Kentucky football mailbag: Who is the featured running back? Most surprising players?

Kentucky football has transitioned from camp mode to preparations for the 2022 season opener versus Miami (Ohio).

Over the last month we’ve looked at freshmen who could contribute, breakout candidates, underrated players and more. But what questions still remain? We sent out a request on Twitter to find out what you still want to know about this team.

Here are some of the questions we received. To participate in future UK football mailbags, make sure you are following me (@JonHale_HL) on Twitter.

When are they announcing the (Chris Rodriguez) suspension?! — Brian Grover

No surprise that the biggest source of preseason conversation shows up in fans’ questions before the opener. Mark Stoops has repeatedly declined to comment publicly on Rodriguez’s status, but he has hinted the news will come next week. I assume that means Monday when the first depth chart is released, Rodriguez will not be on it. The question then becomes how much detail will Stoops give on the suspension.

I think Stoops owes fans at least a specific number on how many games Rodriguez will miss considering the hype surrounding his team. Another reader asked if Rodriguez would play at Florida. I would be very surprised at this point if he did, and I don’t really buy the suggestion that Kentucky would gain much of a competitive advantage by not confirming Rodriguez’s status for that game. As for specifics about the cause of the suspension, I think it would make sense for Kentucky to share as much information as possible given the rampant rumors about a second incident not related to Rodriguez’s guilty DUI plea, but it is probably more likely we only get the “violation of team rules” explanation.

Who do you think will be the lead back in Week 1? — Daniel Hager

I picked senior Kavosiey Smoke as the starter for my projected depth chart following last Wednesday’s open practice, but I do think Smoke, Ramon Jefferson and JuTahn McClain will all receive extensive snaps in the opener. If healthy, La’Vell Wright, who was wearing a red no contact jersey in the open practice, should factor as well. While I picked Smoke to start, I’m not sure he’ll actually record the most carries. I can definitely see a scenario where Jefferson, who faces a big leap in competition from FCS football to the SEC, takes the lead role during September since the three nonconference opponents are closer to the competition he faced last season at Sam Houston State.

What player has surprised you on the offensive and defensive side and who do you think the X-factor will be this year? — Chris Beasmore

On offense, I’ll go with offensive tackle David Wohlabaugh. I was high on Wohlabaugh coming out of high school — and incorrectly picked him as one of the five freshmen I expected to play last season — but when the staff declined to add a transfer offensive tackle this summer I assumed they were comfortable with Jeremy Flax and Deondre Buford as the starting options. Now, Wohlabaugh has taken over the starting left tackle spot with Buford likely to backup Flax at right tackle. I still think the staff wants five-star freshman Kiyaunta Goodwin to play as a freshman, but the team would probably be best served if Wohlabaugh plays well enough to let Goodwin ease into action.

On defense, I’ll go with cornerback Andru Phillips. When Kentucky added Keidron Smith as a transfer from Ole Miss, I assumed he would immediately take over the starting spot opposite Carrington Valentine. I think Smith still plays the majority of the snaps there, but it is clear that Phillips has built on his strong spring to retain an important part of the rotation. He lacks Smith’s size, but has consistently been praised by coaches for his coverage skills.

It is difficult to pick anyone other than Will Levis as the X-factor. If he lives up to the hype, Kentucky can contend in the East. If he doesn’t or is hurt, falling back to six or seven wins is not out of the question.

I just hope our special teams are solid!! Long snapper, return guys, coverage teams, etc. … So important and cannot be taken for granted. — Rick Wood

Not a question, but a great point from Rick. We know what to expect at kicker and punter, but the other special teams units are in flux. Tayvion Robinson was one of the best punt returners in the ACC for Virginia Tech and should fill that role again. McClain, Smoke and Barion Brown were fielding kickoffs in the open practice. The coverage units should definitely be helped by the quality of the 2022 signing class with several of those hyped freshmen making an impact there.

Do you think Eli Cox is ready to step into the role as the center, which has been a true cornerstone of the Big Blue Wall? — Andrew McKenzie

In short, yes. In fact, there might not be a player on the offense outside of Levis that I’m more confident about than Cox. It’s easy to forget he was on multiple midseason All-American teams before his season-ending hand injury last year, but those honors say a lot considering there were two NFL draft picks playing alongside him. In the same way Luke Fortner’s stock exploded after moving from guard to center last season, Cox should make a similar jump. It’s clear new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach Zach Yenser are big fans, and Fortner predicted a big season for Cox back in March at the NFL combine.

This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 6:30 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