McRoy, how's his masterpiece?
Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dick Abriel with you on a Monday following the greatest, well, maybe not the greatest, well, one of the best sports weekends of the year, Aaron Central Kentucky weather cooperated on Friday and Saturday. It was really cold on Friday, but you had Keenlan going on, you had Kentucky baseball going on a huge series with the second ranked team in the country, and the Wildcats played well, as you know, only one one
out of three really really good games all week and long. Yeah, the football Showcase with some scrimmaging at Krogerfield. Not a great crowd, which is not surprising given the fact that it wasn't a full blue white game. But if you wanted a taste of Kentucky football, if you were jonesing for UK football, then you got it. And of course the Masters. It wrapped up last night, Rory McElroy winning fine his green jacket. And if you recall, I didn't predict he would win early in the week, but I
said I was rooting for him. Yes, we root for the Americans, of course, but I rooted for Rory because I just I so wanted him to complete his career Grand Slam. Also, he's from Northern Ireland, where my grandfather is from. My grandfather is from Derry. They called it London Derry for a while and then after a while just Darry. They are're not crazy about the British yup there. But Rory is a likable guy, good for golf, hell of a player, and he won his first three of
the four Grand Slam events early in his career. It's taken him eleven years to become just the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam. Of course, the last guy to do it was Tiger but and Rory's come close and again for the second time. He blew a four stroke lead on Sunday, and if you watched it, you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't, I
won't recount the whole round for you. But he was sailing along, man, he was, I mean, he had it and then he had a double bogie on fifteen he knocked the ball way off the green and just and at one point he surrendered the lead to Justin Rose, speaking of the British, but charged right back and he hit a shot. I will say this, I will describe this one for you. If you saw it, you'll never forget it. If you didn't, And you know anything about golf, if you're in the trees, anywhere near trees, it can
be real trouble. And if you're a golfer as I was, I don't play anymore. But I mean, you're just in jail if you're anywhere around trees. But he was not only in the tree, under a tree, and he had a path to get out. But the ball that he struck, he was able to bring it back right to left and not only hit the green, but hit the green in a remarkable way and the place went nuts. Six sion yesterday.
Is this said up.
The shot of a lifetime?
Yeah, it was. And that was Jim Nance's CBS Sports. He's at his best on the Masters. Inspired he played college golf at the University of Houston, and of course he gave up the final four this year. Iron Eagle had to call for CBS television. But Nance is so good at the Masters. You know, it's all about being understated. That's why Vernon Lundquist was so great. It's, you know, all about being understated and not screaming and yelling and
they know better. Of course the masters broadcasters, you know Vern Lunquist's two greatest cause were yes, sir and then the other one. Have you ever in your life that kind of thing? And so Nance was up to it, Rory was up to it. Fun to watch on a great weekend for sports. Now, coming back to Kentucky football. If you were there, I'm sure you had a good time just getting out seeing the wildcats. But did you
learn much? Not really. You saw that Zach Calzada throws a nice ball, he really does, but who's he going to throw to. There are four or five receivers that injured this spring. They won one down during the game. Nothing serious, we don't think. But we're gonna talk to John Hale a little bit later on about what he saw and about depth in the wide receiver room, depth
in the running backs room. You had two guys, Dante Dowdell and Jason Patterson, who ran with the ones to Maryan Willcox and the other running backs ran with the twos. Will Cox is the guy, you might recall, broke a fifty yard run on the first play from scrimmage against Tennessee and you just kept expecting him to break through and just take over at running back. But this kid's got He's a kid who doesn't keep his shoes tied
and is late for things. Stoops kind of speaks in code when he talks about him, and I give him credit for that. He doesn't want to embarrass the kid or belittle the kid, but he's He has basically told us and you without saying it, the guy's got a lot of growing up to do. Once he does, if and when, he could be a terrific college football player if that's what he wants, if that's important to him. If it's not, okay, fine, But if it is and he puts in the work, I think he can be
an excellent SEC back. So they may head to the portal to get some more running back strength. Who knows wide receiver as well? How did the defense look pretty good? But they didn't tackle to the ground. They did what they called thud, which is when you know they hit, but that's it, wrap up, but don't take him down. So it was good. Mark Stoops was fairly well pleased with what he saw on Saturday, what he saw throughout the spring.
We definitely got better. We made a lot of strides, you know, the negative that outside of coming out here and splitting it up and you know, playing everybody on your roster. You know, it's a tendency to look a little sloppy from time to time.
But we've got.
Better throughout this spring. Well, you know, unfortunately lost to wide out again early in the scrimmage. I think we were down five five guys that will play, you know, and.
At wide receiver.
And and we got through the whole spring, you know, for the most part, until you know, this last week with a bunch of nagging injuries, hopefully nothing season ending.
Yeah, more than one Stoops has come out of spring, out of the spring game and said so and so we'll not be available with this coming season. He needs surgery, et cetera, et cetera. Did not have one announcement like that this spring, and obviously nothing like that after the scrimmage on Saturday. So and he also went into detail we'll talk about it further in a week about just
what kind of an impact it has. It's a fairly obvious question for you, you know, but he talked about how not having guys in the spring doing that crucial work in the spring came back to affect them in the fall in like short yardedge situations, execution situations, things
like that. Because keep in mind, once the fall practices begin, once they get through camp and they begin game prep, they've got like maybe one day and part of another to really really work on stuff or the rest of that the rest of the week's game planning and walk throughs. So they got to get it done in the spring, they got to get it done in the summer. And if they're missing players, obviously they are way behind, especially if they're not as talented as they've been in the past.
Are they this time right now? Don't know they've lost of course, Barrion Brown and Dane Key to the portal. Jamari Macklin is back on the outside. He's not in the slot, said he can play both prefers being on the outside. He talked about adjusting to all the new faces on this team.
You can tell a lot of the guys are just getting comfortable with each other in the locker room. I think that's the biggest thing, and I think that's where it starts. You can't really have a good team on a if you don't have a good team off the field.
You know what I'm saying.
So just spending time with each other, going out to eat, you know, playing a game with each other, just the small things to build that chemistry to help us, you know, succeed on the field.
Macclan also talked about being more of a leader. He's going to have to be. But as you can tell, he's he's got some charm to him, some charisma, he's out going, and he's talented, and that's important. All of that's important for being a leader. You can try to be a leader as a veteran on a team, but if you're not playing, people with all the respect aren't going to listen to you very much. But they'll listen to the talented guys who are trying to lead, and
he says he will do that. Ty Bryant, the young defensive back, is going to try to lead as well. Of course, his father, Cisco, played for the Wildcats. And I asked Ty about the fact that, you know, he knows Kentucky football inside and out because for obvious reasons, he grew up with it. And he talked about wanting to get it back to where it was because I.
Feel like no one wants to go through what we went through last year. I mean, everyone knows that we want four games. It was a bad season for us, and the feeling that we had when we walked off this field for the last time against Louisville, no one wants to feel that way again. Me personally, have a lot of friends that played college football and they were all in bowl games, and it's just like I'm at the crib chilling while they're, you know, in Florida somewhere
nice playing a bowl game. So I feel like that's just the one base for us when we get back into the weight room and we just continue to train, just that's just what needs to be on the front of our mind that we don't want to go four and eight again. We want to flip that, you know what I'm saying, to do even better ten win plus season.
That was a really interesting response, I thought when he talked about what it felt like walking off the field after the Louisville loss, Because these were kids, the kids who had been on that roster for more than a year had known nothing but success as a program. I mean, for the longest time, every kid who came through that program every year went to a bowl game, win or lose, went to a ball game, not this team. Every kid on that roster, deep into that roster had never lost
to Louisville, not that team. So now, as he said, they want to get it back. They want to get it back to where they were and where you all want it to be. And that is going to a game and not knowing ahead of time who's going to win. I've said this on the show many times. That's the standard that longtime president back in the day, ODIs Singletary said to me should be the standard at Kentucky football. He said, I don't expect us to win every game. I just want to come to the game not knowing
ahead of time who's going to win. Now, you might have a bad feeling going into a game, Oh man, it's going to be hard to beat this team. But there have been years and you know it where Kentucky went into games and you're like, man, I just hope they just you know, everybody comes out healthy, they don't get killed. They have no way of winning this game. Did you really think they going into Texas and win last year?
Nah?
With all due respect, Nah, I didn't play badly. They just didn't have a shot. Other Kentucky teams did. And we know this because they did it. They beat Tennessee, they beat Florida, they routinely beat Louisville. Can they get back to that, Well, we're gonna find out in a few months. But this team has a lot more work to do, and the portal opens in less than forty eight hours. We're coming back to talk Kentucky baseball and more on The Big Boon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome
back to the Big Bluon Sider. Coming up at seven point thirty. It's the Nick Minjeones Show with Darren Hedrick, so we will make way prior to that though. In just a few minutes, John Hale of The Hero Leader will join us and we will talk about Kentucky football a little bit of that mess down in Tennessee as well. Same thing with Aaron Gershan. We all sat together up in the press box. It was really weird for me to be in the press box. I decided not to be down on the field. We didn't do a broadcast
of any kind. There was no TV, no radio, and generally when we've done a radio broadcast there's been a full, semi full scrimmage, but there have also been either injured players or alumni on the sideline, so I was able to drop in interviews throughout the years, but no broadcasts. So I thought, I'm gonna sit upstairs and see what I can see. And yeah, you can see a lot more. You can see the plays, of course evolving. It's not the same because you just don't hear the sounds as much.
And you know, it was a great day. It would have been a great day to be down there. But you again, you can see the line play in a different way. I can see it downstairs on the sidelines, and if you sit close to the field you can too. You can, you can, you know, you can see these things upstairs as well. But to me, I get a better sense of the athleticism, the quickness to closing speed, things like that down on the field. But sitting upstairs Saturday,
we were all talking about it. That's one of the pluses. You know. When I'm on the field, I've got Tom Leach and Jeff Picoro in my headset, which is great, But upstairs I'm hearing observations from the people around me. And John Hill was on one side of me, Aaron Gershano the Cats Balls was on the other. So John's
going to join us next and an Aaron. It was a with Tom earlier this morning, but I'll have him a little while longer, So we'll talk a little bit more with Aaron about the Blue White game, and we're also going to talk about basketball with Aaron. The portal there the portal when it comes to football and the Tennessee mess as I said, but we do need to talk about Kentucky baseball. Over the weekend, somebody tweeted, this
is a hard team to watch. A fan tweeted that, and to a point, I agree, simply because they have a hard time executing at times, specifically bunting. Minjiones teams bunt a lot, maybe more than other teams do. But his best teams have bunted really well, very effectively. People who don't like the bunt get very frustrated with it. But they rode that style of baseball to Omaha last year.
And again, it's not a small ball team. And those of us who called it that were really inaccurate because last year Kentucky was one of the best power hitting teams in the Southeastern Conference when you look at conference games only when they were facing the best pitchers in America. They were I think the fourth best team in the conference when it came to power home runs. This team is not a power hitting team. Cole hegees twelve. That's it.
Nobody else has double digits. I think next is Tyler Bell, maybe with six. Ironically enough, Kyas Gargett, who hadn't played much and Menngeon had been keeping an eye on him, watched him in VP, penciled him into the lineup. He had a big weekend. He hit a home run, his first home run against Texas. But you cannot count on home runs, and by the way the home runs they've been getting, it seems like every one of them, nobody's
on base. You know, Texas had a big two run homer day Wildcats or might have been Saturday anyhow, seems like the other teams always had people on base, but Kentucky in it. Friday wins it. Saturday, fell behind but made it a one run game, had the go or the time run on base in the ninth inning against the number two ranked team in the country in all fairness that were missing their best player, and the game
they won. Kentucky won on Saturday. You might have seen the clip if you were watching and listening to Darren. You might have seen it on social media. But in what the twelfth No. Fifteenth inning, Griffin Cameron lays down a bunt catcher who's really really good for Texas, misplays it, throws it away, and the right fielder went to sleep. He forgot to back up the play. Devin brook scored from first base on that play. Well, the guy that Texas is missing, maybe their best hitter, is certainly one
of the best and an outstanding outfielder. He's the right fielder. He probably backs up that play. So Brooks might not make it. They might not even have sent him from third. They might still be playing. But anyhow, Kentucky in every game one to one could have one one or the other Friday or Sunday or book could you imagine. So it's a good team. And as Darren and Keith Madison and Doug Flinn and I were talking, somebody said, they're just not yet sure how to be a great team.
And when you look at where all these guys came from, they were all relatively successful at their previous schools, and really a guy who played for a program that had maybe more success than anybody with Simon Gregorson, reliever from Indiana State. That's a team that was an NCAA tournament team the last couple of years, played here in a regional one year and Gregorson, who struggled earlier in the year,
was brilliant against Texas Saturday when the Wildcats won. He went four and two thirds innings scoreless, gave up one hit and walked one, and struck out five. Brilliant Kentucky pitchers were absolutely sensational that they eighteen strikeouts in the fifteen innings. So Kentucky's got enough, it just hasn't quite figured it out yet. And Nick Minjill talked about the effort after the game, couldn't complain, just said, they just
need to do some things a little bit better. You know, I give them a lot of credit.
They got to timely hit, and they had guys on base just like we did, and they got to timely hit and we didn't. You know, though, we played a great defensive game. Sure could we have made a couple of better pitches here or there, but this is college baseball.
They're not going to be perfect. Pitching. Defense gave us a chance.
We just didn't get that timely hit and I give our guys credit, like we put ourselves in a position right there. We're one swing away from winning the game, you know, So I love their fight. Just got to execute a tad better, that's it.
Get a bunt down, move a runner over, get a guy on third base, get him home with less than two out. A couple of times in the win, the fifteen inning win, Kentucky had meant on first and second with nobody out and I'm talking about after the ninth and couldn't get the winning run around. So it's that kind of thing. They got to get busy so they can make NCA postseason. John Halo the hair Leaders next on six thirty WLAP welcome back to the Big Blue
in Cider and joining us down our celebrity hotline. As I mentioned earlier, as a guy we sat with up in the press box. Weird for me, John Hale of the Hair Leader to be in the press box with you guys, But there really wasn't a game in front of us. How much did you take away from the football showcase?
Very little. It was funny because we also women. We had the option to go on the field if we wanted, and I kind of went there that they expecting, like, well, maybe I'll go down and see them up close. But honestly, if they're gonna kind of scrimmage, there was no tackling or no score kept.
But if you're doing eleven to eleven.
It's almost better in the press box because you can see the whole field. And so I stayed up there, and you know, I mean I thought Zach Kelsot looked fine. You know, I thought the running backs for as you know, little as you can tell when it're not tackled to the ground, looked fine. You know, Dante Dabble in particular the Nebraska transfer, maybe I'm matt be sure a little more burst than I had expected from him, So that was positive. You know, they were really thin at receiver.
I think they were, you know, by the middle of the scrimmage down five guys who might play this year. So I don't know that we can take a lot from that position.
You know.
The second the defense wasn't tackling, so you can't tell if they could bring the quarterback down or if they could have stoped those guys instead of just you know, hitting them. So I don't think there was a lot in terms of football lessons to learn from it, which
is probably what Mark Stoops prefers. In this portal era where you gotta war guys transferring or guys you know, asking for more and I l money all the time, A quiet spring practice is probably better than the alternative, as you can see at Tennessee right now.
Yeah, we're going to talk about that in a minute. But following up on, let's talk about the running backs. And I'm not sure if you knew, but I knew a couple of people were wondering would we even see Jamaran Wilcox. He is just kind of an interesting story, isn't he And you know, he shows so many flashes and then once again you can want to really have his shoes on, so it's just a it's a head scratcher.
Yeah, I mean, I think that is probably the most interesting storyline to watch over the next two weeks when the portal opens on Wednesday, because it felt like they were in risk of losing them in December just because his role wasn't very big, and I'm sure some other schools were interested in his big playability and that he stayed and then you go out and then the one practice they opened to us earlier in the spring and then Saturday he was clearly third on the depth chart.
Doubt the drafta.
Transfer and Jason Patterson, the retro freshmen are both had of getting more reps. I mean, some of that in spring might be sending messages to guys. Some of that might be keeping other guys engaged so you keep them out of the portal with a union for depth. But in Wilcox's case, I mean, I think it's a question they just need more out of him, Like off the field. I asked Mark Stuce about it after the scrimmage and he said he's made progress, He's working on He's a
great young man. He has all that dedication, but it's still clear he does not have a complete grasp of the playbook. You know, he's talented enough to make plays even if he doesn't know the correct play out there at times. But like it's hard to depend on him. And if we're to buy into the narrative that the big change culture wise in this programs, they're not going to let players hold them hostage anymore in this portal. Nil Era, Like he's an interesting case, Like if he's
not ready to if he doesn't know the playbook. It's hard to play a guy like that, regardless of how talented he is. So I'm really interested to see you. I mean, I think they probably need another running back in the portal regardless, because they just have four on scholarship and one of them, definding meiswell retrofreshment is like his health status is really unclear coming back from an ACL there in so like they could need more depth
there anyway. But if we go out and see them add like a starter caliber player or somebody you expect to be in the rotation, I think that sends a message about, you know, they're not going to count on Wilcox right now.
Absolutely, And you know, I've got to think that if they go out and get somebody like that, they're going to be saying, look, you know every team in America plays multiple running backs for the most part, so come here and there's an opportunity to play, right Yeah.
Absolutely, and like and and to you know, Willcox is hopefully, to his credit, like we have not really heard from him that he's considering leaving. I mean that's obviously just speculation from people that we've uh last year when you say, like, oh,
this guy should be playing or he's not playing right. Okay, he's going to get in the portal, but maybe he knows, maybe he's fully aware of his limitations right now, the work he needs to do, and like starting over from scratch somewhere else is certainly not going to help learn
the playbook there anyway any easier. I mean, I guess he could go to maybe like a spread team where the playbooks not quite as complicated as a pro style, but like so hopefully, like even if they had somebody else, maybe he takes it as a challenge and sticks around. I will say, in the open practice we saw two weeks ago, through weeks ago, whatever it was up close, didn't have a shoes tied in a practice like I don't know what's going on there. That's a bizarre thing
because it's clearly with such a storyline last year. Yeah, he's clearly more comfortable without it for some reason. But like those little details, that kind of stuff, he's got to get that in control for them to be able to count on him this fall.
That you know, That's where I was going. We obviously haven't really been able to talk to him much and he's not gonna say this, but I really wonder John, does he really want to do this at the highest level the best he possibly began, because he hasn't shown that he wants to, you know what I mean.
Yeah, I mean it's definitely like sometimes you get there in regards to your talent as it's just harder. I mean, like I don't I've talked to him, I think twice, one on one, and I think I was the only person to interview him all last season because he is so uncomfortable in interviews and that's not like terribly uncommon for young guys when they get here, Like he just
isn't comfortable doing it and doesn't want to. And I requested him multiple times very season, and thankfully the sports information staff was you know, they worked with me enough to where we could get him off to the side and in a lower stress environment and then he was
fine in those situations. But like it's clear that spotlight he's not ready to embrace it yet and so like maybe that's just just part of you know, the maturation process and you'll get older there, but that also speaks to like if you're not willing, if you're not ready for that yet, maybe he's not looking to go somewhere else and be the guy. Maybe he's okay to to guide his time and work through it. It's going to be fascinating to watch over the next few weeks.
Oh yeah, you know. And I wanted to talk to him after the Tennessee game, but they said he he's not really big on interviews like that, you know, with the big spotlight on him so.
Game.
Yeah, no, I understand that. But anyhow, because man, he you know, fifty yard run on the first play from scrimmage, so who knows, uh, quarterbacks. I know that's what everybody he asked me about right away. And you know, how do you? I mean, Calzada throws a nice ball, But it's all coming back to the old line, isn't it.
Yeah, they got to protect. And it's even harder to judge in spring practice because we've heard positive things about the strides they've made there. But also they have a completely rebuilt front seven on defense. So are like, is the offensive line better because they're better or because the pass rush is not very goular defense? We won't know that until they go out and play in games. I did think it was interesting. We talked to Bush Hampton
last Wednesday. The last Wednesday of spring practice, and somebody asked him about, like, what what do you want from that group moving forward? And he's admitted and I think here Wolfer talking to him partly the spring too, like when they went and got all these linemen from smaller schools, Like they clearly think they're good enough to do it at the SEC level, but that still means they're going to have to make significant strides over the summer and
winter to date and strength and conditioning. So it's going to be really important for those guys to do some work in the light room over the next three or four months to make sure physically they're read for the
new challenge they're going to face in this league. So even skill wise, if they're really good, they probably need to add some strength and so that's going to be I think that's going to say a lot about how good the line is in the fall, what happens between now and when camp opens in August.
I mentioned this the other day on the air that I had during spring break. I ran into a staff member, not the old line coach, not Bush Hampden, but he mentioned specifically. I just basically said, how's it going, and he brought up the old line and he used the word athletic, you know, and said that, you know, they just might be moving back toward the days of the big Blue wall and the John Schlarman era. So you know, that really made me sit up straight, you know what I'm saying.
Yeah, it's good, and it appears they have more depth, which was such an important part of that era too, where they could rotate seven or eight guys at times. Like that's why a big deal. Like I don't think Jagger Burton is going to start at center when the fall happened, even though he was the first team center at the open practice ball and in the scrimmage on Saturday. I don't think he will. But he's an important person to have still in this roster because that depth and
that rotation is huge. He's the guy who started multiple years in the SEC at guard has play center in the SEC. Like, if you have that guy who you can plug in at all three interior positions and fill them in and know he's going to at least like hold his own, that's a huge piece to have. And so like that gets you to sixty right away. They've got another transfer from New Mexico Wallis Unamba, who actually got banged up a little bit in the scrimmage, but
he can play guard or tackle. Malchi would obviously played a lot down the stretch last year at tackle and probably wasn't ready yet, but that's experience that will help them. So now you're kind of going like seven, eight, nine deep again. That's really really important and so you're not necessarily if you get three weeks into the season it's not working. You're not just stuck with the five you got. I think that's a huge development too.
You're right, and you know it's it's the SEC, it's big boy football. You just got to know going in what you got. We're talking to John Hale, other Hero Leader. Will come back and talk more UK football with John on the other side of the break here on six point thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking to John Hale. He covers football and other things for the Harold Leader. But he was there at the scrimmage. Of course, whatever
scrimmaging they did on the Football Showcase. I always tell people any more, John, I just say, well, their uniforms look great and they lined up straight, so how do you know? But you talked about the d line and there are question marks there. But I think I like what I saw, do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I think that's a group that should be improved. I mean, it's it's going to be different. And I think a couple of us were talking after the first in practice, how so strange it was to like to look out there and see different numbers on the defensive line that had been the same group for so many years,
like the Unlocker Oc Davis Achendeine Toron Ripke. You know, those guys are going to be out there and they're all gone, and so I like, those guys were all really big and this group does not seem as big, but maybe more athletics. So like it knows in particular, you trade, you know, from Keshun Silver who obviously transferred to USC to David Gusta, who's coming from Washington. Like he's a shorter guy, but he's like a bullying out there, like kind of that maybe that Mark one McCall kind
of guy they had in the past that position. Like I think he might be their best transfer overall. Like he's not gonna go up huge numbers just because of the position he plays, but in terms of like, you know, impact on the game. He's really important, right mcquee some free grace to the defensive end. They got from South Dakota was actually from Cincinnati. Like that's a guy people are really high on that they hope can fill. Like he's not going to be Josh Pascal, but could be
that similar kind of role. So you have like somebody on the edge there where you're not always relying on your outside linebackers to get pass rush, Like that's a big deal. And then they do have some guys coming back on that line who are important, you know, Khalil Sander, Sia Hayes who as part of the year injury last year, like Kendrick Gilbert who was a big recruit a couple of years ago, like Jared Gerrod Smith who's a sophomore
now moving in a second year. Like all those guys are going to play, so they should be fairly deep. So that's a position where they actually have a nice combination of impact transfers and veterans who have played a lot in this defense and should know what they're doing out there.
One of the question marks, as everybody knows, is linebacker, and they've got bodies just a question of you know, how good are they going to be? How good are they now? And I feel like when when it's not tackling but what they call thud, it's really hard to maybe hardest to judge the linebackers because you can tell how quickly the d lineman close. You can tell from past coverage who's getting it done in the defensive secondary, But it's the linebackers. To me, I have a hard
time getting a read. What do you say?
Yeah, I agree with that, especially this group of linebackers because of the question we have about Alex Safari and Daburn Rainer, who looks like they're starters inside right now? Are their smaller guys? I mean they're super athletic, but they're not huge, and like, can they stand up to
the sec like riggers of playing in that position? We know how often Kentucky has gone through injuries there, you know the jack Us Jones and DeAndre Squares and Derek Jackson's like all those guys were hurt at various times even though they were playing a lot. But that that position is so physical and like, so can these slimmer, more athletic guys handle it when to hundred thirty pounds running back coming in there and crushing him ten plays a game like we won't know that until the fall.
And so I think that's another position where you got to watch the portal for maybe a depth piece here. And they did ad Landon Watson from UH from Marshall as a transfer as a death piece. He's a bigger guy, so that should help me in the two practice. The practice in the scrimmage, like, I didn't see him do a lot, so I don't really know what he's going to do. Grant Godfrey, who was a big recruit in that position, a four star guy a few years ago, Like he was playing a lot in the scrimmage and
the open practice. But he's a smaller guy too, Like is he ready to step up? I don't know. And so they've got some young guys there, but none of them are going to solve that physicality issue. So it wouldn't shock me if they go out and ad a you know, a big like stutting to run stop for kind of guy here for a few weeks.
You know. I thought it was interesting that when somebody asked him Stoops about Kicker plays kicker. He is sounds super confident doesn't.
He Yeah, I mean that was funny. Like in terms of last last year, when they were talking about redshirt guys, the one guy Stoops was never shy about hyping up the kicker, Jacob Cowaway, who from Montana has like a huge leg. I mean, he was saying like week one last year that if they had a sixty yarder to win the game, he'd draw him out there like for his first career kick, which seems insane, and that never
actually happened. And then Alex Rayner was so consistent and steady and ended up improving his leg strength last year where it wasn't really an issue. We'll see how it happens when the lights turn on, and the consistency part of it's always a question, but it seems like leg strength will not be an issue and that can be a real weapon for them. And then at punter two, Aiden Larros didn't win the job out of camp last year, eve though everybody hyped him up as this impact guy.
He took it over a few weeks in the season, battled some consistency issues, but he also has a huge leg and Mark was really really positive about him on Saturday too, So it seems like maybe he's pick some of those consistency things. That's a huge deal because we know that the margin of error for these this team is going to be really really slip, and so winning the special team, so those hidden yardage that's going to be really important for them to come out.
Well, that's exactly why. That's exactly why I brought down up more than ever. They need to be able to score from the thirty five on in or maybe deeper. And you know, the teams that have struggled with old line problems as you know, field position has just really been brutal for these teams. I mean that's what people forget about Stoops's best teams you know, had shorter fields because of defense and could handle longer fields because they can move the ball right.
Yeah, And like just think about how important like if if we're kind of comparing this team to that twenty sixteen to twenty seventeen right era where they were kind of breaking through, because that's frankly where they're at. They need to break through to Bolgild again, Like think how important Austin McGinnis was to those games, Like how many big days where he hit you know, game winning field goals from fifty yards fifty three yards like at the end of the game, where they knew that was a
weapon for them. They played so many close games and so knowing your kickers were liable when you throw them out there.
As a huge deal.
Well, he had game winners against both Mississippi State and Louisville in the ten win season, and those are just the kicks at the end of the game. It's the ones that were throughout the games that were vital as well. A few minutes left with John Hail of The Harrow Leader, you referenced Tennessee situation. Boy, the fallout has been interesting
over the last forty eight hours. I said earlier John that yes, players have a right to do this do that, but I don't really think it's accurate to compare players jumping in a situation or trying to negotiate, you know, and hold the team really for hostage the way Nico did to coaches leaving for another job, because coaches, at least I haven't seen it yet, they don't hold their their employer hostage the way this kid tried to do. So, I don't know. There's a lot of misinformation out there
and the takes on it. But do you credit Tennessee because some people said you don't credit them and all some said you give them all the credit in the world.
What do you think, Yeah, I mean, I'd like to know the specific details of who actually flinched first there in that one before I make a huge decision. But if it's if it's accurate what's been reported that Tennessee said, Okay, moving on, I think that is to their credit. That's the only way you can exist in this era. Like, at some point you have to draw the line. And frankly, we saw that was a problem with Kentucky the last
two years. That's part of the culture issue is it doesn't seem it didn't seem like they drew that line quickly enough where they like guys, you know, kind of do whatever they want to do because they knew the threat to transfer, you know, need more Naol money was always out there and so like, you got to do it. And it's it's hard with your quarterback. It's hard for a team that has playoff aspirations, who now is really uncertain what the quarterback market will be like in the
spring window. But at some point you do just have to say it, and frankly, Nico wasn't good enough to justify all that. I know, the market's gone up from you know, the quarterbacks who transferred this year got more money than he was making. But like he wasn't elite last year. Maybe he'll be elite this ball, but like he wasn't such a difference maker that he was worth
this kind of trouble. And so I imagine that if Tennessee did move on first, they've probably done some back channel feeling out to make sure there's going to be a guy who they can go out and get here in the next couple of weeks. But I do give them credit if that. If that is how it played out out, the only way you're going to succeed in this era is to have firm boundaries, and you got to force some when they come up.
I am, by no means an expert on quarterback play, but I felt like Hendon Hooker for what Tennessee did and Amy have been surrounded by better people. I don't know, but I felt like Hendon Hooker was better with Tennessee than this kid was.
Yeah, and that's interesting because we think about that as such a quarterback friendly system. It's probably not for everybody. Van Heile's a guy who knows way more football to be talks about that a lot and how Hindon was kind of a perfect quarterback for that system, and so like it's you know, you got to you got to be able to make quick reads and know where you're going and be comfortable. And multiple years in there was really important for Hinton. And so we'll see what happens
next there. That's why I don't think it's necessarily certain that you can to think go out and get a big name in the portal that he's going to be ready to go right away. But it's very fascinating to watch.
And somebody I heard talking about, you know, they had a blackball him. I said, well, you know, you got to have one thousand percent of people buying into blackball somebody and some he somewhere is going to sign this kid.
Right yeah, and somebody will need him and like maybe because I think I've seen a lot of UCLA speculations from like, so we'll see how that happens. But like I mean, it's the same thing in the NFL, Like we've seen this for a long time.
That's unfortunately how college.
Is getting so much more like it, like the NFL is a sport where people hold out routinely in camp and whatever for like more money, and like now it's come to college and like those guys all get signed somewhere else, Like winning games is the is the most important thing at the end. And it will be interesting to see whenever he talks again, whether it's his new school or before he transfers, what the message his camp puts out is and how much kind of imagery building
they can do. But it'll be, you know, I'm eager to watch, of course.
The same here. Of course when the NFL, when somebody holds out, it's not like they're going to another team. They're just not going to play. But I mean it can still be effective. But you know who knows. Yeah, the portals your next big headline, isn't it?
That's it open to Windnesday. I don't think it's going to be like a bunch of huge names for Kentucky. But it's clear that they have a few more spots they want to add that nothing else receiver. They need a new receiver because true Adward's the transfer from Lois and a tech who didn't get in time for the January. My understanding, he's not going to get that way from the NCLA for his extra juco year, so they're going to need to go out and find at least one
more receiver. We talked about running back in linebacker, and then we'll see who leaves. I mean, I think mostly it'll be guys buried down to that start like looking for more reps. But it wouldn't be a shock if it's somebody important you know, has heard from back channel somewhere and gets an offer somewhere else. So that's something to watch.
Never a shock is a John Hale of the Arrow Leader tell everybody how to follow you on Twitter.
It's John Hale, j O n H L E underscore.
HL sounds good. Thank you brother, see you soon.
Thanks for having me.
And after to break, Aaron Gershawn, who also Wash sat to my right, John Hail to my left. Aeron Gershwan am I right at the scrimmage. We'll talk with Aaron on the other side of the break. Then we'll make way at seven thirty to the nicknamese you own show here on six thirty w.
Lapata taping.
The show Anything Canning.
Welcome back to the Big Blue and cider. I renumber two of our program coming up at the bottom of the hour, it's the Nickmns you Own show. Uh. He will talk, of course Kentucky baseball with Darren Hedrick, But as promised, we are going to chat with Aaron Gershaan of The Cat's Pause, who said, next to me in the press box, John Hale on one side, you just
heard from John and Aaron on the other. Uh, and Aaron, And I'm sure everywhere you go now, people who know what you do for a living in like Kentucky football will say, how do they look? What would you say to people who ask you that question? Given a limited number of plays we got.
To see, Yeah, that'd be the first thing i'd say. I'd say, well, it's hard to get a true ter gauge because it was a lot of sudd you know, wasn't tackling to the ground.
But you know, at least we did get some eleven on eleven stuff.
I'd say we got a good look at kind of where the depth start is at at this point in time, obviously minus a couple of guys that were anjured.
But I think I would say that the.
Probably the best news of the day and it was something that we also saw in that open practice we went to about a week and a half ago. Was the offensive line looked better. I mean, it's hard again. It's the new look defensive line this year, so you know they're they're learning a new scheme and things like that.
For a lot of them are newcomers.
But holes were open in this eleven on eleven that we haven't frankly seen in spring practice in quite some time. And I thought Dante Dallas are running veterans from Nebraska to the best day at the three running backs picking advantage of those holes, and you know they would have been big gainers in a game situation. So I would say that was the best thing I saw. I thought Calzata made a couple of good throws, but we didn't really get to see.
Much of him.
Yeah, honestly, it made sense.
They wanted to get a lot of the younger guys at the quarterback position more reps. But you know, that'd be my main takeaway. I think the offensive line, with all the experience they brought in, all the size they brought in, looks the part, at least in practice now twice that we've seen them.
Yeah, Yeah, they just look bigger, especially Pete. I'm really curious to see how he holds up in the SEC. But I have no reason to believe he won't, right, I don't.
See why not.
I mean, we're talking, we're all talking about a fifth year guy. I believe, I believe he's a fifty or fourth year. So he you know, he's his experience. You go and look at New Mexico State and you know they beat Auburn.
At Auburn, he was the starting left tackle in that game.
I believe they had think that another SEC team they played against that he played. Well, I don't have it in front of me right now, but yeah, he's a guy that's been battletets. He's been around the block for a minute now. And you know, obviously it was all high majors are I guess we're talking football, so all group of four now teams that were that were going after him hard in the transfer portal here. So I don't think there's reason the threat that he can't hold up.
And then that's what I kind of like to you know about Joshua le Bron, the left guard. They got as a ton of experience in the SEC. Between Florida and Arkansas. And then you know, you bring in the right tackle who's played a bunch at Bowling Green and was an All MAC guy there, and that that's the league that's went and lost in the trenches. So these are all guys that are not only experience, but have
done it at pretty high levels. And not necessarily, you know, a group of four, but they've done they've held up well when they stayed those teams.
So I think Peter'll be all right.
We talked Saturday, John Hale and I talked about it as well. You and I did at the game about you. Marion Wilcox, who is a real puzzlement. I mean, you know, is he going to be here? Is he going to hit the portal? Is he ready to take football more seriously and with people? You know, football Kentucky fans know this guy is capable of what they like to call explosives, the big plays like the one he had to Tennessee.
And here's a guy who last year slightly out game basically the same amount of rushing yards as Demi Sumo Karnbay in forty fewer carries, but he only ran with the twos. This guy, to me is just really intriguing in so many ways.
You know, it's like you're almost begging for him to get it off the field because he is so talented. I mean, every time he touched the ball, it felt like a big play was waiting to happen. I mean, was it Texas or first play the game with the fifty yard runs Tennessee.
Yeah, yeah, so it's that's right. I was there.
I was like, I saw it at first orange it was orange. Yeah yeah, it was orange. Yeah, wrong shade. But that's all right, but they're both anyway. It's just, yeah, you're begging him to get it together off the field and get it together, you know, learning to playbook and just being with the program for you know, Mark Dukes brought up the shoe example of the shoe tying example last year, like stuff like that, if they can get him over that hump, I mean, he's a special talent.
I don't know if he's going to be a three down back just because he's on the smaller side, but my gosh, could he really give them a change of pace because Dance Dowell from Nebraska, and I know, you know he wants to get the stigma out, but really, if you go look at what he did last year. He was great in short yardage, not much else. There weren't many explosive runs. I think his longest runt of the year was in the twenties in terms of yardage,
gained a lot of one yard touchdown runs. I think seven of us twelve.
Were one yard out.
So you'd love to have that combination. And I know Jason Patterson's had a nice spring as well, but you know he's still he's coming off an injury, he's a
red shirt freshman. I don't know how much that's going to translate in the game quite yet, but you'd love for Willcox and Dowell to be kind of your combo there where you have a guy who's a power back that's hard to bring down, wears down the defense, and then you can bring in will Cox against the tire defense to you know, be a big play threat, especially now this year or clearly clearly clearly they're trying to get back to being a run heavy offense.
Yeah, and then you know Patterson, like you said, hurt last year carry the ball what twenty times five and a half yards per carrying? No, he played okay, Yeah, caught the ball this spring. I'm curious to see what they do that. You know, it.
Seems like all three backs they were asking that out of them because they threw to Dowel a lot yet on Saturday as well, So that's clearly going to be something they probably try to do more this season, which is interesting because Sumo Karnbay that was kind of the strength of his game and I felt.
Like it was almost underutilized last year.
So uh, when you live and learn, So definitely think that's gonna be a bigger piece of the offense. And Patterson looked the most comfortable the three from what we saw doing it.
Fred Ferrier didn't play that disappointed me, and that's another kid who intrigues me.
Yeah, the wide receiver rooms beat up right now. Last year was the defensive line where they were just down to.
Walk on with.
Honestly, I think they had walk on running with the first team in this event last year. This year they were with the second team and then unfortunately one of them got hurt and it's just like, wow, they just are really struggling at receiver right now. But yeah, Fret Ferrier is a guy that looked good really all spring and fall camp last year. Made a couple of nice players last year, and then I thought played pretty well in the open practice we went to a couple of
weeks ago, the same with the freshman. DJ Miller looked had to play of the day in the open practice we went to, and unfortunately he didn't go on Saturday. I believe there were Preston Bowman, the freshman didn't go Saturday. I believe there was one more. And they're still waiting on the whole True Edwards thing. It's really hard to read between the tea leaves there as if he's going to be cleared or not with the whole you know, Jugo ruling and whatnot. So yeah, I would think wide receiver.
With all the injuries. I wish we got to see Ferrier. I wish we got to see DJ Miller. But with all the injuries, I and depending on what happens with this True Edward's ruling or if it rolls into the summer, I would think with the spring transfer portal opening two days from now, that's position they probably need to.
Get a body.
Oh yeah, yeah, definitely, and maybe another running back. We're talking Aaron.
So yeah, it's hard to start to play with only three at that.
Position and to count on true freshman, true incoming freshmen. Talking to Aaron gershein of the catch clause, We're going to talk a little bit of basketball, but before we do that, uh, because you talked about that with Tom Leach this morning on his show. But uh, you and I talked about the mess at Tennessee, and there's been so much fallout after that. And of course, you know a lot of the a lot of I think some of the pro athletes have jumped in and said, well,
these coaches can move. Yeah, but the coaches don't hold their employers hostage. They don't say what I'm not going to coach uh in the in the next game or in the bowl game unless you renegotiate my contract or whatever. Who I think this kid just got some really bad advice. But what does that work? A hardship on his friends and teammates, you know, Oh my gosh.
I would say, first of all, good for the Tennessee coaching staff for putting the foot down and telling them to go, because that's the right thing. You can't you can't have that hanging over your head. It doesn't matter who you are. And even though he's a five hour quarterback. But are okay your last year good for them there? But yeah, I think I think you nailed this bad advice,
and I honestly I just can't. He's a twenty year old kid who it was a five star prospect going into his second year of Tennessee starting they went the playoffs last year, Like, you can't tell me this is well he wanted like I will not be convicted of that. So I feel bad for the kid in this case. I think he got terrible advice, ran with it, and unfortunately got kicked to the curb rightfully so because of it. So I think it's just a it's a lost, lost, lost situation all across the.
Board, no winners really in this, uh you know.
And now you know, it'll be interesting to see where Nico lands because like, is a program like Oregon, I don't know, well, I know Oregon was their coach is kind of involved in letting Tennessee know you're sniffing around, But USC like some of those prideful programs out left because he can't can't transfer within the SEC unless it's
gonna strip this year. So are any of those really prideful programs gonna take this kid on I feel like it's gonna be more like a U C. L A or a team that's kind of desperate to get something going. So uh, I just I feel bad for the kid. And then Tennessee, you know, I'm glad the coaching staff did what they did, but man, are they in a tough spot.
Now.
They only have two scholarship the two not just two scholarship quarterback, they have two quarterbacks period, wow, on their entire rocks. And they're both ones of red shirt freshman and one's a true freshman. So they're not like in the names that come out in the spring portal, like Nico might be the highest profile player ever to go into the spring portal in this four year window. So yeah, they're gonna have some really hard times. They're gonna have some hard time spinding that that single.
Yeah, and you know there's no telling. I mean, Tennessee might have made another playoff run with that guy. So, like you said, bad advice, and uh, you just hope you didn't spend the rest of his life blaming everybody else. So uh, we'll talk more with Aaron Gershon of the cast Balls on the other side of the break here on six point thirty WLAP Welcome Back with chatting with Aaron Gershaan of the Cats pause. He of course covers Kentucky football and basketball. Uh and uh he talked basketball
this morning with Tom Leach. But man, you know, for anybody who covers college sports, you know, you've got to keep an eye on a portal. I know there are windows, but it's almost twenty four to seven, isn't it.
Yeah, it really is almost twenty four to seven. It's it's crazy, NonStop action. And then you know you have a day like Saturday with basketball after the spring game where you get a you know, it's so fun with this Twitter game now with that Cody Figure puts out the cryptic boom tweet yet and you're like, all right, who is it?
Who is it?
And you're thinking it's this Lamar Wilkerson kid who's currently on a visit to Indiana, because that's the only name they're really hot and heavy on. And then they land a forward from Croatia that no one's ever heard of, and like, oh, well that's interesting. And then he sends another one off later in the evening. You're like, oh, now they surely got Wilkerson. Oh no, Brandon Garrison saying that's all that was.
Yeah.
So it's just it's like it is non stop.
It's fun.
It's fun, crazy, chaotic and all that. It's a wild time. But at the end of the day, I just go back to what a job that Mark Pope and the staff is done to check all the boxes of getting more athletic, getting more physical, still not getting anything where you're going to be out of her like guys who aren't fit in the scheme offensively, Like I really objectively could not be much higher on what they've done so far.
Did you know anything about this kid they're bringing in from overseas from Crost Yeah.
I've never Yeah. No, it's funny.
I talked to Jacob Polochek, who is a recruiting expert so that he's built his career off recruiting. He used to work for Adam Gadore, and he told me, Yeah, there are about top four or five guys overseas that Kentucky has been linked to or at least has inquired about. And this guy I had never heard of. Wow, so this one really came out of left field. I really haven't, but uh, you know, I'll get the pronunciation down by
the season. But you're talking about a kid. Yeah, I know, it's another each or each versus VIC situation like we had with fiction, but no, but this kid's a six to eleven forward who can shoot it from three looks from the video that we've a little bit of video I've been able to watch that he can handle the ball, which makes sense. That's what Mark Pope likes in this big and you know, definitely physical and not you know, scrawnie.
I think he's got some muscle to him. So and he's going to be a twenty year old freshman, so he's more developed than a seventeen eighteen year old.
So uh.
The one thing I always caution.
With these overseas kids, specifically from Europe, is you don't really know what the competition they're playing against is, Like how comparable really is it to the SEC specifically.
But I love the idea. I love the creativity where.
Okay, we didn't necessarily get what we were looking for in the portal, or maybe we didn't want a guy from the portal that only had a year or two less, let's go, there weren't enough options on that and the high school circuit in the US that we thought, let's go overseas and get a pro I love it. I think it's a great wave of a great extension of recruiting that you know, has been underutilized by so many programs.
To see Illinois really dove headfirst into it, and they had some really good players on this past year's team.
You know that Kentucky played against the tournament.
I think it's brilliant.
The first thing that came to my mind Aaron having never seen him but obviously playing the the quote unquote European style, is that pope at times? It's not every trip plays that five out style of offense. It just seems like it would fit that kid's skill set really well. I mean a lot to learn, but a guy that can play inside and out, like you said, seems like that. It won't be seamless. Nothing ever is. But they got a big chance with this guy, don't they.
I think so.
I think he fits exactly what they want to do that out. I mean, I think he's probably a four naturally, But look, you have you added every piece they've added has the ability to play five out there. They don't have that. You know, Omari Williams, who's not a thread at all from three and Omari was great. You could play five out with him. I'm just saying, like they're
going to be spread out with shooters this year. And Quainton's this guy that you know his three point is work in progress, but he at least hit a couple last year to build off of. You know Brendan Garrison. Look, he shot at least thirty percent, So we gave you something from there. We know this kid from Croatia can shoot it. Mo Diabase was a forty shooter on a limited number. Cam Williams on a high number of threes
with forty one percent. Like they have just had guys who could shoot the ball at all five positions, probably even at a higher rate than last year, all while they're better defensively and more athletics. And this kid from Croatia, if that's exactly what they were kind of they were still missing that one at the four position because Mo Diabase as high as I think I might have said it last week on the show, he's my favorite one.
He might not be the highest profile, he's my favorite player they've added this offseason because I loved what he Yeah, well, I fell in love with his game when he came to rupp Arena, it was just dominant against some really big I mean he helped shut down on Maury Williams at the time, he shut down Bredon Garrison Andrew car He could just do it all defensively. But you know he's six seven, So could you really trust that out of your power starting power forward?
Yeah?
Now, and maybe even if he starts so just depends on the competition. But now you had a guy at that position who's six to eleven and can still do all the same things as the Abati. He may maybe he's not gonna be as good as a defender, but maybe he'll even be a better offensive player.
I just think it's great. And look at what Florida did with all their options in the front court.
Yeah, I mean yeah, the way they rolled out Condon and ha and Kin you Lou, They just kept coming at you in waves. And I think Kentucky can do a similar thing with this front court.
Oh. It's the one thing Pope showed everybody last year, and not everybody liked it. But he played a lot of guys in you know, short shifts. People got upset when he would sub and you know why, don't you leave him out there, you know, because he said, because we work him so hard on offense and we want him fresh at the end of the game. And it worked.
Yep, yep, exactly.
And you know that's and that's the one thing where it's like when you got the d commitment from Kaiden Lewis, it was kind of kind of puzzling.
You know.
The reasoning I understood was that Jalen Lowe is a two year guy. At least that's two years of eligibility. They were kind of Lewis's campus, hoping for a one year guy and then a clear paths to be the starter next year. But you know, the minutes are just unless there's a bunch of injuries, the minutes are going to be for almost everyone in the twenties at some point or low teams at worst. Like Pope loves fresh bodies. He doesn't want to play guys thirty.
Five plus minutes. He wants guys to stay.
In and out, and they want to get a lot of guys engaged and feeling part of this thing. Yeah, and that's why the way this roster is so deep, and just knowing the guys that can bring off the bench, or there's less of a drop offs, I'd say, right, which we had this past year and last year, and that's fun to watch.
And I remind people that the national title team on which Mark Pope played the best player and Twine Walker averaged no more than twenty eight minutes a game exactly. And even Antoine was surprised when he went back. He was on a podcast, went back and looked it up and was surprised to hear that. So it can work. You just got to make sure you play it both ends. Gotta shoot it, gotta guard a Yeah. Find him on
Twitter at a Gershon ninety nine. We talked to him every Monday here on the show, and good to talk to you, sir, and we'll talk next week, I hope. Yeah, absolutely, and I'll do it for now. Stay tuned for the Nick Benji Ownes Show, the UK Coach talking with Darren Hedrick, the boys of UK Baseball. Both will be hard at work tomorrow night when the Wildcats play host with Miami
of Ohio. That's a seven o'clock start. We'll have us the Big Bill in Sider with you up until six forty five, and the Cats and the RedHawks here on sixt thirty WLAP.
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