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No team wants to end the season losing six of its final seven games. However, the Kentucky Wildcats still managed to repeat last season’s record of 5-7.
There is talent on the Wildcats’ roster. After three seasons, coach Mark Stoops has upgraded Kentucky’s talent considerably.
Here are the five best Kentucky football players right now:
5. DT Melvin Lewis: Lewis wasn’t able to finish the season. He fractured his fibula on Oct. 15 and missed the final six games. But he made a significant impact in the first half of the year and has potential at the next level.
In just five games, Lewis had 20 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. Like most great defensive tackles, Lewis routinely takes on multiple blockers to allow his teammates to make the play.
Because he didn’t get to show scouts what he could do for a full season in 2015, the defensive lineman will likely fall to the sixth round of the NFL Draft or sign as a free agent.
4. Safety A.J. Stamps: The senior doesn’t have as many interceptions as last season. Junior DB J.D. Harmon led the Wildcats with three interceptions. Regardless, Stamps remains a top five player in the Kentucky program.
He led the team with eight pass defenses and was tied for second with 67 total tackles.
Stamps finishes his two-year career at Kentucky with 124 tackles, 13 pass defenses and five interceptions.
3. LB Josh Forrest: No one was a better tackler for the Wildcats this season than Forrest. He was everywhere, leading the Wildcats with 93 total tackles, including 39 solos, and 3.5 sacks.
Forrest, who scored a touchdown, also had 6 tackles for loss, 5 pass defenses, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble.
2. RB Boom Williams: The sophomore had only 121 carries, but made a major impact. Williams rushed for 855 yards and scored six TDs. His 7.1 yards per carry was the second best in the SEC.
In his two-year career, Williams has 1,343 rushing yards, 236 receiving yards and 11 TDs while averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
1. Center Jon Toth: It is tough to rate offensive lineman against other positions without tangible statistics for blockers. Toth’s ringing endorsement from QB Patrick Towles, though, helps him land as No. 1 on our list.
“He is the best center in the country, and I have no doubt in that,” Towles said before the season, according to Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal. “He fixes everything.”
Both is a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best center.
Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
