2024 Kentucky Position Previews: Wide Receiver

Kentucky’s fall camp is right around the corner. Before the Cats officially begin the 2024 season, KSR is taking a closer look at the roster and analyzing each position group. Personnel, storylines, questions, and one bold prediction will be included.

Wide receiver is up next where Kentucky has a new position coach and a very high ceiling thanks to the talent and returning production combo.

Position Preview: Quarterback | Flipped QB room has unknown ceiling but should provide safe floor for offense (KSR+ column)

Postion Preview: Running Back | Kentucky has earned benefit of the doubt at tailback but there is much to prove (KSR+ column)

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Expected Starters

Barion Brown (6-1, 182, Jr.)

The former top-100 recruit out of Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn has played 961 offensive snaps for Kentucky through two seasons recording 93 receptions for 1,167 yards, and eight receiving touchdowns. But the consistency is not there. Brown’s catch rate has been under 60 percent in both seasons on campus and his receiving success rate has yet to reach 36 percent despite receiving 174 total targets. The explosive receptions (22) have also not been there enough.

Brown added some weight in the offseason but must become more consistent. We’ve seen the playmaking juice in spurts. Route-running was a likely focus point this offseason along with adding some play strength. The ceiling remains high despite inefficient moments and too many drops.

Dane Key (6-3, 210, Jr.)

The Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product and Kentucky legacy was in the same recruiting class as Brown and has established an impressive high floor through his two seasons on campus. Key has played in all 26 games, owns 79 career receptions for 1,155 yards and 12 touchdowns, has recorded a success rate of at least 49 percent each year, and has posted 29 explosive receptions in 123 career targets. Drops (six total) were a problem last season but Key has been a dependable outside receiver.

Kentucky now wants to see the former four-star recruit take the step. Key also added some needed weight and we will see if the junior can add some route tree development in year three. There is legitimate All-SEC potential.

Ja’Mori Maclin (5-11, 190, RSr.)

After spending two years at Missouri, Maclin transferred to North Texas and came from nowhere to become one of the best wideouts in the Group of Five last season. The veteran recorded 57 receptions for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in a spread scheme in the American Athletic Conference posting an impression explosive rate (23%) on 100 targets.

Maclin entered the transfer portal after that big year and landed at Kentucky. The transfer has two years of eligibility remaining and gives Kentucky a true vertical deep threat after recording 12 receptions on throws of 20-plus air yards last season.

Kentucky’s Wide Receiver Room

Anthony Brown-Stephens (5-10, 176, So.)

The top-500 recruit played in all 13 games for Kentucky last season and recorded five receptions. Brown-Stephens will play a much bigger role this season and gives offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan a true slot. The Springfield (Ohio) High product enters the year as Kentucky’s WR4.

Fred Farrier II (6-1, 182, RJr.)

The Frankfort (Ky.) Franklin County returns home after spending three seasons at UAB. Farrier started six games for the Blazers last season recording 18 receptions for 266 yards. The transfer addressed a depth need for the offense and should give new wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr. some inside-outside versatility.

Hardley Gilmore IV (6-1, 178, Fr.)

The Pahokee (Fla.) High wideout reclassified from 2025 to join Kentucky’s roster this season and has immediately made a splash in practice settings. Gilmore was impressive during the team’s Gator Bowl practices and backed that up during the spring. The youngster should have a role in year one and has a bright future.

David Washington Jr. (5-11, 203, Fr.)

The Philadelphia native was a summer enrollee but gives the offense another slot receiver. Washington showed good route running and run-after-catch creation on his high school tape. A redshirt season seems likely for the three-star recruit but Washington gives the offense a bigger body to work over the middle.

Brandon White (5-9, 167, RSo.)

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller product is back for year three at Kentucky and has yet to record a collegiate reception playing only four offensive snaps through two seasons. White will be a depth piece in 2024.

Big Question: Can wide receiver play become a team strength?

Preseason expectations were extremely high for Kentucky’s passing game in 2022 and 2023. Most of that was due to with having an NFL draft pick at quarterback, but the overall talent in the wide receiver room played a part.

A roller coaster was a reasonable expectation in 2022 due to how young the Wildcats were out wide. The result in 2023 came well short of expectations.

Devin Leary had his own individual struggles in Kentucky’s pro-style offense, but the wide receiver play was inconsistent throughout the year. A projected positional strength was not that for the Wildcats. Will that change in 2024?

Mark Stoops has made some changes to help this unit reach its ceiling. Daikiel Shorts Jr. comes over from Houston to give this room a young coaching voice with playing experience. The Wildcats added a couple of veterans from the transfer portal to boost the depth.

Barion Brown and Dane Key are both on track to become draft picks. The same seems true for Ja’Mori Maclin. Now the Wildcats need their starters to deliver. The talent is there.

Top Storyline: Monitoring the drops

Route-running needs some improvement and depth was a legitimate problem for Kentucky’s wide receiver unit in 2023, but drops were what plagued this passing game the most. Devin Leary’s drop rate (10.7%) was the worst in the SEC and the fifth-worst in the Power Five. Much of the wide receiver criticism centered around dropped passes.

Will that continue this season under new play-caller Bush Hamdan?

Kentucky’s top three receivers combined to drop 18 passes last season, according to PFF data. Ja’Mori Maclin had six drops last season at North Texas. With a first-time starting quarterback taking over in Lexington, this offense needs its veterans to be reliable.

Drops will be something many will be monitoring early in the season with some big games on the schedule in September.

Bold Prediction: Barion Brown reaches double-digit touchdowns

Barion Brown is now draft-eligible and the new kickoff rules in the NFL upgrade his value as a draft prospect. The former blue-chip recruit could be entering his final season in Lexington and I’m willing to bet that this will be his best yet.

Brown will be a threat again in the return game and I expect Bush Hamdan to utilize him on jet sweeps and reverses to boost the rushing attack. In the passing game, we should see some growth from the third-year player, and recording north of five receiving touchdowns feels likely. For an offense that will run more plays in 2024, there should be more scoring opportunities.

The junior wideout will be a focal point of the offense and will put some points on the scoreboard this fall in numerous ways.