Kentucky coach Joker Phillips was available via teleconference Wednesday, and it was the first time the coach has spoken since the Cats' season-ending win over Tennessee.

Phillips, who is now 11-14 in two full seasons as UK's head coach, was asked about a number of topics, and he was mostly upbeat when reflecting upon an up-and-down season that he said showed a lot of improvement in the season's second half.

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What is the status of quarterback Maxwell Smith’s injured shoulder heading into spring camp?

PHILLIPS: “Max will be 100 percent healthy by the spring.”

With Morgan Newton being out of spring practice and Smith’s late-season performance is he considered the starter?

PHILLIPS: “Every time we go out on the football field everybody is competing. It kind of gets to me sometimes when people say you didn't give a guy a chance. Everybody gets an opportunity through practice. Everybody gets an opportunity to practice. That's where your position is earned, that's where your reps are earned also. Practice is where you compete, where you compete for a job.

“Max comes out of the spring and Morgan comes back, again there will be a competition not only between Morgan and Max but there will be a competition between Bookie Cobbins and then also be added to that competition will be a guy like Jacob Russell that we're excited about. We've got more than just Max and Morgan on our football team that will have an opportunity to compete for that position.”

You would obviously rather be in a bowl game but have there been things you’ve been able to do during this time that you haven’t been able to accomplish the past few years?

Maxwell Smith will enter the spring as the No. 1 quarterback but will have to compete for the job

PHILLIPS: “Me as the head coach … I’m able to get into more homes and to see more underclass recruits to try and get an evaluation. This thing happens so quick, especially the recruiting part of it. A lot of times assistant coaches are able to get out there, but the head coach especially during bowl prep is not able to get out there and start evaluating the in-state, which sounds funny, 2013 recruits.

“To be able to get out there and make some decisions a little bit quicker. That was something a little bit different we tried to do this recruiting season. Also, I was able to get into more of our commits’ houses also.”

When you look at the returning roster there appears to be significant depth issues at cornerback. Are there any candidates on the roster to move to that position?

PHILLIPS: “There's been some talk of it. Marcus Caffey is one of those guys that we've talked about that could possibly move over there. Jerry Williams - who plays wide receiver, is a walk-on who we think is really talented - is another guy that we've talked about moving over there. We got a couple good young guys also - Daylen Hall is one of those guys that's going to get an opportunity to compete at the position. We also have the liberty if needed to move Martavius Neloms who has been a starter for a year and a half at that position. What will allow you to do that is the development of Glenn Faulkner. Dixon is another kid that we'll line up at the corner position.”

What has it meant to be able to keep Tee Martin on your staff?

PHILLIPS: “It's not just Tee. I think we’ve got a solid staff here. When you hear recruits talking, they're not just talking about one guy or two guys. They're talking about every one of them. All our coaches leave a good impression on our kids. The thing that I want to do is I'd like to keep all of our guys here every year. Hard to do, I understand that, hard to do. We've done it for the most part here. Tee is just one of those guys we'd like to keep here.”

How will you look back on the 2011 season?

PHILLIPS: “It was a season of ups and downs. There was a period where we were banged up, beat up and didn't play as well. Then there was a time when we got back healthy and didn't play as well. Then there was a time when we started to think we were bringing it together, getting everything together. Then there was another period when we didn't play as well. It was a strong finish by this football team.”

Offensive tackle Darrian Miller is just one of many talented underclassmen coach Joker Phillips is excited about

What do you think gives you the greatest reasons for optimism entering the 2012 season?

PHILLIPS: “There were a few times when you look out there and see some of the youth that was playing. I wasn't prepared for it. On offense you would look out there and would be four true freshmen, a redshirt freshman and a walk-on out there making plays. Then you see the special teams and there's on the kickoff cover team, there's five or six freshmen, a couple of sophomores, another redshirt freshman and just two seniors in Winston (Guy) and Danny (Trevathan).

“As a guy that's been around here a long time, seeing the role and how much of an impact that Danny and Winston made on this team last year and understanding how they were, at the same point in time of their career as those young guys, weren't guys that any of us counted on. Now seeing all those young guys out there making those plays that Danny and Winston didn't even make, I think we're doing a good job of developing guys here.

“On the offensive side of the ball, all of our skill guys are back except for Matt Roark. We've got some offensive line holes, there's no doubt about that. But, there's Darrian Miller. We feel really good about Zach West. Zach West got a lot of reps with the twos. A lot of times the twos go against the ones. So he was playing against some really good defensive linemen. Kevin Mitchell I mentioned. Darrian and Teven Eatmon. Just the idea of seeing all those young guys out there making plays for us gets us excited about next year.”

Did Winston Guy play with a severely injured shoulder at the end of the year?

PHILLIPS: “He played with an injured shoulder he sure did. Again, you have to take your hat off to a guy like Winston who could have had surgery right after it happened. The same with Morgan Newton. Morgan Newton was a guy that was really unselfish and could have had surgery, needed surgery. We knew that. But he could get away with not having surgery until after the season also. Did that for the team and was very unselfish in doing so.”

What is running back Josh Clemons’ status for the spring?

PHILLIPS: “He will be ready. That's another young guy that was one of the few moments that we saw a home run hitter that was missing for the last six or seven games.”