LaRosa’s Kentucky Football Defensive Preview by Freddie Maggard

It’s well documented that the Kentucky offense has a great deal of room to improve. The Kentucky defense does not. Coordinator Brad White is a rising star in the industry. His unit has produced back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the SEC after allowing 381 total yards per game in 2020. The Wildcat’s pass defense has also topped the conference in consecutive seasons. UK lost six starters to the NFL and is faced with replacing an abundance of production at all three defensive levels. So, what will the Cat’s defense look like in 2021?

Replacing Six Starters

White isn’t just faced with replacing six starters. The UK defensive coordinator is tasked with supplanting a half dozen highly impactful defenders that are now playing on Sundays. This situation is an overriding storyline going into the 2021 season. Departed 2020 players combined for 122 starts, 492 tackles, 12 interceptions, 52 tackles for loss, and 27 QB sacks. That’s a great deal of production.

Linebacker Jamin Davis’ early exit for the Draft left a void in the middle which led to depth questions in the offseason. Davis accumulated 102 tackles and intercepted three passes during his lone year as a starter before being selected by the Washington Football Team with the 19^th pick in the first round. Ole Miss transfer Jacquez Jones was a pleasant surprise and brings much-needed experience to the inside linebacker position. Former 4-star Jared Casey is competing for a spot in the rotation with a pair of highly thought of freshmen in Trevin Wallace and Martez Thrower.

Edge defender Boogie Watson enjoyed a prolific career as a Wildcat. Now a Pittsburgh Steeler, Watson played in 49 career games including 39 starts. He registered 109 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 18.5 QB sacks, 14 QB hurries, and five forced fumbles. Kentucky addressed Watson’s departure by moving Jordan Wright from Sam to the Jack linebacker position. Wright has been one of the Cat’s top havoc producers. Increased production will be required in 2021.

Starting cornerbacks Brandin Echols and Kelvin Joseph combined for five interceptions last season and were the cornerstones for the SEC’s top-ranked pass defense. Echols registered 102 tackles in two years in Lexington. He was taken by the New York Jets in the sixth round after starting 22 consecutive games in which he recorded one interception and 11 pass breakups. Joseph is now a Dallas Cowboy. The LSU transfer led the team after picking off four passes a year ago before going in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Carrington Valentine and Cedrick Dort are poised to take over at corner. Valentine is a promising sophomore that earned a start in the Gator Bowl. Dort was a starter in 2019 before taking on a backup role in 2020. The new CB duo has been praised during fall camp. Super-senior Quandre Mosely and sophomore Andru Phillips make up the two-deep.

Nose tackle Quinton Bohanna joins Joseph in Dallas. Bohanna started 33 games including 27 consecutive. He totaled 59 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 4 pass breakups during his four-year college career. Senior Marquan McCall is slated to replace Bohanna. McCall has played a high number of meaningful snaps in 33 career games. The senior dropped over thirty pounds in order to become a more consistent force over the center. McCall could see a meteoric leap up draft boards if he can improve his endurance and production during long drives. Josaih Hayes and former 5-star prospect Justin Rogers form a deep and talented NT rotation.

Defensive tackle Phil Hoskins was drafted by Carolina after a constructive career in Lexington. Hoskins played in 31 games. He produced 53 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and 7 QB hurries. Identifying and developing defensive linemen is a priority going into 2021. North Hardin product Octavious Oxendine, Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, Isaiah Gibson, and Sam Anaele are competing for playing time. The position will be by committee until one defender separates from the pack. Brad White has been high on true freshmen Jamarius Dinkins and Kahlil Saunders.

Increased Havoc  

Kentucky registered 15 QB sacks in eleven games last season. That number ranked 11^th in the SEC. The Cats averaged 1.6 sacks per game in 2020. Comparatively, UK averaged 2.92 sacks per contest in 2018 followed by 2.54 in 2019. The Cats will need to push its QB sacks per game average to above two per contest. In addition, UK’s tackle for loss per game average dropped to 4.9. 2018 saw the Wildcats average 6.69 per outing. The 2019 season’s number was 5.7. Both QB sacks and tackles for loss per game are numbers that need to see an increase in 2021.

Wildcat defenders harassed opposing quarterbacks last season but struggled to get the passers to the ground. Defensive end Josh Paschal has enjoyed a tremendous camp and is playing the best football of his Wildcat career. He will be called upon to increase QB sack totals and lead the charge. Joining Paschal in the pass rush effort are a pair of Edge defenders in Jordan Wright and JJ Weaver. Wright is the team’s designated pass rusher who has recorded 3.5 QB sacks in three seasons.

Joining Wright is sophomore JJ Weaver. Weaver was enjoying an impressive rookie season prior to sustaining a season-ending injury against Florida. Rehabilitation is ahead of schedule. His presence in the starting lineup will significantly impact UK’s effectiveness in pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Blitzing linebackers and secondary members will also contribute in this category. Regardless of which position group gets home, UK has to up its QB sack total in 2021.

DeAndre Square’s Defense

Linebacker DeAndre Square is the leader of the Kentucky defense. The 6’1, 225-pound senior from Detroit has played in 36 games including 22 starts. He finished third on the team with 60 tackles in 2020. Square is the quarterback of the Wildcat defense and provides veteran influence on a unit that must replace multiple starters.

Square will have a new running mate in 2021 following Jamin Davis’ early departure. He will shoulder a great deal of responsibility in leading the UK defense. The senior is poised for an All-SEC type season and is a trusted, proven entity for Brad White.

Projected Strengths

The strength of the 2021 Kentucky defense lies within its third level. Safeties Yusuf Corker and Tyrell Ajian are joined by nickel Davonte Robinson to form a strong backline of defense. Creative coverage and run-blitz schemes will be an option given the veteran contribution of the three seniors. There is depth to go along with the veteran starters. Vito Tisdale, Jalen Geiger, Taj Dodson, and Joel Williams should earn reps this fall.

Inside linebacker depth was a major concern following spring practice. DeAndre Square is a longtime contributor and starter. Square is the leader of the defense but question marks about who will be his running mate surfaced after the injury to D’Eryk Jackson during spring practice. Jacquez Jones is an invaluable addition via the transfer portal. Jared Casey is a talented defender that just needs dedicated ILB reps. Rookie Trevin Wallace is an exceptional athlete that is new to the position. The true freshman could be a rising star. With other additions that include Michigan State transfer Luke Fulton, inside linebacker could be considered a strength instead of a concern going into the 2021 season.

The 2020 defense was a turnover-producing machine. The Cats recovered six fumbles and intercepted 16 passes a year ago. White’s unit was the driving force behind UK’s SEC-leading +10 turnover margin last season. Expecting Kentucky to intercept 16 passes for a second consecutive season would be unrealistic. But, the Wildcats are an opportunistic defense and will focus on forcing turnovers.

2021 Expectations

Kentucky has been a Top-5 defense in the SEC over the past three seasons. Coordinator Brad White has to replace six highly productive starters along all three levels of his defense. UK is a player development program and is deep at most position groups. So, can the Cats again finish in the Top-5 in the league? The answer is yes. One factor lies within its schedule.

UK should be able to overpower three of its four out of conference opponents. Louisiana Monroe, New Mexico State, and Chattanooga are games that defensive depth and talent should overwhelm the opponents. ULM, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt will be fielding first-year head coaches. The week-two matchup against Missouri should be telling on how the Wildcats will fare against LSU, Florida, and Georgia. Mississippi State and Louisville are unique opponents based on system and the nature of a rivalry game.  

As mentioned before, UK loses several starters going into 2021. But, veteran presence and leadership will be prominent. White’s unit will feature several senior starters. Cedrick Dort, Josh Paschal, DeAndre Square, Yusuf Corker, Tyrell Ajian, Davonte Robinson, Marquan McCall, Jordan Wright, and potentially Jacquez Jones make up an experienced group that should be well versed in the playbook and the demands of the Southeastern Conference.

What Does All This Mean?

Mark Stoops is a defensive head coach. Coordinator Brad White is a rising star. The Cats could have as many as nine senior starters. The 2021 schedule is favorable. All these factors combine for what could – or should – be another top-5 SEC defense.