Cats Illustrated's Ultimate Roster Breakdown — 2018 Offensive Edition

Terry Wilson

Mark Stoops hasn't named a starting quarterback but a segment of the fan base has already anointed Wilson as their personal favorite because of all the hype that has continued through his high profile recruitment, but also because his skill set makes him the "continuity" option following the career of dual-threat quarterback Stephen Johnson. Wilson was recruited for his explosive athleticism, an arm that's better than he's often been given credit for, and the fact that he's been around the block at Oregon and a junior college. If Wilson wins the job he'll give UK a more explosive running option at quarterback than Kentucky has maybe ever had, but he will need to prove he can complete a high percentage of short throws and improve UK's vertical passing game.

Gunnar Hoak

Hoak is Kentucky's most experienced quarterback in terms of longevity in the present system. He has not gained game experience. Hoak has looked good more often than not in his spring game appearances, has the arm to make the throws Darin Hinshaw would ask of him, and enough mobility to run the full playbook. The common narrative says that if Wilson is the explosive running option, Hoak is the "steady the ship" guy who might be the more polished passing option.

Danny Clark

It would be a surprise if Danny Clark sees action early in the season because to all appearances the ongoing quarterback battle is a two-man race between Wilson and Hoak. But Cats Illustrated has heard that Clark has made serious strides since the end of last season and that means the coaches would probably feel a little better if injuries or a worst-case scenario force him into action. Clark has been at UK for several semesters now and he has always had the size and physical tools. Passing polish and decision-making have been among the areas he needed to improve upon.

Benny Snell

What really needs to be said beyond what people already know? Snell is the most recognizable Kentucky football player on the local and national level and that publicity is deserved, as Stoops has said, because of his consistency and production to date. He's on pace to rewrite the record books and is the undisputed alpha dog in UK's offense - the player the Wildcats have to build the rest of their operation around. This could be his last season in Lexington and he'll be running behind an experienced offensive line that he has thrived behind so far. He has not been much of an option in the passing game and if that changes it will certainly help his NFL stock.

Sihiem King

King was a little-known Shannon Dawson recruit and late addition several years ago and he has kept his head down, worked hard and finds himself in a place to secure more carries. He logged the second-most carries (79) among UK's backs last season and Eddie Gran seems to trust him to execute the playbook faithfully and with attention to detail. King ran noticeably hard during his 2017 opportunities and had some big plays, as against Florida. While other backs have been hyped, King has been tough to supplant as Snell's lead backup. He's UK's best pass-catching option out of the backfield and can also be a dangerous kick return specialist.

A.J. Rose

Rose arrived with the same ranking and as much hype as Snell two full years ago but has needed more time learning the playbook and avoiding mental miscues that have delayed his coming out party during regular season action. He saw extensive action in a blowout against Mississippi State last year but the reason he should be hopeful for 2018 is the way Gran and the coaches have praised his improved consistency and effort dating back to the latter-part of last season. He was the star of UK's spring game and Rose's slashing, explosive running style makes him a popular choice to break out.

Kavosiey Smoke

Smoke, a late recruiting addition, didn't snag as many headlines as UK's other top recruits but it's worth remembering the Wetumpka, Ala., back was rated among the top players at his position in the South. The imposing back has the ability to break tackles and brings a body that's probably more college-ready than a lot of other young runners will have. He could be a dark horse in the battle to spell Snell every third series or so, but he's more like Snell stylistically than King and Rose.

Chris Rodriguez

The true sleeper among UK's five scholarship running backs is Rodriguez, who was very productive for Ola's program down in Georgia last year. A true workhorse who might not be as physically imposing as Smoke, Rodriguez is - according to his high school coach - a guy who doesn't immediately jump out on film, but expert football watchers will notice him and fall in love over time. He's a better the tackles runner who gets stronger as a defense wears down. The second string battle is wide open but there's no question fans will be surprised if Rodriguez wins that job. Lateral agility is something that could improve.

Tavin Richardson

Richardson capped a quietly solid 2018 sophomore season with some big plays in Kentucky's narrow loss to Northwestern early in the game, and he has proven to be more of a deep threat than the scouting reports here and elsewhere gave him credit for as a recruit. While Lynn Bowden is always a hot topic and Dorian Baker's return is a big variable, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Richardson, a South Carolina native and accomplished recruit in his own day, is the Wildcats' top receiver. Maybe not in catches (Bowden will get lots of targets near the LOS), but in yards and/or high leverage situations.

Dorian Baker

Baker's journey to this point, in his last year at Kentucky, has been long, well-documented and very up and down. He had a 500-yard receiving season with Patrick Towles tossing the ball to he and Garrett Johnson most of the time but that seems like ages ago. Baker missed last season with an injury and those outside the program can't be sure of how ready he is for one final hooray. There's a wide range in potential outcomes for the player once dubbed "American Pharoah" for his physique and thoroughbred style. At the end of the 2016 season, when he last saw action, Baker made highlight reel touchdown catches on deep balls against Louisville and Georgia Tech in important situations. He will need to play with reliable hands and shake off rust quickly. Baker has always had enormous (and vicious) potential as a blocker.

Lynn Bowden

Is Bowden ready to become a true star in the SEC? His freshman year was interesting. He wasn't thrilled to be missing in action in the first couple of games for Kentucky but eventually topped the 1,000-yard all-purpose mark in 2017, mostly because he became Kentucky's primary return man on kickoffs. With Charles Walker's extremely efficient punt return skills gone, UK could opt to give Bowden a chance to break games open in that role. Bowden was targeted a whopping 12 times in the spring game, catching seven of those passes. He didn't score any touchdowns last year and finding a way to give Bowden scoring opportunities will be a big focus for Gran, Hinshaw, the quarterbacks and the entire offense. Bowden could be a darkhorse All-SEC candidate but he also needs to put a propensity for drama in the rear view mirror.

Isaiah Epps

The former Jenks, Okla., prospect was thrust into action probably earlier than would be ideal last season because of Jeff Badet's departure, Baker's injury and an overall lack of depth, but he showed real flashes of big-play potential when he got the opportunities. Epps had two catches for 31 yards in his best game last season, a loss to Ole Miss, but was closer to some real down the field highlights. How Epps develops as a staple in UK's receiving rotation will help determine whether UK has the vertical passing game to give Snell more breathing room in the box. The potential is there for a nice step forward.

Josh Ali

If you have a tendency to group Ali in with Epps as an on-field twin of sorts, that's understandable. He's also a rising sophomore who had roughly similar reps and had more close-calls that big hitters. Ali saw action in nine of Kentucky's games last season. When media could watch Ali in the spring they noticed that both he and Epps were making plays. The coaching staff has also said a lot of positive things about the pair. As part of a rotation that doesn't have much proven depth, this true sophomore needs to play a big role - like Epps.

Ahmad Wagner

Wagner is one of the most intriguing players Kentucky has going into camp. The former Iowa basketball player has two years of eligibility, not one, and that's big news because he hasn't played football in a long time and this year could bring a steep learning curve. That said, Wagner has incredible size (6'5, 238) and runs legit 40-times in the 4.4 second range. Immense physical talent and tools are there, but how much can anyone expect from someone who hasn't played football in years and was in-and-out with the sport in high school? Whatever Wagner gives Kentucky this year might be a bonus compared to what will be expected in 2019, but again, for a rotation short on experience he might have plenty of opportunities.

Clevan Thomas

Thomas was an early enrollee in 2017 and it was hard not to jump on the hype train after Gran, formerly his recruiter and now his coordinator, heaped praise on him for his blue-collar toughness and work ethic. But when last year's schedule got into full gear Thomas was not a regular part of the rotation and the production was absent. It bodes well that Thomas' possesses those qualities that Gran has always praised, but after last year's lack of touches and action it remains to be seen what should be expected from what will be, basically, a first year player.

Zy'Aire Hughes

Hughes was recruited as a WR/DB athlete-type and did some impressive things in Kentucky's last Blue-White game. He has outlived whatever hype he had a recruit, even though he's still relatively young in the program, but Hughes is a real candidate to be one of Kentucky's top-pass catchers. He can make defenders miss on outs and quick throws in the short passing game.

David Bouvier

Could Bouvier be Kentucky's next Charles Walker? Sloppy and unfortunately cliche comparison aside, both have started as walk-ons and worked their way to a point where playing time was, and seems, inevitable. The obvious question is the extent to which Bouvier can contribute but in the spring it seemed like he had a knack for finding open spots on the field and even behind the defense. He'll need to make the most of his early opportunities to earn trust and also prove himself to be a reliable blocker to be more than a back-end of the rotation option.

B.J. Alexander

We don't know much about the true freshman from Chaminade Madonna because his first camp hasn't started and he wasn't an early enrollee, but he's got SEC-caliber size and athleticism on the outside and matched the production of Alabama signee Xavier Williams on a state championship team last fall. There's an opportunity for true freshmen to make an impact on this unit.

C.J. Conrad

Conrad is a popular choice to perform as one of the SEC's top tight ends and could be in line for a nice draft position in 2019 if he has a strong season returning from an injury that sidelined him for the end of last season. He should be fine health-wise and Conrad is one of the nation's better blocking tight ends as a bit of a throw-back in the age of the hybrid. The Conrad-Johnson era was known as much for big catches that almost materialized as much as the big plays that did, which isn't entirely fair, but that says a lot about the expectations everyone has for Conrad. He was a weapon in the red zone early last year but defenses adjusted. For him to sustain season-long touchdown and big-play potential the rest of the offense needs to become more balanced.

Justin Rigg

If injuries have been a distraction and a nuisance for Conrad, they have been derailing and a real problem for Rigg. But that hasn't slowed Rigg's development. Whenever he's healthy the coaches talk him up like he's a player who can become a force in the SEC, and in the Music City Bowl he looked the part with two catches and 34 yards. At his best, when healthy, Rigg isn't much of a drop off from the older, more heralded Conrad. While Kentucky has four tight ends on the roster in 2018, Rigg really needs to stay healthy because two of those players (see: below) are unproven true freshmen.

Keaton Upshaw

Will Upshaw realistically be able to get on the field as a true freshman tight end in the SEC when he was split out as a de facto wide receiver, thus almost never blocking, in high school? It's an interesting question but a fair one to ask because of the recent injuries to the players ahead of him on the depth chart. He might see action by necessity at some point. While Upshaw is more of a hybrid than some of the recent tight ends UK has recruited he has a big, sturdy frame and is one of the many imposing true freshmen, relative to their position, that Kentucky signed in the '18 class.

Brenden Bates

Bates' forecast for playing time in 2018 reads almost the same as Upshaw's but there are plenty of differences between the two players. Bates comes from a more accomplished high school program, Archbishop Moeller, and he was a prized recruit because of his block-catch potential as opposed to being a hybrid. He's shorter and more compact than Bates but has blocked more. Time will tell which player sees the field first. If Conrad and Rigg both stay healthy then UK might have the great luxury of redshirting both players. In that case the position has a very bright future.

George Asafo-Adjei

Asafo-Adjei is Kentucky's most experienced offensive lineman. At one point he was bouncing back and forth between tackle and guard as a utilityman helping however he was needed but last year he settled into his right guard position and helped a once-shaky line dig in and start blowing open holes for Snell once the center position was solidified. Asafo-Adjei has played in 36 games over his career with right tackle starts in UK's last seven games of 2017.

Landon Young

The first five-star Kentucky football signee in the Rivals.com era was thrust into action a little too early in 2016 but held his own and made the most of a difficult situation. Last year as a true sophomore without that extra semester the previous year, Young was more than serviceable as a left tackle and started to round into a more reliable player the less he was having to play catch-up and adjust to the speed of the SEC. Expectations will be sky-high for Young in 2018, as many program-watchers believe the timing could be right for him to start to shine as an all-conference caliber player. Bigger and stronger than ever, and more experienced in pass sets, how Young fares will be one of the biggest factors in UK's success or failure as an offense because he'll be protecting the quarterback's blind side - whoever that is.

Naasir Watkins

Watkins was one player, along with Josh Paschal, Quinton Bohanna and Thomas among others, who earned strong praise from Kentucky's coaches before his true freshman last year. Eddie Gran almost made it sound like Watkins was in the mix to play a good bit. That didn't happen and it was probably for the best because Watson kept that redshirt and a year of eligibility. Watson has always had impressive natural footwork and athleticism for a big man, which is what Kentucky's staff liked about him as a recruit. Watkins might be unproven in a game, but Kentucky's coaches probably wouldn't have any problem if he has to run with the ones at some point.

E.J. Price

When Price transferred from USC to Kentucky, the publisher of the Trojan site on Rivals.com told Cats Illustrated he was the best offensive tackle prospect the elite Pac-12 program had brought in for several years. The former Rivals250 prospect has struggled to block out the noise and appeared to briefly leave the team at one point in the offseason. Back on the squad, Price has been quieter recently and appears to be doing everything he can to focus on football and making good choices. Consistency needs to be proven over time for trust to grow and be sustained but even with the offseason uncertainty Price is a top four tackle at the start of camp.

Darian Kinnard

Kinnard's recruit profile on Rivals.com listed him at 6'6 and 315 pounds, but the Kentucky official roster has him now at 6'5 and 357. Only the coaches know how much of that weight is good but it bears witness to Kinnard's rare and imposing size as well as Mark Stoops' stated desire to get bigger up front. The U.S. Army All-American has plenty of ability and the ideal scenario would be to let him redshirt in 2018.

Nick Lewis

If you think Kinnard is big, take a look at the 6'9, 367-pound Nick Lewis, who actually appears to have slimmed down and begun the work of building his body the right way, compared to what Cats Illustrated saw from him in person as a recruit. Lewis would benefit from a redshirt to continue that important task of turning some bad weight to good weight but you can't teach his size and, also a basketball player until recently, Lewis is a better athlete than you'd think just by looking at him.

Logan Stenberg

Those around UK's program adamantly believe Stenberg will be one of the SEC's best offensive guards this year and love the way he has progressed from year to year. He's someone Snell can comfortably and consistently run behind and he has developed into as consistent a performer as Kentucky has up front in the trenches. If he stays healthy, and durability hasn't been a question, he could be a darkhorse candidate for All-SEC honors especially if Snell has another big year.

Bunchy Stallings

The Stallings-at-center experiment to start last year was rocky, to put it mildly. Though he has a history in the middle snapping the ball, it didn't go well in the first part of last season. When Drake Jackson moved into the starting center role it allowed Stallings to move back to guard, where he has been much more effectively over the past couple of seasons. Offensive line and college football guru Cole Cubelic loves the interior of Kentucky's offensive line and Stallings, as one of three starters there along with Stenberg and Jackson, is one of the main reasons why.

Luke Fortner

Fortner has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to make an impact for the Wildcats after being part of their banner year of offensive line signees from the Class of 2016. He's bright on and off the field and the coaches have liked his versatility. He just hasn't had many opportunities to prove himself with the older players in front of him coming of age as he's been working to come up the ranks. While Fortner has played sparingly, he's someone Kentucky could plug into multiple spots and probably fare well and he'll be a strong candidate to start in the years ahead.

Austin Dotson

Dotson was an offensive tackle prospect but the move to guard makes sense because he's a physical mauler and didn't block in pass sets much in high school. UK's other staff members have spoken highly of what John Schlarman has done with most of its linemen through a redshirt year and another season of development. With Dotson not expected to be a starter or to play a lot barring an injury, this would be that second development year before he really competes for a starting spot. But he seems to be a good fit at guard.

Sebastien Dolcine

Dolcine arrived at Kentucky bigger than expected and one of the things he needed to do was transform his body in a positive way. Now a reasonable 6'4, 318 pounds, and in better shape from what we've heard, Dolcine is moving in the right direction and if he's patient and continues working hard he could factor in here - but probably not much in 2018.

Drake Jackson

Jackson was, without question, one of Kentucky's breakout performers during 2017. He wasn't an All-SEC player but it probably felt like he was to many who watched the team play. The difference in the line with and without Jackson at center was tremendous. He's never going to be the biggest or most physically dominant player on the field, but Jackson gets absolutely everything out of what he's working with and players like that have had long NFL careers at center, defying expectations. All Jackson has ever done is defy expectations. Kentucky has an ideal situation with Jackson in line to start for the next three seasons at center. To replace Jon Toth with Jackson has been a very fortunate arrangement indeed. There are things he can improve on, but in terms of picking up on mistakes, studying film and critiquing his own game it would be a major surprise if Jackson doesn't get better year-to-year. His personality and track record doesn't leave much to chance.

Mason Wolfe

Wolfe at center is an interesting arrangement because last year the staff mentioned four players other than him working there: Stallings, Jackson, Nick Haynes and Fortner. This off-the-radar move must be based on something the coaches have seen and experimented with but in the absence of game film with him there, and with media having limited access to practice, it remains a great mystery for the time being. It's worth noting the coaches seemed pleased with Wolfe's strides even before the move.

Quintin Wilson

Wilson probably isn't likely to see action at center as a true freshman but he has the look of a pure center prospect: A low to the ground build, a very wide base and the ability to snap. The book on Wilson as a prospect was that he was a bit raw because he didn't start hitting the weight room in earnest until later in his high school career but sometimes guys like that see a rapid improvement in play once the strength program works his magic.