Defensive depth is being tested for Kentucky at spring practice

Under Brad White, Kentucky has turned into a consistent defense in the SEC. However, depth has been challenged recently.

In 2021, the Wildcats started the year not sure how much the unit would get from J.J. Weaver who was coming off ACL surgery. Expected starter D’Eryk Jackson was lost for most of the season during spring practice. Then, multiple players were pulled from practice and missed the first month of the season due to an off-campus fight. Kentucky battled through all of those issues only to see multiple losses in the Citrus Bowl.

The 2022 season was supposed to be a reset for the defense so things could get back to normal. That hasn’t been the case to this point.

On Tuesday, KSR’s Matt Jones reported that junior defensive back Vito Tisdale tore his ACL and meniscus which will take the Bowling Green (Ky.) High product out of the lineup this season. On Thursday, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops confirmed that report and also noted that redshirt junior safety Taj Dodson is sitting out spring ball due to offseason surgery.

However, it isn’t just injuries that are making the roster thin.

At outside linebacker, Kentucky only has two scholarship players participating in spring practice. Expectations are high for Weaver and super senior Jordan Wright, but Kentucky needs bodies. True freshmen Tyreese Fearbry, Noah Matthews, and Keaten Wade will not be enrolling until the summer.

At nickel, there is not a clear replacement for Tisdale. Kentucky will give junior Joel Williams a shot at the position. Jalen Geiger played there last year and could provide some help, but someone would need to step in at safety. Unfortunately, the loss of Dodson takes away that quick lineup tinkering for now.

At cornerback, Carrington Valentine has a starting spot locked down but questions remain at the other spot. Andru Phillips has built some palpable buzz during spring practice, but it’s still clear that Kentucky will need some transfer portal help at the spot.

However, it’s not all bad. Kentucky has great depth at off-ball linebacker and could have a legitimate seven-man rotation along the defensive line. The Wildcats know where their backbone is this season. However, Kentucky is currently another injury or two from things potentially going off the rails due to lack of depth.

Luckily, there are ways the Wildcats could scheme around this problem as Kentucky has the flexibility to play multiple styles. Meanwhile, the transfer portal is still a viable option, and the Wildcats will test that market over the next weeks and months.

Getting through spring might be somewhat difficult due to the lack of numbers. The injury bug has arrived, and Kentucky needs reinforcements in a hurry.