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By: LONNY DEMAREE
This in every is a football team that shows it is progressing toward the mark that Coach Mark Stoops wants to see it get to. The days when freshman were getting hazed and put through all kinds of demeaning antics are long gone. Thank Goodness! Below are ten reasons the UK football team is showing progress.
1) Redshirting: Over the last several years prior to the arrival of Mark Stoops the Wildcats have had a weak redshirt program in place. A very good example of what redshirting can do for a major college football program. Take look at Vanderbilt University. During the years of James Franklin (2011-'13 all bowls), when you perused their roster you saw numerous redshirts most of which were brought in by former coach Bobby Johnson. The University of Kentucky's redshirt program is constantly building and especially in the offensive line where it all starts.
2) Early enrollment and transfers: The tradition of early enrollment has been big in the southern programs in the SEC for a few years. And the staff of Marks Stoops have able to woo transfers from other schools with some success. The first offensive touch to start 2014 season that went for a touchdown was by Braylon Heard a transfer running back from the University of Nebraska. The early 2015 entrants are at this point well documented but the latest to make a splash is linebacker Jordan Jones. The advantage gained from that is familiarity of the the campus, strength and condition, maturity, and spring practice.
3) Quality Juco's: UK has always had good success with junior college transfers in the skill position categories. But the difference under Stoops is they are filling needs at the defensive lines and linebacker positions and that's where it all ends.
4) Playing freshmen early: The quality of classes Stoops and Vince Marrow have brought allows the freshmen to have an impact much earlier. “I like what I see from the young corners,” Stoops said. The secondary being Stoops bailiwick he's concentrating on what transpiring there. “I work for Derrick Ansley in short stints,” Stoops joked.
5)SIZE : Upon the arrival of Stoops and his staff they flat out promised they would get bigger as a team. Stoops said - “This class has the size and length we need. Defensive secondary coach Derrick Ansley said - “These guys are long as any defensive back I've been around and I've been around some good ones at Alabama. And they have length and the twitch and the speed.” Ansley was a defensive backs coach at Alabama 2010-'11 and the university of Tennessee 2012. Roll the tape back three seasons ago on Media Day and now thee players are exponentially bigger across the board than then. Stoops was asked if he had ever started a true freshman in the secondary? He pondered and with a big grin said - “Antione Cason. I told Mike (his brother) at the start of the season let's go with Antione. He had some growing pains but wound up a consensus All-American.
6) The High Performance Program: Body's are changing right before our very eyes. Erik Korem is the mad scientist over it all. But Cory Edmond is the head strength and conditioning coach that is directing the heavy lifting and cardiovascular execution. Edmond has been Stoopisized because he has work for all the Stoops brothers.
7) Freshmen game ready: Though a redshirt program is being initiated there are many more freshman reporting that are capable of competing on game #1. The first season Stoop said he had to use a lot more freshmen than desired but conversely if they are ready you use them because some of the good ones leave for the Pro's early.
8) Linebacker readiness: When first arriving D. J. Eliot was much more laid back and most answers to the media were one-liners. Now with the marked improvement he is much more upbeat. He and Stoops feel very good about their starting inside linebackers in Josh Forrest and Ryan Flannigan. And previously allude to Jordan Jones adds to the depth situation there. Outside Linebackers are deep but somewhat inexperienced. There is depth there. New outside linebacker coach Andy Buh was ask about his corps of backers and can they make plays, specifically Jabari Johnson that as of right now is penciled as a starter on the boundary side. Buh said – “Absolutely he can be very good.”
9) Joker Phillips holdovers: As previously alluded to Jabari Johnson has been fighting nagging injuries since he's been at UK and it wasn't until late last season he really started to show big. There is defensive lineman Farrington Huguenin who coaches have had to depend on him for backup minutes. Huguenin emerged as a play maker back in spring practice. There Josh Forrest who is pre-season All-SEC and a candidate for All-American. There's Blake McClain a Phillips recruit. Then there was Bud Dupree. Until offensive lineman Larry Warford Pro draftee (2012) there hadn't been a offensive o-lineman draft pick from UK since Todd Perry (1993).
10) Camaraderie: These players get along famously and support each other to the max because they have a hunger to win, bar none. It makes no difference who gets it done. You hear senior cornerbacks Cody Quinn and Fred Tiller barking out instructions from the sidelines out onto the field to the young defensive cornerbacks.
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