JUSTIN ROWLAND:

My pick for UK's defensive breakout is Carrington Valentine. There are a lot of players who could be in the mix at corner, so there's no guarantee the Cincinnati native is going to end up playing a starter's level snap count over the whole year, but I do think he's in pretty good position to be a starter or a key rotation piece. Ever since Valentine arrived people around the program have felt good about his potential. He got some good experience last year and with both Kelvin Joseph and Brandin Echols moving on to the next level, an opportunity is definitely there for someone with his cover skills. Of course, everybody is starting with a fresh slate with a new cornerbacks coach, but I expect Chris Collins will like the same things in Valentine that Steve Clinkscale did.

TRAVIS GRAF:

I’m going to go with Justin Rogers as my breakout player of the year on defense. There’s just too much natural talent there to be ignored, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him as the starter at some point this season. He just has the ‘it’ factor that a lot of the roster doesn’t have. The former five-star prospect from Detroit is a dog and he’s versatile. Rogers tallied nine tackles, one TFL, and one sack a season ago in limited action. I believe he can go a long way in filling the big shoes left behind by Quinton Bohanna.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

I'm going to go against the grain a little bit here and break one of my personal rules. I am taking an incoming freshman, linebacker Trevin Wallace. This choice would have been a lot easier a couple of months ago, when the depth chart for Kentucky's inside backers was a lot thinner prior to the addition of transfer Jacquez Jones from Ole Miss. His presence, experience, and proven SEC productivity will ensure that the UK staff does not feel pressure to rush Wallace into action before he's ready. There's a decent chance, however, that the four-star prospect from Georgia is up for the challenge on Day 1. Early reports from the JCFTC suggest that the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Wallace might be even better than his lofty recruiting profile suggests. He may not be starting when the season opens -- and he could find himself in a reserve role throughout this first season in Lexington -- but I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to play a lot. He brings a combination of size and athleticism that screams star in the making.