Kentucky is set to wrap up spring football practice on Saturday.
The Wildcats will not be conducting their traditional Blue-White Spring Game, but fans should expect to see some 11-on-11 play during the event, which will also feature UK's typical practice drills and other segments designed to give fans a look at the 2025 team.
Here are five things that Cats Illustrated will be looking for during the "Spring Showcase" at Kroger Field:
1. QUARTERBACK, QUARTERBACK, QUARTERBACK:
All eyes are typically on this position every spring, but it's magnified this year due to an almost complete overhaul of the room in the offseason following one of the worst offensive years in recent UK history. Zach Calzada is the latest in a line of transfer portal arms expected to lead the Wildcats. He comes to Lexington after passing for 3,744 yards and 35 touchdowns at Incarnate Word, following previous stops at Auburn and Texas A&M. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Calzada is physically impressive and puts some serious zip on the ball. Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has hinted that accuracy will be a big key for the Georgia native in his third cycle through the league. His main competition when camp opens this summer is expected to be sophomore Cutter Boley, who flashed glimpses of his four-star talent late in the season when filling in for an injured Brock Vandagriff. He's bigger and stronger this spring and could be poised for that big leap that many players make between their freshman and sophomore seasons. Fans will also get a look at the return of local product Beau Allen and a pair of highly touted freshmen in Stone Saunders and Brennen Ward.
2. BUT WHO WILL CATCH IT?
Equally important to the quarterbacks' progress will be the development of the Cats' overhauled wide receiver room. Kentucky's top two players at the position, Dane Key and Barion Brown, bolted for Nebraska and LSU, respectively, after the Cats' offense struggled mightily in 2024. Senior Ja'Mori Maclin is back as the proven veteran, and Fred Farrier II has some experience under his belt, but the Cats have only one other wideout (David Washington Jr.) who caught a pass last season. Literally a pass. One for nine yards. So it's clear some depth needs to be developed at that spot. Freshmen DJ Miller and Montavin Quisenberry have been drawing strong reviews this spring, as have portal additions Kendrick Law (Alabama) and Troy Stellato (Clemson). I almost hesitate to include this, but could 2025 be the year the UK tight ends finally return to the gameplan? Sophomore Willie Rodriguez caught a ton of balls during the open practice media got to attend last week. Josh Kattus is also back, and UK added another physically impressive player to that room in the form of Arkansas transfer Henry Boyer (6-6, 265).
3. IS THE "BIG BLUE WALL" ON ITS WAY BACK?
Perhaps the biggest issue in UK's slide to a 4-8 record and sitting at home for during bowl season for the first time in eight years was the decline of the O-Line. What was once perennially among the best units in the country struggled to establish the line of scrimmage and protect its quarterbacks. Ultimately, Mark Stoops wasn't able to play the kind of football that had earned the program national respect. He made fixing that problem Priority No. 1 during the offseason, signing several transfer portal players. Shiyazh Pete (New Mexico State), Joshua Braun (Arkansas), Alex Wollschlaeger (Bowling Green State), Evan Wibberley (Western Kentucky), and Wallace Unamba (New Mexico) have drawn praise for their "workmanlike" approach this spring, and all signs point to the unit drawing closer to that "Big Blue Wall" status than what we have seen the last two or three years. In particular, Stoops and Hamdan alike have been pleased with the improvement in pass protection. We'll be watching to see if that continues on Saturday.
4. CORNERS UNDER PRESSURE:
The SEC has become a pass-happy league in recent years, and it's imperative to have cornerbacks who are up to the challenge. Kentucky loses one of the best in the league, Maxwell Hairston, who is being projected as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. Who will fill his shoes, and will the Cats have another playmaker on the other side of the field? Senior JQ Hardaway and junior DJ Waller Jr. appear to be the frontrunners for the starting jobs. Both are long and athletic and have a bit of experience. Sophomore Quay'sheed Scott is also creating some buzz at the nickel spot. That trio really needs to take a step up this season. Defensive coordinator Brad White and DBs coach Chris Collins seem to believe they are poised for a breakout.
5. LIVING ON THE EDGE:
White recently confided that the edge defenders are the biggest question mark on his side of the ball. Kentucky desperately needs more pressure on opposing quarterbacks to make the defensive scheme work. Sophomore Steven Soles Jr. showed flashes of impressive pass-rush ability in his rookie season. The Cats really need a second threat to step up on the other side of the line. Southern Cal transfer Sam Greene and Kent State transfer Kam Olds are top candidates for that role, if not both challenging Soles for the starting job. We'll be watching to see if they can generate any heat against UK's reportedly improved O-Line. It may be hard to determine if 11-on-11 action is not fully "live." If the quarterbacks have the red jerseys on signifying no contact, we might have to wait until the fall to know for sure what the Cats have on the edges.
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The Spring Showcase is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET. The gates at Kroger Field will open at 9.
