Deone Walker (0) is the kind of star player that most teams don't have. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Former Kentucky receiver Jeff Piecoro believes this is the “deepest team” Kentucky football has ever had.
“They are bigger, faster, stronger than they have ever been,” said Piecoro, the sports director for WTVQ (ABC 36) and football analyst for the UK Radio Network. “They are two-deep at every position and the one thing I really like is they are set to have a 1,000-yard rusher for the eighth straight year.
“That defense is going to be really good too. Deone (Walker) is a grizzly bear with a helmet on. If they can simply stay injury free this could be one of the best defenses ever at UK. They have the ability to do that.”
Piecoro turned to a basketball comparison that a team normally needs three NBA-type players to win a national championship.
“In football, you have to have great players at every level. They have got that with Deone (in the line). At linebacker they are stacked and then they added former all-American and two-time national champion (Jamon) Duman-Johnson. Then in the backfield they have Maxwell Hairston and four really good safeties. This is a team that is really, really deep,” Piecoro said on WPBK-FM.
Piecoro believes linebacker D’Eryk Jackson, UK’s leading tackler the last two years, is “overlooked” because of those other players.
“He is not a flashy guy. He is just a guy who gets the job done,” Piecoro said.
What about quarterback Brock Vandagriff, the Georgia transfer?
“This is a hard one for me to answer. He could be the next Will Levis or he could be a complete bust. I don’t think he will be (a bust). He’s a nice player. I really am not worried about the quarterback room,” Piecoro said. “Beau (Allen) left here, went and played. His body and arm are different. He’s bigger and stronger. Gavin Wimsatt has started and played in the Big Ten.
“Does everything hinge on Vandagriff? It does in a way but they do have ability behind him. This year for a change the backup (quarterback) has played. Usually the starter gets all the snaps because UK does not blow people out. They will probably go as far as Brock carries them on offense but they do have options.”
Piecoro knows that to win in the SEC depends on offensive/defensive line play no matter who the quarterback is.
“If you don’t have time to throw, it doesn’t matter how good you are,” Piecoro said. “They have one of the deepest offensive lines they have had. They can go eight deep and have three starters back and another one who started a lot.
“They also have one of the deepest receiving rooms ever. They really could have four starters and the tight end room is ridiculous. I think the offense is going to be really good.
“You can talk all day about possibilities. If the breaks go Kentucky’s way even with this tough schedule, including four monster away games, they do have the ability to have a special season.”
4 Responses
By the time we get to Texas and the Ville depth will be much needed. Long grueling season.
exactly right Paul
I’ve been saying it since the end of last season. This is the best Kentucky team in my lifetime and probably ever. People think 7 win seasons are bust seasons and their was a time we just prayed to make a bowl game and now Stoops has taken us to 8 in a row. This will be 9 in a row and the best team Stoops has ever had and it’s not even close. We are loaded with experience and are younger players are studs. Like the Smith quadruplets on defense, Brian Robinson Noah Matthews will have a break out year. We have great upperclassmen teaching the underclassmen what a winning culture is all about. I’m sticking with my guns 11-3 and we finish 3rd or 4th in the SEC squeezing into the playoffs. I think we win the first game in the playoffs and lose the second game respectfully. We tie our all time wins with 11. People complain every where I go about the last 2 years. We had absolutely no offensive line. It’s hard to get first downs when the line can’t hold their blocks for even 2 seconds. Last year our secondary destroyed us. We couldn’t get off the field and the offense could never get in a rhythm. Our front 7 was fantastic last year we finished second in the SEC. Our secondary was horrendous. We addressed them issues and added more talent to each of those rooms. Our front 7 will be even better this year. So we will probably have the best run defense in the SEC. We have everyone back from last year that played the most minutes. If our secondary can finish in the top 8 our defense will be top 3 in the SEC. I think our secondary is even better than top 8. I say we have a top 5 secondary and the number 1 front 7 we will either finish first or second in the SEC in defense. Which means the other team will find it very hard to score on us. Our offense will run more plays getting guys more reps and no more hiking the ball with 1 second on the play clock that was the worst offensive strategy I’ve ever seen. It gave the defenae time to see what the offense was basically doing. Back to my Liam Coen comment. He was way overrated. He had on good year when we had the 2nd best team in the Stoops era it was the best until thia team was put together. We have an actual college coordinator that who interacts with the players better than Coen. Coen was the oc at LA Rams for like 12 games of the year and took a super bowl team and had a losing record with him in the playbook. We have a excellent offensive coordinator. He’s loved every where he goes and he puts his teams in a position to win. Our offense the last 2 years was very predictable. Levis bread and butter was him being able to run the football. Then goofy came here scangerello or however you say it and my grandma could call what the offense would run thenext play.
11 and 3. That means we win every game we’re favored in, plus beat a preseason top 20.
Although by then, we might be top 20. Anything can happen. Football is the craziest game. Just look at Clemson. We had them shellacked and then the near impossible crazy turnovers in quick succession down the stretch.
But I’m a huge fan of your prediction! Go Cats, get 11! And then watch the recruiting increase (if we have enough money).