Who starts at running back, left tackle? Projecting Kentucky football’s depth chart.

With just more than a week of preseason practice left before Kentucky football’s 2022 opener versus Miami (Ohio), the Wildcats’ depth chart is starting to take shape.

Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops will release the first official depth chart of the season on Monday, but here is a position-by-position look at where things stand based on coach and player interviews, open practice observations and insider tips.

Quarterback

Starter: Will Levis

Backups: Deuce Hogan, Kaiya Sheron

Widely projected as a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Levis has spent camp building chemistry with a group of new receivers he will need to establish rapport with quickly this season. The real question at this position is who backs up Levis, but coaches have said they are not ready to name a winner in the backup competition. Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello suggested the competition will carry into the season and would be reopened if Levis were forced to miss significant time with an injury. Based on the early portions of Wednesday’s practice opened to the media, it looks like Hogan would be the fill-in if Levis had to miss any time against Miami though.

Running back

Starter: Kavosiey Smoke

Backups: Ramon Jefferson, JuTahn McClain, LaVell Wright, Mike Drennen

An official announcement is expected Monday about the length of the suspension for star running back Chris Rodriguez, but it is clear at this point he will not play in the opener. With Rodriguez out, expect Kentucky to use a committee approach at running back, but it was Smoke, probably the fastest running back of the group who was praised by Scangarello this week for maturing over the course of the summer, who was taking first-team reps in one drill Wednesday. Jefferson, the transfer from Sam Houston State, and McClain should be used heavily as well. Wright could be the best bet to emerge as an every-down back in the future, but he was wearing a red no-contact jersey in Wednesday’s practice.

Wide receivers

Starters: Tayvion Robinson, Dane Key, DeMarcus Harris

Backups: Barion Brown, Chris Lewis, Chauncey Magwood, Dekel Crowdus

After transferring from Virginia Tech, Robinson is the early favorite to lead Kentucky in catches this season, but Levis should spread the ball around more than he did a year ago when Wan’Dale Robinson accounted for the lion’s share of the targets. Key locked down a starting spot after graduating from Frederick Douglass High School a semester early to enroll at UK in January. Harris is the incumbent at the second outside receiver position, but Brown should play extensive snaps as a freshman as well. There could be many formations where only two wide receivers are on the field though as UK makes heavy use of multiple tight end sets.

Tight end

Starter: Brenden Bates

Backups: Keaton Upshaw, Izayah Cummings, Jordan Dingle, Josh Kattus

Scangarello predicted as many as five Kentucky tight ends could one day play in the NFL on the first day of camp. That kind of hype makes it easy to imagine Kentucky playing most of the game with at least two tight ends on the field at once. Bates’ blocking skills will likely be needed early in the season as Kentucky breaks in two new starting tackles, but Upshaw, Cummings and Dingle could be major factors in the passing game. Kattus has turned heads in camp as a freshman to the point where it appears unlikely he will stay below the four-game threshold needed to preserve a redshirt season.

Offensive line

Starters: LT David Wohlabaugh, LG Kenneth Horsey, C Eli Cox, RG Tashawn Manning, RT Jeremy Flax

Backups: LT Kiyaunta Goodwin, LG John Young, C Quintin Wilson, RG Jager Burton, RT Deondre Buford

The big news from Kentucky’s second preseason scrimmage was the move of Wohlabaugh, the son of nine-year NFL veteran Dave Wohlabaugh, to left tackle. Goodwin, a five-star signee in the 2022 class, should see his role at that position grow throughout the season, but Wohlabaugh appears to have locked down the starting job for the opener. The other offensive line question for Miami on the offensive line is the status of Horsey, a senior captain. He was absent again Wednesday due to an injury that has caused him to miss more than a week of practice. If he is not ready to play in the opener, Burton would likely fill in at that spot even though he’s listed as the second-team right guard here.

Defensive line

Starters: DT Octavious Oxendine, NG Justin Rogers, DE Tre’vonn Rybka

Backups: Deone Walker, Josaih Hayes, Kahlil Saunders, Sam Anaele, Darrion Henry-Young

The spotlight is on a much-hyped group of 2020 defensive line signees to step into starring roles in their third year on campus. All three projected starters here were from that group, as was Hayes, the backup nose guard. Defensive line coach Anwar Stewart is expected to make heavy use of the depth here, rotating extensively. Keep an eye on Walker, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound freshman who has already been receiving first-team snaps in practice.

Outside linebackers

Starters: J.J. Weaver, Jordan Wright

Backups: Tyreese Fearbry, Keaten Wade

The return of Wright for his super senior season should allow Kentucky to use its base 3-4 defense more often than a year ago when both he and Weaver were slowed by injuries. Weaver could blossom into one of the best pass rushers in the SEC now that he is a full year removed from ACL surgery. Depth is a concern here as both backups are freshmen, though highly touted ones. At least one report has surfaced that Wright is also facing a suspension for the opener, so Fearbry and Wade could play more against Miami. There will also still be situations where Kentucky uses an extra defensive back with just one outside linebacker on the field.

Inside linebackers

Starters: Jacquez Jones, DeAndre Square

Backups: D’Eryk Jackson, Trevin Wallace, Martez Thrower, Luke Fulton

The deepest position on Kentucky’s defense was boosted by Jones and Square using their extra year of eligibility. Jackson and Wallace showed enough last season to think they were ready to step into starting roles, but with the super seniors back, Kentucky now has the luxury to rotate heavily here and keep everyone fresh. Thrower and Fulton, who played sparingly after transferring from Michigan State last season, have also received positive reviews during camp.

Defensive backs

Starters: Carrington Valentine, Keidron Smith, Tyrell Ajian, Jalen Geiger

Backups: Andru Phillips, Maxwell Hairston, Jordan Lovett, Zion Childress, Taj Dodson, Alex Afari

There were no shortage of questions about Kentucky’s defensive secondary after spring practice, but Stoops has expressed renewed confidence in the group during camp, comparing it to Kentucky’s 2020 secondary that featured two NFL Draft picks. Valentine has one starting cornerback spot locked down, but Smith, a transfer from Ole Miss, and Phillips could split time at the other spot. Hairston has emerged as a viable fourth option in the cornerback rotation during camp. Depth is a strength at safety with Ajian, Geiger, Lovett, Childress and Dodson all likely to play significant snaps. Afari, a freshman, could see time at nickel.

Specialists

Starters: K Matt Ruffolo, P Collin Goodfellow, PR Tayvion Robinson, KR JuTahn McClain

Backups: K Chance Poore, P Wilson Berry, PR/KR Barion Brown

Kentucky is in the unusual position of having two former walk-ons starting at kicker and punter with three scholarship recruits behind them on the depth chart. Poore will handle kickoffs, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Berry eventually win the punting job considering he only lost it to Goodfellow a year ago after struggling with a back injury. Robinson was one of the best punt returners in the ACC at Virginia Tech. During Wednesday’s practice, McClain, Brown and Smoke were returning kickoffs.

This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 7:56 AM.

Jon Hale

Lexington Herald-Leader

(859) 414-6776

Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the Herald-Leader in 2022 but has covered UK athletics for more than 10 years. Hale was named the 2021 Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year. Support my work with a digital subscription