Kentucky Fall Camp: What we learned after first scrimmage
Saturday was a day that will be remembered and talked about for a long time in the Big Blue Nation, and it had nothing to do with stuff on the field. Mitch Barnhart, John Calipari, and Mark Stoops all got behind the microphone. There were more barbs, some strange rants, and a late “my bad” to end the day.
KSR had all of the coverage of the wild weekend with our YouTube channel serving as your one-stop shop for all of the videos from a wild and bizarre day. For at least the next week and quite possibly longer, we will be talking about these events and how we got to this moment. But there is also real football stuff going on.
Stoops also took questions about his team after the first scrimmage of fall camp. KSR has also discovered some intel from those who were permitted access to the scrimmage at Kroger Field. We’re here to put it all together as the start of the season is now less than three weeks away.
Over at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility, Brad White’s defense continues to be the story of camp.
Defensive line allows defense to shine
Last week at Kentucky Fan Day, it was the defense that clearly looked like the best unit on field. White’s unit looked very comfortable in their zone drops, played connected as a unit, and made plays on the football whether it was the ones or twos on the field.
Based on the information received after the scrimmage on Saturday, that held true for the second week in a row.
“Very stout,” Stoops said about his defense. “I feel like we improved upfront and as a hole in just being stern and being physical up front. I think that stood out to me. Better pass rush stood out. I’ve noticed that through camp and today in live action I feel like we grew in that area.”
Specifically, Mark Stoops was very impressed with his three-down front. Assistant coach Anwar Stewart has a room that appears to be three-deep at every position and has the ability to make plays while keeping a very experienced linebacker group clean from blocks.
“I feel like that is one group that stood out to me,” Stoops said about the defensive line. “I feel like we’re very physical upfront on the defensive side of the ball today. They’re disruptive and strong. There wasn’t much oozing going on where you’re getting that push and extra 2-3 yards. I felt like they were very stern, very physical. Did a better job in pass rush.”
With veterans J.J. Weaver and Jordan Wright on the edge, Kentucky feels good about its ability to create outside pressures. However, those outside rushes are not much help if quarterbacks have a clean interior pocket to navigate. Getting a good inside pass rush could be what gets Kentucky back to top-25 sack production. Teaming that up with a heavy zone defense that won’t give up big splash plays could make a dangerous unit.
“If you just asked me one group that stood out today I would say the d-line,” said Stoops.
Deone Walker could be an opening day starter
Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech product Deone Walker (6-6, 330) was one of seven top-300 recruits to sign with Kentucky in the class of 2022. There was drama right up to the end as the recruitment seesawed back and forth between the Cats and Michigan. Offensive line coach Eric Wolford ran point for Kentucky and got some help from the entire staff to land the defensive line prospect who absolutely looks the part.
I’m not sure anyone could’ve forecasted Walker making this big of a splash.
Sources tell KSR that the true freshman got some time with the ones and is being used at multiple spots along the defensive line. Walker appears to be one of the best players in Stewart’s room at the moment and could be on his way to being a starter in his first year. Tre’vonn Rybka and Josaih Hayes are among those being pushed by the diaper dandy.
“I want to have length,” Stoops said about Walker. “To have a d-lineman with that kind of length and then be loose enough and sudden enough to get pressure on the quarterback from the inside position. He’s very good. Great starting point.”
“He definitely showed up today. To be able to do it all, to be a run stopper but also put pressure on the quarterback, be a complete D-lineman, I think he has that kind of potential.”
Man, that is a big statement for a rookie line of scrimmage player. Walker flashed at last week’s open practice and was one of the stars at the first scrimmage of fall camp. Kentucky has found an instant contributor who will play a big role on defense in 2022.
“Deone jumped at me right away,” Stoops said. “Deone can be a wrecker up there.”
Barion Brown is developing
When you hit play on the highlight package that Kentucky released on Saturday evening, Barion Brown immediately jumps off the screen.
Kentucky is making a concerted effort to get the top-100 recruit touches in anyway possible. The Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn product got some run with the ones in the scrimmage and made some highlight plays being able to break contain on some run concepts.
Stoops continues to like that wide receiver position room.
“I see a lot of young, dynamic playmakers. And I see some guys that can make a difference that are athletic and that can stretch the field,” Stoops said. “We didn’t get as many opportunities today for those guys as we would like but that comes with protection and getting reps and taking our shots down the field. You saw signs of it.”
With Deuce Hogan and Kaiya Sheron getting most of the reps at quarterback, there were some up and down moments for the offense. But the talent on the perimeter still shined through. Dane Key is currently a starter, but Brown is looking like a player who will eventually become a starter at some point during the season.
“Barion can make some people miss”, said Stoops.
Big Blue Wall is dealing with injury bug
In the scrimmage, Kentucky’s offensive line had the deck stacked against them. Expected starters Tashawn Manning and Jeremy Flax were both held out. That meant the entire right side of the offensive line was unavailable.
Due to those injuries, things did not go great for Zach Yenser’s unit.
“There’s some shuffling going on right now because of some injuries on the offensive line,” Stoops said. “Again, nothing major, we’ll get everybody back. That’s something that is probably slowing us a bit.
The defensive line’s dominance is starting to make some more sense. Due to this, Jager Burton and David Wohlabaugh Jr. got a ton of work with the ones but overall it was a long day for the offensive line. Kentucky will need to see this group bounce back over the next week before scrimmage No. 2 arrives on Saturday.
For Kentucky to have success on offense, the offensive line needs to play with physicality at the point of attack as the Wildcats hang their hat on the run game. Everything the offense does starts with creating movement and pounding the rock. The two scrimmages serve as the only legitimate opportunities in fall camp where the offensive line can get some full work in. It will be imperative for this group to get healthy and get some live reps next week.
“It’s hard to get complete live reps like we do today,” Stoops said. “So they’re very valuable and we gotta continue to do that. I think, in general, we do need to get back to being who we are and that’s a physical football team.”
Team health is in good shape
Multiple players have called this the most intense camp they’ve gone through at Kentucky. There is real roster depth in Lexington, and the players are going at it in practice as there is legit competition for starting roles.
The hard-hitting work must be done because football is football at the end of the day. This is a collision sport and that must be practiced to some extent. However, injuries can occur. Kentucky has dealt with a few, but overall this is a roster in pretty good shape as camp enters week three.
“In the middle of camp, you’d expect certain little injuries, and certain positions are taking a hit,” Stoops told reporters. “Nothing major, thank goodness. I hope it stays that way but everybody that’s injured we expect to get back.”
Kentucky remained healthy through the scrimmage as the program enters an important week before taking a step back and getting into game planning as the classes begin for the fall semester. In the past, the Cats have seen some integral players go down in fall camp.
To this point (knock on wood), Kentucky has avoided the big losses following losing Vito Tisdale for the season in spring practice. That is very good news.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard