Kentucky could go with next man up policy to replace Vito Tisdale

On Tuesday, Kentucky suffered another season-ending injury in spring practice. Expected starter Vito Tisdale will not be available for the Wildcats this fall.

The Bowling Green (Ky.) High product was expected to be a very important part of the defense as a junior in 2022. After playing in 19 games over his first two seasons on campus with a pair of starting assignments, most were expecting the former U.S. Army All-American to turn into an impact performer for the Kentucky defense.

As spring ball started, Mark Stoops confirmed that Tisdale was going to be used in multiple spots as Kentucky is still searching for help at outside cornerback.

“Vito is a very versatile player. You’ve heard me say that all the time,” Stoops said. “We’ll experiment with moving him around. That doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. He’s a very good football player. He’s one of our top 11, so we want to get him on the field and playing where we need some help. We feel like he’s versatile enough to do that, but we’ll continue to move him around.”

Well, that is out the window now. The loss of Tisdale impacts two positions on the field as both cornerback and the Sam/Nickel hybrid position when Kentucky gets into subpackage looks has been shaken up by this most recent loss.

KSR is jumping in and taking a look at how Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White may attempt to replace the loss of Tisdale.

There is one big x-factor

We’ll get to the cornerback position a little later because the loss of Vito Tisdale has just highlighted a glaring need even more for secondary coach Chris Collins and his cornerbacks. Sliding over to safety, Kentucky must find an answer at nickel where the defense has highlighted the position quite often in the past.

Mike Edwards held down the fort for four seasons on his way to stardom and a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tisdale was supposed to be the next guy after Davonte Robinson used up all of his eligibility. Now that answer is out, and Kentucky must find a replacement.

Another signee out of the class of 2020 could be the answer for the Wildcats.

Joel Williams was a four-star recruit out of Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep Academy who picked Kentucky over Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, and Georgia. One of the bigger recruiting wins during the Stoops era, Williams had high expectations but has yet to live up to them.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pound defensive back in 16 games for his first two seasons on campus but has made a minimal impact. However, the three-year starter in Louisiana has a clear intriguing skill set that should be a perfect fit for Kentucky’s nickel spot as the Wildcats will require blitzing, coverage, run fitting, and open tackling ability. Williams could be able to check all of those boxes.

The former blue-chipper has been with the defense for a good amount of time and has received plenty of reps within the system. If Williams can fill the hole left by Tisdale that would solve a bunch of issues for the Kentucky coaching staff.

Positional shuffling

In the first part of the 2021 season, Vito Tisdale was unable to practice with the program due to an off-field arrest. After weeks of waiting, the grand jury declined to indict. However, Kentucky had to play games without an integral part of their defense.

In his absence, Jalen Geiger was used as both a traditional safety and in a nickel role. An expected starter at safety this season, the Wildcats could decide to slide down Geiger again. The Columbia (S.C.) Spring Valley product recorded 18 tackles and a pick-six for the Wildcats last season.

After the spring semester ends, four-star true freshmen Kobi Albert and Alex Afari will be arriving on campus. Each has the potential to play in the secondary as a rookie.

Afari has the build to play the Sam/Nickel position, and that is his future home. A little less is known about Albert. However, the Metro Birmingham prospect has the skills to succeed as a deep safety and could provide depth to help fill a void if Geiger is required to move to nickel on a more full-time basis.

Regardless, some shifting could have to go on, and Kentucky must make sure that there is correct personnel available to replace losses any amount of shuffling could create.

Transfer portal will factor into the equation in some way

At the spring game on April 9, Kentucky will host Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith. Meanwhile, one visit has been made to Missouri with trips also scheduled for Indiana and Virginia Tech. That recruitment just became more important for the Wildcats.

After playing cornerback, Ole Miss moved the South Florida product to safety last season, and Smith performed well. All of a sudden, Kentucky needs some positional versatility with Vito Tisdale now out for the season. The transfer is being recruited as a cornerback but could help fill other needs for Kentucky.

As of now, it’s clear that the Wildcats need transfer help at cornerback as the defense must find a starter to play with Carrington Valentine. Smith could fill that role or step in as a nickel player. This is a big transfer recruitment, but Kentucky might need another.

Expect the Wildcats to heavily shop the transfer portal after spring practice as the Wildcats look to fill some holes at cornerback and now nickel in the secondary. Two additions could be needed after spring practice if Kentucky is not comfortable with the current depth of the position.