Advertisement
football Edit

Breakout candidates for Kentucky football in 2017

You know about UK's preseason All-SEC picks.

Recently we profiled nine dark horse, potential All-SEC players, who could surprise in 2017.

Here's a list of nine breakout candidates, or players who have made limited contributions at most before, but should have ample opportunity to make their mark on the program in 2017.

GO PREMIUM NOW, GET FREE MONTHS

A.J. Rose (UK Athletics)
A.J. Rose (UK Athletics)
Advertisement

A.J. Rose or Sihiem King, sophomore/junior running backs. Benny Snell has already broken out and given how run-heavy Kentucky was last season, and the offensive line the Cats return, it's only reasonable to wonder whether a second running back might see their production soar in 2017. It's unlikely Kentucky will have two 1,000 yard rushers as they had during the 2016 season, but if King sees his production go up significantly then he'd qualify as a breakout candidate, and even modest and complementary production from Rose, a redshirted freshman, would qualify him as well.

Landon Young, sophomore offensive tackle. It's unlikely that Young will be unseating senior Cole Mosier as the starting left tackle (though it's not outside the realm of possibility), but he's probably the Cats' third tackle right now (with G/T George Asafo-Adjei as either third or fourth) and going into the long grind of an SEC season you have to believe there's a possibility Young will get very extensive playing time and may even be starting at some point. He didn't benefit from an early enrollment last year as a true freshman but has now been in the program for a long time and should be more ready than ever to prove his five-star ranking was the right call.

Clevan Thomas (UK Athletics)
Clevan Thomas (UK Athletics)

Clevan Thomas, freshman wide receiver. Given how the coaching staff talked about Thomas in the spring, and how he performed in the spring, his inclusion here shouldn't come as a surprise. There's room for an impact freshman (or two) at the slot and based on having an extra semester under his belt, coupled with his competitiveness, Thomas seems to be a prime candidate to make a big impact in his first year.

Lynn Bowden, freshman athlete. This one's a no brainer. With the news that Bowden will be ready to go for fall camp that answers at least one question. He should have enough time to start to learn the playbook; at least enough time that he could be realistically called upon to make an impact early in the season. He'll still need to carve out a niche for himself, but given Bowden's ability with the football in his hands, and his versatility, he could go a long way towards addressing UK's need for playmakers.

Tavin Richardson (left) and Kayaune Ross (right)
Tavin Richardson (left) and Kayaune Ross (right)

Tavin Richardson, sophomore wide receiver. Richardson started the season with a bang against Southern Miss, as he was on the receiving end of a couple of big throws from Drew Barker, but consistency was an issue. Actually consistency has been an issue for every receiver at Kentucky in recent years. Richardson is still young and he's shown flashes, plus really good hands, so he has a chance to build more of a rapport with Stephen Johnson and catch more passes in Jeff Badet's absence. He'll need to become more of a go-to guy beginning in 2018, and next year will be one of the older receivers in the program. So it's in the staff's interest to try and get him going this year.

T.J. Carter, sophomore defensive lineman. Carter wasn't exactly heralded as a recruit but he showed up bigger than most people expected him to be and thus earned significant playing time one year removed from high school. With a year in the program and some games under his belt, plus more time in the weight room, Carter could be a big X-Factor on the defensive line in his second year at UK.

Kordell Looney, redshirt freshman defensive lineman. Last year when the coaching staff mentioned needing to get Carter more snaps they often mentioned the same thing about Looney, as though they thought of the two in much the same way. Looney made some big-time athletic plays as a huge guy in the spring game, showing flashes of the potential the coaches have talked about. Given the need up front on the defensive line, Looney will get plenty of opportunities to make his mark.

Jordan Griffin, sophomore cornerback. Kentucky needs a third corner to emerge this season as they can't lean 100-percent on Chris Westry and Derrick Baity, two proven SEC-caliber players. Griffin's talent has always enamored the coaches and now he's a clear No. 2 at a cornerback spot. Expect him to get a lot more playing time than before, so if he rises to the occasion he could become a big part of UK's secondary this year.

GO PREMIUM NOW, GET FREE MONTHS

Advertisement