Kentucky has featured some of the best center play in the nation the last five years behind standouts Drake Jackson and Luke Fortner.

The Wildcats are hoping they can keep that tradition going by sliding Eli Cox into the vacant role this season.

Cox, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound junior, was earning major praise for his performance at right guard last year prior to a season-ending hand injury in the Tennessee game. The Nicholasville, Ky., native had even earned midseason All-America honors from outlets like The Associated Press and ESPN.

With Fortner moving on the NFL Draft, the UK staff viewed spring practice as a good opportunity to see if Cox can transition into the Big Blue Wall's anchor for 2022.

"I started there first day for spring," Cox said after Monday's workout at the Joe Craft Football Training Center. "(Coach Zach) Yenser is really big, coming from (the John Schlarman philosophy), everybody's got to know how to play every position. So I started out at center today, and we're going to see where our best five wind up."

If Cox is able to handle the transition -- one that Fortner also made last year to great success -- it would likely enable the Cats to put their best group of linemen on the field.

He is projected to be flanked by Auburn transfer Tashawn Manning and either four-star 2021 signee Jager Burton or versatile veteran Kenneth Horsey at the guard positions with a large group of players battling for the tackle positions vacated by standouts Darian Kinnard and Dare Rosenthal.

"It's a young group, but I think they're ready to rise to the challenge," Cox said of the young tackles getting an opportunity to prove themselves as he did going into the 2021 season. Some of those names include David Wohlabaugh, Paul Rodriguez, Grant Bingham, and Kiyaunta Goodwin.

The adjustment has not been difficult for Cox, who played the position his first two years at West Jessamine High School when he started emerging as a prospect.

"It has its differences," he said. "Little minute things, like where my hands go, how my feet are set, but having a GA like Drake who played center at a really high level for a long time and talking to Fortner during his NFL Combine process, it's been really helpful to have those guys as someone I can lean on and talk to for transitioning positions like that."

Cox has a lot of motivation to keep the standard high.

"It's something that I take pride in," he said. "Hopefully, when we trot out there in August, if I'm playing center I'll be able to take a lot of pride in playing that position and carry on that legacy that Drake and Fortner have started and that coach Schlarman started with having smart and dependable centers."