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Published Apr 10, 2019
Spring Game Offensive Storylines
Travis Graf
Special Contributor

Kentucky's spring game is Friday night at Kroger Field and Cats Illustrated will be on hand bringing you updates and insight as it happens beforehand, during the event and afterwards.

To help you get ready for the game everything in the spring leads up to, site contributor Travis Graf runs through the biggest storylines and questions we'll be following.

The offense is our first subject.

Is there a noticeable improvement in Terry Wilson’s passing game?

Last year was an up and down year for Wilson as a first year Division 1 starting quarterback. One of the glaring holes in his game last season was his inconsistencies throwing the ball. He showed flashes of potential in that area, but just couldn’t put it all together in 2018.

With the talk around Wilson and his progression being kind of quiet on the coaches’ end, nobody knows what to expect from Wilson in the spring game. These games usually feature vanilla offense, but maybe Wilson makes a throw or two that really opens people’s eyes.

There’s been talk from people around the program that the Cats want to be more of a passing threat this year and that the coaches will make things easier on Wilson this season, implementing new route combinations, new reads and more passes to the running backs out of the backfield.

How does the running back depth chart look?

With Benny Snell gone, it’s a forgone conclusion that it will take Kentucky more than one back to replace his production in the backfield.Combined with the Cats’ 2018 season, this spring has shown that AJ Rose will most likely get the starting nod at running back, with Chris Rodriguez and Kavosiey Smoke sharing carries behind him. Both Rodriguez and Smoke have stood out at different times during spring practices and the two will get the chance to make a statement Friday night. Smoke has been banged up recently, but Eddie Gran said that he expects him to give it a go.

All three backs bring something a little different to the table. It’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff gets all three involved.

Will there be any receivers that stand out besides Bowden?

After learning the position full time his freshman year, Lynn Bowden burst onto the scene in 2018 and become one of the best receivers in the SEC. The Cats have a consistent weapon in the junior wideout and everyone knows what he brings to the table.After Bowden, the receiving corps is a question mark. Guys like Allen Dailey, Josh Ali, Isaiah Epps and Ahmad Wagner all showed potential last season but the consistency was never there.

Dailey has drawn some pretty positive reviews during the spring sessions and has a chance to make the splash on the outside. The freshman was able to redshirt last season, only appearing in two games. He recorded 2 receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown against Murray St. He fits the mold of the bigger receivers Mark Stoops has liked over the years.

Josh Ali had a pretty pedestrian sophomore campaign, reeling in 10 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Ali’s breakout game came in the last regular season contest, when he caught 3 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown against Louisville. Ali has added strength during the offseason and it should allow him to get off the line more smoothly against SEC defensive backs. Isaiah Epps had an inconsistent season in 2018, hardly ever able to gain separation against defensive backs. Epps and Wilson never seemed to be on the same page and Friday would be a good time for the junior receiver to show some improvement in their timing, as he’ll be pushed by the younger guys for playing time this season. Ahmad Wagner got his feet wet last season, making the transition from basketball to football. Stoops stated at times that Wagner was “swimming” a lot last season. There’s no question that Wagner has all of the tools to make a big impact in 2019. Will he be a red zone jump ball guy? Or will he become a good all around receiver? It’s my prediction that Wagner will make at least one jaw-dropping play on Friday night.

Which of the tight ends sticks out?

Losing CJ Conrad opens up a lot of opportunities for the younger guys at tight end. Junior Justin Rigg is the only returning player at the position with a reception under his belt, recording 4 catches for 45 yards in 2018.

Redshirt freshmen Brendan Bates and Keaton Upshaw both bring different things to the table. Bates is probably the better blocker of the two at this point, while Upshaw has the highest ceiling and has drawn a lot of praise during the spring practices. Upshaw is unlikely to play on Friday due to injury, so fans will get to see a lot of Bates and Rigg.

One of the main things to watch for is how Kentucky’s offensive line blocks during run sets ran to the tight end’s side. Conrad’s blocking ability is what set him apart more than anything and it’ll be up to the younger guys to replace him.

Does UK’s offensive line look the same after some departures?

Gone are Bunchy Stallings and George Asafo-Adjei, two staples of the Cats offensive line over the past few seasons. The Cats also lost tackle EJ Price during the offseason. While there’s a lot of talent waiting in the wings, there’s not many game reps for the guys who were sitting behind the 2-deep depth chart last season.Landon Young is back from injury and Kentucky fans will have an opportunity to see him in action for the first time in over a year. The Kentucky native should hold down the left side of the line for the Cats. Veterans Drake Jackson and Logan Stenberg are back as well.Other than those three, the line isn’t set in stone. Out of the other upperclassmen, Mason Wolfe is a guy who could see himself slide into a starting role.

The spring game will be a good opportunity for the coaches to see what younger players such as Darrian Kinnard, Nassir Watkins and Quinton Wilson can do in an extended role. All three were good looking prospects coming out of high school and Kinnard played well in a backup role last season.

Will the 2019 version of the Kentucky offensive line perform as well in the trenches as they have in years past?

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