By LARRY VAUGHT
Senior offensive lineman Eli Cox doesn’t mince words about what Kentucky has to do better this season to make sure it does not have a repeat of last year’s 7-6 record.
“It has to be a conscious choice to be a physical, nasty unit. That is something we are really emphasizing,” said Cox, a preseason all-Southeastern Conference third team selection. “We are extra motivated to prove we have the talent and grit to be an elite offensive unit like in the past.
“We want to win every game but we also want to be the toughest team. The week after you play Kentucky, we want you to remember it. You relish the chance to compete against the best like we do in the SEC. But if you want to beat a team like Georgia it requires you to play your best game from the first of the game to the last whistle because they are not going to give you anything.”
Cox was a midseason All-American in 2021 when UK won 10 games. He started the first nine games before a hand injury ended his season. Last year he moved to center and started all 13 games but returning offensive coordinator Liam Coen has moved him back to right guard where he played for Coen in 2021.
“Center is a little bit different, especially pre-snap, having to diagnose the defense and have an extra eye on the defense and also know what your offense is doing. You have to be able to see both sides of the ball and see the full picture,” Cox said about playing center last season. “It was an interesting adjustment. It was just good for me in the long run, to be able to understand defensive football and have a better knowledge of the game.”
Kentucky’s offensive line was blamed for a lot of UK’s problems last season under offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello and first-year offensive line coach Zach Yenser. Scangarello was fired and Coen is back. Yenser is back for his second season.
“I don’t think Yenser got a fair shake last year. There was a lot of transition with guys in our offensive line, recruiting classes that didn’t see a coach all the way through the recruiting class,” Cox said. “We had (coach John) Schlarman, another coach, another coach after that. Three years with three different coaches.
“I think having that consistency in the recruiting aspect and development aspect for our offensive line is going to be important for us.”
Cox is moving back to guard because sophomore Jager Burton is moving from guard to center, a move Cox believes Burton can handle. Kenneth Horsey is also moving back to left guard after being switched to left tackle last year.
“I think having guys that can play all three interiors is very important to us. Last year we were hit with injury, and we don’t want that to derail our season again,” Cox said.
Kentucky added four offensive linemen in the transfer portal and Northern Illinois transfer Marques Cox is being counted on to solidify the left tackle position for Coen and quarterback Devin Leary.
“We’ve welcomed all our guys from the portal with open arms. They’re excited to be here. Just being able to get together off the field has kind of been the most important thing for us,” Eli Cox said. “The offensive line has to be one of the tightest-knit groups on the team. We all five have to work just to get one job done. Spending time together off the field, building that continuity, those relationships with each other is critical for us.
“We brought in guys that not just fit just what we need physically but fit our culture as an offensive line. I think that has ultimately made their transition so much easier. When they have the same mentality as the rest of the guys in the room, it’s easy to get along.”
Cox was not a high profile recruit out of West Jessamine when the late John Schlarman felt he could develop into a starting SEC lineman like he has.
“One thing we have harped on at Kentucky is the way we have developed players,” Cox said. “I was a low three star (recruit), maybe even a two-star at some point. Now we are recruiting and developing four- and five-stars,” Cox said. “That is where you take the next step, not just developing players but developing highly rated players.”
He noted what freshman defensive lineman Deone Walker did in 2022 to earn all-SEC honors.
“I did not even belong on the field when I was 18 or 19 (years old),” Cox said. “Guys are coming with a higher floor than they were and are continuing to work to reach an even higher ceiling. That’s why I am so excited about being part of that process.”
WLEX-TV “BBN Tonight” host Maggie Davis is “comfortable” making a 9-3 prediction about Kentucky’s upcoming season.
She also believes that junior linebacker Trevin Wallace could be one “big surprise” player for the Wildcats this season that could be instrumental in a potential 9-3 season.
“He’s had some great moments like the blocked kick return for a touchdown against Florida when Kroger Field got the loudest I’ve ever heard it,” Davis said about UK’s 2021 win over Florida. “But I think he has kind of flown under the radar.”
He was the nation’s No. 35 overall prospect and No. 1 linebacker in the 247Sports ranking — and No. 6 overall player in Georgia — when he picked UK over Auburn and Ole Miss.
Wallace played receiver, running back, quarterback, and multiple linebacker spots at Wayne County (Ga.) and also returned kicks. He had 96 tackles his senior year but also rushed for 910 yards and seven scores, including an incredible 382 yards and three touchdowns in his final prep game when he also played every snap at linebacker. plus had reps as a kick and punt returner during his prep career.
He’s also so athletic that he was a four-year letter winner in track and broke a 44-year-old school record in the long jump with a leap of 23-4 1/4 inches. He also won the state weightlifting championship with a power clean of 335 pounds.
He has played in 24 games the last two years with 86 tackles. He started six of 12 games last season but often was overshadowed by older linebacker DeAndre Square, Jacquez Jones, Jordan Wright and JJ Weaver.
“Those other linebackers (last year) were so old and experienced and they played so much and made so many plays that you just did not always think about Trevin,” Davis said. “He has had some great moments but I think this is really his year to step into a main role and make that position his.
“Weaver is back on the outside, but I think Wallace is going to be one of the main linebackers inside that you think about and see make a lot of plays for a defense that I think is going to be very, very solid.”
ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg said he was not surprised that UK played so well in its four games in Canada last month because he had been talking to Kentucky coach John Calipari and assistant John Welsh, Greenberg’s assistant at Long Beach State.
“They had told me how much they liked this team and I could see what they meant,” Greenberg said.
Kentucky did have injured 7-footers Aaron Bradshaw or Ugonna Onyenso in Toronto but Greenberg knows what Bradshaw can add when he returns.
“He is a skilled dude. He is a big that can step away from the basket and make shots and plays,” Greenberg said. “Bradshaw can really shoot and he can also really pass. He’s just got special skills.”
Greenberg also believes Onyenso will “have some type of role” because at the very least he can protect the rim unlike any other UK player.
West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell played the center position with Bradshaw and Onyenso not available. Greenberg could easily see Mitchell and Bradshaw playing together.
“That’s a great lineup if Cal wants to go big. I am sure they will look at that and depending on who they are playing, they could play the bigs together with their guard heavy roster. I would not be shocked at all to say Cal is playing two bigs with Mitchell being one of them.”
Madison Lilley looked up to a lot of volleyball players before she helped Kentucky win its first national championship and was named the nation’s best player for her play.
One she looked up to the most was three-time Olympic medalist Jordan Larson, who was also an All-American and national champion at Nebraska.
Now Lilley is part of coach Craig Skinner’s staff at Kentucky and hoping to be able to be a role model like Larson was for her.
“I am hoping to be able to connect to young women on things that are not always volleyball-related,” Lilley said. “She (Larson) likes to read and has other passions. She is not just hard core volleyball all the time.
“At the end of the day I put my Spandex on like they (other players) do. I want to hopefully be able to inspire and motivate others while having a connection to things more than just volleyball is the biggest thing I want to bring.”
She knows working for Skinner will give her that chance because of the way he is.
“I value Craig and the type of coaching stay and poise and demeanor he has. He’s different from most coaches and that’s probably an understatement,” she said. “He has something young women value and benefit from.
“No matter what the score is, if you look at his team, coaching staff or the bench, you will not know if they are up or down. That is something special to be part of. No matter the outcome, we are in it together. That camaraderie is something I valued when I was playing but value even more now.”
Kentucky linebacker J.J. Weaver jokes that transfer quarterback Devin Leary is his “twin” because they both wear jersey No. 13.
“With him, he came in as a powerful leader. We just lost our quarterback, Will Levis, so that spot was already opened up. In the spring, Devin really opened up a lot. I really didn’t expect him to be a talker like he is, but he’s a talker,” Weaver said.
“Like, he’s going to tell you what he likes, what he don’t like. Then his game is going to speak for itself, literally. The throws he makes in practice are unbelievable. The small, tight windows, he throws it in there.
“How big I am, he can throw it over my head. He’s fast. I never knew he was that fast either. He’s an athletic dude.”
Offensive guard Eli Cox is a believer in Leary, too.
“He is talented in his own way with his accuracy, his touch and his composure. He’s a really talented football player,” Cox said. “I think he’s just really self-aware of his leadership role that he has to have as a quarterback. I’m excited to have him. He has fit in really well with the guys.”
Weaver says the “whole front (offensive line)” has been better and that Vanderbilt transfer running back Ray Davis is another “great” athlete.
“We still got (receiver) Barion Brown. That’s my dog. Dane Key, Tayvion Robinson. We got one of the best skill groups UK ever had,” Weaver said.
Quote of the Week: “No way REED SHEPPARD is a 4-star player — he is a flat-out 5 Star PTPER! BBN is going to love the backcourt tandem of Sheppard & DJ Wagner!” ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale on Twitter after seeing Sheppard play in Canada.
Quote of the Week 2: “He is a big-time playmaker and I am expecting great things out of him. The offense is tailor-made for him. He is great and has the potential to be an unbelievable player. I hope they put the ball in his hands a lot because he has that ability to make people miss and then just run away from them,” Craig Yeast, UK’s second all-time leading receiver, on UK sophomore receiver Barion Brown.
Quote of the Week 3: “I am in the nine or 10 range. I think if Dane (Key) and Barion (Brown) progress that this offense could really be stellar. This defense could be insane. If this offense can score 28 points per game, this team is going to do something special,” former UK all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles on UK’s record this season.