Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy believes UK could be a threat to potential national champion Texas when the teams play in October. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Greg McElroy, a former national champion quarterback at Alabama and current ESPN analyst, not only talked about Kentucky on a national conference call this week but also shared some insights on future Kentucky opponents.
He believes Texas, a team that plays at Kentucky on Oct. 18, could win the national championship.
“I think they have the perfect blend of upside and establishment, right? I think their ceiling is as high as anybody in college football. I think they’re ceiling alongside maybe Ohio State,” said McElroy. Ironically, considering who they play this weekend, those two teams as far as the talent profile are probably as good or better than just about anybody else. So what that translates to is on their best day, they can beat everybody. Now, can they get got? Of course, it’s college football. That’s the beauty of it.
“I look at and having studied (quarterback) Arch (Manning) so closely this year, I think they have upgraded at quarterback and that’s not to be disparaging towards Quinn Ewers. I thought Quinn was kind of under appreciated, frankly, over the last couple of years. But the athletic ability and the quarterback run element that Arch brings just adds another layer of challenge to try to defend this offense. The big question mark remains the offensive line. They’re all blue chip guys. I just think by season’s end that group will really round into form.”
However, pay attention Kentucky fans to what he said about the October schedule the Longhorns face.
“If you look at their October schedule, if I’m not mistaken off the top of my head, I’m not looking at it right now. I don’t think they’re in Austin at any point. In that four-game stretch, I I know people will look at a game like a road trip to Kentucky and say, ‘I don’t know.’ A. road trip to Mississippi State, ‘I don’t know.’ Kentucky’s a team that’s been a giant killer for years. That’s fresh off a couple games against maybe the most physical team on your schedule in Florida and two, your biggest rival (Oklahoma). So I think it is a concerning month.”
McElroy also said he thought Texas’ offense would benefit from having a running quarterback — something that could help UK’s offensive line if Zach Calzada can be an effective runner at times like many believe he will be.
What about Florida sophomore quarterback DJ Legway, a rising star who gave UK fits last season?
“I think the next step is understanding that the greatest ability is availability. He had times last year in an effort to keep a play alive even if the Gators had lost that, he would kind of throw caution to the wind and try to stay above ground to just continue to drive the ball down the field,” McElroy said. “I think the next step though is understanding when to cut your losses and not open yourself up for unnecessary contact.
“He’s a guy that has had a little bit of a checkered injury history with the shoulder last year, the off-season surgery being shut down all spring and going into fall camp with a boot (on his foot). Granted didn’t affect him long term, but was something that is to be monitored anyways.
“There’s nothing from a decision-making standpoint, from an ability standpoint. I just think understanding when to cut his loss is kind of the next step. He’s a big guy, he’s a physical guy, but it doesn’t matter how big you are, you have to be available if this Florida team’s going to hit their ceiling. So I think just cutting his losses would be the next thing that he can probably grow on.”
Auburn is a road game that some believe Kentucky could have a chance to win. The Tigers open the season tonight against Baylor and coach Hugh Freeze is on a hot seat with Auburn fans already.
McElroy knows Auburn fans are upset with Auburn’s recent seasons but he’s not ready to write off the Tigers.
“I think they remain as dangerous as anybody in the SEC, but they also remain as unpredictable as anybody in the SEC,” McElroy said. “Now this game in particular against Baylor is concerning. Just looking at what Auburn struggled with last year, what their quarterback Jackson Arnold struggled with at Oklahoma and the challenges to plan against a guy like (coach) Dave Aranda who is going to continually make the picture that Jackson is going to play against really cloudy.”
McElroy believes the key for Auburn — much like it is for Kentucky — is to be able to run the football effectively either with running backs or the quarterback.
“I also have heard that the offensive line should be a position of strength all off season, but it doesn’t sound like they gelled well early in camp,” McElroy said. “That might be because of an improved defensive front, and it might be because that group maybe is a little inconsistent early on. That’s something worth monitoring as well.
“I think their wide receivers have a real chance to have a huge, huge season in general just kind of looking at what they added with Eric Singleton and looking at the talent they have kind of across the board with Cam Coleman. That’s significant.
“As far as Auburn’s defense, all signs point to their defensive line being a significantly improved group. If that’s the case, that’s huge because the front seven last year, they had good moments, but they didn’t have elite moments. If they have an elite defensive front, then that can calm things down a lot with what you do on offense.”
However, McElroy does like Auburn’s overall talent.
“If they do lose (to Baylor), I don’t think that’s an indicator of where this team could go because on their best day I think they could beat anybody in the league. They have that type of talent profile and that type of upside,” McElroy said.
