Wodie Crew - Global Edition

When early August arrives it brings the glorious sounds of popping pads, angry whistles, and hoarse coaches. This is the time of year when we find out who worked their ass off over the summer and who is going to sit out the fall. Football is here and its time to figure out who’s going to be good and who’s going to be good and terrible. Without further adieu…I’ll get right to it.

BCS Conference Champions:

Pac 10: USC; simply the best college football program as we know it

SEC: Florida; the Gators have four road games all year, that’s right…only four. I don’t count neutral sites.

Big 10: Penn St; because Rich Rodriguez will win hearts and minds in his first year and beat Ohio St. which will give the Buckeyes one more in the loss column.

Big 12: Oklahoma; because no one else in the Big 12 has beaten the Sooners when it counts.

ACC: Clemson; that’s right the younger Bowden finally gets it done with the help of a loaded roster and favorable schedule.

Big East: South Florida; good for them. A well deserved trip to the BCS after only 12 years in football, they’ve earned it. They are clearly the best team in the conference and it ain’t even close.

My End of the Year BCS Top 14:

1) USC; if they get past Ohio St no one will stop them. All their tough Pac 10 games are at the Coliseum and most of the Pac 10 teams that somewhat matter are down a rung this year.

2) Florida; a rare unblemished year in the SEC awaits Florida. Their toughest game is the Cocktail Party and they’ve owned that four out of the last five. Plus, the Dawgs have some bad karma coming to them…team celebration anyone?

3) Oklahoma; Sam Bradford is the goods. They’re a great offense in a league where nobody can get off the field. Until somebody else in the Big 12 decides they want to play defense they might as well hand the trophy over to the Sooners now.

4) Georgia; awesome team, but they have brutal road games and bad karma looming with Florida…bad ju-ju.

5) Penn St.; they’ll have one loss and win the Big 10/11 by default thanks to late season Michigan heroics. JoePa is definitely the better of the geezer coaches right now. A loaded team with 18 returning starters, five road games (only two of which are difficult), and no Notre Dame.

6) Clemson; quite possibly the best edition of the Tigers in quite some time with only four true road games plus, they don’t draw Miami or Virginia Tech in the regular season. They will finally win their conference however; Clemson will be Clemson and drop one they shouldn’t which will keep them from the title game.

7) South Florida; depending on the poll/computer love they could be higher. Particularly if they remain undefeated, which they have a legit shot. These guys are scary good. The entire offense returns and they only have to replace one of their top six tacklers. However, I have them like Penn St, a one loss team that wins their conference due to the fewest losses.

8) Auburn; a spot in the BCS Top Ten is usually reserved for the SEC Title game loser. All the toughies are at Jordan-Hare…LSU, UT, and UGA. However I think they get sniped in the Iron Bowl which could quite possibly leave them out of the BCS.

9) Missouri; solely because we all know what will happen. Missouri will dominate the Den of Suck that is the Big 12 North to a bunch of wins and a bloated ranking. The talking heads will be giddy because the Tigers are their dark horse. They’ll beat Kansas on a neutral field…then get curb stomped by Oklahoma in the Big 12 Title Game.

10) Ohio St.; three losses…at USC, at Wisconsin, and Michigan. There’s your story with the Buckeyes. Seriously, they’re loaded and everybody’s picking them. I see this as the year the rest of the Big 10/11 mans up and takes care of the bully in Columbus.

11) LSU; tons of talent but tons of questions. They only have four road games, but two of them are to Auburn and Florida. Plus, they have Georgia at home after a brutal two week road trip.

12) Notre Dame; they will win eleven straight and the media will slurp like a five year old with a soft serve cone. Then they will get clobbered at USC in their last regular season game and everyone will bitch up a storm about the Golden Domers’ exemption into the BCS. This is the weakest Fighting Irish schedule in a decade and they’re in a position to take advantage.

13) Texas; the Big 12 team with the best chance of knocking off Oklahoma. At least they look like they play defense, however they only have two of their top five tacklers returning. Having a pretty fair QB with a bunch of guys coming back on offense doesn’t hurt. Aside from the Red River Shoot Out the Longhorns have one tough road game at Texas Tech.

14) Oregon; questions at QB and tough road games will plague the Ducks. They do have their best receivers and five of their top six tacklers returning. It is the defense that separates them from the rest battling for second in the Pac 10.

Possible Party Crashers:

1) Fresno St; this bunch of Bulldogs is Pat Hill’s best yet. Plus, the Bengals went ahead and drafted the head case. This is the team to beat in the WAC. They have a slight shot to go 12-0 and if they do the Bulldogs would crack the BCS top 12 easily.

2) Texas Tech; all the Red Raiders have to do is prove to the world they can actually stop an opponent’s offense rather than out score it. Their current philosophy has been entertaining and fun, but hasn’t got them any huge Big 12 road wins nor has it catapulted them over Texas. They’ve got a shot with 18 starters back and Texas in Lubbock.

3) Tulsa; the most prolific offense in all of college football plus the weakest schedule means a legit shot at 12-0. The concept of defense, overcoming the SOS in the computers and the mindset of the pollsters could be a bit of a challenge.

4) Utah; a good squad with a somewhat decent chance at 12-0 and possibly the most legit resume’ of any Non-BCS Conference team should they pull it off. However, they have to go to The Big House and beat Oregon St and BYU at home.

5) Wisconsin; They could shock the world and win the Big 10/11. 17 guys back, including the top five tacklers, leading rusher, and leading receiver. Plus, they get Ohio St. and Penn St. at home. Big question marks at QB and in the kicking game surround this team and they draw a tough early road game in Fresno.

Come on and take a Free Ride: 1) Missouri; Texas Tech and Oklahoma are replaced with Texas A&M and Baylor. One tough road game in Austin and their rivalry game is played on a neutral field. Oh, and they play in the Big 12 North.

2) Notre Dame; a couple of speed bumps in East Lansing and Chapel Hill, but the Irish should be favored in 11 of their 12 games and have that shiny BCS exemption.

3) South Florida; I like the Bulls, really I do, but their toughest home game is a woefully overrated Kansas and they don’t have a tough road game until they go to Morgantown in December. If they lose more than one game they should be bitterly disappointed. They are THAT much better than the rest of their schedule.

4) Clemson; the toughest of four true road games is in Tallahassee. Miami, Virginia Tech, or upset darling UNC won’t be seen on Clemson’s regular season schedule.

5) Tulsa; Schedule strength = 120…that should about cover it.

Off The Wall Games to DVR:

Sept. 13th; Wisconsin at Fresno St.: a daunting early road test for the Badgers against a team that’s played them tough in Madison.

Sept. 13th; Florida Atlantic at Michigan St.: this is going to be a good one. Schnelly has 18 returning starters from an 8-5 squad fresh off a bowl win. This is the type of opponent that is taken lightly then socks you in the mouth. Munsoning one that should have been a winner has been a Spartan specialty for years.

Oct. 11th; Notre Dame at North Carolina: Butch Davis has recruited well and is getting some good pub with the pundits. Charlie Weiss has murdered the recruiting trail the last couple of years and brings a deeper squad.

Oct. 27th; Fresno St. at UCLA: if the Bulldogs get by Wisconsin and the Bruins early on then their ride to the BCS is virtually sealed so long as they take care of business the rest of the way. Fresno St. has a chance in this one seeing as UCLA is breaking in a new coach with only nine returning starters.

Nov. 1st; Tulsa at Arkansas: former jilted Arkansas assistant Gus Malzahn brings the most potent offense in the country to face offensive genius Bobby Petrino. Two things…Petrino doesn’t have any bullets in his chamber and you KNOW Malzahn has this one circled on the calendar. Somebody in Fayetteville might want to brush up on their abacus skills.

Over Rated…Clap…Clap…ClapClapClap:

Kansas: in a lot of Top 25’s and they have to replace the leading rusher, leading receiver, their best corner/kick returner/player, and Texas and Oklahoma are back on the schedule with a road tilt at South Florida. Welcome back to obscurity and buffets at Sizzler Jayhawks.

South Carolina: the Gamecocks are one more arrested quarterback and late season collapse away from saying bye bye to the Ole Ball Coach.

Arizona St.: one only has to view the slate wiping at the hands of the Texas Longhorns in the Holiday Bowl to see the lack of fortitude in the Sun Devils. Add in that they have an offensive line that resembles Swiss cheese and you can see the preposterous nature of their pre season rankings.

West Virginia: The Bill Stewart Era should have ended with the Bowl game. Now the Mountaineers have a program sans the original coordinator of their slick offense; their best two backs; three of their top five receivers; seven defensive starters; their most wealthy booster; and have Auburn coming to town.

BYU: the cougars have to replace eight defensive starters. Though they bring a ton of offense to the table there are two teams in their conference who can score on them at will.

The rumors of the demise of WodieCrew.com have been greatly exaggerated. Basically, there wasn’t shit going on during the summer that centered on Kentucky Athletics other than recruiting, which I refuse to acknowledge for reasons I’ve made abundantly clear and I didn’t want to write a bunch of filler crap. There are plenty of outlets for that on the web. But I digress, because now we find ourselves on the precipice of football season. That’s the horse of a different color. Expect in-depth previews, ridiculous predictions, and outlandish tailgating exploits in the coming weeks. For now. Boom. Outta here.

Comments? Email me at mattox@wodiecrew.com

The Football Cats finished their spring season in exciting and entertaining fashion last Saturday. For the first time in over five years there was enough depth on a Spring roster to properly complete a split squad scrimmage. Coach Phillips got first pick in front of Coach Brown during the Thursday draft. Fun wagers were made among the staff. Jawing ensued on Friday. Then cleats were laced and pads popped on Saturday. Brownie’s White squad upset Joker’s Blue squad 23-22 in part due to late game heroics courtesy of Curtis Pulley and Dicky Lyons Jr. On paper it looked as though Joker got the better end of the deal. His roster included all three starting linebackers; both starting safeties; both starting tackles; the starting center; and the best player of Spring Ball…David Jones. The blue team had their moments. There was a time when the Whites were stuffed on third and fourth and short on consecutive drives. Blue Quarterback Michael Hartline scored two touchdowns. One on a perfect throw to Lanxter and the other on an impressive 5 yard naked bootleg. The problem was the best players for Brown’s defense were ideal for taking away Hartline’s arm. The defensive coordinator’s Whites got Trevard Lindley and Paul Warford as corners and they dominated the Blue’s Kyrus Lanxter and Anthony Moseley for most of the day. Hartline and the Blues also got robbed by several drops which kept stalling drives. The Blue team grew too reliant on the running game…22car/170yds for Alphonso Smith…and the inability to generate big plays through the air cost them. In the end, the split rosters played at a high level and proved to be more even than anticipated. A testament to the recruiting and player development under Head Coach Rich Brooks.

What did we learn?

Dicky Lyons showed up to play football on Saturday and that created a problem for the Blues. Dicky played like a fiery senior leader should, catching ten of Curtis Pulley’s 12 completed passes for 107 yards and two TD’s. His touchdown receptions were something to behold. The first was a diving one hander on a Pulley 90MPH bullet. The other was an opportunity to show off his speed as he blew by the defense piling up 45yac yds off a Will Fidler slant throw. On the White’s final scoring drive he found a hole in the coverage and completed a huge 23 yard reception. Blue coach Joker Phillips called out the senior the previous Monday for his lack of focus and intensity in the practice. The verbal lashing brought out “pissed off Dicky” the rest of the week. Dicky Lyons made his offensive coordinator pay for passing him up in the Spring Game Draft. However, if UK’s young receiving corps is going to succeed in SEC play then “pissed off Dicky” is going to have to be a fixture in games, on the practice field, and in the weight room. This is Dicky’s offense to lead…the sooner he realizes it the better the offense will be.

Curtis Pulley got the better of Michael Hartline on the field on Saturday but not by much. Pulley completed one more pass, ran for more yards, and finished a late game winning drive. Curtis had some really nice throws. Particularly late in the game when his offense had to get a touchdown to win. Pulley’s late game heroics signified that he is ready to lead an offense to victory. The Whites marched 80 yards in 3:40 and scored on a 17yd Pulley scramble for the go ahead TD. It should be safe to say that Curtis won the spring battle for starting quarterback. However, the war is far from over. Both QB’s overthrew receivers and put the ball on the turf. Both made disastrous decisions on poor throws that ended up being interceptions. The completion percentage needs to come up as well. The good news is that UK has two pretty good QB’s that are neck and neck for starter and should push each other into Fall Camp.

Alphonso Smith arrived as a front line SEC tailback. For the last week and a half of Spring Ball the junior has torn through holes and brandished a new found toughness in his running. Smith is finally starting to pile up the yards after contact so heavily sought from him over the last three seasons. Add in his game breaking speed and you have a potential break-out star in the making. An impressive 3 carry/66yard drive was part of an awesome 170 yard performance the final Saturday. As for the rest of the backs…Moncel Allen sort of faded over the last few days of spring. He still ran well and even completed a 23 yard halfback pass to TC Drake during the Blue/White Game. Derrick Locke did not disappoint, he still has blazing speed and had several nice carries going against the best of the run defense during the Saturday split scrimmage. AJ Nance improved as a fullback considerably particularly in the short passing game. John Conner has his hands full when trying to fight off the newly converted linebacker.

The backs owe their success to a beastly, rough and ready, SEC caliber offensive line. As good as they’ve been through spring the last week was their best. UK has developed 11-12 solid players for the offensive line rotation. Run blocking is the calling card. This unit will wear more than their fair share of defenses down come fall. The pass blocking has picked up considerably through every level of the depth chart. Both sides had plenty of time to throw the ball for a majority of the Blue/White game. Sacks were few and far between and the yards per carry on the rush was fairly healthy. There were a couple times the white offensive line got pushed back in short yardage, but they were two’s going up against the best part of UK’s run defense.

The UK defense played like a nasty and stingy unit rarely seen in Lexington. A majority of the seasoned playmakers for the Wildcats play on the defensive side of the ball. All of them are playing with a refreshing level of focus and intensity especially on third down. Coach Brooks has stated this group of defensive backs are the best he’s had at Kentucky. There was absolutely nothing in the secondary’s play this spring to refute their head coach. Trevard Lindley was dominant. David Jones was reborn. Paul Warford dusted the cobwebs. New faces took their redshirt years seriously and learned how to play the game while transforming their bodies to SEC standards. Incumbent players like Ashton Cobb and Marcus McClinton found ways to improve instead of resting on last year’s laurels. The secondary is fast, relentless, tough, deep, and probably the best unit UK has seen in years beyond Coach Brooks’ tenure. The linebackers excelled in new roles. Braxton Kelley took to Will like a fish out of water. Micah Johnson looks primed to take the role as the leading star of the defense. Johnny Williams has learned new skills in coverage and rushing the passer as the Sam front runner. It does look as though Williams may play with a hand down in nickel situations due to his new found ability to get to the quarterback. Which will help Corey Peters and Myron Pryor, who turned it up a notch in the spring and began to make significant plays as well as soaking up blockers. Jeremy Jarmon recovered nicely and had a sack in the Blue White game. The thing to take away from this spring is the defense was down several key starters and reserves yet still found a way to play solid throughout the entirety of Spring Practice.

UK Football took a big step forward during the last week of practice. The Cats found a player willing to step up and carry a unit in Dicky Lyons. Curtis Pulley isn’t faltering in a bid to win the role as the starting quarterback. Michael Hartline proved he’s worthy of healthy consideration as the starter. The defense delivered on its athletic and experienced promise. New stars were found in David Jones, Alphonso Smith, and Kyrus Lanxter. Most importantly, even though there were several players recovering for the fall, there was enough depth to pull off a full intrasquad scrimmage for the first time in half a decade. This version of UK Football looks as though it is more ready to handle the attrition of an SEC campaign than previous editions. This is a group playing with a sense of purpose. A team that has to keep a new tradition alive instead of rebuilding from probation. A unit that can go bowling again come fall so long as they stay focused. Kentucky Football 2008 will prove to be the version that shows the rest of the football world that the Wildcats are no fluke. They will sock foes in the mouth from the opening whistle and will wear them down until the final horn sounds.

The UK Football Cats persevered through the second week of spring practice. Few questions went on their way to being answered due to much of the week reinforcing what was learned during the first few sessions. There were losses…Tony Dixon went down with a strained MCL on Wednesday and Josh Winchell was carted away from Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Ricky Lumpkin needs a second and more invasive surgery on his calcification which further risks his status for fall camp. The Cats also had to battle the weather with breezy and rainy conditions with Friday's session being forced inside. Still, even with the setbacks Brooks and Co. managed to forge ahead with a little progress in Week Two.

DEFENSE WINS:
The defense allowed three points during the second Saturday scrimmage. The victory resembled what had happened over three practices during the week. The defense dominated as a unit with more seasoned playmakers throughout the first eleven should. Familiar faces returned to contact and players kept shining in their roles. Both of those elements gave the defense a boost as the week progressed and the unit showed an ability to make the plays that get them off the field…an important new development for a Kentucky defense.

The defensive backs kept leaping over the high bar they set for themselves at the beginning of April. Every level improved their understanding of their respective roles in Chris Thurmond's new coverage scheme. The coverage last week yielded extra time for developing DE's and resurgent DT's extra time to get pressure on the quarterbacks. David Jones keeps winning coaches and observers over with his renaissance. The former wideout has found a knack for batting down throws and jarring the ball lose. It was nearly impossible for UK's struggling wide receivers to catch a pass on Trevard Lindley. The young safeties Taiedo Smith, Greg Wilson, and Matt Lentz continued to grow. Wilson especially, he has an incredible ability to find the ball carrier on every play. A minor critique of the defensive backs is the slowed progress of Randall Burden. The learning curve ran past him slightly last week. However, he is growing into a decent nickel/dime package asset. This unit is fast, strong, relentless, and deep.

The new look linebackers grew into their new roles well. Micah Johnson is going to draw a lot of attention to the Kentucky defense as the leader and marquee star. Good for him…he's done the work; he's transformed his body; he is commanding in the defensive huddle, and plays every play as if it were his last. Braxton Kelley and Johnny Williams locked up roles with the ones over the week. Kelley showed improved quickness and bone jarring tackling ability at Will and Johnny Williams has an uncanny ability to either cover or rush the passer at Sam. The depth is developing as well…Maxwell, Mabry, Schwindel, and Cessna all had good weeks in their campaign to be back ups. The unit is still a little soft in the running game though. It could be for a number of reasons including…DE by attrition or a phenomenal run blocking line. In Saturday's scrimmage it looked as though there were moments of indecision that resulted in more yards allowed. This was addressed by the staff with extra post scrimmage running for Kelley and Johnson.

Corey Peters and Myron Pryor carried a developing defensive line last week. It was a great week for the DT's. They got great push and batted down several throws at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, they called out and defended the screen pass fairly well. The problem in evaluating the defensive line this spring is lack of depth. Especially on the outside…despite going through drills earlier in the week…Ventrell Jenkins, Jeremy Jarmon, Chris Goode, and Ni'i Adjei Oninku did not play in the scrimmage on Saturday. Jarmon's return to contact during weekly practices definitely had an impact on the D-Line. His energy and enthusiasm on every play rubbed off on the rest of his counterparts as they all played better. Josh Minton's knee is still a work in progress. The trainers had the knee wrapped in ice during the latter moments of Saturday. There has to be better penetration against the run even though going up against UK's O-Line while down several men is a bit daunting. All in all, the D-Line had a good week, but they have to thank the DB's for buying them extra time in coverage; inexperienced WR's and Jeremy Jarmon's rehab.

OFFENSE DRAGS:
The offense, with their lack of improvement, hampered the overall practice grade of the team. There were bright spots…the O-Line, both QB's were better, Moncel Allen, and Alphonso Smith. There were injuries…Tony Dixon will be out the rest of the spring with a strained MCL and Josh Winchell was carted from the stadium on Saturday. The problem is the same questions that were asked at the onset of Spring Practice still remained as unanswered as when they were uttered. There is no clear cut starter at quarterback and the wide receivers did not step up their play.

The staff briefly experimented with the second string O-line personnel plus first string skill position players last week. The results were mixed. UK's calling card will be the running game with 11 quality linemen plus six pretty good backs and the number two's showed that. Jake Lanefski struggled with the shotgun snap a little which gave Jorge Gonzales the lead at center for the moment. The number two's pass blocking left little to be desired when going up against number one d-linemen. The majority of the hurries, hits, batted throws and sacks came about in these situations. The wide receivers failing to get open didn't help the pass blocking situation either, but improvement is needed from the second tier nonetheless. Overall, the line was the best positive for the offense last week. The run blocking was superb and the second string did improve their pass blocking during Saturday's scrimmage.

The running backs followed a good week one with an improved week two despite depleted numbers. Moncel Allen and Alphonso Smith made the most of their opportunities as Tony Dixon went down and Derrick Locke was at a track meet. Moncel furthered his reputation as the hardest man to tackle on the team. Smith hit holes with reckless abandon. Neither put the ball on the turf. Fullbacks John Conner and AJ Nance left the staff feeling warm and fuzzy with their ability to clear a path. Also, both fullbacks are capable of getting up the field in a hurry after catching the flat route. Tony Dixon should be OK to go in the fall. His MCL was sprained and the staff likes the prognosis.

Curtis Pulley moved ahead of Mike Hartline on Saturday. Both quarterbacks improved their leadership capabilities and got the team out of the huddle efficiently. Pulley has a distinct advantage with his legs but still misses throws he shouldn't. Curtis did throw the only pick of the week on a silly throw to Braxton Kelley. This has left the door open for Hartline and he has kept himself in the game by showing some surprising savvy in the running game along with marginally better execution in the passing game. However, he did overthrow a few routes and left first downs on the table. Will Fidler was throwing again this week albeit in a red jersey. He did not fare well with the third team in Saturday's scrimmage. As one could imagine a clear cut starter hasn't emerged. Pulley's feet have him ahead, but not by much. The good news is Hartline and Pulley both got better where it was needed the most…leadership on the field. That has to have the staff feeling better about the QB situation.

The receiving corps undoubtedly disappointed with their performance last week. With the running game getting four yards a carry conventional wisdom says that there should be one on one match-ups for the taking in the passing game as the defense dedicates a safety to help in run support. The wide receivers have habitually failed to beat their man and it is the number one reason the offense failed to score points in Saturday's scrimmage. Inconsistency with the hands has also plagued the receivers. Kyrus Lanxter would make a great one handed catch one play then drop a sure fire first down the next. Anthony Mosely had a dreadful drop of a perfectly thrown Pulley pass that would have yielded a TD. The alarming trend is the lack of leadership from the lone senior Dicky Lyons. The receivers aren't competing and the staff has laid that at the feet of the UK legacy. Dicky Lyons has to pick up his game and light a fire under he and his colleagues or they will find themselves behind freshmen come fall camp.

The troubles brewing at wide receiver made the lost opportunities of TC Drake and Ross Bogue all the more painful. Both squandered golden chances to shine in the passing game. Bogue had the only catch of note for the entire week as the tight ends struggled to separate from the linebackers and safeties covering them. The good news is they are catching the ball better in drills and one on ones. Now they need to work on their route running and fighting off jamming linebackers. The tight end position is in dire need of a playmaker. UK has three solid potential candidates in Drake, Bogue, and the recovering Maurice Grinter. A capable tight end is needed for the UK offense to work properly. One of those three must step up if UK is to have any hope of continuity on offense.

GRADE…C

Overall the team took a step forward during the second week. The stride was smaller however as the pass blocking of the second tier O-Line was exposed; the tight ends left opportunities on the field; neither quarterback in the running for starter did anything to definitively separate themselves; the front seven proved to be softer against the run than it should; and the detrimental performance of the wide receivers provided the offense's undoing in the Saturday scrimmage. The passing game has to come around otherwise the Cats will lose more games than expected come fall.

Huge questions loomed at the start of Spring Practice for the Football Wildcats. What are the strengths? What are the weaknesses? Who's going to play quarterback? Who's going to catch the ball? How banged up are the Cats? Who are going to be the leaders? Popping pads in April is the first step into finding the answers. Here's what we've learned after the first week.

GOOD NEWS:

Coach Brooks lauded his offensive line with praise after Week One. The O-Line proved to be the best overall unit. There are eleven players that are SEC starter caliber in the trench rotation thereby making UK two deep at every position. The competition throughout the spring and summer should be as heated as the battle for the first five spots at fall camp. The best battle could be at center...new face Jake Lanefski changed his body by adding 25 pounds and is giving Jorge Gonzales a great run. This group could forge themselves into the best unit UK has ever seen.

Five running backs performed well over the first week. Even though John Conner more than likely has fullback locked up he's still working as though he's trying to make the team. UK is four deep at tailback and all are playing at an SEC front line level. Tony Dixon proved to be the most consistent and stayed atop the depth chart as the starter. He will have to fight off burners Derrick Locke, Alphonso Smith, and the star of Week One Moncel Allen. Locke and Smith have shown they haven't lost a step of their blinding speed plus Smith ended up with the most yards after the first scrimmage. Allen has turned the most heads with his ability to obliterate tacklers and showcasing some surprising speed. If there was ever a year UK could look like they won't miss a 1,000+ yard rusher it could be next season. However, there are a few things this group needs to work on over the next couple of weeks…pass blocking, blitz pick-up, and their roles as receivers out of the backfield.

The emergence of David Jones led to a great first week from the defensive backs. The standout plays of Jones within every practice revealed that he has immersed himself in the defense and is ready to break out on that side of the ball. The Jones phenomenon has rubbed off the rest of the DB's. Trevard Lindley is still Number One as the best of the bunch and he's improving like a man jaded from being left off All-SEC teams. The cornerbacks toiled in a tight competition for the number two and nickel positions. Jones' great week put him ahead of a rusty Paul Warford, talented but green Randall Burden, veteran playmaker Shomari Moore, and a struggling Ahmad Grigsby. Marcus McClinton is playing like a man on a mission. He has improved his reads and pursuit angles without losing the ability to hit like a Mack truck. There is a ton of young promise as well. Greg Wilson and Matt Lentz are making strong cases for playing time come fall. Wilson utilizes his newly transformed athletic body by getting in on several plays. Lentz, a converted quarterback is the fastest riser on the depth chart with eagerness to learn and complete lack of fear. Ashton Cobb will have to bust the back of his Volkswagen to keep his job as the other starter at safety. Calvin Harrison will have to work incredibly hard coming back from a knee scope to get his job as the primary substitute back.

Micah Johnson grasped the role of middle linebacker with both hands and Braxton Kelley outran the learning curve after he moved outside. UK is fielding a formidable unit with the ones this spring with Johnson, Kelley, and either incumbent Johnny Williams or the emergent Sam Maxwell. The improved quarterback pressure from the LB's up to this point reveals that they've worked on their blitzing technique…the stars here have been Johnny Williams and Micah Johnson. Kelley looks like Will was his original position with each practice. He's got surprising speed and quickness to go with his size. Sam Maxwell has been great at getting in the mix to stop plays. Mike Schwindel put on a few good pounds and has shown flashes as a back up Will. Jacob Dufrene has been a pleasant surprise of late. The redshirt freshman took reps with the first group at the end of Saturday's scrimmage. Chris Cessna has gotten off to a good start in recovering from another knee injury. He's not having the spring of a year ago, but the road to recovery is a long one.

BAD NEWS

The quarterback position remains in limbo. Neither Curtis Pulley nor Mike Hartline stepped up to be the man in the first week. Both had their moments…Pulley has been as nimble as expected in the pocket and Hartline has shown significant improvement in the passing game. It's not that both players have played poorly…in fact both are significantly better than they were a year ago. Plus, neither has been getting much help from the receiving corps. It's that either player seems unwilling to take the lead on offense. Whoever decides to take charge first and do the little things will be the starter. Will Fidler probably had the best first week of any of the QB's. He's rusty, but his surgically repaired shoulder has healed well and Fidler is showing a strong arm. Fidler could be a dark horse in the QB race once spring is all said and done.

The wide receivers provided little in the search for consistent options. Right now a dependable throw to him on third down guy doesn't exist. Demoreo Ford went down with a torn patella tendon on the second day and Terrence Jones has been withheld from contact while recovering his knee. Dicky Lyons has been hurt a little. With the door wide open Kyrus Lanxter has barely stepped through it. He has the best chance to secure a starting job of anyone. While he's done some good things with his downfield blocking and his hands…Lanxter's lack of focus chips away at his candidacy for starter. EJ Adams has some wheels and shows some promise as a playmaker, but he needs to learn how to play the WR position at a high level. Anthony Mosely has hands of glue one play then hands of stone the next. Ford and Jones should be healed and there are a lot of players coming in over the summer that could challenge for playing time come fall. Adams, Lanxter, Lyons, and Mosley better improve or they could find themselves on the sideline.

Filling the hole at tight end proved enigmatic. TC Drake and Ross Bogue are making headway as the next guys. Both have big catches and block well in the run game. They also have some dreadful drops. The both resemble the receivers in their lack of reliability as third down pass catchers. Maurice Grinter, the best option as far as a playmaker, has been hobbled to the point of wearing a red jersey. Tight end is the thinnest position on the roster numerically, but the situation isn't as dire as WR. Drake and Bogue while shaky haven’t been as inconsistent as the WR's and Grinter has caught everything thrown his way in drills.

The gap between the first and second rungs of the defensive line widened. Most of this can be explained knowing that more than the fair share of good players didn't see action in the first week. Jeremy Jarmon spent the first week in helmet and shorts. Ricky Lumpkin got in two days before his hip acted up and set him on a course for surgery. Ni'i Adjei Oninku and Charles Mustaafa were held out of contact while recovering from surgeries. Josh Minton just got back in the saddle after going down in last year's spring game. There is good news. Jarmon will be cleared for contact soon and Ventrell Jenkins was moved to end. Jenkins has been a wrecking crew at defensive end with sacks, tips, break-ups and hurries. It also gives UK great size up front…with a healthy Jarmon on the field there isn't a d-line starter under 285. Once all four are replaced with the available twos there isn't a player ABOVE 271 in the front four. There is promise, Austin Moss has looked fairly solid running with the makeshift ones. Chris Goode made a few plays showing the right move for him was switching to defensive end. Greg Meisner, while undersized has made the most of his reps. Antwane Glenn has looked serviceable at defensive tackle, but he needs more bulk. Fortunately, most of this unit in recovery should see contact by the end of spring. However, Lumpkin going under the knife on Monday means UK will more than likely have to rely on a couple true freshmen switching positions for depth at tackle. Fortunately for the Cats the leading candidates, Donte Rumph, Osaze Idumwonyi and Dave Ulinski, were also some of the best signings of the incoming class.

GRADE…B

Overall the team progressed well over Week One. UK found some powerful assets with the running backs and offensive line. Micah Johnson and Braxton Kelley's near seamless transitions are bright spots. The depth and consistent solid play from the defensive backfield is a huge plus. The problem spots seem easily remedied. Three experienced players are going to return to the defensive line during spring and the really young guys are getting good reps. If Grinter can get healthy to the point of taking contact he may steal the tight end position. What takes away from the Cats is lack of leadership and maturity at the biggest question marks of the spring. One of the quarterbacks will have to step up and proclaim the offense theirs and the wide receivers are going to have to concentrate their focus over the next two weeks if those questions are to be answered correctly.

WodieCrew.com

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