Ad Disclosure
Stoops releases new Kentucky depth chart, discusses Florida game week
By Ethan Levine
Published:
It’s that time of year again, Wildcat fans. The time of year when any early-season optimism turns to fear and paranoia, and when nightmares of Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton and others creep back into the collective mind of the Big Blue Nation.
That’s right, it’s Florida game week.
Kentucky has lost its annual game with the Gators 27 years in a row dating back to 1987, but only one of those losses can be pinned on current UK head coach Mark Stoops, whose team fell 20-7 to Florida last season.
Stoops released an updated depth chart Monday in advance of Saturday’s showdown in the Swamp, and this week’s depth chart featured a few tweaks to last week’s version.
For starters (pun intended), the head coach appears to be hedging his bets on starting tailback Braylon Heard and starting wideout Javess Blue, both of whom sat out last week’s win over Ohio with ankle injuries. Stoops listed Heard “or” Jojo Kemp as the first team tailback, and listed Blue “or” freshman Dorian Baker as a starting receiver on this week’s depth chart, a sign he is preparing for the possibility of both Heard and Blue missing a second straight game.
The Cats’ coach didn’t sound very confident when discussing the status of Blue’s recovery.
“I don’t feel good about Blue,” Stoops said Monday.
Kentucky will also be without wideouts Alex Montgomery and Jeff Badet for a third straight week. Coaches had hoped Montgomery would be available to make his 2014 debut this week, but the sophomore continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered last November.
Stoops did clarify that although Montgomery will be out again this week, he is expected to return to action sometime this season.
Badet continues to recover from a broken fibula he suffered at the end of spring practice earlier this year, as well as an eye injury he suffered in August during a hand-eye coordination drill. It remains to be seen when he will be able to return to the offense.
Redshirt freshman Cole Mosier slid into the starting left guard spot in favor of junior Zach West, who missed last week’s game due to stiffness in his neck. Stoops admitted he’d hoped the issue was nothing more than West sleeping on it funny, but the stiffness has persisted and as a result Mosier earned the nod ahead of West to begin the week.
“He will not be cleared to play until he has full range of motion,” Stoops said of West. “Could be a couple days, a week, a month. I have no clue.”
Stoops also took a moment to discuss his quarterback situation, which remains the same as far as the depth chart is concerned, but may have a different look down the line. Patrick Towles remains the starter, while Reese Phillips and true freshman Drew Barker share the backup duties.
However, the Cats’ head coach admitted he’d like to redshirt Barker this season to preserve another year of eligibility further along in his career. Stoops said Barker is “good” with the plan to redshirt him this season, and added the freshman signal caller has remained a part of the game-planning process each week and has taken some reps with the offense in practice.
There were no major changes made to the depth chart on the defensive side of the ball, although Stoops did pay sophomore Khalid Henderson a compliment by removing the “or” separating him and juco-transfer Ryan Flannigan as the starting weakside linebacker. The starting job now belongs solely to Henderson, who returned a UT Martin fumble 89 yards for a touchdown in Week 1, and broke up a fourth down pass against Ohio last week to give the ball back to the UK offense.
The rest of the depth chart appears to be the same as last week, although the status of Heard, Blue and West is certain to be updated throughout the week.
Kickoff between the Cats and Gators from Gainesville is slated for 7:30 PM ET on the SEC Network.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
