Camp Stock Report (8/8): Young players on front seven impressing
Kentucky's defensive coaches met with the media on Thursday and updated reporters, such as Cats Illustrated's Jeff Drummond, on where things stand several practices into fall camp.
Stock Up: Young guys on the front seven
Matt House was asked about several younger players on Thursday when speaking with reporters and he had positive words for Quinton Bohanna, Marquan McCall and Jordan Wright.
On Bohanna: "He’s completely different than a year ago, which you’d expect, right? He’s played a lot more football. I think he’s taken more of a leadership role in that group. He’s more consistent. Where last year at this time he was starting to flash. Now it’s more consistency from practice to practice, from drill to drill.”
On the topic of McCall, House said that he's a different kind of player than Bohanna but he's "certainly flashed" some real potential and is difficult guy to block.
As for redshirt freshman Jordan Wright, his inability to perform at times during the spring put him behind the curve a little bit, but House said the staff is still enamored with his long, athletic body and noted "he's starting to catch up."
Freshman inside linebackers Chris Oats and DeAndre Square have both received plenty of hype during their short times at Kentucky. While House is coaching that pair, White called Square "a really impressive young man," and "a sponge" with great instincts. Oats didn't benefit from the early semester as Square did, White said, but "the physical tools" are there.
Stock Down: OLB endurance
Don't let this concern you too much because the season is still several weeks away, but Brad White told Cats Illustrated's Jeff Drummond and other reporters that both Josh Allen and Boogie Watson need to improve their conditioning because of all the extra weight they added in the offseason. Allen is up to around 260 pounds and, according to White, this is the highest weight that Watson has played at.
White said Thursday's practice was the first time that it became apparent that Allen was a little winded because of all that extra mass he's lugging around. At this point it's only something to watch for moving forward.
Because Allen is older and has played at a higher weight than Watson in the past, his endurance is probably better, White added.
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