Kentucky players to watch against South Carolina

Kentucky will be back in Kroger Field on Saturday and the plan is to play a full 60-minute game after last week’s 31-0 victory was shortened by weather. The Wildcats will be hosting South Carolina for a key SEC meeting.

Mark Stoops will be looking to end a two-game losing streak in this SEC series. KSR is taking a closer look at the Kentucky players who could make the biggest difference in the afternoon kickoff in Lexington.

Gerald Mincey will be challenged at right tackle

Former Florida and Tennessee offensive tackle Gerald Mincey made his Kentucky debut in Week 1 and had some struggles. Most notably, the pass protection had some leaky moments as the redshirt senior and Florida guard transfer Jalen Farmer worked together for the first time. Kentucky will need the SEC tackle transfer to play better.

Mincey and the rest of the offensive line have a big challenge this week.

South Carolina’s edge rushers wrecked the game against Old Dominion and were the sole reason why both offensive touchdowns were scored after sack fumbles directly turned into goal-to-go possessions. Kentucky’s tackles must not let that happen on Saturday.

The Gamecocks will win their fair share of battles but Kentucky will need some better play at tackle. If Mincey plays well, it could be very difficult for the road underdog to win outright.

Kentucky needs the linebackers to clean house

Kentucky’s defensive front has an advantage in the trench battle against South Carolina’s offensive line. Facing a run-heavy offense, Kentucky’s second-level defenders should be able to run free and patrol. The Wildcats will need the off-ball linebackers to clean house.

This is a big moment for Georgia transfer Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

In his Kentucky debut, the former All-American performer recorded two tackles, one interception, and flashed some twitchiness. That will be needed this week. The Wildcats need Dumas-Johnson and D’Eryk Jackson to play with instincts and good eyes while fitting the run game.

If Dumas-Johnson is making plays against this run-heavy attack that is probably a good thing.

Does Kentucky have a new deep threat?

On Kentucky’s first possession of the second half, offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan dialed up three consecutive shot plays. Barion Brown drew a pass interception, Dane Key was well covered, and Ja’Mori Maclin won quickly on his release leading to a very big gain.

Does Kentucky have a new go-to wideout on vertical concepts?

In this matchup last season, Kentucky struggled to get the run game rolling and Devin Leary had multiple passes batted at the line of scrimmage. That resulted in the offense taking a bunch of swings on vertical throws down the sideline and that did not end well.

Kentucky added the North Texas transfer in the slot but the best thing Maclin did last season was create separation as a vertical receiver. If Bush Hamdan looks to dial up a vertical shot play on Saturday, do not be surprised if the intended target is Maclin.

More consistency at safety

Safety play ended up becoming a very unfortunate development for Kentucky last season. The injury bug hit the Wildcats in a significant way and the position group disappointed. Expectations remained high for this unit in 2024 thanks to returning production and adding a player from the transfer portal.

Unfortunately, the safety position did not play well for Kentucky in Week 1. If that occurs in Week 2, that is what could allow South Carolina to find the explosive plays that will be needed to score points in this matchup.

Veteran Zion Childress wears a lot of hats for this Kentucky defense and had some struggles last week. Kentucky will need Childress to perform better and make tackles in isolation when called upon.