Kentucky Football Instant Impact True Freshmen in 2024
Kentucky reeled in another Top 25 recruiting class in 2024. Even though Football time in the Bluegrass is still seven months away, it’s never too early to forecast which true freshmen may see significant snaps this fall.
“Impact true freshman” was a phrase rarely used ten years ago. In the transfer portal era, many of the best guys either play right away or move on to another school. This norm applies to Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program, which greatly benefitted from a stellar 2022 recruiting class.
Barion Brown and Dane Key each set school freshman receiving records during the first year on campus. Deone Walker emerged into a starting role and instantly created havoc on defense. He was one of just three true freshmen to earn All-SEC honors in 2022. Josh Kattus and Alex Afari also played important roles for the Cats as true freshmen. Who could be next?
CB Terhyon Nichols
Considered by some outlets as the highest-ranked prospect in the Wildcats’ 2024 class, Teryhon Nichols is a top 200 talent from Cincinnati. Mike Edwards’ resume wasn’t as impressive when he arrived in Lexington.
Even though the latter was a safety, Nichols has been compared to the two-time Super Bowl Champ because of what’s happening in between the ears. A player with a high football IQ, he uses his instincts to react to the play before it happens. Even though he is not as tall as many of Kentucky’s zone-eating cornerbacks, he makes up for it with elite athleticism and long arms.
With Dru Phillips turning heads ahead of the NFL Draft, Kentucky is looking for a new starting cornerback. Nasir Addison and a handful of transfers must fend off the freshman who is already on campus, ready to compete for immediate playing time.
RB Jason Patterson
Throughout the Stoops era, Kentucky has leaned on bell-cow backs to lead a physical rushing attack. Chip Trayanum transferred from Ohio State to become the next in a successful lineage of Wildcat rushers. Bush Hamdan has experience producing 1,000-yard rushers, but Kentucky cannot put all of its eggs in one basket.
Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is UK’s leading returning rusher, but he spent more time running routes in 2023 than running the ball. Up next, three freshmen are fighting for snaps: Jason Patterson, Tovani Mizzell, and redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox. Mizell is recovering from an ACL injury while completing his senior year of high school. Wilcox is having a ‘prove it’ offseason. Patterson enrolled early and might be the most game-ready of the three.
The 6-foot, 205-pound runner fits the physical profile of a Kentucky running back. The state of Florida’s leading rusher in 2022, a solid spring in Lexington could be the springboard for Patterson to receive snaps as a true freshman.
Kentucky has 3 Disruptors on the Defensive Line
Some Kentucky football fans spent the entire transfer portal season yearning for an athlete to improve the pass rush. Instead of working with retreads, Kentucky invested in top-flight high school talent to get after opposing quarterbacks.
Brian Robinson, Jacob Smith, and Jerod Smith are high school All-Americans who can wreck a game. What makes them so exciting is that all of them can attack offenses from multiple positions. Jacob Smith, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, feels like a natural fit for Sam linebacker. The other two can line up pretty much wherever which is exactly what they did in the Under Armour All-American Game.
B-Rob is listed as an EDGE, but he made some of his best plays in the All-Star Game lining up as a defensive tackle in three technique. Jacob Smith alternated between a two and a three-point stance. It’s unclear how much regular playing time they will receive, but all three could find a role in pass-rushing sub-packages, something Kentucky used frequently during Josh Paschal’s true freshman campaign.
Two Wild Cards
Quaysheed Scott and Cam Dooley share a few similarities, even though the uber-athletic defensive backs are built differently. They both were late, high-risers in the recruiting rankings, going from almost unranked to four-star talents in various recruiting services. Neither will be on campus for spring practice, which puts them slightly behind the 8-ball, but that doesn’t mean you can completely count them out.
Dooley is more of a long-term project than Scott, yet his athleticism may force him into playing an important role on special teams. Scott is a homing missile that viciously attacks opponents in open space. Built to play nickel for this Kentucky defense, somebody’s gotta step up in that role. If it can’t be Jantzen Dunn, it might be the true freshman.
The Rub: Kentucky is Experienced
It’s easy to fall in love with the new guys. That’s why your kid’s favorite toy is almost always the new one, even if it isn’t the best toy. That’s kind of the case with next year’s Kentucky football team.
The 2024 Kentucky football recruiting class appears to have a few multi-year starters, but they probably will not be needed to fill important roles right away. The two-deep on both sides of the line of scrimmage is filled almost exclusively with three-year players. Hardley Gilmore has been practicing with the team since before the Gator Bowl and he could eventually become WR1 in Lexington, but can you expect him to take snaps right away from Barion Brown?
There are a lot of freshmen to be excited about, Kentucky might have its quarterback of the future on the roster, and yet only a handful may see significant snaps in 2024.
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