Ever since Eddie Gran took over the offense, Kentucky has had one of the best rushing attacks in the SEC and the running back position has had a lot to do with that. After splitting carries with Boom Williams as a true frosh in 2016, Benny Snell emerged as one of the best workhorse backs in the country this past fall as he ran for over 1,300 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. But the future is up in the air.
It is very plausible that Snell will put his name in the NFL Draft after his upcoming junior season. When you look at the roster, Sihiem King will be entering his senior season and redshirt sophomore A.J. Rose has a long way to go. Therefore, it was essential for UK to add depth to the running back room after losing Bryant Koback to a transfer.
UK addressed this issue by securing Chris Rodriguez in the early signing period but there was still a glaring need at this position. Therefore, UK zoned in on Alabama prospect Kavosiey Smoke and the hard work paid off. Smoke will be bringing a unique skill set to the Joe Craft Football Training Facility and I’ll break down his game here.
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 210 pounds
Hometown: Wetumpka, Alabama
High School: Wetumpka
Strengths: Smoke fits the mold of recent running back additions to the program as he is a one cut runner that is extremely hard to bring down on first contact. Smoke possesses an impressive repertoire of moves including a nice utilization of jump cuts in the hole. Smoke is a quick decision maker and is decisive when running the football. The big back has deceptive speed and quickly hits full speed to pull away from linebackers as he gets into the secondary. Smoke has a very thick lower body, runs with good pad level, and possesses a lot of physicality.
Weaknesses: Smoke has pull away ability, but it is not full on breakaway speed. He has a tendency to tail off on the end of his runs and in college a big focus will be for the UK staff to get him to finish. He will need to work on his stamina in order to become a true breakaway runner. Patience is a big thing that Gran preaches for his running back and that is something Smoke lacks. He makes a decision and goes, but at the next level he will need to let his blocks setup as he will no longer be the best athlete on the field.
Wrap Up
Smoke fits the mold for the type of back that this UK staff wants. They are looking for big, physical runners who have a strong lower body and can really punish defenders. Smoke does all of those things and that make him a solid prospect. But his ability to make an impact in the receiving game and out in space makes him very intriguing. He seems to have an extra burst and if that can be polished he could possibly give UK a home run threat from the running back spot. Don’t be surprised if he challenges for playing time as a true freshman.
