Rowland: 3 questions about every defensive position group for UK
Every day Kentucky's spring football practice schedule inches closer and we're helping you get ready in new ways every week.
Here are three questions I'm asking about each defensive position group.
Go premium for one month, don't pay again until September 1st, 2018
Defensive Line
1. What kind of impact will a full year, and a second offseason, with Derrick LeBlanc have on Kentucky's defensive line?
Derrick LeBlanc was brought onto Mark Stoops' staff a year ago with the Cats' head man hoping that he would be able to cultivate an SEC-caliber defensive line through emphasis on technique and development. They started last season strong but struggled down the stretch during the toughest part of the schedule.
2. Who will have a breakout year?
The hope going into last season was that Adrian Middleton would have a breakout year. He did lead Kentucky's defensive linemen in the tackle category, but UK's line would benefit enormously if someone could emerge as a bona fide "tough to block" player in the trenches. There are plenty of candidates ranging from Middleton to T.J. Carter, Kordell Looney, Phil Hoskins and C.J. Taylor.
3. What kind of depth can Kentucky develop at the nose?
Kentucky has plenty of bodies across the board, but behind Quinton Bohanna the situation at the nose is a little unsettled. Who will emerge, if anyone, to provide quality depth in case Bohanna gets banged up or needs to rest?
Linebacker
1. Can Jordan Jones bounce back and play at a 2016 level or above?
Jones was an All-SEC player in 2016 as a sophomore but he missed time due to various reasons in 2017 and wasn't playing at peak level as a junior. He needs to be mentally focused and playing under control while not sacrificing any of that trademark speed or explosiveness. Jones at peak performance would make this unit much better.
2. Will Josh Allen sustain a full season of high level play?
Number 41 had a strong junior season but most of his production was heavily weighted to the first half of Kentucky's schedule. He did finish the 2016 season strong to "tapering off" isn't a trend. But Allen knows, and has said, he wants to sustain a full season at the level he started 2017 at.
3. Who will emerge as Kentucky's starting MIKE linebacker?
Kash Daniel is the heir apparent with Courtney Love gone, but there will be an offseason battle with some of the younger players in the program nipping at his heels. The game has apparently slowed down as Daniel has grasped assignments and pre-snap reads better. This will be one of the more intriguing position battles to watch on the team.
Defensive Back
1. Can Derrick Baity play at an elite level?
Baity is Kentucky's most talented cornerback prospect and he played at a very high level in the bowl game. He has showed flashes after emerging as UK's top corner in 2016. If he can develop into a lockdown cornerback, and one of the SEC's best, it would be the first time Kentucky has had a player like that since Trevard Lindley.
2. Will the SEC's most experienced secondary finally live up to its long-standing hype and build on some strong late season performances?
It wasn't a great 2016 for Kentucky's secondary but there is so much seniority and experience it's reasonable for a fan to hope that the defensive backfield could be one of the best in the SEC. An improved pass rush could go a long way towards helping with that. They picked off Vanderbilt's Kyle Shurmur four times, which was more interceptions than he had thrown in the entire season prior to that, and the secondary balled out in the bowl game. That's something to build on.
3. What kind of development will we see from younger players with a massive youth movement taking place starting in 2019?
The downside to having a secondary full of seniors is what comes the next year. Fortunately for Kentucky there are some talented younger players like Jordan Griffin, DaVonte Robinson, Tyrell Ajian, Yusuf Corker, Michael Nesbitt, Tobias Gilliam and Cedrick Dort waiting in the wings. The development of those players has to start now for 2019 to be a success rather than a wholesale rebuilding project, and also for depth this year.