Young Talent Making Strides in Kentucky Football Spring Practice

In less than a week, the Kentucky football team will hit the turf at Kroger Field for the program’s annual spring game.

The game typically brings an end to the spring practice season, but the ‘Cats will have a few practices in the week following due to starting the session later than usual.

This is always the time of year when fans begin to look at the progress of the younger players. The position group that has arguably the most open spots is the wide receiver position following the departures of Wan’Dale Robinson and Josh Ali.

To fill that void, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello have turned to the youth of the room to see what opportunities can be seized.

“I’ve been very pleased with the group,” Scangarello said over a week ago. “There’s a great complementary skill set. We’ve got fast guys, we’ve got long guys, we’ve got guys that will use length.”

The new pieces are what the new offensive coordinator will have to sort through as the Sept. 3 opener draws nearer. Starting quarterback Will Levis is starting to see how those decisions will be made.

“A big part of the offense is finding the receivers that we think are best at running the routes we are going to run,” Levis said following practice on Saturday.

The New Kids on the Block

Associate head coach Vince Marrow has placed a lot of focus on getting playmakers to come to Lexington as freshmen. A pair of those include former Frederick Douglass High School stars Dekel Crowdus and Dane Key.

While Crowdus was on campus last season, an injury in the preseason forced him to miss the entire year, so this will be his first season with opportunity.

“Dekel has been in and out so far in camp,” Levis said. “(The young receivers) are all really good. I wish I had more time to work with Dekel and I will in the summer.

“He’s made some flashes and can definitely make big plays for us.”

Key, Crowdus’ former high school teammate, has also made strides as an early enrollee.

“I think Key has done a nice job,” Scangarello said. “For a young guy, he has a real high football IQ. He’s a great example of someone who is getting better and taking coaching and has the kind of skills that you like to see blossom.”

Key was rated as one of the top recruits in the state of Kentucky and chose the ‘Cats over Michigan, South Carolina, and Oregon.

The Returners

While not a ton of on-field experience returns for the wide receiver room, players such as Chris Lewis and Chauncey Magwood are hoping to see the field more this year.

During Saturday’s scrimmage, Magwood stood out to Stoops with a catch he made.

“Chauncey made a really difficult catch today on 3rd down,” Stoops said on Saturday. “He went up and took a good shot and came down with the football to keep the drive going.”

The common thread between both players is the determination to take the strides to more consistently see the field.

“They’re determined,” Levis said about the pair. “They want to prove that they deserve a spot. This offseason was huge for them. They made the strides. Both in the weight room and mentally.”

The consistent talking point among coaches and players was the combination of Lewis and Key.

“We found a couple of guys like Dane Key and Chris Lewis (who) are able to go down the field and make plays,” Levis said. “It’s either on those deep balls or daggers over the middle.

“Those are two names that are really bringing along and hope they can be big players for us.”

Filling the void left by Ali and Robinson will probably take more than two players, but it is clear that the Kentucky wide receiver room is as deep as it has been in years.

Fans will get their first opportunity to see the group work on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Kroger Field for the annual Blue-White spring game.