For Kentucky's offense to flourish and for the Wildcats to have the kind of season fans are hoping for, balance is the key.
Lynn Bowden won't be running over, around, and through the opposition. While the rushing attack should still be formidable, the passing game must start to take off.
Enter Clevan Thomas, one of the most experienced receivers on the roster. He's one of the players who needs to step up as a pass-catcher, and he's the subject of today's edition of Cats Illustrated's Roster Rundown.
Background: The 5'11, 205-pound Thomas quickly gained a reputation as someone who would not be outworked early during his time at Kentucky. But there was a problem: He was a slot receiver, and Lynn Bowden was a slot receiver.
Thomas took over in the slot as a full-time starter and a pretty regular player when Bowden moved to quarterback. He was not utilized in the same way Bowden was, since Bowden was doing so much with the ball in his own hands. But Thomas gained very valuable experience both as a blocker but also a route-running and sporadic receiver, but mostly as a blocker. He had a touchdown reception in a close win against Arkansas.
During Thomas' high school football career he was recruited by Eddie Gran and committed to UK shortly after a camp in Lexington. The Pembroke Pines (Fla.) Flanagan prospect had received verbal offers from Iowa State, Louisville, and Michigan over the course of his recruitment to that point.
2020 Outlook: With Bowden gone, Thomas the odds-on favorite to start in the slot. In that position he should see 400-plus snaps as one of the most important receivers on Kentucky's team, along with Josh Ali and perhaps a couple of others.
Thomas is a capable blocker but he should become much more involved in the passing game with Terry Wilson back behind center.
Consistency is something that seems to be a strength for Thomas so assuming the offense is back to a semblance of balance, he should have plenty of opportunities and it wouldn't be a shock to see him double or even triple his reception total.
