Five Things to Know From Mark Stoops' First 2023 Spring Practice Presser
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Don't get too caught up in March Madness just yet, because football is back. On Monday morning, Kentucky held the first practice of the spring as the Wildcats begin to prepare for the 2023 season.
Head coach Mark Stoops is entering year 11 at the helm, and is looking to rebound from what was a disappointing 7-6 season in 2022 that ended with a shutout 21-0 loss in the Music City Bowl against Iowa.
Storylines are still forming, but the longtime skipper took the podium to speak with reporters and tackle all things spring as the Wildcats dust off the cleats and get back on the field.
"I think just looking at broad strokes, very encouraged."
Here are five things Stoops said that you need to know:
Devin Leary — good to go
Kentucky landed its top transfer portal target in NC State QB Devin Leary. The hype is already building for the near 7,000-yard passer in Lexington, but there is still one big hurdle that will be in his way for this season: fighting off injuries.
Leary has had two season-ending injuries, first a broken fibula, then a torn pectoral muscle on his throwing side last season. He called both "freak accidents," but a clean bill of health will be a primary focus for his lone season at UK.
When he spoke with reporters in January, Leary was still taking things day-by-day, but Stoops provided a positive update for the signal-caller on Monday:
"Obviously, the transfer that everybody's going to want to talk about with Devin, he looked really good. He was able to go through basically an entire practice. I'm sure that the trainers are watching him and limiting him some, but to my eye, it was basically the entire practice and he was just fine and looked really good."
Getting back in the saddle for the spring will be important for the development of Leary and the offense as a whole, as the return of offensive coordinator Liam Coen comes with a new offense.
The Sicklerville, N.J. native is on schedule and already following in the footsteps of former QB Will Levis. Stoops sees Leary going about everything the right way, including becoming a leader of the team this early on:
"Devin is just waiting to lead. What I mean by waiting is he's earning it, he's doing it respectfully. He can take over a room in five minutes, but he knows that it's about going out and proving that day-in and day-out and not forcing that ... I think it's very important to just be authentic, be who you are, but also lead and and find your voice and get the right time in the right moment. It'll be very easy for him to step into a full-command type of position. He's just that kind of guy."
Offseason Injuries
It happens to every team, and Kentucky is no different. Injuries did take a big toll on the Cats in 2022 during the season, contributing to some struggles that arose late in the season.
Stoops gave a list of players that currently "out until further notice due to "procedures done during the offseason."
- OL Nik Hall
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- TE Josh Kattus
- TE Jordan Dingle
- TE Brenden Bates
- DL Khalil Saunders
The tight end room is slim entering the spring. Bates revealed that he played almost the entire season hurt with a torn labrum, though he still caught 10 balls for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Dingle and Kattus both emerged in 2022, with the former catching 20 passes for 220 yards and three scores, while Kattus made a splash late in the year, throwing some nasty blocks while also accumulating 125 receiving yards on seven catches. All three will once again be important parts of a crowded TE room.
Jefferson was touted as the potential No. 2 back behind Chris Rodriguez in 2022, but his season was derailed on just his second carry as a Wildcat, as he tore his ACL against Miami Ohio. The Sam Houston State transfer is familiar with Coen and will look to play a big part in the RB room that now features Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis.
Saunders played a backup role on the defensive line all season in 2022, landing 13 tackles in 11 games. He's expected to take the next step and join the punch along with star sophomore Deone Walker, Jamarius Dinkins and North Carolina transfer Keeshawn Silver.
Hall, a 6-foot-6 4-star recruit, took a redshirt last season.
Good news on the injury front, DB Vito Tisdale is near "full-go" this spring after missing the entirety of the 2022 season with a torn ACL.
Added depth and flexibility on the offensive line
It was no secret that the offensive line was the biggest issue for Kentucky last season. The Big Blue Wall was busted, allowing 47 sacks, the third most out of the 131 Division I teams.
Right guard Tashawn Manning is off the to the NFL draft, but the other four starters from 2022 — Kenneth Horsey, Jager Burton, Eli Cox and Jeremy Flax — are back. Stoops also added an important pair of transfers to beef up the trenches and bring some experience.
"I think we've addressed that issue," Stoops said of the O-line. "Always want to continue to work really hard and get better, but personnel wise, I feel good. I feel like we have some numbers and some guys to work with and I like their approach."
One of the aforementioned transfers, LT Marques Cox, started a heap of games for Northern Illinois and has already made a big impression on the coaching staff during his short time in Lexington:
"You bring in a guy like Marques Cox, he's so big and athletic and a really good person, good leader, just the way he goes about his business, the way he goes through a walkthrough, the way he goes through meetings," Stoops said. "I mean, he's just a very mature young man and works really hard, and by the way, he looks very athletic out there. So that's a good thing."
Expectations are that M. Cox will man the LT spot, allowing Horsey to move back to his normal position at left guard. Eli Cox will remain at center, while Burton and Alabama transfer Tanner Bowles — who has played all five spots on the OL —will likely battle for the nod at right guard.
All will work itself out as the season nears, but Stoops also isn't afraid to move some pieces around if need be, to find his best group of five:
"We'll have some pretty easy flexibility from experience. We will do some things intentionally, I tell you just in general, we are deeper. We're a much more solid 10 right now than we were a year ago."
Liam Coen — "Almost like he never left."
Kentucky's offense was atrocious in 2022. The decision to relieve former offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello of his duties was made quick and done even before UK's bowl game.
The popular choice for Scangarello's replacement was the previous OC, Liam Coen. With Coen in the NFL, many didn't think that UK would be able to lure him back to Lexington, but the deal got done.
Coen's return brings not only excitement that Kentucky can reach its offensive heights once again, but there's already familiarity between the OC and a big chunk of the Wildcats on the roster:
"It certainly helped us with the timing of it, even though I had to wade through the pro season. It still was sooner than it was a year ago," Stoops said. "That helped, and he is familiar with it and many of the players have been through it with him and know him personally, even the recruits, even if they didn't play under him, they knew him through that year of recruiting prior to that. So I think that familiarity definitely helps."
Installing a new offense becomes much easier when it's not 100 percent new. It'll still be a pro-style scheme, and many of the Cats will take to things quicker. Stoops even mentioned that his team was further along than normal for the first practice of the spring session.
There seems to currently be nothing but upside with the return of Coen:
"Definite comfort level that I really enjoy. That part of it, it's almost like he never left. He has that type of personality where he's always in the staff room. It's always open door ... they're always collaborating and talking and watching film, players are in and out of there. It's a good environment."
Fixing the kicking issues is a work in progress
Another major issue for the Cats in 2022 was the continuous special teams woes. Botched field goals, bad snaps, poor holds, the works. If it could've gone wrong, it did.
Matt Ruffolo went 16-24 on field goal attempts las, a 66.7-percent clip, just the 92nd-best clip in the nation.
Like the other plaguing problems, Stoops was rather quick in taking the necessary steps to fix it. Running backs / special teams coordinator John Settle was fired, opening the door for the hiring of Jay Boulware, someone that Stoops has had nothing but high praise for since his arrival in Lexington:
"Coach Boulware is really working hard, has great intensity, great organization, and we're trying to light a fire under the entire group and that's no different for snappers, holders, you know, all that stuff. Not that we would ever take it for granted, but you all don't even mention that unless there's a problem."
Ruffolo is gone, opening the door for a competition. Redshirt fifth-year Chance Poore has held down the fort on kickoffs, but he's also tried his hand at field goals in the past. Redshirt freshman Jackson Smith out of Danville, Ky. will also attempt to make his case.
"We got a lot of work to do. I think that was evident. We're not going to fix that in one day. We're gonna work at it, we worked at it hard today. We'll put them under some pressure and we'll work it pretty good."
