Kentucky Football Midseason Report Card

Grades are in for the Wildcats through the first seven games of the 2022 season

The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats are finally enjoying a much-needed bye week, as they played seven consecutive games for just the second time under head coach Mark Stoops. 

Kentucky's season has been filled with plenty of highs and lows throughout  landing it at third place in the SEC East with a 5-2 (2-2 SEC) record. The Cats will now rest up and get ready to take on the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville next weekend. 

Here's a midseason report card for each position group through the first seven games of the 2022 season: 

QUARTERBACK: B+

All things considered, Will Levis has done a bang-up job in his second season under center for Kentucky: 

1,635 passing yards, 69.5 completion percentage, 13 Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions

The NFL Draft stock has shot up like a rocket. His intangibles are eye-popping. He can make just about any throw you need. He's dealt with a poor offensive line, making his job in the pocket way harder than it should be. There are quite a few things Levis should be commended for this season. 

Last season, it was tunnel vision with Wan'Dale Robinson. This season, there are many more reliable options that can turn any play into something much more explosive, buffing some of his stats up along the way. There have been some questionable passing decisions made at points, and some crucial mistakes as well, notably late in Oxford in the loss to Ole Miss. Levis hasn't been as active on the feet, hurdling and dragging defenders down-field like he did a year ago. He has become a bit of a QB sneak artist, however. 

Overall, Levis has played as advertised. The hype surrounding the Penn State transfer would maybe leave a tad more to be desired, but there's so much more that he brings to the table as a leader. That proof was in the pudding when the Cats lost to South Carolina, and when he came back out to the field after suffering a shoulder injury against Mississippi State, eventually getting a season-saving win. 

He has another level he can reach in his game, but what he's done for UK this season is still more than noteworthy. 

Shoutout to redshirt Kaiya Sheron for game-managing to the best of his ability against the Gamecocks.

RUNNING BACK: B+

Entering this season, the running back room was expected to be as deep as any on the roster. It's instead been a rotating circuit of players, at least until the last couple of weekends. 

Chris Rodriguez cemented his legacy with a 31-carry, 197-yard performance against Miss State. It was also the first time this season that an RB really took over for the Wildcats on offense. 

While Rodriguez was on the sidelines for the first four games of the season, Kavosiey Smoke held down the fort on the starting front, doing a serviceable job, totaling 275 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

The first game of the season saw both Ramon Jefferson and JuTahn McClain go down with injuries. Jefferson tore his ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the season, while McClain would stay sidelined until week four. Redshirt freshman La'Vell Wright gobbled up the backup snaps, earning 76 yards along the way.

Since Rodriguez has returned, McClain has been the back earning the No. 2 spot. The junior has one receiving score to go along with 101 rushing yards. C-Rod has since eclipsed 3,000 rushing yards for his career and currently has 395 on the ground in just three games this season. 

Fumbles haven't been an issue. The pass-catching out of the backfield has been ho-hum. Again, the O-line has prevented some bigger stat-lines, but all-in-all it's been a solid go-round for Kentucky RBs through seven games. 

WIDE RECEIVERS / TIGHT ENDS: A

Kentucky's receiving core is as good as ever since Stoops took over as head coach: 

• Tayvion Robinson: 25 receptions, 392 yards, 3 touchdowns 
• Barion Brown: 24 receptions, 350 yards, 2 touchdowns 
• Dane Key: 20 receptions, 322 yards, 3 touchdowns
• Jordan Dingle: 10 receptions, 109 yards, 2 touchdowns 
• Brenden Bates: 10 receptions, 99 yards, 1 touchdown 
• Chauncey Magwood: 7 receptions, 104 yards, 1 touchdown

Starting at the top, Tayvion Robinson has been an excellent WR1. The Virginia Tech transfer excels at every level, he can turn screens into big gains, win 50/50's and even service as a running back. 

Barion Brown is maybe the fastest receiver in the nation. His stats above don't include how much of a weapon he's been in the kick-return game, adding in a layer that Kentucky hasn't had for quite some time. He's dropped a few deep balls this season, but his ability to turn any play into a touchdown at any moment is invaluable. 

Dane Key was scorching hot to begin the season, but opposing defenses have gotten the memo on the true freshman going into SEC play. He's proven to be a reliable option out wide and has a humongous catch radius, as displayed against Mississippi State last Saturday. 

Tertiary WRs like Chauncey Magwood, DeMarcus Harris and Rahsaan Lewis have each had their moments through these seven games as well. 

On the tight end front, Jordan Dingle has emerged after being referred to as a "Swiss army knife" in the lead-up to the season. Brenden Bates has played his part, and the tight end room as a whole has been excellent, just as offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello expected. 

The biggest knock on the group has been intensity and blocking, but overall there's been improvement from those positions compared to last season.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D-

Without sugarcoating things, Kentucky's offensive line has massively underachieved so far this season. 

The Big Blue Wall has undergone some construction. Some important building blocks were replaced, but the replacements haven't been as sturdy as the Wildcats may have hoped. 

Jeremy Flax, Tashawn Manning and Kenneth Horsey have all dealt with some sort of injury in the lead-up and throughout this season, meaning O-line coach Zach Yenser has had to shuffle the deck a few too many times already.

Guys like David Wohlabaugh Jr and Deondre Buford have been thrusted into spots that they may not have been prepared for. There's been hardly any gelling as a unit this season. 

On the field, Kentucky has allowed 26 sacks, the most of any Power Five team. Levis and Sheron have been taken down at an alarming rate. In the run game, if not for the ever-moving legs of Rodriguez, the rushing yards would look sub-par as well. Yenser credited losing one-on-one's being the main reason that the line hasn't been great, not missed assignments or pre-snap issues. 

There was finally some improvement against Mississippi State, however, potentially setting the table for the group to turn it around down the stretch, reverting to those classic, bruising Kentucky offensive line's we've grown to know over the Stoops era. 

DEFENSIVE LINE: B-

The Wildcats D-line has shown signs of improvement all season. 

Most notably, freshman Deone Walker has made his presence felt more and more each week. Kentucky is 31st in rushing defense, though it has wilted late in some games. Players like Ole Miss' Quinshon Judkins have been able to gash the Cats, but for the most part the line has held pretty sturdy.

Octavious Oxendine has totaled 14 tackles and two quarterback hurries, though there were some higher expectations coming into the season for the North Hardin product. Younger guys like Josaih Hayes and Khalil Saunders Jr have began to come along through the middle of the season as well.

Overall, it's been a bit above average. The group is progressing slowly, but there's not been a huge "aha!" breakthrough moment as of yet. 

LINEBACKERS: A+

Kentucky's linebacker core has been as good as expected, and then some. 

DeAndre Square, Jordan Wright and Jacquez Jones are the top three tacklers on the defense. The mix of athleticism and leadership is second to none, including OLB J.J. Weaver. 

• Square: 52 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 pass breakups, 2 QB hurries, 1 interception, 1 sack
• Wright: 33 tackles, 7 TFL, 3 pass breakups, 3 QB hurries, 1 interception, 1 sack
• Jones: 31 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hurry, 1 interception, 1 sack 
• Weaver: 20 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack 
• Jackson: 22 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 pass breakups

Square is the only member of the quartet that hasn't missed anytime this season, but even the backups like D'Eryk Jackson Trevin Wallace and Alex Afari has been terrific in their roles.

If you've watched Kentucky this season, it's pretty obvious that Kentucky's LBs are the best group on the field, regardless of who the Cats are playing. Losing Jones for an extended period of time hurts, but Square has upped his game in his absence. 

This is nothing new for Brad White's group. If you're relying on a specific few players to make a play for you on defense, you're turning to the veterans who have done nothing but make tackles and breakup plays for the last few years. 

The linebackers pass with flying colors. 

SECONDARY: B

The secondary provided one of the biggest question marks entering the season for Kentucky. 

In turn, the group has performed well, perhaps exceeding expectations. Carrington Valentine has taken the next step in his game, acquiring seven pass breakups and an interception. Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith has been a leader in the back, and if not for his pick six against Florida in week two, the season could be on a much different trajectory. 

Safety wise, losing free safety Jalen Geiger against Florida is a big loss. Redshirt freshman Jordan Lovett has come along greatly since being thrusted into that starting role, however, as he has 28 tackles, two pass breakups and a QB hurry. 

Tyrell Ajian has also dealt with some minor injuries, but he's continued to progress as well, with Texas State Zion Childress behind him. 

Kentucky isn't getting beat on many deep balls this season. There have been some chunk plays, but it's been no result of the DBs losing 50/50's. The turnover numbers have gone down over the course of the season, but overall it's been an improvement at the back line for the Wildcats. 

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

You've got to take the good and the bad with Kentucky's special teams this season. 

Barion Brown has kickstarted Kentucky through kick returns on multiple occasions this season, totaling 303 yards and a touchdown on seven returns. He's a spark plug that you just can't replace, and opposing teams are better off kicking it out of bounds if they can't get it deep enough in the endzone. 

Matt Ruffolo has not had a good season. He's 9-13 on field goals, and some of those misses haven't been great. The snapping has been an issue, there's been a couple of bad holds in the mix as well. It's just not been as automatic this season. 

Colin Goodfellow is averaging 41.6 yards-per-punt. He's had four go 50 yards-plus, but he's also had some duds. It was a slow start for the senior. Stoops still has the utmost confidence in the punter. 

Chance Poore has 27 touchbacks out of 39 kickoffs, so good on you, Chance. 

Overall, I give it a C. If you're just looking at what Brown has done, then it's somewhere around the A region. If we're looking at kicking and punting, not so much. 

FINAL GRADES

OFFENSE: B

DEFENSE: A-

Top Stories As The Wildcats Prepare To Take On Tennessee

JuTahn McClain Emerging as Complimentary Option to Chris Rodriguez in Kentucky Offense

Stoops Expects Wildcats to be "Close to Full Strength" Against Tennessee

Kentucky's Offensive Line Looking to Carry Momentum From Miss State Performance Through Bye Week

Kentucky Football News

The Wildcats Moved Up Three Spots to No. 19 in the Latest AP Poll

Wan'Dale Robinson Scored his First Touchdown in the NFL for the New York Giants

DeAndre Square Has Been Named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week

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