True freshmen prove to be day-one impact pieces for Kentucky
Mark Stoops didn’t shy away from setting lofty expectations for Kentucky’s true freshmen during the preseason. Not only did the head football coach say it was the program’s best freshmen class since he arrived in Lexington, he added that as many as seven newcomers would play from day one.
No downplaying the abilities of the vets and certainly no disrespect. The kids are just that talented.
“This class that we have right now — Vince (Marrow) and I haven’t talked about this but I imagine he’d say the same thing — I think this class, this group of freshmen we have on our campus right now is the best we’ve ever had, the most ready to contribute.”
“No-brainers,” Stoops said of the freshmen, simply too good to keep off the field. “Those guys go on the field and they’re electric. They make you more dynamic and more explosive right away.”
It didn’t take long for Stoops to put his money where his mouth is, listing seven true freshmen on the first depth chart of the season, including two starters in Dane Key and Barion Brown.
In return, the freshmen justified Stoops’ early faith with standout play across the board in Kentucky’s season-opening victory vs. Miami (OH).
“Some youngsters step up and really flash and show you how athletic they are,” Stoops said after the 37-13 win.
It starts with the two freshmen wideouts, Key and Brown, with the two combining for two total scores and 98 receiving yards on seven catches. The former finished second on the team with four catches for 53 yards to go with a one-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. He converted on all four targets, including a 19-yard grab to take it to the Miami six-yard line on Kentucky’s first drive.
“It’s what I’ve seen,” Stoops said of Key after the win. “Competitive, tough catches with people draped on him and that’s what we’ve seen him do.”
As for Brown, he added three catches for 45 yards, but broke things open for the Wildcats in the second half with 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown — the highlight of the game.
The standout freshman became the first Kentucky player to score on a kickoff return since Derrick Locke did so against Louisville back in 2009. It’s also just the 19th time in program history a player has scored on a kickoff return, with only 15 different players accomplishing the feat. He’s the first UK freshman to take one back to the house since Kio Sanford in 1994.
The former high school track star showed off the top-end speed that made him a five-star recruit and a day-one home run threat in Lexington. Literally.
“Man, it felt great knowing that I made a big play to help the offense,” he said. “… It just felt great.”
The coolest part? Brown called his shot earlier in the week when Kentucky’s zero kickoff return touchdowns under Mark Stoops came up in a team meeting.
“We were talking about that Monday. As soon as he said that to me, I looked at my wide receivers coach and we just started laughing,” Brown said after the game. “… I knew I was going to do it.”
His teammates had faith in him, too.
“I told him it was coming,” wide receiver Tayvion Robinson said. “We’ve been talking about it since Friday in the hotel. I was saying he was going to get one, this is the week to get it. He’s a very fast guy, and when he hit the sideline, I knew nobody was going to catch him.”
Those are just the offensive playmakers. On defense, true freshmen Alex Afari, Deone Walker and Keaten Wade all stood out as clear difference makers, combining for 13 tackles as backups.
Is it a lot to ask of the newcomers to produce with expanded roles so early? Maybe. Their numbers wouldn’t be called, though, if they weren’t ready.
“It is (a lot to ask of them),” Stoops said of the talented newcomers on defense. “And they can handle it. And they will and they’ll get better. You can see the talent in them. You know, really good players. They’ll continue to work, they’ll get coached.
“And getting this kind of action is invaluable for them to get out on the field and play somebody different. You get in the comfort zone when you play the same offense every day because you get used to it.”
Afari was second on the team in total tackles with six and led the team in tackles for loss (1.5) and sacks (1.0).
“I just take it play by play and go hard in practice,” he said after the win. “(The coaches) have been liking what they’ve been seeing.”
Backing up Octavious Oxendine at defensive tackle, Walker — standing an absurd 6-6, 330 pounds as a true freshman — added four tackles, including three solo.
“I feel like people knew I was here and athletic, but I don’t think they knew I was like this,” the former four-star recruit said after the game. “I feel like I came out and showed myself.”
Wade, backing up J.J. Weaver at outside linebacker, finished with three tackles (two solo) and one pass breakup. His biggest play? A bone-crushing hit on a screen, a perfect read for the native of Spring Hill, TN.
Wade looks the part of a seasoned vet with years of college football experience — until you remember he was suiting up in the first game of his young (and very bright) career.
“We know what the roster was going to look like, especially this week. Knew some young guys were going to have to step up,” defensive coordinator Brad White said after the game. “We talked about it going into the game, knew those three especially were going to get a lot of reps. I thought they handled themselves well.”
Stoops said before the season this true freshmen class was the best he’s brought in since arriving in Lexington back in 2012. The newcomers came out looking to prove him right.
“This ’22 class, we knew we had to come in and produce,” Walker said.
“We had a lot of young guys make a lot of plays. It felt good to finally play our first game,” Afari added “… We were all ready to play when our opportunity came. We’re a good class and we wanted to show it in front of everybody.”
“It just felt good,” Brown said. “From my standpoint, some people said we didn’t have the best, this and that. Just to show that we can be the best and we’re working to be the best, it feels really good all around.”
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