2008 Kentucky Preview - Defense

CollegeFootballNews.com 2008 Preview - Kentucky Wildcat Defense

Kentucky Wildcats

Preview 2008 - Defense

- 2008 CFN Kentucky Preview | 2008 Kentucky Offense
- 2008 Kentucky Defense | 2008 Kentucky Depth Chart
- 2007 CFN Kentucky Preview | 2006 CFN Kentucky Preview 

What you need to know: This is a promising, talented defense that can't finish last in the SEC in scoring D and tenth in total defense again. Has there ever been this much talent on a Kentucky defense? DE Jeremy Jarmon and CB Trevard Lindley will each go in the top 50 picks whenever they come out, while DT Myron Pryor, DE/DT Ventrell Jenkins, and a few others should see time in NFL camps. The line is very big, and very promising, and very underwhelming when it comes to production so far. The pass rush wasn't there last year and the run defense had way too many problems. The secondary was night-and-day better after a nightmare of a 2006, and now it should be even better if FS Marcus McClinton can stay healthy.

Returning Leaders
Tackles: Trevard Lindley, 66
Sacks: Jeremy Jarmon, 9
Interceptions: Trevard Lindley, 3

Star of the defense: Junior DE Jeremy Jarmon
Player who has to step up and become a star: Junior LB Micah Johnson
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore DT Ricky Lumpkin
Best pro prospect: Jarmon & Junior CB Trevard Lindley
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Jarmon, 2) Lindley, 3) DT Myron Pryor
Strength of the defense: Defensive line size, corner
Weakness of the defense: Production from the line, pass rush

Defensive Line

Projected Starters: Unless you're a die-hard SEC or UK fan, you've never heard of Jeremy Jarmon. Come March and April, you'll know all about him. The 6-3, 285-pound junior is a dream NFL 3-4 end and after a good first year, he broke out and became special last year finishing fourth on the team with 62 tackles, nine sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss as he put it all together. He has the speed and quickness of a much smaller end, and the body of a tackle. The All-SEC performer will be a top 50 pick if he chooses to come out early and will be the star of the UK defensive front seven.

Also certain to get a hard look from the NFL types will be Ventrell Jenkins, another good pro-style 3-4 end with 6-2, 285-pound size and good quickness. He's a defensive tackle by nature, making 34 tackles with four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, and while he might not be starter all season, he'll provide big bulk against the run.

Working on the inside is another decent pro prospect, 6-1, 310-pound senior Myron Pryor, who made 27 tackles. While he didn't show much of a push in the backfield, he made a team-leading five sacks as a sophomore showing off far better quickness and burst than he did last year. When he's on, he's one of the SEC's best all-around tackles and he can make himself a ton of money with a big year. If nothing else, he's going to dominate in he weight room portion of the NFL Combine.

6-3, 290-pound junior Corey Peters was a rock on the line starting every game but one, making 43 tackles with 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss. With a big frame and long arms, he's tough to throw over, and with his excellent combination of strength and athleticism, he should thrive with all the attention paid to the rest of the front four.

Projected Top Reserves: While Jenkins might be too big and too good to keep off the field, he'll play in a rotation once Nii Adjei Ononku is healthy. A superior pass rushing prospect who has tremendous speed, the 6-1, 248-pound senior is trying to get past a knee injury that cost him all of last year. Nowhere near the run stopper that Jenkins is, he might be a situational pass rusher for a while.

6-4, 289-pound sophomore Ricky Lumpkin was Tennessee's 2005 Mr. Football and is one of the team's most promising young linemen. He made 18 tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss in seven games, but he's trying to get healthy after having leg problems. He had calcium deposits that had to be removed.

Watch Out For ... Jenkins as an end. It's an interesting experiment to try to get more production against the run. While he could end up seeing most of his time at tackle if Ononku is healthy, he'll be a key piece of the puzzle.
Strength: Size. If Jenkins really is the starting end, this might be the biggest front four in America averaging 6-2 and roughly 295 pounds per man. The little guy will be Jenkins at 6-2, 285. That's why there needs to be more ...
Weakness: ... production against the run. With three players who'll be drafted, and a fourth in Peters who'll get time in an NFL camp, and with all the beef, it's inexcusable that this group allowed 191 yards per game. There were some good moments, but most teams that could run the ball, did.
Outlook: Get ready to hear this on Draft Day 2009, "With all these players drafted, it's amazing Kentucky wasn't better up front." Jarmon is a special player who'll be around the big league for ten years, while Pryor and Jenkins are big bodies who can clog things up. However, the line was originally built to get into the backfield, and UK was the worst team in the SEC in tackles for loss and was mediocre at getting to the quarterback. For so much size and talent, this group has to find something it does well.
Rating: 7

Linebackers

Projected Starters: Step one is finding a replacement for undersized tackling machine Wesley Woodyard on the weakside. While 6-0,. 226-pound Braxton Kelley might need a little while to figure out the job, after starting every game but the opener in the middle, and finishing third on the team with 63 tackles with five tackles for loss, he's a good fit for the job. A great tackler with nice quickness and athleticism, he has the tools, especially now that he's three years removed from a tough knee injury, but he has to prove he can make plays against the pass.

With Kelley moving to the outside, 6-2, 255-pound Micah Johnson will take over a full-time role in the middle. He started the opener last year in the middle and was a key reserve throughout the season finishing fifth on the team with 58 tackles with two interceptions and four tackles for loss. Now a junior, the one-time superstar recruit, who could've gone anywhere, has to live up to his potential. The former high school running back has slimmed down a bit after pushing 270 early last season, but even though he has gotten in better shape, he still adds more bulk than Kelley.

Former defensive end Johnny Williams will work on the strongside coming off a 43 tackle, one tackle for loss season. A good veteran with a nice motor, he wasn't much of a pass rusher to demand time on the line, but at 6-3 and 240 pounds, he a good athlete who'll make things happen against the run. he started in seven games last year at linebacker, and now he should be better.

Projected Top Reserves: Pushing for time behind Williams will be 6-3, 225-pound junior Sam Maxwell, a smallish, quick athlete with great speed and nice upside. He might not be big, but he can move well enough to be a bigger factor after making 27 tackles with five tackles for loss as a spot starter.

Junior Mikhail Mabry is a 6-2, 235-pound junior who has mostly been a special teamer with two tackles and an interception coming early in the year. A tough player who should be decent in the middle once he gets a chance, he'll work behind Johnson to start out.

6-2, 220-pound junior Michael Schwindel is a smart weakside defender who made four tackles, but has good upside. More of a safety than a linebacker, he's a great athlete who took a big step up in practice production over the last year, and now it has to translate to the field.

Watch Out For ... Kelley. Will he blossom in his new role, or will he appear lost? He might not have been big for a middle man, but he knew how to get to the ball and was a good playmaker. Consistency might be a problem early on.
Strength: Talent. In terms of sheer skill, Kentucky hasn't had a linebacking corps this good in years. There are good athletes across the board, and as long as Johnson becomes the star he was supposed to be when he arrived on campus, there are the right-sized players in the right spots after going small and quick with Woodyard in the mix over the last few seasons.
Weakness: Getting into the backfield. This was a team-wide issue last year, and the linebackers didn't provide any help. For the most part, the UK linebackers have had to spend so much time helping out against the run that they weren't able to do too much else. That might change with an improved front four.
Outlook: While the loss of Woodyard isn't going to help, there's a chance the corps could be better, and even though there isn't a ton of veteran depth, it'll be deeper. The big key will be how Kelley handles his new role. He might not make the 139 tackles that Woodyard did, but he brings more size and he could make more plays at the point of attack. Johnson has all the tools to be a monster now that he's a full-time starter, and Williams is a nice veteran who'll only get better.
Rating: 6

Defensive Backs

Projected Starters: The secondary was night-and-day better last year than it had in previous seasons, and part of the reason was the emergence of Trevard Lindley as a star. A phenomenal tackling corner who'll be taken on the first day of the draft whenever he chooses to come out, he's 6-0, 175-pounds with good speed and great hitting ability. After making 52 tackles with 12 broken up passes as a freshman, he was second on the team with 66 stops, three interceptions and 11 broken up passes as a sophomore.

On the other side, at least to start out, will be junior Paul Warford, a 5-11, 200-pound veteran who started every game but one last year and made 41 tackles with two picks and nine tackles for loss even though he missed time with a collarbone injury. With track speed and the weight room strength of a lineman, he's a physical defender who's fine against the pass, but he isn't the elite player Lindley is.

Back at free safety will be Marcus McClinton, a 6-1, 210-pound senior who made 32 tackles and a pick in eight games. Never healthy as he tried to play through a variety of problems, he came back for the bowl game after missing the final three games of the year. A big hitter who was also knocked out of the 2005 season with a knee injury, he's a good all-around playmaker who can be a tone-setter when 100%.

With Roger Williams gone, it'll be up to Ashton Cobb to take over at free safety. He got the start against Florida and finished the year with 42 tackles and two interceptions. At 6-0 and 205 pounds, the junior has the size to go along with tremendous weight room strength and corner speed. He could play either safety spot. Now he has to grow into a consistent playmaker.

Projected Top Reserves: Just a hair behind Warford for a corner job is David Jones, a 5-10, 185-pound senior who started off his career well, earning SEC All-Freshman honors, but hasn't done much to build on it. He has seen time as a wideout and has started at corner from time to time. He made 11 tackles last year.

While McClinton is firmly entrenched at free safety, 6-1, 200-pound junior Calvin Harrison is a good one who'll see plenty of playing time after making 41 tackles with two picks and nine broken up passes as a top reserve and four-game starter. Also able to move to strong safety if needed, he's a vital backup who needs to get healthy after missing all of spring ball.

Stepping in late last year at free safety against Florida State was Shomari Moore, a regular backup for the last year with great speed and decent production making 20 tackles and an interception last year and with 64 career stops.

Watch Out For ... Lindley to get the spotlight. He had one very good year, and after a tremendous sophomore campaign he'll get everyone focusing on him as a possible top NFL corner. He's that good.
Strength: Speed. There won't be a problem for this group to stay with anyone in the SEC. This group has speed to burn at all spots and among the backups.
Weakness: Proof. Yeah, compared to two years ago when the UK pass defense was the second-worst in America, things were positively impressive, but it all might have been a bit of a mirage. The teams with the good passing quarterbacks, like Louisville, Tennessee and Florida, all threw without much of a problem. Yeah, the secondary came through against Georgia. It'll be interesting to see what happens against Hunter Cantwell and Louisville in the opener.
Outlook: The secondary improved by leaps and bounds, and it didn't even have that great a pass rush to help the cause. Lindley is a superstar to build a secondary around, while McClinton, if he can stay healthy, will earn a little bit of All-SEC recognition. Seven players with starting experience from last year are back, and it should show; this should be a team strength.
Rating: 7

Special Teams

Projected Starters: Junior Lones Seiber is back after hitting 16 of 25 field goals last year, and 27 of 44 for his career. He has a decent leg hitting five of eight field goals between 40-of-49 yards, but he struggled with his consistency from midrange. 

Senior punter Tim Masthay only averaged 39.8 yards per kick and put 16 inside the 20. He's a good veteran, but he's not an elite punter and he puts too many kicks into the end zone with nine touchbacks.

Keenan Burton was a special kick returner averaging 24.2 yards per kick, but Dicky Lyons wasn't that bad averaging 22.1 yards per try. Rafael Little didn't have a great senior year, and Lyons will get a long look at that job, too.

Watch Out For ... Seiber to be counted on even more. A good kicker so far, he needs to be great considering the offense is going to be worse. UK played in five games decided by seven points or fewer; Seiber will be a big part of a lot of close games.
Strength: Veteran kickers. Seiber and Masthay might not be terrific, but they're long-time veterans who aren't going to be awful. While the coaching staff might be looking for more, these two aren't going to be a weakness.
Weakness: Kickoff coverage. There isn't a huge leg on the lot, and it shows on kickoffs. UK allowed 23.5 yards per kickoff return and two touchdowns.
Outlook: The return game should be fine after a disappointing year, at least when it comes to punt returns, while the kicking game will be the working definition of serviceable. This year, the special teams have to be a major strength and can't just be average.
Rating: 7