Take Two: Expectations for UK's receiver room
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2024 college football season, one of the main reasons for optimism - if you're a Kentucky fan - is the Wildcats' receiver room.
The room saw plenty of transfers this offseason, but the core is clear. Is this the year Kentucky's receivers break out?
That's what Jeff Drummond and Justin Rowland are discussing.
Justin Rowland: I've got high expectations for the receivers. I think Daikiel Shorts was a really good hire coming from Houston and working with Dana Holgorson. He's recruited well and players have produced for him. Barion Brown and Dane Key are bigger and juniors now. I like the way they rebounded from a stretch of struggles last year. They didn't spiral and bounced back to finish the year well. That's a good sign. Ja'Mori Maclin seems like he's got a chip on his shoulders coming in and he can be a really good deep threat. I've heard good things about Fred Farrier early on and they thought he had a little more wiggle than some of the second teamers last year. Hardley Gilmore is a freshman who has impressed so far and I still think Anthony Brown-Stephens has a very bright future in Lexington. My opinion is this room will be a strength and can even tip games in UK's favor assuming Brock Vandagriff and the protection are up to par.
Jeff Drummond: It's an interesting question entering the 2024 season. A year ago, we may have set the bar too high with expectations for that room. On paper, it made sense. Promising youngsters Dane Key and Barion Brown were coming off impressive freshman seasons, Tayvion Robinson elected to return for another year, and the Cats were bringing in arguably the best passer in the transfer portal in Devin Leary. For one reason or another, it never fully came together. The Cats played at a snail's pace and struggled to find rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. Often you'd see the receivers get open and the protection fail or the ball not be delivered when/where it needed to be. Other times, maybe those things would happen and the ball would be dropped. I'm optimistic going into 2024, however, with Key and Brown back and a lot to prove to scouts. I look for Anthony Brown-Stephens to take a big step in his second year, and for Hardley Gilmore to be an impact freshman. He was the buzz of spring football on that side of the ball. They'll need to find another guy or two they can rely on, but it's got the makings of a nice room with energetic new position coach Daikiel Shorts joining the staff. If quarterback Brock Vandagriff plays to his 5-star pedigree, it could be a big year for the wide receiver corps.