VIDEO: Kentucky HC Mark Stoops - Media Day 2024 - CatsIllustrated: Kentucky Wildcats Football & Basketball Recruiting

MARK STOOPS: Great seeing everybody. What a great turnout. I expect to see it like this every Monday. Every Monday at noon. So I hope you all had a great summer. It was great seeing some of you at SEC Media Days, and since then it has been great to get started. We have been on the grass for two days, officially, with our team. I like the way practice has started. The guys are in very good shape. They worked very hard this off‑season. Credit to our strength and conditioning team with Mark Hill and Corey Edmond and our staff, the players look really good. The coaches have worked quite a bit, and as I mentioned before, a little bit more freedom and autonomy for us to work with our players through the summer and that is evident. But that is going to be the same way with everybody. I think teams are going to be further along than they used to be with the ability to work with them some more in the summer. So off to a good start. I feel pretty good about this football team. I feel with depth and key areas. Injury bug hit us a bit in the spring, I will get into that a little bit for you so we don't have to ask all of the questions, but overall, good depth, good team, good attitude, and really excited to continue to push forward. I think last year I mentioned to you that its open to you guys this afternoon. I think you are going to come to practice if you want. So you can go out there and get your own eyes on the team. So I look forward to seeing you out there at practice and having a great year. With the injuries, Josaih Hayes will be out for an extended period of time. Tavion Gaston who filled in as a young D lineman last year for Josaih in the spring, he will be out for an extended period of time. These are either going to be the full year or close to it. Same with Quavo Marshall at corner and Darrion Henry‑Young at defensive line as well. Outside of that, we are in pretty decent shape. We have a few ‑‑ just one guy out there that you will probably go out and look for at practice. He won't be out there, just a soft tissue injury, other than that we are in pretty good shape.

Q Coach, what about leadership on this football team?

MARK STOOPS: Yet to be ‑‑ we will see as we move forward. There are certain some guys that been around a long time. When you look at JJ Weaver, D'Eryk Jackson, Marques Cox, even though he's a transfer, he has been around for awhile. I feel really good about it. That has always developed as the year goes on and through training camp. Even yesterday was good. The first day we go out there it was beautiful weather and overcast it was almost cool. And then yesterday the sun broke out and there was some heat and humidity and as we go through practice, guys get tired and irritable, your true colors kind of shine when you get tired and hot and irritable so that's gonna be a long camp. So that is when we will need great leadership coming in.

Q Transfers coming in?

MARK STOOPS: Yes. I like our team. I like ‑‑ I do. They've really helped our team. I think we took a transfer at just about every position accept tight‑end so I just want to supplement our roster in that area. I don't have those numbers. I had them right before we went to the media day, but I want to say maybe overall we are at, maybe, 35 or 36 and that's a good mixture right there. I still feel like the majority of our team is guys that we recruit out of high school and try to want to continue to follow that model. Recruit and develop young men and then supplement them with the portal when we need to.

Q Given the depth, what are your expectations for Dennious Jackson as a guy you are weighing in the process?

MARK STOOPS: He's a guy that we needed to add for that very reason, John. We just felt like we took some hits at that specific position, so even as we want to be physical and get through camp, he is a big body out there that we needed.

Q Retention? Install? You said it's going pretty well?

MARK STOOPS: Yes, if you look at our team, defensively we have returned a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us and I think that is important, our defensive staff in the continuity that we have there, and the players that have gained experiences is invaluable. Then you have a guy like Pop who has played a lot a ball at Georgia, so there is pretty good experience there. Offensively, there are some guys who played a lot, I think we supplemented in some areas in areas that we needed to. Certainly, in the quarterback position, we have gone to the portal for several years, now. We feel really good about the high school guy we took in Cutter. He is going to be a special player, but we want to give him time to mature and grow. But Brock has done a very good job and we are excited about him. And then, also Gavin, and what he brings to the table and he's got some snaps under his belt in the Big Ten. He is a big strong guy and he can throw it and he can run. And it was also very good to bring Beau back. You have seen what can happen in years past when you're not deep in that position. Some funny things can happen, so we do think that we have some quality depth in that position.

Q Mark you've always had a stable of your offensive line in your early years, especially being a strong suit year? You had some bumps in the road a few years ago. You picked it back up again. What are your expectations? I know it's early in camp, but how is that developing?

MARK STOOPS: I want to continue to grow. I think there is no mystery there. I've said it since day one. It's very important. We have Eric Wolford back. I think Coach Wolford does a phenomenal job, not only coaching and at practice, but the way he recruits, and I feel like we are going to continue to progress in there, and then we are going to continue that depth and get better so I feel much better about that position.

Q Deone Walker is always the guy that you expect big things out of and it's going to be an especially big year for him. What do you expect?

MARK STOOPS: Yeah. Just dealing. I just want him to continue to progress. He certainly has. I think he will be the first one to tell you. He is working really hard just physically on his body. He is working hard to continue to be a strong leader for us and to make a difference on and off the field. He is very disruptive, obviously, the length that he has the way that he plays he is a unique individual that's for sure. There's not too many guys, you know, playing that look like him and have that kind of size and speed and the mobility that he has. He's a very explosive guy for his size, so I just want to see him take another step.

Q Coach, looking at the younger guys on the defensive side, some of the incoming freshman especially the Smith twins, what are you seeing over these last couple practices?

MARK STOOPS: Yes, the Smith brothers, it's good to see them out there full strength and, you know, getting better. Jerod is a guy that put on some weight. He is very, you know, he is getting very explosive for a young guy so we will see where that takes him. And Jacob, he didn't get a chance. I think you heard me talk briefly post‑Spring about seeing them out there and seeing him on his feet. He had a shoulder injury so he wasn't able to do too much in the spring. But right now, we've had two days without shoulder pads on and he looks good. They are good players and we will give them a chance to grow up and get in the system for awhile, but good players.

Q There is a lot of depth that you are seeing this here but spring, there's a lot of talk about Hardley Gilmore. So what are the expectations there?

MARK STOOPS: I think with Hardley he had an opportunity in the spring to show at times really so some flashes and he is a guy that we still think very highly of, but he is a freshman, you know, and just as I mentioned with the Smith twins, just give them a chance to grow up and mature and learn and grow and so I don't want to put the expectations too high on any young man until they have an opportunity to continue be in our system and go through some practices so there's some guys ahead of them that have some pretty good experience that are pretty good players.

Q You mentioned that you have a lot of experienced guys back on defense where do you want to get better defensively? This year over last year?

MARK STOOPS: There's a number of areas. We want to continue to get off the field. We did a decent job at times, but we have to get better at third down and executing and get some more three and outs, get off the field. I'd like to see the offense have more possession more plays. We've talked about that with the tempo and the offense, but that goes hand‑in‑hand. The defense needs to play well and get off the field. When we have opportunities get off the field we have to do that. I think we were disruptive last year. I liked that. I liked the fact that we created negative yardage plays we had more sacks, we are getting some pressure, but we want to continue to build on that. You want to continue to be able to when you want to rush forward and get great pressure. You know, some of the best defenses we've had here it was a predictable pass, you know, rushing forward and getting coverage and mixing up the coverage and getting good pressure. So I think that's an area that we need to improve. Obviously the corner position getting sticky being able to place a man. There were some times that we played man last year, got beat, believe me we mix it all up. And there were some times that we had to play tight. Get sticky. We had to get coverage. We have to get some one‑on‑one matchups.

Q Mark, speaking of that cornerback position, he didn't have much experience last year, now it seems like you've got more experience this year. Have you seen that starting to pay off somewhere between the off‑season and the start of practice?

MARK STOOPS: So far. I mean it's been just two days. So we will see as we continue to go through. I know there's more bodies out there to work with. I think we've built some depth at that position and we still some guys that maybe don't have a ton of experience, but have another year under their belt so, you know, we will see. A guy like DJ Waller, that we brought in at transfer has great length like some other corners that we've had in the past. JQ was a guy that we had last year, but I would like to see a little bit more out of him. We feel like we have a great one in Maxwell and I think he is geared up to have a really big year and he needs to. Jantzen Dunn is a guy that we've talked about. Played some Nichols, playing well at corner. Again I'd like to see some growth in that area from him, and then again Ryan Nichols, a young freshman that was impressive for us in the spring, when he was out there in the spring. He had an injury there in the spring, but he is back to full strength. Nasir Addison was with us all last year. I believe that he has the skills to be successful as well, but I need to continue and we need to continue to challenge him to see if he can make that next step.

Q We are a few years into that era of college football where bringing in 30 plus guys isn't really an odd thing anymore. That continuity that you were talking about before, how have you had to adjust and how has this year maybe been easier in some ways?

MARK STOOPS: We have great leadership. I feel like that the transfers that we brought in fit in well here. I believe that that is an important piece to make sure that transfers are coming for the right reason and they fit our system. And then with us, we just try to ask expediate that process and have at them more in tune to our culture earlier than normal and try to, you know, continue to feed them that message and sometimes it is like drinking with a fire hose, but we want to do the best that we can to educate them and to see the culture that we want.

Q Mark, 12 years, not to call you old, but that is a long time ‑‑

MARK STOOPS: No, no. You can.

(Laughter.)

Q You have to learn so much about the sport. Obviously it is changing so much, and then the rule changes, college athletics as a whole. Does it ever surprise you how much you have to learn each and every ‑‑

MARK STOOPS: No. It doesn't. That has been that way, you know, since day one. When you walk in here, I've said it 12 years ago through ups and downs. Mostly downs early on. That I was prepared for, that I knew what I was getting into. That doesn't mean that it's easy. It doesn't mean that you take it all in stride. Every day you walk in, there is a new challenge and something that you have to deal with. And I embrace that. There are young men that are going through things in there that need counseling that need talked to. Sometimes you have to put your arm around, sometimes you have to push them when they don't want to be pushed. I love that part of it. So there are just different challenges each and every day and I feel as good about that now as I did then as far as embracing those challenges, and sometimes they are more difficult than others.

Q How well of job do you believe you've done in building this program?

MARK STOOPS: I don't know. That's a soundbite waiting to happen right there. (Laughter.) I will leave that to you all. I am just trying to ‑‑ as I mentioned ‑‑ I really truly am. We have a good staff, a really good team. I'm just trying to get better.

Q You've had a really strong running game as long as you have been here. A lot of new faces in that room. Chris and Benny and Ray and stuff to follow up. And Bush has said you guys are going to run the ball. How is that progressing and him being the new OC. Just talking about that for us.

MARK STOOPS: I really like what he does in the run game. With Bush, there's no doubt, any good offense of coordinator is going to have that ability to run the ball. We talked about it. We talked about what the offense of line is upfront. We have to be more physical, we have to be able to get tough yards. You know, we were at our best or doing some really good things when the entire stadium knew we were going to run the ball and we still ran the ball for some success. There are critical moments and you're still going to need to do that. Sometimes when you are bleeding the clock or trying to win the game or in a four‑minute offense you have to be tough and physical and run the ball when everybody knows you are going to run the ball. Obviously we are looking for that balance and you are going to be able to create explosive plays if you are able to run the ball better. That's just the nature of the beast. So I like what Bush is doing. I like the way he mixes it up. He does a very good job of window dressing. He does a very good job of cutting off the defense with deception and with motions. You know, it's a mixture with getting things on the perimeter with running things down hill and the play action off of it. So I feel good. The running back room to some extent is unproven. We will see. We will see what we will do. I believe in those guys. I believe there is a really good mixture of players in there where we have the really strong bruisers that we have had before and some guys that can be electric in the open fields. So I think that will work its way out.

Q Mark, you guys were better on special teams last year, but I think adding to help with field position, how important was that?

MARK STOOPS: Yeah, I think it was really important just to improve. You know, we are going to continue to work at that and get better and the same with Jacob Calloway, eventually replace Alex after this year, but we don't know. Maybe he will hit a few this year too. Yesterday was the first time because he didn't kick the first day, but yesterday was the first day I saw him kick live and he nailed a 50 yarder with plenty of room. So, you know, we will see. I feel like we want to continue to get better. I think we were much better at special‑teams at times when it showed it's ugly head the wrong way, a lot of times it was kicks, and that is something that we need to be very consistent at.

Q You are saying that you have been wanting to snap the ball more frequently and play at a higher tempo this year, how you working with the tempo with the offense and how are you going to be moving forward and making sure?

MARK STOOPS: I want everybody to understand this. I've said it 20 times. Yes, I do, but I am not trying to be a tempo offense. We are not trying to be Old Miss and Tennessee and some of those teams that do it exceptionally well. And just snap it with 30 seconds on the play clock. That is a different style and it's very difficult to defend and they do it very well. That's just ‑‑ we can't be that overnight and I just don't want to staff it with two and three and four seconds on the play clock as well. I like to see more snaps. There needs to be a balance there. We are not trying to be in a complete hurry. We are just trying to be more efficient, get in a rhythm, and get some more plays. So, you know, any of these offensive coordinators have that ability to go superfast to go medium to go at the line, I think, just trying to get in a rhythm and, you know, hopefully get some more snaps, that also comes from getting first downs. If we get first downs, guys are going to get more touches. So you have to make sure that you're still putting them in a position to be successful. And again, just as I touched on earlier, defense getting off the field. Special‑teams putting us in good position. You do that, and we're not going to sit here after games and say why did so‑and‑so only get so many of this and so many of that, because we only have 55 plays, you know, 60 plays. That sometimes is frustrating because I feel like we do have some playmakers, but we have to get first downs and then we will get more touches.