Kentucky passing game will be challenged by elite prospects

There is buzz building for the first Liam Coen offense at Kentucky. Penn State transfer Will Levis is the unquestioned QB1 and folks inside the building at fall camp can’t stop gloating about the new-look offense.

“It’s an NFL playbook,” said redshirt senior cornerback Cedrick Dort Jr. “I feel like it benefits us in a good way because everything they run is condensed in the middle of the field and that’s mostly what the NFL is about. I feel like in the secondary the looks we’re getting every day. It really helps us out for the next level. It’s very complex.“

Some of that complexity, and hopefully execution, will be needed this season. ESPN senior writer Todd McShay released his first top-50 big board for the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday and it is littered with players on Kentucky’s 2021 schedule.

Most of these defenders will have a huge impact on trying to slow the passing game in Lexington.

Cornerbacks

How does playing the top two cornerbacks in college football sound? Welcome to the SEC, Coen and Levis.

LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. and Florida’s Kaiir Elam are both listed as top-six prospects in this draft class. Each has some game-changing ability.

“He is long, fast and physical, and he’s the premier defensive back in this year’s class with 20 passes broken up over two seasons,” McShay writes about Stingley. “Versatility is also key for Stingley, who can play press-man, off-coverage, free safety and the overhang position.”

Elam is instinctive and aggressive,” writes McShay. “He has loads of top-end speed (he ran track in high school), great closing burst and excellent awareness in coverage, and he is able to play in press or off-man.”

Kentucky struggled to get off press coverage last season and it helped lead to the offense having an anemic passing game. Coen should be able to scheme some stuff open for Kentucky this year, but the offense is still going to have to beat some of the best cover players in college football.

Pass rushers

When not worrying about cornerbacks, Kentucky will need to make sure their pass protection is in top form. There are plenty of edge rushers capable of playing wrecking ball to the offensive game plan.

South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare, Georgia’s Adam Anderson, and Florida’s Brenton Cox Jr. each have a chance to be the first SEC player to record double-digit sacks since Josh Allen led the league with 17 in 2018.

Starting tackles Darian Kinnard and Dare Rosenthal will get plenty of NFL reps playing top competition nearly every week. This is life in the SEC.