Even without Jedrick Wills, the Kentucky offensive line has a bright future

The commitment of five-star offensive tackle Jedrick Wills to Alabama on Tuesday was surely a blow to the UK coaching staff, which had made Wills its top recruiting priority in the 2017 class ever since the local lineman was in the eighth grade.

But one loss on the recruiting trail won’t break an offensive line, and UK has shown great strides with that unit this season, with several underclassmen among the standouts.

Sophomores George Asafo-Adjei and Bunchy Stallings have worked their way up to No. 1 positions on the UK depth chart. Freshmen Landon Young and Logan Stenberg are both listed at No. 2 on the depth chart and have made major contributions this fall.

The Cats also have former four-star recruits Drake Jackson and Tate Leavitt sitting out as redshirt players, and they should add some depth to the Wildcats’ line next season.

Senior center Jon Toth is the only UK starter that will not be back with the Wildcats in 2017, and — while he’ll be a major loss — that means lots of continuity for a unit of critical importance.

Belfry High School standout Austin Dotson is UK’s lone offensive line commitment for the class of 2017, though the Cats are expected to add one or two more players at the position. Three-star recruits Thayer Munford and Naasir Watkins are among the possibilities.

Check out the chart below to see UK’s projected offensive line breakdown for the 2017 season.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Even without Jedrick Wills, the Kentucky offensive line has a bright future."