For the second consecutive season, Kentucky's offensive line has been recognized as one of the best in the country.

"The Big Blue Wall" has been named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award honoring the most outstanding unit in college football. It marks the third time since 2016 that the UK O-Line has been recognized.

The list of semifinalists includes Alabama, Buffalo, BYU, Coastal Carolina, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Texas A&M.

Kentucky used a rotation consisting primarily of center Drake Jackson, guards Luke Fortner, Kenneth Horsey, and Austin Dotson, and tackles Darian Kinnard and Landon Young during the 2020 season. They helped the Wildcats rank fifth in the SEC in rushing at 187.7 yards per game and sophomore running back Chris Rodriguez average a league-best 6.9 yards per carry.

Three current UK players have eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau for their career -- Rodriguez, running back AJ Rose, and quarterback Terry Wilson. The trio became the first in program history to top the 100-yard mark in a single game during Week 2 against Ole Miss.

The offensive line dealt with heavy adversity this season as they lost their longtime position coach, John Schlarman, to a two-year battle with cancer.

The Joe Moore Award finalists will be named on Monday, December 21. The eventual winner will be recognized in the ensuing weeks during a surprise, on-campus visit to the winning unit’s school (TBD as per the winning school’s schedule).

The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, most notably for his work at Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh. Moore sent 52 players on to the NFL, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert, and others.