Defense won out in tug-of-war over Marquan McCall
Marquan McCall was the most highly-ranked, heralded player in Kentucky's 2018 signing class. He probably isn't expected to make the biggest immediate impact out of the Wildcats' true freshmen now in Lexington, but long term his potential is enormous.
One reason for that: McCall himself is enormous.
UK's official roster lists the true freshman, once the top-ranked 2018 football prospect in the state of Michigan, at 6'3 and 368 pounds.
Sorted by weight, the true freshman McCall, who goes by the nickname "Bully", is already the biggest player on Kentucky's team, checking in at a single pound more than the 6'9 Nick Lewis.
Being big alone won't earn stars for a recruit, but when you can move and push the line of scrimmage the way McCall can, that helps. That's how you get a nickname like "Bully." And when you could project as a star offensive guard or interior defensive linemen, that versatility impacts your prospect hype in a big way.
Kentucky's coaching staff wasn't always sure whether McCall would be an offensive or a defensive lineman.
So far, defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc has won the argument in the staff's tug-of-war when it comes to McCall's future.
“Yeah, I went to bat for him a little bit," LeBlanc told Cats Illustrated. "I went to watch him play in high school and he’s a real big guy who can move. I feel like I can make him into a great defensive linemen."
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