What the Coaches said at the 2021 Kentucky Football Kickoff Luncheon

(Photo by Jimmie Mitchell/SEC)

We are back in the saddle for the annual Kentucky Football kickoff luncheon at Kroger Field. With some fresh faces, a changing college football landscape and a new football season on the horizon, it was nice to hear from the good guys in charge. Here’s what Mark Stoops, Brad White, and Liam Coen had to say Wednesday afternoon.

NIL Adaptation

One of the primary concerns that have been expressed about the implication of the new NIL ruling is the kind of impact it would have on team chemistry. But, Stoops rests assured knowing that it won’t be a problem — it’s just another hurdle in the land of college football.

“Our players care about each other during this new era of name, image, likeness,” Stoops said. “It can divide a team, but we are very strong. It’s just like the challenges we faced last year and the year before when we faced different obstacles, like our quarterbacks getting injured. You have to be able to adapt and overcome and I feel the leadership on our team is some of the best we’ve ever had.”

“Get Wan’Dale the ball”

Straight from the mouth of Liam Coen. This is obviously one of those “no, duh” quotes, but after a season where Kentucky struggled to get the ball into the hands of its playmakers, this is a welcome sign.

Brenden Bates Will Fill in Nicely

Another huge obstacle to overcome this season will be the loss of tight end Keaton Upshaw, but Liam Coen believes Brenden Bates will work well alongside Justin Rigg.

“Bates did a phenomenal job for us this spring,” Coen said. “Wants to run through a wall for you, does everything right all the time, wants to be a great football player, and has that great mental makeup for us… we’re excited about his development for sure.”

High Praise For Carrington Valentine

Who will be the next stud to come out of the Kentucky defense for Brad White? Look no further than cornerback Carrington Valentine. When asked who would have a Jamin Davis-esque impact this season, White quickly jumped to Valentine. Kentucky’s defensive coordinator believes Valentine has the right mental makeup to complement the experience he received during his freshman campaign. His approach this offseason will allow him to make a jump and challenge people at the corner position.

Big Blue Wall Won’t Miss a Step

Hardly a concern is the Kentucky Football cornerstone — the Big Blue Wall. The group lost two mainstays in Drake Jackson and Landon Young, but Stoops believes that is a group that won’t miss a step. Naturally, getting Darian Kinnard and Luke Fortner back is massive, but he also had high praise for Jeremy Flax, who is expected to play a significant role on that Kentucky O-line.

Stoops REALLY doesn’t want to play 10-conference games

Stoops briefly threw a little jab at Dr. Capilouto, emphasizing that he doesn’t want to play 10 SEC games again. Despite not commenting on the Red River situation, it felt like Stoops wouldn’t be too pleased with an increase in conference games. The Cats have eight now. Stoops doesn’t want to play ten. If Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC, is nine conference games the compromise?

Where Will Liam Coach?

From the sideline or the booth? Coen still hasn’t decided.

It sounds like he’s leaning towards calling games from the sideline to get a sense of momentum during the course of a game. However, a cerebral guy like Coen might just enjoy the chess match from the booth. Guess we’ll find out on September 4th.

Who’s Returning Kicks?

Will it be Wan’Dale Robinson or will it be Josh Ali? Both have had experience fielding kicks in the past, but Stoops has not decided who will be returning on special teams for the Cats. Wan’Dale has often drawn comparisons to the likes of Lynn Bowden, so naturally, it would be a treat to see Robinson return some electrifying punts like Bowden did so many times for Kentucky. But, the verdict is still out.