Wright the 'X factor' for Cats' defense?

Those assembled in the sprawling confines of Kentucky's Joe Craft Football Training Center have aspirations of fielding the best defensive unit of the Mark Stoops era in 2020.

The Wildcats return a deep and talented defensive line to go along with a loaded secondary that some suggest could go down as the most impressive in program history. The linebacker corps includes a budding star in DeAndre Square and one of the SEC's top edge rushers in Jamar "Boogie" Watson.

If you're looking for a player who could take the unit to another level, keep an eye on junior outside linebacker Jordan Wright.

Entering his fourth year in the UK program, Wright has been drawing rave reviews in camp. The Florida native has seemingly carried the momentum from the second half of last season into 2020.

"From his redshirt freshman year into his redshirt sophomore year, he took a really, really big jump," UK defensive coordinator Brad White said after Thursday's practice. "He made plays for us last year, and now coming in as a redshirt junior, we're really expecting him to take that next step, and he's done it with added strength."

Wright flew somewhat under the radar as a three-star prospect out of talent-rich Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale in 2017. He had a long list of scholarship offers based on potential, but some scouts wondered how the wiry, two-sport star with more of a build for basketball would ultimately project.

Three and a half years later, he's a 6-foot-5, 240-pound athlete who looks the part of an SEC linebacker.

"He's got some more mass to him," White said of Wright, who came to UK even leaner than expected in the 215-pound range. "And he's really sort of enhanced his toolbox as a player."

Asked what a better collection of tools means to him, Wright said "Just being more physical."

White noted that Wright is still working to get better at setting the edge in the run game, but "his pass-rush game has really taken a leap from when I first got here in 2018."

"He was sort of a long, rangy player who, if he could slip the edge, could look good, but there was no thump or power to his game," White continued. "Now he's developed that and learned to play with a more physical mindset. At that position, to be successful, you have to play with that physical mindset, and if you have that explosion and length on top of it, you can be a dynamic player."

If that sounds familiar, it's the same path that Josh Allen took from two-star prospect to first-round NFL Draft pick for the Cats.

Wright, who played in all 13 games last season and finished with 27 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks. He hopes to build on those numbers in 2020 playing opposite Watson, who is the SEC's leading returning sack man with 6.5 a year ago.

Helping him hone his skills are two players on the other side of the line, preseason All-SEC candidates Darian Kinnard and Landon Young at right and left tackle.

"It's huge," White said of those daily clashes in practice. "... We talk about, fellas, you're not going to go against a better duo in this league. Now, you'll find some guys who are pretty talented on a lot of teams, but those two are as good as any."

Said Wright: "It builds my confidence up high. Having DK and Landon being the top tackles in college football today, I just go to them, if they beat me on something, and ask them what can I do to dodge this move. Learning from them every day in practice is only going to help me in the SEC."