Preseason Perceptions Fail to Meet Reality for Kentucky Offensive Line

Saturday night’s loss to South Carolina was an all-systems failure. Blaming one specific position group would be too harsh, but the play of the offensive line was specifically jarring for a variety of reasons.

Before the 2023 season even ended, Mark Stoops challenged his program to be more physical in the trenches. Big men led the way for success early in his tenure and they were staying from that identity.

Stoops made significant changes to address that concern, including a controversial one. After seemingly giving Zach Yenser a stamp of approval by extending his contract following the victory over Louisville, Yenser was replaced in January by Eric Wolford. The offensive line coach’s departure following the 2021 season was roundly criticized by folks around the program. Despite a couple of ho-hum seasons at Alabama — the Crimson Tide allowed more sacks than any other SEC program in 2023 — Stoops believed Wolford could restore the Big Blue Wall.

In addition to the changes at the top of the chain of command, Kentucky brought in reinforcements from the SEC ranks. Gerald Mincey transferred from Tennessee and Jalen Farmer made the move from Florida to assume starting positions on the right side of the line. On paper, the Cats appeared to address concerns to take a big step in the right direction.

Preseason Confidence in the Kentucky Offensive Line

The changes up front brought confidence to the unit, although there were some troublesome signs in the preseason. Like the lead-up to the disastrous 2022 season, injuries to the first five sidelined multiple starters at various points throughout training camp. Could this group create continuity if they weren’t able to practice together in August?

I read the tea leaves and voiced my concerns by questioning multiple people close to the program who watched the Wildcats in the preseason. Every time I directly asked if I should be concerned about the offensive line, the response was, “I’m not worried about the offensive line.” That’s why my insider notes from Aug. 20 started with the subheading, “Squashing Offensive Line Concerns.”

The Kentucky football program believed this offensive line could deliver, despite a lack of depth and new pieces to the puzzle. When they were faced against their first formidable foe, they fell flat. Two weeks into the season Kentucky is ranked dead last in the FBS in pass-blocking efficiency.

In the postgame press conference, I directly asked Stoops about the disconnect between the preseason optimism and the putrid performance against South Carolina.

“We didn’t play good enough today. Period. I’m not going to put it all on the offensive line. But they didn’t play good enough and I could probably say that about every group,” Stoops said. “We are in this together and every group needs to play at a higher level and they certainly do.”

Can Big Men Still Lead the Way?

The strength of the South Carolina defense is in its front seven. There are future pros in that group. Dylan Stewart might end up being a top-five pick in a couple of years. The Gamecocks completely owned the trenches to a shocking degree, essentially eliminating Kentucky’s ability to even call pass plays.

The problem is that the Kentucky offensive line is going to face plenty of other future pros this fall. Georgia will certainly be bringing some to Kroger Field. Tennessee’s James Pearce was a preseason All-American.

Extrapolating one performance to forecast ten more is a dangerous game to play. We just learned that after South Carolina’s lackluster opener against Old Dominion. However, there’s one big question about the Kentucky football program that’s lingering.

Does Kentucky have the big men to lead the way? The foundation of Stoops’ success was built on dominant play in the trenches. He’s well aware of that, which is why he worked so hard to fix it this offseason. Was that just lightning in a bottle or is it sustainable?

The best Kentucky offenses under Stoops had some of the best offensive lines in the SEC, and that’s clearly not the case this fall. The Wildcats must find a way to field a competent passing offense without one of the best offensive lines in the country.

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