Kentucky's offensive line is expected to be one of the better units in the country entering the 2020 season.

But what if the Wildcats are even better up front than we anticipate?

There are some indications from the last week of camp that it might be possible, and the emergence of Austin Dotson is a big part of that revelation.

The burly 6-foot-6, 313-pound native of Belfry is making a push for a starting job at left guard and has likely secured, at the very least, a spot in the eight- to nine-man rotation that UK typically uses on game day.

"I felt Austin in that (second) scrimmage," UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said after practice on Sept. 8. "I thought he did some things that I haven't seen him do. He really got after it. I was really proud of him."

Dotson carried that momentum over to the third scrimmage this past weekend and continues to impress the staff as he battles sophomore Kenneth Horsey for Logan Stenberg's old job, the only full-time starter that the Cats must replace this season.

He may also get some snaps behind senior Luke Fortner on the right side. No matter where he lines up, Dotson just wants to play for Big Blue.

"It means a lot to me, growing up in eastern Kentucky. This has been my dream ever since I was little, to play for UK. It's a dream come true to finally get my shot," Dotson said after Tuesday's practice.

Dotson has patiently waited for his opportunity behind some quality players like Stenberg, Bunchy Stallings, and Mason Wolfe for the last two years.

"When I finally figured it out, I just ran with it," Dotson said. "Just kept working hard."

A big part of his development was improved footwork and pass protection technique. His old high school program was known statewide for its trademark brand of smashmouth football. Belfry threw the ball 18 times his entire senior season.

"I wasn't used to sitting back and having (defenders) come at me," Dotson said of his early experiences in pass protection at UK. "I was used to being the aggressor and the attacker."

He may have fit in well a year ago as UK morphed into a run-heavy offense after injuries ravaged the quarterback depth chart. But with top signal-caller Terry Wilson back at full health after knee surgery, the Cats are expected to put the ball in the air quite a bit more in 2020, so that means Dotson has to be strong in that aspect of his game.

Getting a chance to work against the Cats' standout defensive tackle, the 6-foot-4, 357-pound Quinton Bohanna, on a daily basis has helped Dotson steadily improve.

"It's physical. I mean, it hurts," Dotson said with a laugh. "... Quinton is such a big body. He can take up multiple gaps, and with his strength, he's just hard to move at times."