LaRosa's Kentucky Football Preseason Position Previews: Cornerback

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In 2020, Brandin Echols and Kelvin Joseph teamed up to create one of the best cornerback duos in the SEC. Back in 2018, Derrick Baity Jr., Lonnie Johnson Jr., and Chris Westry might have been the best cornerback trio in college football.

The Wildcats have been able to recruit and develop cornerbacks as only Joseph was listed as a blue-chip recruit out of high school. Kentucky will be looking to reload in 2021, but the two starters are each players who bring some game experience back to the defense.

Cornerstones

There are some legitimate depth concerns for new assistant coach Chris Collins to address this season, but the Wildcats are heading into the season with two unquestioned starters. The coaching staff likes what is returning.

Carrington Valentine was the lowest-ranked recruit in Kentucky’s class of 2020, but the Cincinnati Moeller alum is quickly outplaying that ranking. The sophomore drew the start in the Gator Bowl while playing 142 snaps over 10 games and recorded six tackles and a forced fumble in that start. Expectations are high for the sophomore. Valentine appears to have the toughness and size (6-0, 200) to hold up at boundary cornerback.

“The best quality that he has is his competitive nature,” Stoops said in November. “He is a competitive kid and I like that. He’s always working hard. He’s dialed-in. He takes things serious.”

Over at field cornerback, redshirt senior Cedrick Dort Jr. will play to the wide side of the field in Kentucky’s 3-4 scheme. The South Florida product was a low three-star recruit that has played a lot of football since arriving in Lexington. Dort logged over 200 snaps last season and has played in 31 career games. The 5-foot-11 defensive back started 12 games in 2019. The veteran has seven career pass break-ups.

There will be depth issues to answer, but Kentucky’s recruit and develop strategy has shown up consistently at cornerback.

Is there depth?

#21 Quandre Mosely: The former junior college transfer, Mosely is another super senior in the secondary joining safety Davonte Robinson. The Georgia native played 144 snaps last season and recorded 19 tackles to go along with two pass break-ups. Mosely should open the season as Valentines’ top backup at boundary cornerback but could play either spot. The veteran could be considered a third starter for the Wildcats.

#31 Maxwell Hairston: A true freshman out of Metro Detroit, Hairston was a mid three-star recruiting win for former secondary coach Steve Clinkscale. The 6-foot-1 rookie logged 16 pass break-ups, 3 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles as a high school senior showing some playmaking ability.

#36 Adrian Huey: Another mid three-star true freshman, Kentucky dipped into Nashville to land Huey. The six-foot cornerback has legitimate track speed but will likely need some time to develop.

#37 Andru Phillips: A high three-star legacy recruit in the class of 2020, Phillips took a redshirt last season but is pushing for playing time as the fourth cornerback currently backing up Dort at field cornerback. The first-team All-State selection in South Carolina has a ton of talent and could factor into the defense this season.

Kentucky Utilizes Heavy Zone Coverage

Quickly after Mark Stoops arrived, Kentucky’s defensive DNA became clear. The Wildcats utilize a defense that some would classify as “bend but don’t break”. However, as spread offenses have begun to take over the game of football, this has been a style most have adopted. The name of the game is to keep everything in front and don’t give up big plays. Eventually, the offense will make a mistake or they will run out of room to operate as the field shrinks.

“The thing we’ve done here really well over the last several years is be at the top of the country in not allowing big plays, not allowing explosive plays,” White told the media before fall camp. “Call it what you will, bend don’t break, this or that, whatever you want to call it, when we keep the ball in front of us, we get an opportunity to make a play on the next play.”

Throughout the years, Kentucky has been a heavy cover 3 team while not using a ton of pressures. This has allowed the defense to commit another man to the box to help fit the run while also flooding the deep zones with bodies. Kentucky wants offenses to use a short passing game where the defense can rally quickly and make tackles in the flat areas. This concept can be highly successful if an organic pass rush can be created consistently with four players. Only time will tell if that comes to fruition in 2021, but expect the secondary’s philosophy to remain the same.

Something You Didn’t Know

The Kentucky secondary has produced four draft picks in the last three seasons. This is currently the best position the Wildcats develop in Lexington. This shouldn’t be a surprise.

Mark Stoops arrived at Kentucky with an extensive background as a very good secondary coach. That has continued as a head coach as Kentucky has produced pros in multiple ways at this position. Both Brandin Echols and Lonnie Johnson Jr. were junior college transfers. Kelvin Joseph was a big-time transfer. Mike Edwards was a top-500 recruit out of Cincinnati.

The Wildcats have developed this position in multiple ways and that does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Biggest Question Mark For the Cornerbacks

“Can Kentucky get enough ball production?”

Last season, Kentucky recorded 16 interceptions and 23 pass breakups while seeing 356 passing attempts from opponents. A 10.96 percent INT/PBU rate was solid, but recording an interception on 41.02 percent of your total passes defended can be an extremely hard rate to produce in consecutive years.

With the departure of Echols and Joseph, Kentucky lost eight combined interceptions and pass breakups. Can the Wildcats replace that production? The cornerbacks will get some help from the safeties but the Wildcats must get sticky coverage and ball production from the cornerback position for the unit to reach its ceiling.

Bold Prediction

“Carrington Valentine becomes a bonafide SEC starter. Will be preseason All-SEC pick in 2022.”

All signs seem to be point towards the Cincinnati Moeller product becoming a potential star of the secondary. The sophomore recorded an impressive interception at Kentucky Fan Day that flashed ball skills and instincts. Valentine can really run and has the size to hold up at boundary cornerback to help Kentucky in run fits.

Expect Valentine to become the next star cornerback for Stoops at Kentucky.