Kentucky Wildcats Football Practice Notebook: Aug. 15

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Wildcats are seeking to bolster depth on offensive line after losing starting left tackle Cole Mosier to a season-ending ACL injury during Saturday's scrimmage.

On Tuesday, UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and offensive line coach John Schlarman offered their thoughts on the options the Wildcats have.

"We've got three or four guys that we can work back and forth between George (Asafo-Adjei), Landon (Young), Kyle (Meadows) -- who can switch over both sides -- and Naasir (Watkins) has done a nice job athletically. He reminds me a little of where Landon was last year," Gran said.

Young played as a "true" freshman last season, getting thrust into action at Florida after Mosier sustained a minor injury early in the season. He played nearly as many snaps as Mosier did the remainder of the season as UK frequently rotated two groups of linemen in an effort to maximize its depth and keep players fresh.

The former US Army All-American now figures to be No. 1 on the depth chart at left tackle opposite senior Meadows on the right side.

"He's played in the SEC," Schlarman said of the 6-foot-7, 305-pound Young. "We've won games with him, so I'm confident in him."

Asafo-Adjei, a junior who has played both inside and outside during his UK career, is the top backup at this time on the right side.

The No. 2 spot on the left side could come down to Watkins or sophomore Mason Wolfe, who had moved primarily inside to guard to begin fall camp but played outside as a freshman.

Watkins, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound signee from Good Counsel High School in Maryland, has shown enough early that he may be able to get into the mix as the Cats' fourth man.

"He's working his way in," Schlarman said. "I like what I see out of him right now. I think it's very comparable to where Landon was this time last year."

Asked how Watkins will respond to having a bigger role, Schlarman said: "The thing about Naasir, he works and plays hard every day, so I don't think it's changed much. He's been really consistent and very mature for a true freshman as far as his attitude and in terms of being able to absorb a workload like we're putting him through and being resilient to keep coming back, and that's a big reason why I'm really fired up about him."

Adjusting to the speed of the game and the minor details -- pad level, hand placement -- are the big keys for Watkins' continued development, Schlarman noted.

Junior Tate Leavitt, who signed with UK as a highly regarded tackle out of the junior college ranks, is not likely an option to bolster depth there. He will remain at guard, according to Schlarman.

"Everybody's down for (Mosier) but they also know that, hey, we've got to rally," Schlarman said. "Some guys are going to have to pull their weight a little bit more now and step up and do the job.

"We have some options, we just have to work some different scenarios now. In coaching, you've got to be ready for that because it happens."

Schlarman would like to have a 10-man rotation when the season opens, but after the loss of Mosier, the Cats currently have "around seven" guys he's comfortable putting on the field. "Eight, nine and 10 are close, but they've still got work to do here in these next three weeks to prove it," he said.

NOTES:

* A photo emerged on the internet of starting quarterback Stephen Johnson wearing a walking boot on one of his ankles after Saturday's scrimmage. Gran acknowledged that Johnson was held out of Tuesday's practice, but said he would be back on Wednesday.

* Gran said Johnson and Drew Barker had a mixed performance during the scrimmage. He was pleased that they played turnover-free football and combined to post a 60-percent completion rate on first down, but were inconsistent on third down.

* Five freshman wide receivers are in the mix to "get on the plane," Gran noted. Josh Ali, Lynn Bowden, Isaiah Epps, Javonte Richardson and Clevan Thomas have all performed well to date, but there is not likely room to get each talented newcomer into the rotation this season. "This next scrimmage will be huge for them," Gran said.

* Third-team quarterback Gunnar Hoak is having a "good camp," Gran said, "but not as consistent as we'd like." The OC added that target throws and quick decisions are the keys for the redshirt freshman.

* Regarding the running back depth chart, Gran said he's not seeing great separation between junior Sihiem King and redshirt freshman A.J. Rose to date behind starter Benny Snell Jr. "I wasn't excited about our running back play in this last scrimmage. They know that, and they came out Monday and ran like grown men."