Every college football team is counting on returning, established players to continue to produce at a high level. And every team is expecting other players to step up and stand out.
Here are breakout candidates at every position for Kentucky football this season.
QB Will Levis
Quarterback is a hard call here since Levis is the obvious returning starter and he already broke out last season. He had the best season for any Kentucky quarterback since at least Mike Hartline's final season. In all likelihood it would take an injury or unforeseen struggles for another quarterback to get the call here. There's still plenty of room for Levis to improve. That means going through his progressions and avoiding turnovers. Bank on him taking another step forward in his final season at Kentucky.
RB Ramon Jefferson
If Chris Rodriguez is good to go for most or all of the season then it's going to be hard for another running back to break out more than he already has. JuTahn McClain has been incorporated into the offense and Kavosiey Smoke has been around for a while so you know what you're getting from both. Their production and contributions could improve, but Ramon Jefferson is the breakout to watch. He was one of the top players in FCS football a year ago and will be looking to prove himself in the nation's best conference. Even if Jefferson isn't a starter, his contributions will be new for Kentucky.
WR Dane Key
You could go a few different directions here but Key makes sense because it's rare for college football coaches to aggressively promote a true freshman in the way they have with Key. A legacy, Key has apparently arrived and demonstrated that he knows the kind of effort and focus that will be required to become a big-time player at the college level. Opportunity meets talent and preparation here, and Key could well be UK's No. 2 wide receiver after Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson. Other candidates: Chris Lewis, DeMarcus Harris.
TE Jordan Dingle
Keaton Upshaw would best be classified as a bounce back candidate. Josh Kattus is a freshman. Izayah Cummings made an impact last year and should be poised to do so again. But Jordan Dingle is the choice that makes the most sense because of the talk coming out of camp. He's got a penchant for making contested catches and could become a nice target for Levis as Kentucky airs it out more this year.
OL Deondre Buford
The interior of Kentucky's line is already well established. Eli Cox was a Midseason All-American a year ago before his injury, Tashawn Manning was a starter at Auburn, and Kenneth Horsey comes with proven Big Blue Wall credentials. That leaves the tackles. With Deondre Buford protecting Levis' blind side, the Michigan native is squarely in the spotlight. He doesn't have to be an all-conference lineman right off the bat but he's going to be scrutinized heavily on every passing down early in the season. He's a good enough athlete and is finally big enough to stand up to the challenge against most opponents.
DL Tre'vonn Rybka
It's much harder to pick the standouts on defense because there are more players who could be selected here. One could go with Darrion Henry-Young, Justin Rogers, Josaih Hayes, or several others here. Regardless of who you pick, it's important that a couple of guys break out because Josh Paschal and Marquan McCall will not be easy to replace. Rybka looks very slimmed down and played more last year than most seem to realize. UK needs him to be a disruptive factor up front for Anwar Stewart.
LB D'Eryk Jackson
There's seniority almost all around Jackson. Trevin Wallace would be the other possibility here, and you could go either way. Both Jackson and Wallace are backups and both should be impactful players who see the field a good deal.
DB Jalen Geiger
One could pick different players in the secondary as well. This will be Geiger's first year as a full-time starter. He's one of the most versatile players on the team, with some college history at corner, nickel or safety. Geiger should be a "set it and forget it" player because he's so disciplined in the scheme and is sound in just about every way. It should be a luxury to plug in a new starter without having to worry about him much.
