Liam Coen compares Izayah Cummings to Ricky Bobby: "He knows one speed"

“I wanna go fast.” – Ricky Bobby — Izayah Cummings.

Talladega Nights is a Will Ferrell classic, but it’s also an identity for the Kentucky senior tight end out of Louisville. Well, in Liam Coen’s mind, anyway.

Cummings’ career in Lexington has been a roller coaster, one most assumed he was ready to get off of this past offseason. He was a special teams piece as a freshman while getting his legs under him at receiver. Then as a sophomore under Coen in his first season, he transitioned to tight end in fall camp before racking up 14 catches and 195 receiving yards — good for fourth and third on the team, respectively — while adding three scores. Averaging 13.9 yards per catch, the Louisville Male product was cooking, primed to be a top receiving target within the program for years to come.

And then Rich Scangarello happened. Cummings would go on to play in all 13 games for the Wildcats, but touched the ball exactly two times. One punt return vs. Youngstown State, one end-around rush at Ole Miss for 23 yards. Jordan Dingle and Josh Kattus were the new favorites in the tight end room while the former top-10 prospect out of Kentucky and 6A Player of the Year was an afterthought.

He had every reason to hit the portal the second the regular season came to a close. But then Scangarello was fired and Liam Coen was rumored as the likely replacement, returning from his time as offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams.

Admittedly, he was glad to have his old friend back in Lexington.

“It was nice having someone that knew me and worked with me,” Cummings said of Coen during spring ball. “He knew how to put me in those positions. Having him back made me very excited.”

As frustrating as it was not being on the field last season, he used it as a learning experience. The Louisville native was able to feel the joy of catching passes and scoring touchdowns, then the pain of having it ripped away.

“Don’t take anything for granted, because anything can happen,” Cummings added. “Just need to make sure that doesn’t happen again, give it everything I’ve got so they know I’m here and I’m trying to play. I want to show them what I can do. I really don’t know for sure (what didn’t work in ’22), but it is what it is. I’m just going to take it as a lesson and move on, keep working.”

So how are things going for Cummings ahead of his senior campaign with Coen back calling the plays? Well if you ask his new (and old) coordinator, he’s looking like the same tight end that was peaking at the right time to close out the 2021 season.

“He’s getting back to his old self, you know?” Coen told KSR on Friday. “He’s having fun playing the game again.”

A big part of that reestablished success? His work ethic and ability to unleash his inner Ricky Bobby.

“He’s a tireless worker. He just knows one speed,” Coen said. “It’s like Ricky Bobby, you know? ‘I want to go fast.’ And that’s how he plays the game. He plays the game physical, he plays the game fast.”

What you loved about him in his standout sophomore season? Expect to see more of that in year four with Coen back in the fold.

“I love Zay,” he told KSR. “He’ll definitely have a role on this offense and hopefully continue to expand on that role that he had.”