Even with so many key departures from last year's Citrus Bowl team Kentucky has a number of players who fans will expect big things from in the Blue-White Spring Game.
Diehards at Cats Illustrated won't be surprised if any of the players here are Friday night standouts at Kroger Field, but casual fans might be.
RB Kavosiey Smoke
Last year Chris Rodriguez and Kavosiey Smoke played sparingly and that's being generous. Both kept their redshirts but in very limited action both ran hard and created a bit of a buzz. Don't base this on that tiny sample size, which doesn't tell us anything.
The "smoke" surrounding Kavosiey Smoke this spring is impossible to ignore, however, and Kentucky's going to need at least two running backs this fall. Don't be surprised if the second-year player from Alabama is someone we're talking about. He's a powerful runner who will make defenders pay for tackling with anything less than excellent form and focus. He should also get plenty of opportunities on Friday night.
Tyrell Ajian
Whether Ajian gets time at safety, nickel or both, there's a chance the former four-star recruit could emerge as one of the Kentucky's better defensive players this season. For people who haven't been following closely that will come as a surprise if it happens, but it's a real possibility. He has intangibles, football intelligence, the necessary size and skill to be a versatile player in Kentucky's secondary, and in limited action he has had a knack for making plays.
Between defense and special teams Ajian logged 250 snaps last season, so he has more game readiness than a lot of people probably realize, and in his first year of game action Ajian graded out at a better than average 70.4 according to Pro Football Focus with no clear weaknesses. He was a solid tackler, strong in coverage and played the run effectively.
DB Moses Douglass
From the time Moses Douglass signed with Kentucky it became clear this was someone Mark Stoops was going to be excited about. Based on what the coaches have said this spring it's going to be tough to keep the true freshman off the field. Lest we write off someone too quickly due to youth, remember that DeAndre Square's early enrollment led to a solid spring game showing just a year ago.
Recently defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale told Jeff Drummond and other local reporters that he likes Douglass' physicality in the secondary and that's a trait that this staff likes in defensive backs.
Edge defender Jared Casey
Defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Brad White has said that Kentucky is leaning hard on its inside linebackers while its edge defenders find their footing and continue to develop. Kentucky figures to once again be a physical team in the box offensively so it won't be easy for a true freshman edge defender like Jared Casey to shine so early, and there's a lot of scheme for such a young guy to digest in spring practice. But early returns seem to be very strong and it wouldn't be a shock if Casey makes some plays that turn heads on Friday. Just remember he'll be working at a position where mistakes are virtually unavoidable for a young guy in today's game with what offenses employ.
WR Bryce Oliver
All spring one of the big questions about Kentucky has been the receiver unit: Who will complement Lynn Bowden and help Terry Wilson on the outside?
As that remains an open question, aside from perhaps Josh Ali who seems to have had a strong spring, Bryce Oliver is an intriguing player worth watching closely on Friday.
Recently Eddie Gran said that Bryce Oliver and Clevan Thomas have had some moments. The path to playing time is still fairly wide open for someone who does it on the biggest stage to date this spring.
