Updated: 2:06 PM ET Sun, Aug. 24, 2008

Comments (0) |

A closer look at the Cats

A primer to the 2008 season

Roster
Quarterbacks
No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
1 Will Fidler 6-4 220 So. Henderson
3 Matt Roark 6-6 195 Fr. Acworth, Ga.
5 Mike Hartline 6-6 201 So. Canton, Ohio
10 Matt Lentz 6-3 205 r-Fr. Simpsonville, S.C.
16 DeAunte Mason 6-3 215 Fr. Nashville
17 Tyler Sargent 6-3 202 r-Fr. Waynesville, Ohio
18 Randall Cobb 5-11 185 Fr. Alcoa, Tenn.
Running backs
9 Brandon Jackson 5-11 202 Fr. Eugene, Ore.
20 Derrick Locke 5-10 180 So. Hugo, Okla.
28 Tony Dixon 5-9 203 Sr. Parrish, Ala.
29 Alfonso Smith 6-1 200 Jr. Louisville
30 Moncell Allen 5-7 225 So. New Orleans
37 Trey Bowland 5-10 190 So. Knoxville
38 John Conner 5-11 228 Jr. West Chester, Ohio
40 Maurice Grinter 6-3 250 Jr. Louisville
43 Stephen Ball 5-10 224 So. Brentwood, Tenn.
47 Matt Ramsey 6-1 205 So. Artemus
Wide receivers
8 DeMoreo Ford 5-10 186 Jr. LaGrange, Ga.
12 Dicky Lyons, Jr. 5-11 190 Sr. New Orleans
13 Eric Adeyemi 6-0 170 Fr. Miami
14 Anthony Mosley 6-0 170 Fr. Ellenwood, Ga.
22 Aaron Boyd 6-3 210 Fr. Lexington
26 Terrence Jones 6-2 192 So. Atlanta
31 Jeremy Jones 6-2 175 r-Fr. Kennesaw, Ga.
48 Jayce Long 6-0 180 So. West Paducah
81 Kyrus Lanxter 6-3 187 So. Alcoa, Tenn.
83 E.J. Fields 6-2 190 Fr. Frankfort
83 Jonathan Gholson 6-2 185 r-Fr. Louisville
84 Chris Wraley 5-10 180 Jr. Zionsville, Ind.
85 Anthony Cecil 6-0 191 Jr. Hodgenville
85 Gene McCaskill 6-0 175 Fr. Chester, S.C.
87 Andre Henderson 6-6 214 So. Lexington
88 Nik Brazley 5-9 164 r-Fr. Louisville
90 Kramer Hendricks 6-5 194 r-Fr. Cincinnati
Tight ends
80 T.C. Drake 6-6 235 Jr. Bardstown
82 Tyler Sexton 6-2 242 Jr. Somerset
86 Ross Bogue 6-5 240 Jr. Suwanee, Ga.
89 Sean Stackhouse 6-4 255 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla.
Offensive linemen
52 Billy Joe Murphy 6-6 290 r-Fr. Gamaliel
58 Phillip Hibbard 6-5 305 r-Fr. Keavy
59 Dave Ulinski 6-4 295 Fr. Louisville
60 Dustin Luck 6-3 266 Jr. Poole
61 Jorge Gonzalez 6-3 300 Jr. Tampa, Fla.
63 Jake Lanefski 6-4 280 r-Fr. Mobile, Ala.
64 Osaze Idumwonyi 6-1 285 Fr. Cedar Hill, Texas
64 Josh Winchell 6-3 325 Sr. Southaven, Miss.
68 Michael Williams 6-6 294 Jr. Richmond
70 Stuart Hines 6-4 285 r-Fr. Bowling Green
71 James Alexander 6-5 298 Jr. Atlanta
72 Zipp Duncan 6-5 285 Jr. Magnolia
73 Jess Beets 6-2 285 Sr. Dove Canyon, Calif.
74 Trevino Woods 6-5 265 Fr. Athens, Ga.
75 Brad Durham 6-4 310 So. Mount Vernon
76 Justin Jeffries 6-6 310 Jr. Louisville
77 Marcus Davis 6-1 280 So. Union
78 Christian Johnson 6-4 325 Sr. Fort Campbell
79 Garry Williams 6-3 300 Sr. Louisville
90 Matt Smith 6-4 280 Fr. Louisville
Defensive linemen
45 Antwane Glenn 6-4 245 r-Fr. Pacolet, S.C.
53 Ricky Lumpkin 6-4 289 So. Clarksville, Tenn.
60 Shane McCord 6-3 271 So. Hartwell, Ga.
62 Greg Meisner 6-2 240 r-Fr. Greensburg, Pa.
66 Chandler Burden 6-5 290 Fr. Blue Ash, Ohio
67 Joe Scott 6-2 270 r-Fr. Louisville
68 Luke McDermott 6-1 224 r-Fr. Louisville
69 B.J. Wiedemann 6-1 242 So. Rineyville
84 Charles Mustafaa 6-3 260 r-Fr. College Park, Ga.
88 Chris Goode 6-4 240 So. Tucker, Ga.
91 Corey Peters 6-3 290 Jr. Louisville
92 Josh Minton 6-3 250 So. Somerset
93 Austin Moss 6-0 250 Jr. Hopkinsville
95 Ventrell Jenkins 6-2 285 Sr. Columbia, S.C.
96 Collins Ukwu 6-4 220 Fr. La Vergne, Tenn.
97 Nii Adjei Oninku 6-1 248 Sr. Dayton, Ohio
98 Myron Pryor 6-1 310 Sr. Louisville
99 Jeremy Jarmon 6-3 285 Jr. Collierville, Tenn.
Linebackers
4 Micah Johnson 6-2 255 Jr. Fort Campbell
21 Michael Schwindel 6-2 220 Jr. Hawesville
39 William Johnson 6-3 200 Fr. Nashville
42 Chris Cessna 6-4 220 r-Fr. London
41 Danny Trevathan 6-1 210 Fr. Leesburg, Fla.
43 Mikhail Mabry 6-2 235 Jr. Mililani, Hawaii
46 Ronnie Sneed 6-2 235 r-Fr. Tallahassee, Fla.
47 A.J. Nance 5-11 240 Jr. Knoxville
49 Antonio Thomas 6-2 225 r-Fr. Cowpens, S.C.
50 Sam Maxwell 6-3 225 Jr. Hartwell, Ga.
51 Johnny Williams 6-3 240 Sr. Neptune Beach, Fla.
54 Brandon Thurmond 6-2 226 So. Rex, Ga.
56 Braxton Kelley 6-0 226 Sr. LaGrange, Ga.
57 Jacob Dufrene 6-2 215 So. Cut Off, La.
89 Brian Murphy 6-0 211 r-Fr. Big Stone Gap, Va.
94 Taylor Wyndham 6-4 210 Fr. Swansea, S.C.
Defensive backs
2 Marcus McClinton 6-1 210 Sr. Fort Campbell
6 Taiedo Smith 6-0 175 r-Fr. Dunnellon, Fla.
7 David Jones 5-10 185 Sr. Red Jacket, W.Va.
11 Greg Wilson 6-2 195 r-Fr. College Park, Ga.
17 E.J. Adams 6-0 190 Jr. Stone Mountain, Ga.
19 Winston Guy 6-1 205 Fr. Lexington
23 Shomari Moore 5-9 185 Sr. Camden, N. J.
24 Randall Burden 6-2 170 Fr. LaGrange, Ga.
25 Ahmad Grigsby Jr. 6-0 188 Sr. Long Beach, Calif.
27 Ashton Cobb 6-0 205 Jr. Aliquippa, Pa.
31 Jordan Nevels 5-10 175 Jr. Fort Thomas
32 Trevard Lindley 6-0 175 Jr. Hiram, Ga.
33 Calvin Harrison 6-1 200 Jr. Columbia, S.C.
35 Cartier Rice 5-10 180 Fr. Duncan, S.C.
36 Robbie McAtee 5-10 175 Sr. Louisville
40 Daryl Faulkner 5-9 170 So. Memphis
Long snappers
55 Brad Hart 6-1 218 So. Marion
59 Jon Thomas 5-10 209 Fr. Louisville
65 J.J. Helton 6-3 230 So. Franklin, Tenn.
Kickers/punters
9 Ryan Tydlacka 6-1 195 r-Fr. Louisville
36 Lones Seiber 5-9 190 Jr. Knoxville
44 Tim Masthay 6-2 200 Sr. Murray
97 J.J. Housley 5-10 186 Sr. Hazard
Just the facts
Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium (capacity 67,606). Constructed in 1973, renovated in 1999. Bermuda grass playing surface.
Tickets
Single-game tickets: $40 for SEC games, $35 each for non-SEC games. Tickets for Kentucky’s game at Louisville are sold out. All individuals, regardless of age, much have a ticket to enter Commonwealth Stadium. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com, at local Ticketmaster outlets, by calling the UK Ticket Office at (859) 257-1818 or by visiting the UK Ticket Office in the Craft Center, Room A-113.
2008 season ticket prices: Sideline seats, $230; end zone seats, $195; faculty/staff sideline seats, $184; faculty/staff end zone seats, $156.
Television
Kentucky’s game against Louisville on Aug. 31 will be shown live on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. Television coverage for UK’s remaining games had yet to be announced when this section was printed.
Radio
All UK games will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Network, WLAP-AM 630 and WBUL-FM 98.1 in Lexington

UK on offense

Coordinator

Joker Phillips, sixth season at Kentucky under Rich Brooks, fourth as coordinator

Scheme

Multiple

Position coaches

Joker Phillips, wide receivers; Randy Sanders, quarterbacks; Larry Brinson, running backs; Jimmy Heggins, offensive line; Steve Ortmayer, tight ends; Matt McCutchan, graduate assistant/offensive line

Last season

Kentucky finished third in the Southeastern Conference and 24th in the nation in total offense, averaging 443.4 yards a game

Returning starters

Garry Williams, left tackle; Zipp Duncan, left guard; Justin Jeffries, right tackle; Dicky Lyons Jr., wide receiver; John Conner, fullback; Lones Seiber, place-kicker

What to watch

The UK offense will be in a transition phase as it tries to adjust to life without one of the best groups of skill-position players in school history. Quarterback Andre Woodson, wide receivers Keenan Burton and Steve Johnson, running back Rafael Little and tight end Jacob Tamme are on NFL rosters this fall. While the coaches have maintained that the offensive scheme hasn’t changed, the play-calling should be slightly more run-oriented than it was in the Woodson era. The Cats appear to have four quality options at tailback, and the offensive line features some battle-tested veterans and a nice mix of young talent.

Question marks

The Cats must get some kind of production out of their passing game for the offense to get off the ground. Breaking in a brand-new quarterback and a new set of wide receivers doesn’t seem conducive to a productive aerial attack. Phillips will ask sophomore Mike Hartline to make the easy throws, limit his mistakes and take the occasional shot downfield when the defense provides the opportunity. Look for several freshmen to be lined up alongside Dicky Lyons Jr. at receiver.

Outlook

You can’t expect to lose all the talent that Kentucky did offensively and not suffer a drop-off. How far the offense drops off will depend on the performance of the quarterback and young receivers.

Depth chart

Left tackle: Garry Williams, James Alexander

Left guard: Zipp Duncan, Michael Williams

Center: Jorge Gonzalez, Jake Lanefski

Right guard: Jess Beets, Stuart Hines

Right tackle: Justin Jeffries, Brad Durham

Tight end: T.C. Drake, Ross Bogue

Wide receiver: Dicky Lyons Jr., DeMoreo Ford

Wide receiver: Kyrus Lanxter, Randall Cobb

Quarterback: Mike Hartline, Will Fidler

Fullback: John Conner, A.J. Nance

Tailback: Tony Dixon, Alfonso Smith

Place-kicker: Lones Seiber, Ryan Tydlackae_SClBUK on defense

Coordinator

Steve Brown, sixth season at Kentucky under Rich Brooks, second as coordinator

Scheme

4-3

Position coaches

Rick Petri, defensive line; Chuck Smith, linebackers; Chris Thurmond, secondary; Dontae Wright, graduate assistant/linebackers

Last season

UK finished 10th in the SEC and 67th in the nation in total defense allowing 397.2 yards a game.

Returning starters

Jeremy Jarmon, end; Myron Pryor, tackle; Corey Peters, tackle; Johnny Williams, linebacker; Braxton Kelley, linebacker; Trevard Lindley, cornerback; Marcus McClinton, free safety; Tim Masthay, punter.

What to watch

UK showed gradual improvement in its first season under Brown’s watch. Now significant improvement is both expected and needed. The first order of business is doing a better job defending the run. The Cats have some talent led by NFL prospect Jarmon. If UK can be more stout against opposing ground games, the rest of the pieces should fall into place. The projected starting linebackers all have starting experience, and the secondary features a big-time playmaker in Lindley.

Question marks

While the Cats appear to have enough talent, depth and experience to have a formidable defense, these are still many of the same players who finished 10th in the SEC in total defense last fall. It’s hard to imagine the Cats making huge strides defensively if they don’t prevent teams from running it down their throats like they have the past few seasons.

Outlook

If the Cats don’t field a decent defense this year, it’s just not meant to be. There’s talent, depth and experience on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary. To say UK will have one of the nation’s best defenses might be a stretch, but a top-30 finish doesn’t seem out of the question.

Depth chart

Defensive end: Jeremy Jarmon, Nii Adjei Oninku

Defensive tackle: Corey Peters, Ricky Lumpkin

Defensive tackle: Myron Pryor, Shane McCord

Defensive end: Ventrell Jenkins, Josh Minton

Strongside linebacker: Johnny Williams, Sam Maxwell

Middle linebacker: Micah Johnson, Mikhail Mabry

Weakside linebacker: Braxton Kelley, Michael Schwindel

Cornerback: Trevard Lindley, Robbie McAtee

Strong safety: Ashton Cobb, Matt Lentz

Free safety: Marcus McClinton, Calvin Harrison

Cornerback: David Jones, Randall Burden