Just one day ago Cats Illustrated publisher Justin Rowland offered up some candidates for Kentucky's offensive breakout player of the year in 2022.
Now we flip it over to the defensive side and explore which players in various position groups could be primed for a breakout.
DL Justin Rogers
Kentucky's former five-star signee from Michigan appears to be locked into a competition and time-sharing arrangement with Josaih Hayes, who was a top level recruit in his own right.
Rogers played very sparingly in the first month of last season, accumulating only 24 snaps through four games. But things really took off from there, with 40+ snaps in game five and strong participation reports the rest of the year. Given the opportunity that sits right in front of him and the pedigree, this is the time when fans should be hoping for a breakout from someone who arrived with lots of expectations. If he can start to realize the potential that was identified on the recruiting circuit — even if a good bit of it was for offensive guard — it would really be a positive development. Rogers showed enough last year for fans to have some optimism.
DL Octavious Oxendine
Going into last season defensive line coach Anwar Stewart talked about a rotation and competition between Oxendine, Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, and Isaiah Gibson at that boundary tackle position. Oxendine seemed to be ahead of the other two before an injury ended his season.
Oxendine should be good to go at 100% for the Cats this season. He looks very lean and trimmed down, so could provide some pass rush from the interior. How he returns from an injury could play a huge role in the success of Kentucky's defense this year.
DL Tre'Vonn Rybka
Rybka was quietly a significant contributor for Kentucky a year ago. He played in all 13 games for UK, with a whopping 61 snaps played against Iowa in the bowl game. That was more than two times as many snaps as he had played in any other game all season long and it was essential because of other players out of action.
PFF gave Rybka a 53.4 mark in that Citrus Bowl and a 59.1 score for the season.
When CI saw Rybka this summer around the facilities during camp season he also looked leaner than before. The "movement piece" is something Brad White talked about multiple times with that 2020 signing class, and that appears to have been a focus over the last year plus.
LB D'Eryk Jackson
Jackson is a testament to the depth Mark Stoops has built at some positions. Nowhere are the Wildcats deeper than at inside linebacker, where DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones returned for a Super Senior season. Still, it's tough to imagine Jackson not getting his snaps. He's a potential difference maker who is stout against the run and has better movement, agility, and speed than he is probably given credit for at first glance. The big guy can move and the way he has returned from injury is impressive.
LB Trevin Wallace
Under different or just normal circumstances we'd be talking about Jackson and Wallace as Kentucky's starting inside 'backers going into the season, but UK's second-year linebacker from Georgia is in the same boat as Jackson. He hasn't battled injury the same way Jackson has, and arrived with more hype, but they're in a similar spot fighting for playing time with older returnees ahead of them. It's hard to imagine Jackson or Wallace playing less than 400 snaps so there's plenty of breakout potential there.
In most areas, PFF has given Wallace good scores. His marks for tackling, pass rush, and coverage were all solid or good even as only a true freshman who saw 241 snaps. His run defense score was lacking and that could just come down to more discipline in his assignments as he gets older.
DB Jalen Geiger
Geiger will go down as one of the best players in UK's 2019 signing class, which has been ravaged by attrition. He appears to be locked into a starting assignment at safety and may be one of the most versatile players on the defense, having started at corner and with his ability to play safety or nickel. He's due for a lot of snaps this season and how he acclimates to the defensive backfield as a regular especially in terms of the communication with Tyrell Ajian and the corners will be important. Geiger is a physical defensive back who is well schooled in the system.
DB Joel Williams
It could be Zion Childress or Williams here, but lets go with the more experienced player. Williams should have opportunity at that medium spot or in the nickel position with every other starting spot in the secondary spoken for. Opportunity is there, and if Williams is going to have a major impact at Kentucky this is probably the time for him to seize that.
