Why Kentucky coaches are excited about position that lost former five-star to transfer
College football’s one-time free transfer rule has been kind to Kentucky football since its implementation.
In the rule’s first two years, Mark Stoops used the transfer portal to add multiple impact starters, including stars Will Levis and Wan’Dale Robinson, while keeping his best players in Lexington. It was unrealistic to expect the program to continue a perfect record in retaining its own talent though, and the other side of the transfer portal was finally felt in Lexington this winter when starting nose guard and former five-star recruit Justin Rogers transferred to Auburn.
But Stoops is not wasting any time worrying about what might have been had Rogers remained at UK for his senior season.
“I think we are in good shape,” Stoops said of Kentucky’s nose guard position on the first day of spring practice.
Kentucky returns senior Josaih Hayes and sophomore Jamarius Dinkins to the position, but it is the addition of North Carolina transfer Keeshawn Silver that has Stoops most excited. Like Rogers, Silver was a five-star recruit out of high school. Unlike Rogers though, he brings little college experience to Lexington after playing sparingly through two seasons in Chapel Hill.
“He’s pretty damn good,” Stoops said. “He’s got three years left, so I’m pretty impressed with Keeshawn (Silver), I really am. He’s a monster and we’ve got to get better, but I like the look of him certainly lining up next to Deone (Walker).”
A defensive line with the 6-foot-4, 322-pound Silver lining up next to the 6-foot-6, 348-pound Walker would be among the biggest in the country. Asked what that pairing could do against SEC offenses, Silver has a quick response: destruction.
But three spring practices — only one of which was held with pads on — are not enough to declare Silver a surefire starter for the Wildcats this fall.
The 247Sports Composite, which averages the ratings of the major recruiting services, rated Silver as a five-star prospect as a senior at Rocky Mount High School when he signed with his home-state Tar Heels as part of the class of 2021. Silver struggled to translate that recruiting hype into on-field production though, playing in just six games across two seasons with four total tackles.
Part of the optimism for a bigger impact at Kentucky comes from a position switch.
North Carolina used a four-man defensive line in its base defense while Kentucky uses a three-man front. Silver’s weight was an issue at times at North Carolina, but his size is an asset as the nose guard in UK’s system where his primary responsibility is occupying multiple blockers to free up other teammates to make plays in the backfield.
“I learned how to become a man, learned how to use my body,” Silver said of his time at North Carolina. “... When you look on film, you’re like, dang, I’m huge. I need to start using my body more.”
Kentucky’s defensive coaches have applauded Silver for his willingness to learn since arriving in Lexington, but they stress that eagerness will be needed because there is work to do.
Projecting Silver’s growth between now and the season opener in September is difficult given his lack of game experience, but the process of building him into an SEC defensive lineman will not stop then.
“I think his ceiling is really high,” defensive line coach Anwar Stewart said. “... I’m still teaching him to connect his hips and hands together, but once he gets that he’s going to be something. When you look at his lower body, he’s thick. He’s got those big legs and that big butt, man. In our defense, you want a big guy that can anchor down in there and take two (blockers), so he’s perfect for what we’re looking for.”
Even with Rogers leaving a big hole in the front of Kentucky’s defense, Silver will not be handed the starting job based on his recruiting hype alone.
Hayes has played in 29 games with two starts across three seasons. He entered 2021 in something of a timeshare with Rogers before sliding down the depth chart as the season progressed.
After playing only sparingly in the first half of the 2022 season, Dinkins worked his way into a featured role in Kentucky’s goal-line packages down the stretch and passed Hayes on the depth chart. He made a key goal-line stop against No. 1 Georgia and tallied his first career tackle for loss in the regular season finale against Louisville.
Dinkins also brings impressive length and athleticism to the position at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. At 317 pounds, Hayes can be the type of body that wreaks havoc in the middle of a defense.
Silver might have the highest ceiling of the trio, but the most likely scenario is a timeshare with heavy rotation when the season starts. Walker can also play nose guard in certain formations, offering even more flexibility to the defensive front.
“I think we have three noses right now with Dink and with Josaih Hayes, who’s played plenty of reps, and Keeshawn,” defensive coordinator Brad White said. “I feel good about that position. Now, we may not have as many snaps as we’ve had in the past, but I think as a unit that position can be a strong point for us.”