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**FOOTBALL PRACTICE NOTES (Wed., April 18)**

  • **Notes from Wednesday's workout. Only a walkthrough on Friday and then the Blue/White Game on Saturday remains this spring, Joker said, "This is our real last day of doing all of the things we need to do better to play football. This was real football today, our last true day."

    **It appears as though the uber-talented Ronnie Shields has finally risen to the top of the heap in the crowded tight end race. Some of that might be due to Anthony Kendrick having some academic work to do this spring and thus the staff isn't going to fully invest in him as the starter but Shields has been the guy they've talked about from a talent standpoint for a long time. He seems to have finally grasped the whole thing:

    "Ronnie Shields is holding down the starting tight end, he's moved ahead of the rest of the guys," Phillips said. "We're asking him to do a lot of things. I was concerned early in the spring about how he would handle that but I think he's stepped up to the plate and shown us he can handle all of the things we are asking him to do."

    **When asked how capable they are in the stretching the field on offense right now Joker said he's seen strides (he mentioned Demarco Robinson and Daryl Collins again today), but that ultimately it comes down to Maxwell Smith's decision making, which he has been good with most of the spring:

    "I'm confident in what I've been seeing out here in Maxwell Smith," Phillips said. "The quarterback has to get the ball out of his hands and get it to guys who can make plays for him. In our system we don't ask quarterbacks to win games with his legs, we ask that he get it out of his hands as quickly as he can possibly can and get it to guys who can make plays with their legs. Max has done a really good job of that. You can't take sacks. (Mike) Hartline was outstanding out that. Dre (Woodson) was not as good about getting it out of his hands but the thing he did was he didn't throw interceptions. We need Max to be one of those guys who doesn't throw interceptions and gets the ball out of his hands."

    **It sounds as if Kentucky is without a legitimate threat at punter for the first time in what seems like forever. Joe Mansour and Jay Willmott have not exactly endeared themselves to Phillips throughout spring ball, which makes it pretty clear they are going to expect incoming freshman Landon Foster to win the opening day job. Unless of course your son or friend over at the Kappa Sig house can punt a ball 50 yards with 6-3, 240-pound dudes who run a 4.5 and can jump 35 inches bearing down on them:

    "Our punter might not be on campus, he's probably not on campus," Phillips said. "There might be somebody in the fraternities or in the dorms or something but he has not been out here. I can tell you that right now. I'm really disappointed in the way we've kicked the ball this spring. Our punting situation is not up to standards, and we're spoiled too. We've had a guy that just got a Super Bowl ring and a guy that I think can be a Super Bowl kicker some day, and these guys (on the team) have not shown they are capable of playing at that level."

    **I asked Joker what I thought was a pretty softball question to wrap up his time with the media, more out of curiosity than anything else. I just simply said: 'How do you feel about the depth on the offensive line, in terms of having young guys who can step in an play behind your starters?' I was a little surprised by the answer:

    "We don't feel good at all about the depth," Phillips said. "We're hoping we have a Darrian Miller in this freshman group. We'll find out in a hurry. Again, we got some much needed reps from the young guys but we have to find out where the freshmen are at when they come in because I'm not real happy with where the second group is.

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    Follow me on Twitter: '@TCPMattMay'

    Matt May

  • One other thing, I spent a while talking to Bud Dupree today. Two things that caught my attention:

    1) He said he arrived at Kentucky right at 225 pounds. He's now 255. Said when he went home last time his mother said something to the effect of "You used to have such a skinny neck, where did it go?" Joked she'd have to have a lot more food around this summer when he's home.

    2) I asked him what the feeling is like when he comes off the edge and sees he has a free run at the QB or RB. His answer, in short: "I want to decapitate him. I think Max (Smith) fears me."

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    Follow me on Twitter: '@TCPMattMay'

    Matt May

  • If we're worrying about a punter we much be doing fairly decent at other spots. Bud Dupree could be the best past rusher we've had in a while at UK. Pumped about that guy. Also glad that Shields is stepping up. We need somebody that can stretch the field at TE. Its probably a little early and a little unrealistic but I feel pretty good about what this team could be.

    tWhit

  • crackwhip Thanks for the report. Sounds like CJP was pretty blunt w/o much coach-speak. Good.

    vhcat1970

  • 3 things

    1. I am glad Joker is taking the Rich Brooks approach and telling it how it is. We don't have depth at OL so lets not sugar coat it.

    2. I am glad that Shields is stepping up at the TE position. I want him and Kendrick to play more snaps to put better athletes on the field. Robinson is a good blocker and has sure hands, but he can't get away from a defender.

    3. How many freaking people are we watching due to grade issues? Half our team?
    a. Brandon Gainer
    b. Bookie Cobbins
    c. Anthony Kendrick

    Anyone else?

    This post was edited by princeuk21 on 4/18/2012 at 12:58 PM

    Follow me on twitter @ TailgatingCzar

    princeuk21

  • Matt May said...

    "We don't feel good at all about the depth," Phillips said. "We're hoping we have a Darrian Miller in this freshman group. We'll find out in a hurry. Again, we got some much needed reps from the young guys but we have to find out where the freshmen are at when they come in because I'm not real happy with where the second group is.

    I think there is a good chance out of the incoming o-line class that we will have one guy that will be able to be called upon if needed. I always thought Tyler Robinson should have redshirted and bulked up to move to the line. However, it is difficult when nobody stepped up last year to grab the position, and to ask Robinson to gain at least 30-40 pounds is tough too.

    Disappointed that none of Woods, Eatmon-Nared or Simpson have been able to push for much playing time. Joker concerned about the depth makes me worried about the development of these three guys. Missing on the juco o-linemen last year might be a bigger issue than I originally thought.

    stlwildcat

  • Woods has been here 3 1/2 years and has apparently never gotten strong enough or heavy enough to play SEC football. He ought to be encouraged to go elsewhere, make room for someone who can play. Simpson should have gone on the Nick-Saban-perfected medical scholarship plan. Obvious that his bad back is going to prevent him from ever playing here, so again for his scholarship to be freed up for someone who can play.

    Eatmon-Nared is turning into more of a project than most hoped. Still time he may get it and contribute. Hopefully Shaq Love is developing along, he along with a couple true frosh will be forced to be the depth for this team at O line.

    JHB4UK

  • stlwildcat said...

    I think there is a good chance out of the incoming o-line class that we will have one guy that will be able to be called upon if needed. I always thought Tyler Robinson should have redshirted and bulked up to move to the line. However, it is difficult when nobody stepped up last year to grab the position, and to ask Robinson to gain at least 30-40 pounds is tough too.

    Disappointed that none of Woods, Eatmon-Nared or Simpson have been able to push for much playing time. Joker concerned about the depth makes me worried about the development of these three guys. Missing on the juco o-linemen last year might be a bigger issue than I originally thought.

    Simpson isn't practicing this spring. Still having back issues. The other guys, as you mentioned, just haven't made a push.

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    Matt May

  • JHB4UK said...

    Woods has been here 3 1/2 years and has apparently never gotten strong enough or heavy enough to play SEC football. He ought to be encouraged to go elsewhere, make room for someone who can play. Simpson should have gone on the Nick-Saban-perfected medical scholarship plan. Obvious that his bad back is going to prevent him from ever playing here, so again for his scholarship to be freed up for someone who can play.

    Eatmon-Nared is turning into more of a project than most hoped. Still time he may get it and contribute. Hopefully Shaq Love is developing along, he along with a couple true frosh will be forced to be the depth for this team at O line.

    Watson for one I think will be called on early to contribute. Loved that kid and how he stuck with us even when UGA came calling. Think he'll be big time

    Hogan_Ryan

  • Speaking of Miller last year, is there a freshman that anyone thinks could step up and play this year if needed from Swindle, Jones and Toth??

    Hogan_Ryan

  • Hogan_Ryan said...

    Speaking of Miller last year, is there a freshman that anyone thinks could step up and play this year if needed from Swindle, Jones and Toth??

    Watson will play, Toth will be 80%. Jones & Swindle must come in alot stronger to get on the field.

    Whitaker568

  • Whitaker568 said...

    Watson will play, Toth will be 80%. Jones & Swindle must come in alot stronger to get on the field.

    Agree completely

    Follow me on twitter @ TailgatingCzar

    princeuk21

  • Matt May said...

    Simpson isn't practicing this spring. Still having back issues. The other guys, as you mentioned, just haven't made a push.

    Unfortunately, it sounds like Simpson's football playing days are over. It is a shame, but his long term health is much more important than trying to get in a few snaps.

    usa1000

  • Matt May said...

    One other thing, I spent a while talking to Bud Dupree today. Two things that caught my attention:

    1) He said he arrived at Kentucky right at 225 pounds. He's now 255. Said when he went home last time his mother said something to the effect of "You used to have such a skinny neck, where did it go?" Joked she'd have to have a lot more food around this summer when he's home.

    2) I asked him what the feeling is like when he comes off the edge and sees he has a free run at the QB or RB. His answer, in short: "I want to decapitate him. I think Max (Smith) fears me."

    Let the "Bow to Bud" campaign begin. cool

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    Jeff Drummond

  • Jeff Drummond said...

    Let the "Bow to Bud" campaign begin. cool

    I believe Oregon may have the rights to that campaign in football.

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    "Kentucky Football needs to be and will be a championship contender in the SEC."~Mitch Barnhart 11/4/12

    rgunslinger

  • Early on in Rich Brooks' tenure, when the program was crippled by scholarship reductions, the staff had to skimp on a few positions to field a team. They had to carry less scholarship OL than you'd ideally carry. Once the reductions faded out, it seemed like the staff decided they could make do with less OL than most SEC teams to make more scholarships available to ensure they had quality kids at other spots. And that seemed to work out ok for most of those seasons.

    But IMO, UK has gotten dangerously thin at OL (for a number of reasons). Over the 3 signing classes from 2009 to 2011, UK signed a total of only 8 scholarship offensive lineman

    * 2009: 3 (Simpson - injured, Warford, Mitchell)
    * 2010: 1 (Eatmon-Nared - played TE in high school)
    * 2011: 4 (Love, Miller, West, Elliott - left after one semester)

    I'm sorry, but with injuries, and attrition being inevitable, 8 scholarship OL over 3 recruiting classes just isn't enough. Then throw in the fact that of the 4 OL signed in the 2008 class, one didn't redshirt and exhausted his eligibility (Chandler Burden), one had to give up football because of injury (Ulinski), one transferred (Idumwonyi), and the last has contributed but hasn't quite developed as the staff had hoped (T. Woods).

    Playing true frosh at OL this season seems unavoidable at this point.

    This post was edited by Jeremy Grey on 4/18/2012 at 7:28 PM

    Jeremy Grey

  • Jeff Drummond said...

    Let the "Bow to Bud" campaign begin. cool

    You better bow or duck because it sounds like he's not afraid to make some heads roll. Literally.

    bmac

  • good news bad news. it actually sounds like we may have a decent starting oline. bad news margin for error is paper thin. i think toth backs up tackle and watson guard. i also think legree plays this yr at wr. your rotation will be king fields collins robinson mccaskill legree. sweat is the popular pick and he may return kickoffs but from my untrained eye legree could be a very nice possesion guy.

    quagmire

  • Jeremy Grey said...

    * 2009: 3 (Simpson - injured, Warford, Mitchell) * 2010: 1 (Eatmon-Nared - played TE in high school) * 2011: 4 (Love, Miller, West, Elliott - left after one semester)

    Playing true frosh at OL this season seems unavoidable at this point.

    Agreed. I liked the '10 class at the time (it is really the only class that has under-performed that I can remember in the last decade-ish) but even then we needed more than 1 OL. I liked Eatmon-Nared, still think he can contribute, but how on earth do you have 27 commits and only 1 be an offensive lineman? Especially in the SEC. Joker learned his lesson the hard way, and will never make the mistake again imo.

    We will have 7 talented RBs come summer for 1 spot, I have a hard time figuring out 7 talented OL ready to play for 5 spots. RB is definitely easier to recruit/evaluate than OL but we will pay the price if a starter goes down.

    stlwildcat

  • stlwildcat said...

    Agreed. I liked the '10 class at the time (it is really the only class that has under-performed that I can remember in the last decade-ish) but even then we needed more than 1 OL. I liked Eatmon-Nared, still think he can contribute, but how on earth do you have 27 commits and only 1 be an offensive lineman? Especially in the SEC. Joker learned his lesson the hard way, and will never make the mistake again imo.

    We will have 7 talented RBs come summer for 1 spot, I have a hard time figuring out 7 talented OL ready to play for 5 spots. RB is definitely easier to recruit/evaluate than OL but we will pay the price if a starter goes down.

    It's a mistake that would cost most SEC coaches their job if it led to losses. You simply can't make any type of an intelligent arugument to defend their offensive line recruiting through the last 3-4 years.

    MinterWonderlnd

  • So who should get the blame for the 09-10 recruting classes only having a couple of OL recruits? Brooks? Remember Joker was only the head coach for one month for 2010 class and he was not the recruiting coordinater either.

    Also remember how much better our OL classes would look with Gates and Nick Martin. Gates is now the starting OT at UGA at 6'5", 328 pounds. Martin is second string OT at 6'4'' 285 pounds for Notre Dame.

    Don't get me wrong it shouldn't be this bad. But those 2 guys would have made it look a lot better.

    This post was edited by princeuk21 on 4/18/2012 at 9:08 PM

    Follow me on twitter @ TailgatingCzar

    princeuk21

  • Exactly. Gates last minute switch really hurt us.

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    It smells like microwaved homeless people in here.

    Warmother51

  • princeuk21 said...

    So who should get the blame for the 09-10 recruting classes only having a couple of OL recruits? Brooks? Remember Joker was only the head coach for one month for 2010 class and he was not the recruiting coordinater either.

    Also remember how much better our OL classes would look with Gates and Nick Martin. Gates is now the starting OT at UGA at 6'5", 328 pounds. Martin is second string OT at 6'4'' 285 pounds for Notre Dame.

    Don't get me wrong it shouldn't be this bad. But those 2 guys would have made it look a lot better.

    No doubt, those two misses hurt badly on the o-line. I think the issue with our recruiting in general is that we just don't have the room to miss on guys, whatever the position may be.

    We have a stable of running backs and most, IMO, could perform behind a mediocre line. I know people understand that we have been really short on skill position guys in the last couple of years but I think the staff has their hands tied. This is UK, it's not like most programs in the SEC where there is room to miss on a couple of guys here and there. Looking back on things, I can understand why we're short on the o-line at this point; it's either take a couple of tweeners or put some effort into the skill guys.

    One thing I do like is the fact that we've put a lot of effort into the defense, we should be legit this year and definitely in the top half of the conference next season.

    My hope is that at some point we can start building our classes to fill a void rather than hoping that a true frosh has to step up and play above his head in this conference.

    rob65

  • MinterWonderlnd said...

    It's a mistake that would cost most SEC coaches their job if it led to losses. You simply can't make any type of an intelligent arugument to defend their offensive line recruiting through the last 3-4 years.

    You also can't offer guys that you don't think will ever play just to get your Oline recruit numbers up.

    tWhit

  • Warmother51 said...

    Exactly. Gates last minute switch really hurt us.

    Crushing. That kid is a stud.

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    Jeff Drummond

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