Kentucky's Marques Cox "everything you want" in a left tackle

“That was the elephant in the room last year.”

Kentucky associate head coach Vince Marrow isn’t oblivious to the Wildcats’ struggles from a season ago and the main culprit behind them — at least one of a select few. Offensive line play just wasn’t good enough, plain and simple. The team finished No. 127 overall in sacks allowed (3.62 per game) while also ranking No. 95 in points per drive and No. 101 in yards per play.

Blame it on the injuries, inexperience or coaches. Maybe all of the above. That part is irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was getting it fixed this offseason.

It started with Alabama guard transfer Tanner Bowles, a strong depth piece for the Wildcats to get the portal class rolling. The big fish, though, came just a few days later in the form of Northern Illinois left tackle Marques Cox — an anchoring piece capable of keeping Devin Leary‘s blindside safe and secure.

A prized portal commitment

With just three sacks allowed across 33 starts and over 1,000 career snaps, Cox was one of the top-rated offensive linemen in the portal this cycle. And his recruitment reflected that.

“I thought it was going to be really easy, like a slam dunk getting in touch with him,” Marrow said of the NIU transfer. “Next thing I know, Ohio State, Oklahoma, all of these other schools were trying to get him because he was the No. 1 left tackle in the portal.”

Kentucky fortunately got him on campus for a visit and the rest was history. Cox and his parents fell in love with the program’s culture under Mark Stoops and decided Lexington was home.

Needless to say, a game-changing development to get the offseason rolling. In Marrow’s mind, it was just as important as getting Devin Leary.

“He ended up telling us that day. He said, ‘Coach, I think I’m gonna stay here,'” he said. “We were elated because we all knew the issues we had on our O-line last year. Getting him was just as important as getting a quarterback.”

How Cox helped land Courtland Ford

Cox’s addition allowed everything else to fall into place. Kenneth Horsey shifted back to his natural left guard position, Eli Cox back to right with Jager Burton settling in at center — a better fit for him, too. Four clear starters there alone. And then the NIU transfer actually played a significant part in adding a potential fifth and final starter at right tackle: USC transfer Courtland Ford.

How? It came down to his willingness to adjust positions if it meant Ford signed with the Wildcats. The former Trojan was a full-time starter at left tackle with over 700 career snaps. His initial plan was to play left at his next stop. And if he wanted to do that at Kentucky, Cox was ready to let him while he slid over to right.

“When we got him, solidified him, it just gave us confidence,” Marrow said. We knew we still had (Jeremy) Flax, knew we had some other guys, but at least we knew we had a solid left tackle. When Courtland (Ford) got in the portal, he was a left tackle. … Marques Cox came to me and said, ‘Coach, I’ll play right tackle.’ When he said that, Courtland’s parents were like, ‘That was a good gesture. We’ll come in and play right tackle.’

“Getting Marques made Liam a lot happier, made Stoops a lot happier. It made us say, ‘We’ve got this (left) block taken care of, not let’s get this other (right) block developed with two or three guys.'”

Done and done.

How are things going now eight months after committing to Kentucky and just ten days before kickoff? Better than expected.

“He’s been everything you want, he’s been a pro,” Marrow said. “He was volunteering on official visits, hosting kids — and he’s a senior. He is everything we’ve wanted. Everything.”

Ray Davis loves his ‘big teddy bear’

Vanderbilt running back transfer Ray Davis sees plenty of Cox in the Kentucky backfield, slicing through open running lanes his teammate creates for him up front. He’s impressed with the talent, but the leadership qualities are an underrated takeaway for him personally.

Davis actually compares Cox’s approach to the game to that of Devin Leary. A ‘big teddy bear’ on the surface, but a consistent workhorse when it comes time to lead the offense.

“He’s a teddy bear, a big teddy bear. But I love him because he works hard,” Davis said. “Same thing with Dev(in), they have a very similar mindset. They approach the game very similarly. ‘We’re old heads, but hey, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. We’re going to control what we can control. And if we can bring a couple of guys with us, we’re going to bring a couple of guys with us.'”

You never have to question what those two will bring to the table on a daily basis. No highs or lows with composure — they’re both unflappable.

“Marques and Dev, they’re going to bring the whole team. They’re not just trying to bring a couple of stragglers,” Davis added. “That’s the good thing about them and that’s the one thing I love — they’re going to be consistent. The day they are off, you won’t even know it because it won’t faze them.

“Marques will still be laughing and cracking jokes, Dev will still have a poised face. I’m happy Marques is here, I’m happy I’m playing with him. And I’m going to continue to learn from him every day.”

“I’m 1,000 percent confident in them.”

The offensive line was in desperate need of a shake-up this offseason. Last year’s recipe for success was worthy of not a whole lot more than the trash bin. Again, it was the elephant in the room, as Marrow put it.

But the necessary changes were made and the unit is ready to earn its Big Blue Wall nickname back.

Davis believes in them.

“My guys are good. Those guys up front have been doing what they’ve got to do. Marques, Horsey, Eli, Jager, Flax, Courtland (Ford), all of those guys. Even the second group,” he said. “Those guys are coming in and working every day. It starts with what they’re doing in that room, building that chemistry and that bond, that brotherhood. That translates on the field.

“You’ve got guys that are stepping up and stepping out of their comfort zone. When it’s time to go against somebody else, they’re going to show what they’ve been working on.”

Worried about the big guys up front? Kentucky’s lead back says you shouldn’t be. Respect is earned, but Davis couldn’t be more confident that’ll come in short order when the season kicks off.

“It’s been a constant thing about those guys, but man, we’ve got nothing to worry about. Those guys are going to go out there and play their game,” Davis said. “I’m 1,000 percent confident in them and everybody else needs to be 1,000 percent confident in them.

“What Coach (Zach) Yenser is doing is he’s stepping up to the plate. A lot of guys are always talking about the O-line, but y’all got to give him his respect as a coach. You’ve got to give those players their respect, too. They’re coming out here and they’re working every day. Extra work constantly, doing what they’ve got to do.”

It all started with Marques Cox’s addition back in December.