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As football fans, we are all guilty of being a bit on the reactionary side.  Cat fans are no different.  Our team jumps out to an unexpected 5-1 start, and we're checking our calendars to pencil in a tentative December visit to Atlanta.  The Cats drop one on the road to the defending SEC Eastern Division Champs, and we begin to question the entire direction of the program.  For good or bad, that is what it means to be a fan.  We focus almost exclusively on the last thing we've seen and allow the most recent performance to dictate our entire perception the program. Fortunately, our coaches disavow this view, and are instead able to engage in long-range vision.  Proof that Mark Stoops does exactly that is evident with Kentucky's present roster, and specifically with a crop of players not visible to fans' eyes on Saturdays.

Mark Stoops arrived in Lexington to a roster starved for SEC talent.  As the team he inherited went through their initial Spring drills, Stoops and staff knew that not much more than a handful of returning Kentucky players were capable of playing winning football at the BCS level.  (Or whatever conference Western is presently in for that matter.)  In response to this bleak picture, Stoops and staff hit the ground running, and have brought in arguably the two greatest recruiting classes of the modern Kentucky football era. But where the quick-fix fan mentality would be to throw all of the young, talented players onto the field in order to achieve some modicum of early success, Mark Stoops has taken the more prudent long-range tact.  Though several young players have seen the field for the Cats this Fall, the majority of the freshman on the roster are toiling anonymously though redshirt years.  Specifically, of the 28 players that made up Kentucky's record setting 2014 class, 16 appear set to redshirt this season. They are:

Quarterback:

Drew Barker 6-3, 214

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

Thaddeus Snodgrass 6-1, 214

Darryl Long 6-4,224

(Sophomore receivers Jeff Badet and Alex Montgomery are also redshirting due to lingering medical issues.Both were among Kentucky's best receivers in 2013 and both are expected to be fully ready for 2015.)

Offensive Linemen:

Josh Krok 6-8, 303

Jarrett LaRubbio 6-8, 282

Nick Richardson 6-4, 272

Bunchy Stallings 6-3, 330

Defensive Linemen:

Tymere Dubose 6-5, 294

Adrian Middleton 6-3, 297

Denzil Ware 6-2, 228

Linebackers:

Nico Firios 6-2, 221

Kobie Walker 6-3, 201

Dorian Hendrix 6-0, 225

Defensive Backs:

Mike Edwards 6-0, 186

Jared Tucker 5-11, 159

Darius West 6-0, 193

Based on the top 20 ranking of the 2014 class, and the major programs that Kentucky had to beat out for the services of these prospects, it is inarguable that the players listed above are among the most talented athletes on the roster.  I am certain that Stoops and company have had moments in which they have been tempted to throw these players into the fire.  But they have wisely restrained these wishes to the betterment of the future Wildcat roster. Simply think about the boost in experienced talent the redshirt class will inject into the active roster for the Cats next season.  The talent that made these players elite prospects will not disappear.  Instead, after a year of increasing size, strength and familiarity with the offensive and defensive systems, these players will be ready to flourish from the first time they set foot on the field.

Mark Stoops understands football.  We knew from his success as a defensive coordinator that he was well versed with stunts, blitzes and the nickle defense.  But it is now apparent that he understands how to assemble a program for success in the long term.  He has shown it from an external basis with fundraising and facilities upgrades.  He has now shown it with roster development.  Mark Stoops is not short-sited, and Kentucky fans will be rewarded for his patience.

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