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LEXINGTON — Now that Kentucky has finished its second spring practice under coach Mark Stoops, where do the Cats go from here?
Kentucky went 2-10 in Stoops’ first season — the same record Joker Phillips had in 2011 when he lost his job. But there were over 35,000 fans in Commonwealth Stadium again Saturday, the second straight year that fans have turned out to show their support for Stoops and their belief in what they hope he can do.
Any team that goes 2-10 consecutive season needs improvement at every position, not just quarterback as many have focused on since the end of last season. Just ask Stoops and his staff.
But to improve the Cats also need players to make some dramatic improvements, or maybe even shocking progress. So coming out of spring practice, here’s five players that certainly had to be considered major surprises with their spring practice performances.
— Safety A.J. Stamps.
The Cats couldn’t change any games last year with interceptions. Stamps is a player that can change that. Seldom did a media opportunity go by that coaches and/or players praised the way he performed. Defensive players raved about the plays he made. Offensive players raved about how difficult it was to make plays against him. He could be that rare junior college player who steps on campus and makes a major impact from day one as needed. He had three solo stops Saturday,but his speed and athleticism were obvious.
“A.J. Stamps coming in. Is he a safety-corner? What is he?” said UK secondary coach Craig Navira. “Every practice he grows and grows. He has not had many bad moments. Sometimes you are building, building and hit a wall and take a step back. He has not done that.
“He is a a very mature player. A mature player does not make the same mistake twice, and he doesn’t do that. He has a lot of ability. He has shown a physical presence. He has been a fun young man to coach and be around and he’s going to help us so much.”
— Runnig back Josh Clemons.
He was dynamic as a freshman, but then missed most of the 2011 season with a knee injury that required surgery. He worked to overcome that only to tear his Achilles tendon on the final day of summer workouts last year. That resulted in another surgery and him missing all of the last year.
But not only is he back on the field, but he’s making plays. Freshman running back JoJo Kemp called him a “man-child” because of his size and aggressive running style.
Running backs coach Chad Scott admits Clemons’ productivity has surprised him. He had 11 carries for 93 yards, including a 38-yard run, and one score Saturday.
“I would have said we can’t count on him if you had asked me four or five months ago because he hasn’t done anything and has been hurt the last two years, so we can’t count on him,” Scott said. “Now he has gone through spring practices and done well and we are looking forward to him going to the season with us.
— Receiver T.V. Williams.
He came to UK in January after graduating early — and weighed 137 pounds. Even with his incredible speed, no one was sure what he would be able to do immediately. But Williams not only has added almost pounds, he’s stayed healthy — something most other receivers have not done — and made play after play even though Saturday he had just one catch for 11 yards while working with the second offense. Still, his speed could be a big plus.
“He has the speed. He is not scared. I can tell you that. He is going to catch that ball,” offensive lineman Zach West said.
“What I like is he’s good with the ball in his hands. He’s quick, he can get behind you, he can run. What he needs: he’s got to get stronger. Right now if they get his hands on him he’s going to struggle. He’s got to improve his blocking, but he can make plays,” offensive coordinator Neal Brown said.
— Offensive lineman Ramsey Meyers.
He redshirted last year and now has established himself as UK’s No. 1 right guard and shown the ability that could make him special — as well as bolster UK’s front for four years.
“He is a guy that redshirted and really took advantage of his redshirt season and got stronger in the weight room,” offensive line coach Jon Schlarman said. “I think this spring he has made significant improvement in his technique, which is something he had to do and is no different than anybody I have got.
“But Ramsey is a physical football player. He is type of guy when you look for a guard in this league, he kind of has the mold. He is a big, physical player who doesn’t mind contact. He will mix it up. Now it is just a matter of getting reps and getting him ready for September.
— Quarterback Patrick Towles.
He was Kentucky’s Mr. Football at Highlands and had the size, arm and charisma that seemed to make him certain success. Instead, he failed to beat out Jalen Whitlow and Maxwell Smith during UK’s 2-10 season in 2011. He did impress when he finally got to play, but then he almost immediately hurt his ankle. Last year? Again, he was behind Whitlow and Smith and ended up being redshirted.
Rather than pout or transfer as many predicted he would, Towles cheered for his teammates last season and went to work in the offseason. He worked out with private quarterback coach to get extra repetitions and changed his release to get the ball out quicker, a must in Brown’s offense.
His play was so impressive that it helped lead to the transfer last week of Whitlow, a two-year starter. While Brown hasn’t said whether Towles, Drew Barker or Reese Phillips will start next season, just having Towles put his name back into the No. 1 conversation was a major surprise. He was 11-for-15 assing for 126 yards Saturday and his only major mistake was a pass that defensive end ZaDarius Smith tipped and picked off at the line.
“I wasn’t here for the first time, so I don’t know if he really lost that or not, but he has made tremendous strides,” Brown said about Towles. “Now he’s got a long way to go, Patrick does. And he’s still making some decisions that aren’t correct, making some negative plays, but he’s gotten tremendously better from a fundamental aspect. So that should be a positive for him. He consistently making plays now.”
“Towles has been really good,” running back JoJo Kemp said. “He has worked so hard. We could all see that. And it has paid off for him big-time.”
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