One of the Top Groups On the Team
It’s hard to believe but the 2023 football season opener against Ball State is nearly upon us. To get you ready we’re going position by position looking at the Cats. So far we’ve previewed Devin Leary and the quarterbacks. That was followed by a look at the running backs. Today we finish the skill positions with our 2023 Kentucky Position Preview: Receivers.
A Potent Combination
The Wildcats lost several wide receivers through the transfer portal. However, they have a ton of talent coming back led by a couple of sophomores. Barion Brown returns after being named a freshman All-American. Last year he led the team with 50 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns. He starts this season on the Paul Hornung Award watch list.
In addition, the Nashville native ranked third in the SEC and eighth in the nation averaging 27.5 yards per kickoff return. Brown started the season with a bang with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Miami (Ohio).
The other standout freshman from 2022 is Dane Key. The Lexington native finished third on the team with 37 receptions for 519 yards. In fact, he did lead the Cats in receiving touchdowns with six. Additionally, he had the top play in our 2022 football awards for his incredible catch in the win over Florida.
Great Expectations
Coming to Lexington from Virginia Tech big things were expected for Tayvion Robinson. He did finish second on the club with 40 catches to go along with 497 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he struggled down the stretch. In SEC play he hauled in 16 passes for 121 yards and a score. Robinson missed two games last season for various reasons and the coaches expect him to have a big year in 2023.
Behind Kentucky’s “Big Three,” there isn’t a whole lot of experience. With four receptions Dekel Crowdus has the most of any returning player. The Wildcats have some incoming freshmen who could push for playing time led by Shamar Porter, the highest-ranked 2023 recruit.
Another player who’s been turning head in practice is Anthony Brown, another in the Ohio to Kentucky connection. An early enrollee, Brown has put that extra time to good use and looks poised to get some playing time. Oh yeah, did we mention he’s the nephew of Grammy Award-winning singer John Legend? Could we see him on the sidelines this Fall? Two other players to watch are Ardell Banks and Brandon White.
We wrap up our 2023 Kentucky Position Preview: Receivers with a look at the tight ends.
Lots of Experience
Normally Spring football is the time when Leary would work on finding a rhythm with his receivers. Unfortunately for the Cats, that didn’t happen this year as the top three tight ends on the depth chart didn’t participate. Brenden Bates, Jordan Dingle, and Josh Kattus all missed the Spring.
In 2022 Dingle was fourth on the team with 20 receptions and had three touchdowns. Bates had 10 catches and a score while Kattus hauled in seven passes. To move to the next level the Cats need a bounce-back season from Izayah Cummings.
In 2021 under then-offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Cummings had a breakout season after switching from wide receiver to tight end. He finished the year with 14 receptions for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Big Blue Nation, he didn’t improve upon it. Under then-offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello he didn’t have a catch last season. Now reuniting with Coen will hopefully lead to bigger things in 2023.
Another player to watch is Khamari Anderson, a four-star player out of Detroit. The Cats also have Tanner Lemaster, another freshman from Ohio. Due to the strength of the Kentucky tight end room, both players may redshirt.
Final Thoughts
With Brown, Key, and Robinson, Kentucky has arguably the most talented wide receivers group since Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson , and Dicky Lyons hauled in passes from Andre Woodson 16 years ago. Behind them, the other players must step up.
The tight end position is a very important cog in Coen’s offense. For years the BBN has clamored to get that group more involved. It happened two years ago and should again in 2023.
Thanks for checking out our 2023 Kentucky Position Preview: Receivers here at Last Word On College Football. Next time we’ll look at the big guys up front.
Photo courtesy: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
