A Couple Of Very Strong Groups
Welcome back to our series looking at the 2024 Kentucky Football team. In case you’ve missed them we started with the quarterbacks. From there we finished the skill positions with the running backs and receivers. This time around it’s the big guys up front whose job it is to protect Brock Vandagriff. In addition, we’ll start on the defense including a potential All-American candidate. However, it’s a group with some questions due to injuries. With that let’s begin our 2024 Kentucky Position Preview: Linemen with major cogs of the “Big Blue Wall.”
Meet The New/Old Boss
The Wildcats have a returning face coaching the offensive linemen. Zach Yenser was let go and his replacement is his predecessor. Eric Wolford, who held the position in 2021 until leaving for Alabama. When Kalen DeBoer was hired Wolford wasn’t retained. Mark Stoops quickly swooped in and rehired his former assistant. They worked things out, probably over some of the UK head man’s bourbon, and are ready for the season. As we mentioned Wolford’s got a very good room.
Steadying The Wall
Kentucky has three returning starters back for this year. Super senior Marques Cox holds down the left tackle spot. Counting his time at both Northern Illinois and Kentucky Cox has played in 46 games. With another strong season the 6-foot-5, 318-pounder could be a late-round NFL pick in 2025. The right tackle spot appears to be Gerald Mincey’s to lose. The Cats brought in the Tennessee transfer who has played more than 1,000 snaps to play right tackle and that’s where he’ll start.
Super Senior Eli Cox is the man at center. A season ago Cox moved back to center after the third game after playing every game there in 2022. He’s appeared in 44 games in his career. The 6-f00t-4, 309-pound Cox is also on the preseason watch list for the Nagurski Award going to the nation’s top lineman.
The left guard position is held down by Jager Burton. He’s looking for a redemption season of sorts in 2024. Burton had his struggles after moving to center last year. Unfortunately for the Big Blue Nation Burton also struggled when he moved back to his former spot. Nonetheless, he needs to take a big step forward. Your starting right guard is Florida transfer Jalen Farmer. The redshirt sophomore quickly moved into a starting spot in the spring and has it on lockdown heading toward the season opener.
Plenty Of Reinforcements
One thing Wolford has going for him is plenty of depth up front. Former USC transfer Courtland Ford played in all 13 games last year and can handle either tackle position. Redshirt sophomore Anfernee Crease is another option at tackle.
Moving to the guards freshman Aba Selm is an early enrollee who’s been turning heads in camp. West Virginia transfer Dylan Ray started 10 games last year and can also play tackle. Redshirt freshman Koby Keenum is the backup to Cox.
Continuing on with our 2024 Kentucky position preview: linemen let’s move to the defensive side of the ball.
Potential All-American
The defensive tackle group starts with Deone Walker. The 6-6 Detroit native burst onto the scene as a freshman with 40 tackles and a sack. He was even better last year making 55 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, and seven-and-a-half sacks.
If there’s a pre-season watch list then Walker’s on it. They include the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott Impact Trophy, Nagurski Award, and Outland Trophy. A big season puts him in the mix as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. Another junior, Khalil Saunders, recorded 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Moving to the nose tackle position Keeshawn Silver is your likely starter. Due to the injury to Josaih Hayes, he’ll be asked to play a lot more this year. The former five-star transfer from North Carolina had 17 tackles last year.
Redshirt freshman Kendrick Gilbert has been very solid in fall camp. He’s the likely backup to Silver.
Finally, a couple of seniors are top the depth chart at defensive end. Octavious Oxendine had a strong end to 2023 with 2.5 sacks over the last six games. Tre’Vonn Rybka has logged more than 800 snaps in his UK career with more than 60 tackles. These two are essentially co-starters.
Looking For Some Depth
The Cats were hit hard by injury on the defensive front. We already mentioned Hayes was out for an extended time. In addition, both Tavion Gadson and Darrion Henry-Young are out with injury. As a result UK’s short on experience.
Two of Kentucky’s top 2024 recruits could play immediately. In the case of Brian Robinson, he’s already turning heads. He’s listed as an edge rusher but with his size could end up at defensive end. The other is Jerod Smith, from just down the road in Corbin, Kentucky. Redshirt freshman Tommy Ziesmer played in two games last year while UK also added junior college transfer Dennious Jackson for even more depth.
Best/Worst Case Scenario
The Cats have experience on the offensive line and the BBN hopes they can return to 2021 form when they were a finalist for the Joe Moore Award. Getting the running game going is paramount, especially now with word Chip Trayanum will miss at least a month with a broken hand. If they can’t or have trouble protecting Vandagriff then it could be a long season.
On the other side of the ball, Walker’s an All-American candidate and the pass rush becomes a big problem for opponents. However, all the injuries up front have to worry the staff.
Thanks for checking out our 2024 Kentucky Position Preview: Linemen here at Last Word On College Football. Next time we’ll look at the linebackers.
