Big Blue Chippers: Five UK football players whose stock will rise in 2020
READ MORE
2020 College Football Preview
The Lexington Herald-Leader’s 2020 College Football Preview special section was published in the print edition on Sunday, Aug. 30. Click below to view all the stories from that section that have been published on Kentucky.com.
Expand All
The following five University of Kentucky football players have played during their time in Lexington and have positioned themselves to be major contributors in 2019.
Josh Ali
Funny enough, Ali topped this list last year, but given how the season unfolded it turned out to be difficult for him or any other receiver to really make a sizable impression, at least as far as stat accumulation is concerned. He started every game, finishing second on the team with 23 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns, his last the most definitive of his career to this point: his last of four catches was the go-ahead score in UK’s Belk Bowl victory in December. In the time since that memorable series — he also reeled in a crucial drive-extending catch earlier in the same possession — Ali has been targeted as a guy ready to take the leap and lead the receiving corps. With dynamite playmaker Lynn Bowden and walking pass-interference flag Ahmad Wagner out of Lexington, the door’s open for him to meet those expectations.
Jamari Brown
The viability of Kentucky’s secondary was a concern heading into last season that proved to be overblown, and guys like Brown were a big reason. He wasn’t a full-time starter — though he did make three starts (against Toledo, Eastern Michigan and Tennessee) — and likely won’t be one in 2020, barring injury, but he proved to be a valuable piece of the defense as a redshirt freshman and should continue to make strides. He was second on the team behind Brandin Echols with seven pass breakups and recorded 25 tackles in 2019. LSU transfer and cornerback Kelvin Joseph is eligible, and has earned rave reviews, but there should be plenty of room for several UK defensive backs to shine.
Jamin Davis
Because of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Chris Oats’ absence from the team — he was hospitalized for an undisclosed injury or illness in May and is not expected to play this season — Davis will need to take on an even larger role than he already was going to in 2020. He appeared in every game last season, starting once, and recorded 32 tackles (12 unassisted), a sack and an interception. The former Georgia prep standout enters his junior season as a likely full-time starter at inside linebacker and has the endorsement of Kash Daniel, the former UK star whom he helped back up last season.
Kavosiey Smoke
He proved that he was more than just a spectacular name last season, rushing for 616 yards and six touchdowns on 101 carries. He figures again to be listed the immediate backup to A.J. Rose along with fellow sophomore Chris Rodriguez, with whom he split time last year, but Smoke has the speed to be a bigger factor if situations call for it. He rushed for at least 50 yards in six different games last year, including a career-best 95 yards on 15 carries in a romp at Vanderbilt that saw him finish with a career-high 123 all-purpose yards.
J.J. Weaver
The former four-star recruit out of Louisville played in only three games last season, one fewer than the minimum allowed to retain a redshirt, but he was about as impressive as a true freshman outside linebacker can be in those reps. He totaled only six tackles but frequently displayed the kind of burst off the line that had dozens of FBS programs chasing after his commitment while he was at Moore High School. There’s a lot of room for him and fellow redshirt freshman Jared Casey to grow, but there should be opportunities for each to shine as the defensive line and linebacker rotations try to figure out their best sets early on.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 7:42 AM.
.JPG)
