Scouting the Cats: Kentucky defense looks to remain one of nation’s best in 2020
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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.
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A breakdown of the Kentucky football team’s defense heading into the 2020 season.
Coordinator: Brad White enters his second season as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator and third overall season with the program. White coached six years with the Indianapolis Colts before coming to UK to coach outside linebackers in 2018; he continues to coach Kentucky’s outside linebackers. In the offseason he received a raise (he’ll make $875,000 through next June) and a two-year extension through 2022.
Position coaches: Steve Clinkscale, defensive backs; Jon Sumrall, inside linebackers; Anwar Stewart, defensive line; Frank Buffano, safeties.
Other staff: Louie Matsakis, Greg Manusky and Joe Scola, quality control assistants; Brayden Berezowitz and Bryan Berezowitz, graduate assistants.
Scheme: Multiple.
Last season: Despite losing a top-10 pick in Josh Allen and multiple starters in the secondary, Kentucky in 2019 maintained its spot as the fourth-ranked Southeastern Conference team in terms of total yards allowed per game (314.8). The Wildcats trailed only Georgia (276), Florida (306.7) and Missouri (314) in that category, and also ranked fourth overall in points allowed per game (19.3), in front of everyone but Georgia (12.6), Florida (15.5) and Alabama (18.6). Nationally, UK ranked 14th overall in points allowed per game and 20th in total defense.
Returning starters (including specialists): Quinton Bohanna, nose guard; Yusuf Corker, free safety; Cedrick Dort Jr., cornerback; Max Duffy, punter; Brandin Echols, cornerback; Josh Paschal, defensive end; Matt Ruffolo, place-kicker; DeAndre Square, weakside linebacker; Jamar “Boogie” Watson, strongside linebacker.
What to watch: There are some uncertainties, but overall Kentucky on paper seems well-equipped to replicate or exceed its 2019 effort. Last year’s preseason concerns about the secondary were massaged away swiftly as junior-college transfer Brandin Echols and Cedrick Dort Jr., who made 12 starts after redshirting his sophomore season due to injury in 2018, bolstered a unit that came into the season with minimal collegiate experience. The list of returning starters in the secondary does not include Davonte Robinson, who before tearing his quad in 2019 training camp was poised for a potential breakout season. “Boogie” Watson has received several preseason accolades after leading the team with 11.5 tackles for loss last year; he’s the main man for a deep corps of defensive rushers. With Chris Oats sidelined for the season due to an undisclosed ailment suffered during the summer, DeAndre Square is the only player with significant reps among the inside linebackers; Jamin Davis, who saw action last year, likely will assume the other starting role. The defensive line might take time to solidify but has an incredible anchor in Quinton Bohanna, who probably could have been drafted into the NFL had he bolted after his junior year.
Question marks: Can Davonte Robinson come back 100 percent healthy and fill a void left by Jordan Griffin? Same goes for defensive tackle Phil Hoskins, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, in terms of succeeding Calvin Taylor. Will Josh Paschal, tasked with a somewhat nominal switch back to defensive end, be able to stand out opposite “Boogie” Watson and create a vicious one-two punch up front? What level of impact, if any, should be expected from five-star recruit Justin Rogers at defensive tackle? Will J.J. Weaver become a big-time playmaker after a strong showing as a true freshman? Can Marquez Bembry and Jared Casey, formerly a defensive back and outside linebacker, respectively, be enough to aid a reduced inside linebacking corps? Is the kicking job Matt Ruffolo’s to lose or will scholarship man Chance Poore take advantage of an opportunity to reclaim his former job?
Outlook: Mark Stoops’ teams over the past few seasons have proven to be more than formidable on defense, and with the amount of returning talent and experience it’s tough not to think this group will continue that trend. Depth could become a concern in the middle and along the line, but if UK can get through the early part of the season with few health hiccups then it should be able to bring younger guys far enough along to cover those holes.
This story was originally published August 30, 2020 at 8:58 AM.
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