotation. UK’s decision at center is an imperative part of what could be a Top-20 offense.