The Kentucky coaching staff spent a great deal of time and effort during the off-season attempting to rectify what was viewed as the Wildcats' most vulnerable position on the depth chart.
Almost every offensive lineman who was available in the transfer portal got at least a look from UK in the winter, and the Cats wound up signing five players who were either expected to elevate competition or outright take starting jobs from the returning players.
One of those whose job was on the line was offensive tackle Jeremy Flax. Perhaps no player on the roster took more criticism, fair and otherwise, for the Big Blue Wall's struggles in 2022.
On Monday, the 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior from Detroit was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in Kentucky's 33-14 win over No. 22 Florida on Saturday at Kroger Field. He helped lead a unit that rushed for 329 yards and 9.1 yards per carry, gashing one of the nation's best defenses against the run.
Flax also graded out at 87% on the day, did not allow a sack or quarterback hurry, and recorded five "pancake" blocks.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops took time at both his Monday press luncheon and his weekly radio call-in show to praise Flax for his determination to improve.
"In this world that we're living in right now, it's too easy to just leave," Stoops said. "I recruited somebody to come in and take Jeremy's position, and instead of Jeremy leaving, he got better. That's what I'll tell every player. I'm going to recruit somebody to try and take your job, period. I'm going to try to get the best players we can get, each and every year, and if that hurts your feelings, I'm sorry.
"... Instead of Jeremy giving up that position, he competed with Courtland (Ford, a high-profile transfer from USC) -- and Courtland's still battling and doing some good things -- but instead of pouting or transferring, all he did was worry about himself and getting better. And he is, and he did. Players like that deserve a lot more recognition and credit because it's way too easy to do it the other way."
Regarding the inescapable criticism leading into the season, Flax says he was aware of it, but focused his energy on getting better instead of battling his critics.
"I'm the type of person that just blocks it out," he said. "I don't really like looking at that stuff. I don't need that. I'm just focused on the things that I need to do."
Flax is now part of a unit that is rushing for almost 6.5 yards per carry (ranked second nationally behind only Oregon) and is tied for 13th with only four sacks allowed through five games. Teammate Ray Davis, who was named the co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week, came within 19 yards of tying the school's single-game rushing record with 280 against the Gators.
"Personally, it was a great day for me," Davis said, "but, honestly, I didn't really do much today. You gotta give credit to the O-Line and the tight ends and the receiving corps.
"... Our O-Line's been receiving a lot of criticism, but I think today they showed up and stepped up."
If the Big Blue Wall is back, Flax's transformation will be perhaps its most important development.
"It really came down to about three different things," Flax said. "Coach bringing in that competition. Preparation, just making sure I'm on my details. And also just the self-confidence. A lot of the things that I have done well were just a matter of having the confidence to go out and do it, not worrying about failing, just getting the job done. Those three things have really helped me elevate my game."
