Kavosiey Smoke hopes to unleash inner Leonard Fournette at Kentucky

by:Jack Pilgrim•05/27/18

When 2018 three-star running back Kavosiey Smoke committed and signed with Kentucky, he became a fan favorite almost immediately based on name alone.

At 5-foot-11, 225-pounds, the Wetumpka HS (AL) product had a unique combination of size and speed to attack opposing defenders in the trenches and in the open field. It allowed him to rush for 1,287 yards and 24 touchdowns en route to the Class 6A state championship game as a senior.

In an interview with the Montgomery Advertiser, Smoke said he actually models his game after current Jacksonville Jaguar and LSU great Leonard Fournette, a player who certainly packs a punch with the ball in his hands.

“He just fits me,” he said. “How his body is built up is just like mine is. How he runs, I run like that. He’s the same speed. I run the same speed.”

And he plans to bring those qualities to Lexington in the form of touchdowns and victories.

“I’ve (already) been working out,” Smoke said when asked about how he’s preparing for life as a Kentucky Wildcat. “Mostly just running and conditioning. I run like two miles in the daytime, and I run two miles at night.”

He arrives in Lexington on June 3rd, where he hopes his work in the offseason will lead to making an impact on the field right away, regardless of where.

“I would like to play, but if things don’t work out, then I just got to play my role,” he said. “I’d like to win academic achievements and stuff like that. I’d like to do that. I’d like to play special teams.”

Smoke held offers from Florida, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State, among others, out of high school. On National Signing Day, Mark Stoops talked about how much competition there was for Smoke late in the process and how relieved he was the talented back decided to suit up in blue and white.

“Kavosiey was a big get for us,” Stoops said. “There was a lot of competition for him late as well.”

Matt Jones caught up with him after he committed to talk about his recruitment, the Wildcat backfield, his relationship with Benny Snell, and how he got his incredible name.