Kentucky players to watch against Eastern Michigan

Week 3 has arrived and Kentucky is looking to get back into the win column. The second MAC program has made the trip to Lexington for a non-conference matchup, but unlike Toledo, expectations are not high for Eastern Michigan. The Wildcats are a heavy favorite for a reason.

This is setting up to be a get-right spot for the Kentucky. Will the Cats take advantage or will they play with their food? Just like every other game on the schedule, a few individual players could make a big impact and help determine what happens in the football game.

KSR is taking a closer look at four Kentucky players who could be under spotlight on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

Cutter Boley is back at quarterback

The plan was not for Cutter Boley to be a starting quarterback for Kentucky this season. But sometimes plan change. A change is being made at the sport’s most important position as Zach Calzada is dealing with a shoulder injury. Boley is set to make his second career start.

The hope is that this one goes better than the outing against Louisville when Boley finished the game 6-of-15 for 48 yards and two interceptions before being pulled from the game after suffering an injury. The Wildcats need it to go better.

Eventually the Kentucky football program was going to press the Boley button. It’s just happening earlier than expected. Kentucky has been invested in Boley becoming QB1 and the face of the program for a few years now. They just wanted to make sure that the talented quarterback was going out there when he was ready and when Kentucky had the offensive infrastructure in place to allow success. Those boxes are not clearly checked yet but the program simply has no choice right now.

This is Cutter Boley’s show again. UK needs the young quarterback to provide a shot in the arm on offense and make some plays when pass concepts are dialed up by offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. Saturday will give the young quarterback a chance to get comfortable and lay a foundation. A bad performance might lead to the program going back to Zach Calzada in Week 5.

Kentucky needs stability at quarterback. The hope is that Boley can provide that now since the Cats are having to make this move.

A bounce-back opportunity for Jordan Lovett

Kentucky safety Ty Bryant has flashed in a big way to start this season and came up with two big interceptions last week against Ole Miss. That kind of playmaking is needed in the backend. Can the other veteran safety also provide some playmaking?

Jordan Lovett is now a four-year starter at safety who has played over 1,900 career snaps with 167 tackles, six tackles for loss, and seven interceptions. The former three-star recruit out of Radcliff (Ky.) North Hardin has been a constant for this defense but the veteran is coming off a tough moment in the loss to Ole Miss.

Facing a fourth-and-one trailing 10-0 in the second quarter, Lane Kiffin rolled the dice and decided to make a swing in the vertical passing game. It was a concept that Kentucky was ready for but Lovett did not play with good eyes and left leading receiver Harrison Wallace III streaking down the left sideline. The wideout then made a competitive catch and broke a tackle to create the longest gain of the game. Ole Miss flipped the game right after this play. Kentucky needs Lovett to make big plays in those types of moments.

Saturday will be a bounce-back opportunity against an Eastern Michigan offense that could get pass-heavy. Former Michigan State quarterback Noah Kim is slippery in the pocket and can extend plays. UK will need Lovett and the rest of their safeties to play with good eyes and make plays on the football.

Scouting Report: Eastern Michigan Eagles

Perhaps some more target volume for Willie Rodriguez

Willie Rodriguez is a second-year tight end who has quickly carved out a prominent role in Kentucky’s offense. The Covington (Ky.) Catholic product picked the Cats over Auburn, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and multiple other power conference schools. Cutter Boley played a big role in his recruitment during the 2024 cycle.

We’ve seen the connection these two have play out when they are both on the field.

Nearly 60 percent of Rodriguez’s career 17 targets have come in games played by Boley. The duo connected for some big plays last season against Texas and nearly hit a huge touchdown throw against Ole Miss. The young quarterback clearly has a connection with Rodriguez and knows how to find him.

Could this be the start of a big pass-catching run from a Kentucky tight end? It just might.

More rush opportunities for Kam Olds

Kentucky needed to rebuild the outside linebacker room after last season. The Cats went to the transfer portal to land USC transfer Sam Greene and Kent State transfer Kam Olds. The former is a run-first player. The second has big-time rush and havoc creation potential.

We’ve seen Olds flash in 49 snaps this season with four pressures and a tackle for loss. The multi-time MAC transfer who started his career at Buffalo could bend the edge at the top of his rush and be a real threat. He should get plenty of opportunities on Saturday night.

After facing an Ole Miss offense that makes true pass rushing difficult due to their run-pass balance and playfakes, Kentucky will face a more traditional attack that will likely spend much of the game in passing downs. Week 3 will give Olds a chance to show up his pass-rushing arsenal.

The senior could become a real weapon for the Kentucky defense as the season progresses if the Cats can play from ahead and create true dropback situations.