Thoughts and updates of open practice

[JPFisher]

- Evidently, Elam is eating people's lunches in the trenches.
- Barker and Johnson are both really good QBs
- Gran, Hinshaw, and Thomas are major upgrades
- Meant and Middleton round out our 3-4 DL look to this point
- DT has next to no depth and may force us to use more base 4-3 looks
- OL and WR are two positions that have improved substantially, particularly with physique and conditioning and focus
- We have a legitimate SEC defensive backfield
- Allen and other linebackers are really solid for being so young

Anything else, post it below. Analyze, discuss, etc. I like the feeling I'm getting from reading these reports.

 

[oboroCATfan]

The D-line scares the crap out of me. I feel good about the LBs and great about the secondary but it won't matter if our DL gets pushed around. On offense the skill players seem like legit SEC players and the OL looks like it has some potential. We just gotta hope we get much improved QB play.

 

[vhcat70]

Timmons still can't catch a ball above his helmet. OTOH, he made a quite nice low grab on sidelines in scrimmage. & Baker dropped one right in his hands. It's like he doesn't concentrate all the time as he should. Rather infuriating.

 

[Soupbean]

Hard to put too much weight on an early scrimmage but . . .

The first OL pushed the first DL around today . . . opposite for 2nd team
Elam did ok but certainly didn't dominage anybody . . . Hyde might have outplayed him at NG
The LB looked good, Jordan Jones is fast and stood out. Love and Lassiter will be good.
DBs are aggressive and looked good
RB looked very good, Mikel Horton was a beast until he dinged his knee. JoJo too
WR had ups and down. Richardson has real potential, big and fast.
Leavitt looked better than expected from earlier reports at LT.
QB's looked shaky in skeletons but better in scrimmage. A lot of late throws and misses in skeletons. Each had some good plays too. But can't really tell until Defense is allowed to hit them and they are allowed to take off and make plays.

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

Gotta love the optimism of some of our fans in the spring. They see players out in the first practice and they're the best thing since sliced bread ever. Come October those names have faded.

Realistic goals, gang. Otherwise 7-5 may be a dissapointment to some of ya'

 

[Beatle Bum]

Gotta love the optimism of some of our fans in the spring. They see players out in the first practice and they're the best thing since sliced bread ever. Come October those names have faded.

Realistic goals, gang. Otherwise 7-5 may be a dissapointment to some of ya'

Yeah, it would be better to see fans pissed and laying brown logs on this team.

 

[akaukswoosh]

The D-line scares the crap out of me. I feel good about the LBs and great about the secondary but it won't matter if our DL gets pushed around. On offense the skill players seem like legit SEC players and the OL looks like it has some potential. We just gotta hope we get much improved QB play.

Ditto

 

[hmt5000]

d-line is far from what it will be in fall. we get dubose back and pringle will be much further along by fall. i dont think we will be a dominant d-line but i think it will be at least as good as last year.... if the lb'ers are better.

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

Yeah, it would be better to see fans pissed and laying brown logs on this team.

The other extreme point.

Lets ignore the vast grey area between blind homerism and negative nellyisn, which is where our team will be this fall. They won't be 4-8, and they won't be 10-2.

 

[ukalum1988]

The other extreme point.

Lets ignore the vast grey area between blind homerism and negative nellyisn, which is where our team will be this fall. They won't be 4-8, and they won't be 10-2.

I can see this team going anywhere from 5-7 to 7-5. Thankfully we're in the East division and not in the West.

 

[vhcat70]

I can see this team going anywhere from 5-7 to 7-5. Thankfully we're in the East division and not in the West.

6-6 would fit in there.

 

[NAZMAN]

Concern about d-line. If teams can just line up and run the ball, it negates our strongest unit, db's.

 

[RV]

Where they lined up today:

DT
Meant
Taylor
Middleton
Ke Daniel

NT
Elam
Pringle
Hyde

RE
Miggens
Ke Daniel
Bell
Z Williams

and Dubose is sitting out.

Not exactly the Steel Curtain but the sky is not falling either.

 

[Wildcats1991]

Where they lined up today:

DT
Meant
Taylor
Middleton
Ke Daniel

NT
Elam
Pringle
Hyde

RE
Miggens
Ke Daniel
Bell
Z Williams

and Dubose is sitting out.

Not exactly the Steel Curtain but the sky is not falling either.

Who's Taylor?

 

[NAZMAN]

RV, curious about Taylor. How did he look physically?

 

[Shydog]

Liked seeing Booms enthusiasm even though he was no contact-Badet looked very good and the organization and pace of the entire practice was very good. Also was encourage by qb play! Very small crowd but not really surprised!

 

[Shydog]

Also great day for baseball 7-4 Batcats over #1 Gators!!

 

[Longtrip]

Gotta love the optimism of some of our fans in the spring. They see players out in the first practice and they're the best thing since sliced bread ever. Come October those names have faded.

Realistic goals, gang. Otherwise 7-5 may be a dissapointment to some of ya'

6-6 would be a major accomplishment given last year's debacle and this season's difficult schedule. For me, CMS buys more time if he gets those 6 wins and a bowl game - realistic expectations.

 

[Beatle Bum]

The other extreme point.

Lets ignore the vast grey area between blind homerism and negative nellyisn, which is where our team will be this fall. They won't be 4-8, and they won't be 10-2.

Let's avoid saying what they will and won't be in March.

 

[hmt5000]

RV, curious about Taylor. How did he look physically?

Calvin taylor, rs frosh.

 

[RV]

RV, curious about Taylor. How did he look physically?

He moves well but may still be a year or two from really contributing. Listed at 295 and I have no reason to doubt it but at 6-9 he still looks skinny.

 

[SanAntonioCat_rivals376502]

Bottom line, very few posters on this board believe UK can win in football.

 

[greginky1957]

I believe that we can win. I also believed that if we can go 6-6 then Barney will extend CMS contract thru 2020. Won't that bring out the cry babies calling for Stoops head right now.

 

[NAZMAN]

He moves well but may still be a year or two from really contributing. Listed at 295 and I have no reason to doubt it but at 6-9 he still looks skinny.

Thanks, be interesting to watch his development. He has a lot of raw potential, just have to find the right position.

 

[Wildcats1991]

Thanks, be interesting to watch his development. He has a lot of raw potential, just have to find the right position.

I thought he was an offensive lineman. Is he switching to defense?

 

[UKSanders_rivals37733]

I thought he was an offensive lineman. Is he switching to defense?

He came in as a DE/OT, but I think everyone assumed OT b/c they weren't sure he would have the speed for DE. That may still prove to be true, but he apparently is still in DL for now. I was mostly hoping he'd just become a stud OT b/c those seem to be so hard to come by (not that the DL had been dominant, but there have been 1-2 good DL every year under Stoops).

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

I believe we can win in football. But, I can also read a schedule. Going to be very tough to get to 6 wins this coming season with what we're facing. Right out of the gate we have a game that is a 'must win'. Lots of pressure on this team/staff.

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

Gotta love the optimism of some of our fans in the spring. They see players out in the first practice and they're the best thing since sliced bread ever. Come October those names have faded.

Realistic goals, gang. Otherwise 7-5 may be a dissapointment to some of ya'

I don't see anybody overhyping anyone. We do actually have some good players. Sorry we're not all gloom and doom in freakin March.:uzi:

 

[VikingsCat]

Amazing how another thread is destroyed by a few select members! Look at OP post and question! Predicting win and losses got absolutely nothing to do with that.

 

[Soupbean]

^^^^^This. Hard if not impossible to have a plain ole football discussion on here without more than one running out the same old tired comments about who's a homer, who's got blue glasses etc The amazing part to me is how they can't seem to grasp how old and worn out that kind of stuff is. You'd think something would pop in their heads automatically as they are typing that said to them.....wait haven't I typed this before a 100 times?

 

[Mr Schwump]

Where they lined up today:

DT
Meant
Taylor
Middleton
Ke Daniel

NT
Elam
Pringle
Hyde

RE
Miggens
Ke Daniel
Bell
Z Williams

and Dubose is sitting out.

Not exactly the Steel Curtain but the sky is not falling either.

RV2, Taylor and Ke Daniel seeing time at DT? Pretty light weight for there.

 

[vhcat70]

Very small crowd but not really surprised!

If 700-800 is very small to you, OK. Given the late - TH or Fr - & lightly publicized announcement, I thought it was pretty decent.

 

[vhcat70]

He came in as a DE/OT, but I think everyone assumed OT b/c they weren't sure he would have the speed for DE. That may still prove to be true, but he apparently is still in DL for now. I was mostly hoping he'd just become a stud OT b/c those seem to be so hard to come by (not that the DL had been dominant, but there have been 1-2 good DL every year under Stoops).

He may not have the speed for DE as he's playing DT.

 

[Mobilecat2]

Holiday weekend and a LOT of UK fans live outside of Lexington.

 

[kywildhog]

First I would like to say, wasn't yesterday a beautiful day for football, it sure was ! Now for the practice I think the new couches are going to have a big impact on our team this year. They seem to be very engaging with their players and the players seem to want this more, then last year team did. I think the team looks farther along this time then last years team. ALL IN BBN

 

[Fecesforbrains]

Some of us had Easter dinner with one side of family and indoor soccer in my area is still going and we had a softball practice and a baseball practice ... Hard to add 4 hours total driving and practice to that day

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

I don't see anybody overhyping anyone. We do actually have some good players. Sorry we're not all gloom and doom in freakin March.:uzi:

Ummm lets see:

"Eating people's lunches in the trenches."

Ummmm......nope. Elam is shining when he is able to take on a double team and not get pushed back. That frees up other defenders to make plays. He most certainly isn't "eating people's lunches in the trenches" unless we are taking the literal interpretation of that expression. I believe Elam will be a good player the next 2 years.

"Two really good QBs"

UK hasn't had a really good QB in forever. Really good QBs don't go 8-5. Really good QBs beat superior teams and win championships. Declaring a RS soph with 1.5 games of experience and a Grambling-via-JUCO transfer to be "two really good QBs" is nothing but blind homerism.

Again, everyone here wants UK to be successful, but setting unreal expectations on the first spring practice will only lead to eating out young on this message board come November.

 

[ukalum1988]

RV2, Taylor and Ke Daniel seeing time at DT? Pretty light weight for there.

I noticed RV listed three DL positions which obviously implies a 3-4 alignment. The "DT" spot for KG, Taylor, etc. is probably a DE spot labeled as a DT for reasons of terminology/scheme.

 

[ukalum1988]

Ummm lets see:

"Eating people's lunches in the trenches."

Ummmm......nope. Elam is shining when he is able to take on a double team and not get pushed back. That frees up other defenders to make plays. He most certainly isn't "eating people's lunches in the trenches" unless we are taking the literal interpretation of that expression. I believe Elam will be a good player the next 2 years.

"Two really good QBs"

UK hasn't had a really good QB in forever. Really good QBs don't go 8-5. Really good QBs beat superior teams and win championships. Declaring a RS soph with 1.5 games of experience and a Grambling-via-JUCO transfer to be "two really good QBs" is nothing but blind homerism.

Again, everyone here wants UK to be successful, but setting unreal expectations on the first spring practice will only lead to eating out young on this message board come November.

Tim Couch didn't go 8-5. Are you saying Tim Couch wasn't a really good QB?

I'm going to wait till the Spring Game to pass judgement, and even then it's only like a mid-term grade at best. The DL and QB positions scare me, most other position groups I think are in relatively decent shape.

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

Tim Couch didn't go 8-5. Are you saying Tim Couch wasn't a really good QB?

I'm going to wait till the Spring Game to pass judgement, and even then it's only like a mid-term grade at best. The DL and QB positions scare me, most other position groups I think are in relatively decent shape.

You are what your record says you are. I believe Tim Couch was one of the best QBs in UK history. Depending on your way of evaluating, that may not make him a "really good QB."