Blue-chip recruits must become playmakers soon at Kentucky

Kentucky has a dude at quarterback. Redshirt senior Will Levis is back for year two in Lexington and there is legitimate first-round buzz even if some prognosticators at SEC Media Days have been reluctant to jump on the wagon. Head coach Mark Stoops knows he has a special talent at quarterback, and is not shying away from it.

“I’m not going to lie, when I watch him at times, I mean, it does kind of blow you away. You just watch him maybe on a windy day, there’s gusts coming at you, and the way he rips the football, the way he throws it, the way he works. He’s exceptional,” Stoops told the media on Wednesday.

For the first time since 2007, the Wildcats went to the conference’s mega-event with a bonafide budding star at the most important position in sports. However, unlike Andre’ Woodson, Levis does not appear to be surrounded by a trio of upperclassmen pass catchers — Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, and Jacob Tamme — who would go on to be NFL Draft selections in eight months. Kentucky has high expectations, and their big quarterback with superstar physical traits is a big reason why. However, the new offense under play-caller Rich Scangarello needs some playmakers to emerge.

Both Josh Ali and Wan’Dale Robinson have moved on and that duo combined to collect 145 grabs on 205 targets with 1,949 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season with Liam Coen calling plays. That is a big hole to replace, but the Wildcats have recruited the position well.

In the last two signing classes, Kentucky has inked five former top-500 recruits as that wide receiver room has been rebuilt under position coach Scott Woodward. However, the group is very young. The Cats will need some youngsters to step up big-time this fall.

”We lost some guys last year but we were able to reload with some really good young guys and transfers as well,” Levis told reporters at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “The talent is definitely there and I think we’re going to be able to do a lot of things with the receiver position that we might not have been able to do as consistently last year, which is really exciting. It was definitely a perk that we were able to recruit the way that we did. I think at least a couple of the true freshman are going to be extreme performers for us this year which is really exciting.

In the most recent recruiting haul, Kentucky signed the best recruiting class in program history ranking inside the top 20 in average star rating. The Wildcats inked 12 top-500 recruits with a pair of top-100 prospects. Offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin was long seen as the top prize for the class, but a pair of skill talent additions could make a huge impact on the team in 2022.

Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product and legacy recruit Dane Key picked Kentucky over South Carolina and enrolled early for the spring semester. The 6-foot-3 wideout made a big splash early and has a big role in the offense heading into fall camp.

“He’s acted like a vet ever since he got here,” Levis said about Key in Atlanta. “He gets it. He knows the hard work that it takes, he’s got the right mindset, is an awesome kid, the nicest kid ever, takes care of it in the classroom and is someone you never have to worry about off the field, which is excellent. He’s a grinder in the facility working with us. I try to work with him and throw with him as much as I can, just to get that chemistry down.”

“He’s a starter right now. We’re looking to keep working for that. He’s got to go into the facility and earn that every single day, but not a lot of true freshmen have that opportunity so I’m sure he’s excited.”

That is a major accomplishment for a newcomer in the SEC. Over the last five seasons, only Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) has recorded more than 800 receiving yards as a true freshman in 2018. Jaden Walley (Mississippi State) is the only rookie receiver to go over 50 receptions, and that happened in Mike Leach’s pass-happy Air Raid scheme. Kentucky won’t need Key to reach those thresholds, but he’ll likely need to be close as a true WR2 behind Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson.

However, the local product is not the only youngster that can help the offense this season. Barion Brown was a top-100 recruit out of Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn with playmaking juice and vertical speed that Kentucky simply hasn’t had at wideout in a long time.

Stoops and Levis believe the blue-chipper can help the team score touchdowns now.

“Barion has all the tools,” Stoops told the media on Wednesday afternoon. “Super excited about him. Was talking with Will on the plane coming down here, discussing a little bit. Will mentioned it right away, how special Barion is with the ball in his hands. He can do some special things, has a lot of juice. We really got to get him caught up. He just got on campus a couple weeks ago. Need to get him plugged in, get the ball in his hands, because he’s a total playmaker.

With Scangarello holding the play sheet, things are going to be different. The offensive line is learning a new wide zone blocking scheme, and the fullback is making a return to Lexington. Expect some I-formation as Kentucky will utilize a heavy dose of both 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) and 21 personnel (two running backs and one tight end). However, offenses still must be able to pass the ball when defenses know they have to pass. Those successful plays will need to be created by a quarterback and receivers on the perimeter.

Tayvion Robinson is the heavy favorite to emerge as the No. 1 target in the offense out of the slot, and the senior could be considered a sleeper in the SEC. However, he needs some complementary pieces. Kentucky has to have it to maximize their offense with an NFL quarterback this fall.

“We have to have some playmakers step up at the wide receiver position because we have a beast of a quarterback,” Stoops said. “We have to get some playmakers to step up and compete. We’re going to have to depend on a few younger guys there.”

If some playmakers emerge this is an offense that could set some records. It always starts with the quarterback.