Quandre Mosely: How Kentucky Replaces the Dallas Cowboy

Kentucky safety turned cornerback Quandre Mosely signed an Undrafted Free Agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys following the 2022 NFL Draft. First of all, I have to say that Quandre is one of the nicest players that I’ve ever interacted with over the years, and I wish him the absolute best in Dallas. Second, his play down the stretch was a key factor in UK’s late-season run. 

The 6’2, 185-pound Mosely played in 36 games with four starts in his three-year career at Kentucky. The defensive back registered 69 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 10 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions. Positional versatility was a strength for the super-senior from Brunswick, Georgia. He mostly played safety before transitioning to cornerback at the end of the 2020 season. Mosely split time with Cedrick Dort who later transferred to Wisconsin last season. 

Cornerback was a concern a year ago and remains the same going into the 2022 season. Andru Phillips appeared to have locked down the vacated spot on the two-deep before the Cats dipped into the Portal for versatile Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith and Livingstone College’s Jordan Robinson. Keidron Smith had 22 starts at both safety and corner. His exact position is yet to be determined but his presence on the depth chart brings much-needed depth in the secondary. Robinson is a long defensive back who was a surprise addition.  

What Does All This Mean? 

Mosely possessed the length that Mark Stoops prefers in corners and quietly stabilized the position opposite of Carrington Valentine towards the end of the 2021 season. Andru Phillips appears to have the early edge to replace Mosely. Phillips is a Legacy Wildcat from Mauldin, South Carolina. His dad Carlos was a teammate of mine in the late 80s. The 5’11, 180-pound defender played in nine games a year ago mainly on special teams. Stoops dipped into the Portal for Keidron Smith and Jordan Robinson. 

Phillips was singled out by coordinator Brad White for his play during spring practice; Kentucky needs him to maintain his steady increase. Mainly unknown entities back up Carrington Valentine, Phillips, and Keidron Smith. Corner is a position to monitor during fall camp. 

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Catch up on the rest of Freddie’s series on how Kentucky will replace its new pros: Wan’Dale Robinson, Josh Paschal, Luke Fortner, Darian Kinnard, Marquan McCall, Yusuf Corker, and Dare Rosenthal.