Kentucky’s Defensive Success Heavily Relies on the Cornerback Position 

Kentucky’s defensive rankings in the Southeastern Conference have been impressive under the guidance of coordinator Brad White. The Cats have ranked in the league’s Top 5 in total defense in each of his four seasons. A closer look emphasizes the importance of the pass defense in a conference that’s evolving into an up-tempo affair. The cornerback position significantly factors in UK’s overall defensive performance.  Let’s take a closer look. 

7-6 in 2022: Outstanding Pass Defense Stats

The 2022 Wildcats disappointed. There’s no sugar coating the outcome. A 7-5 regular season included home losses to Vanderbilt and South Carolina. UK’s postseason wasn’t much better after pitching a sleepy, shut out dud against Iowa in the Music City Bowl. Most of the BBN’s grumblings focused on the offense, or lack thereof. A coordinator change followed. However, Brad White’s defense put together Kentucky’s highest overall finish in four seasons after allowing a mere 311 total yards per game. 

The Wildcats were especially efficient against the pass last season. UK gave up 171 passing yards per outing. That number was good enough to rank second in the Southeastern Conference. A closer look depicts a unit that didn’t register a high number of QB sacks. In fact, the Cats finished the season ranked 11th in the league with 11 sacks. Kentucky intercepted ten passes, the sixth-most in the SEC, and recorded 54 passed defended which ranked tenth. 

Cornerbacks Carrington Valentine and Keidron Smith were solid throughout most of the season. Valentine declared early for the NFL Draft after registering 33 tackles, 1 interception, and 9 defended passes. Smith contributed 33 stops, 2 INT’s, and 4 defended passes. Overall, cornerback play vastly and obviously improved from the 2021 season. 

10-3 in 2021: Kentucky Defense Numbers With Less Pop

2021 was somewhat opposite of 2022. Liam Coen had the offense rolling, but the defense took a step back in terms of total and pass defense. UK finished the year ranked 4th in the SEC in total defense (341 yards allowed) and 8th against the pass (219 ypg.). That unit intercepted eleven passes and recorded nine sacks to go along with 48 defended passes. 

Cornerback was an overbearing issue due to a lack of depth. Jamari Brown (Purdue) and MJ Devonshire‘s (Pitt) surprising departures via the portal left Brad White scrambling to man the position. Cedrick Dort, Carrington Valentine, and Quandre Mosely filled the roles, but the position struggled as a collective. The Cats lacked depth which was reflected in a drop to 8th in the league against the pass. This was the lowest ranking in the Brad White era. 

5-6 in 2020: Kentucky Creates Turnovers Against Top SEC Offenses

The Covid season was weird from start to finish. An All-SEC slate was demanding and a year in which the Cats faced several dynamic offenses (Florida and National Champs, Alabama). UK finished the season ranked 4th in total defense (381 yards allowed) and first against the pass (225 ypg.). 2020 was also the year of the forced turnover. The Cats ranked first in the SEC with 16 interceptions. Sacks were low ( 15 total, ranked 11th in the league), but forced turnovers were the deciding factor in multiple victories. 

Much like in 2022, the Cats played with two NFL cornerbacks. Kelvin Joseph was selected by Dallas in the second round after posting four picks. Brandin Echols was taken in the sixth by the Jets after finishing his senior year with 54 tackles and an interception. 

8-5 in 2019: Strong Start for Brad White

2019 was Brad White’s first as UK’s play-caller. That season saw the Cats give up 322 yards per game. That number was good enough for a Top 5 SEC finish. The Cats led the league in pass defense after giving up a low 168 yards per outing. QB sacks were up with 33 (fourth in the SEC). The Cats defended the most passes in the White era with 60, ranking sixth in the league. 

The cornerback position was deep and played on a rotation basis. Cedrick Dort and Brandin Echols were joined by Jamari Brown and M.J. Devonshire. CB play wasn’t elite, but the collective competed at a high level. 2019 was also the “Rain season” when multiple games were played in monsoon type weather. 

What Does All This Mean? 

Defensive coordinator Brad White has fielded four units during his time as the Wildcat’s defensive play-caller. His groups have an average ranking of 3.5 in the SEC in total defense. That’s a fantastic number.  His pass defense average ranking during that same time frame is third in the conference. Both numbers are impressive and have been significantly influenced by the cornerback position. 

2023 brings on a new defense and fresh challenges. Valentine and Smith are off to the NFL. There will be new starters at the position which brings on a slight sense of uncertainty. Newcomers JQ Hardaway and Jantzen Dunn enter the picture via the portal. They will compete with Avery Stuart, Maxwell Hairston and Andru Phillips during spring practice. Depth appears to be in UK’s favor. As you can hopefully see in this post, the cornerback position has vast ramifications on the overall success of the Kentucky defense. 2023 will be no different.