After not making changes to the depth chart for most of the season, Kentucky football has made several changes to the depth chart ahead of its week 13 matchup against No. 3 Texas.
Let’s dive into the full depth chart for this week as the Cats will try and pull off the upset.
Starting with the offense:
Quarterback:
Starter- Brock Vandagriff
Backup- Cutter Boley OR Gavin Wimsatt
The first change comes at the quarterback position, as Boley has arrived on the depth chart for the first time this season and will likely be Vandagriff’s backup for the remainder of the year. Both Vandagriff and Boley saw action in week 12.
Week 12 performance:
Vandagriff- 12/19, 183 yards, 16 rushing yards, one interception, two touchdowns.
Bowley- 10/14, 130 yards, 21 rushing yards, two touchdowns.
Running back:
Starter- Demie Sumo-Karngbaye
Backup- Jamarion Wilcox
The next change that comes in the chart is way overdue as Wilcox has been the sure-fire RB2 for a large part of the year and now the chart reflects that. Both Sumo-Karngbaye and Wilcox saw the field in week 12.
Week 12 performance:
Sumo-Karngbaye- 48 yards, four catches, 23 receiving yards, one touchdown.
Wilcox- 123 yards, one catch, three receiving yards, one touchdown.
Wide receivers:
Starters- Barion Brown, Dane Key, Ja’Mori Maclin
Backups- Fred Farrier II, Anthony Brown-Stephens
The wide receivers room is the first part of the updated chart that remains unchanged. Brown missed last week with injury and Hardley Gilmore IV stepped into his role and he may play a bigger role down the stretch.
Week 12 performance:
Key- Three catches, 56 yards.
Farrier II- two catches, 24 yards.
Maclin- one catch, 19 yards, one touchdown.
Brown-Stephens- three catches, 51 yards, two touchdowns.
Tight ends:
Starters- Josh Kattus and Jordan Dingle
Backups- Willie Rodriguez and Khamari Anderson
Like their wide receiver counterparts, the tight ends are unchanged moving into this road test.
Week 12 performance:
Kattus- one catch, 19 yards.
Anderson- two catches, four yards.
Dingle- two catches, 17 yards.
Rodriguez- one catch, 16 yards.
Offensive line:
Starters- Marques Cox (LT), Jager Burton (LG), Eli Cox (C), Jalen Farmer (RG), Malachi Wood (RT)
Backups- Malachi Wood (LT), Aba Selm (LG), Koby Keenum (C), Dylan Ray (RG), Anfernee Crease (RT)
Another change in the chart comes with the “Big Blue Wall” as the chart reflects Gerald Mincey’s injury that is likely to end his season.
***
Moving over to defense:
Defensive end:
Starter: Tre’vonn Rybka
Backup: Octavious Oxendine
The duo of Rybka and Oxendine remains unchanged heading into week 12.
Week 12 performance:
Rybka- three tackles, two assists, one sack, one and half tackles for loss.
Oxendine- two assists.
Nose guard:
Starter: Keeshawn Silver
Backup: Kendrick Gilbert
Like the defensive ends, no changes to show at nose guard.
Week 12 performance:
Silver- one tackle, three assists.
Gilbert- one assist.
Defensive tackle:
Starter: Deone Walker
Backup: Kahlil Saunders
Walker remains the headliner of this defense despite not playing in week 11 against Murray State. The injury report later in the week should clear up Walker’s status.
Strongside linebacker:
Starter: Alex Afari Jr. OR Tyreese Fearbry
Afari Jr. remains a staple of the defense, but Fearbry may see increased time at the strong side position due to D’Eryk Jackson’s injury.
Week 12 performance:
Afari Jr.- four assists.
Fearbry- two assists.
Outside linebacker:
Starter: J.J. Weaver
Backup: Noah Matthews
Weaver missed last week due to an injury sustained a few weeks ago, but he is expected to be back this week. If not, expect Matthews to see more playing time.
Week 12 performance:
Matthews- one tackle.
Middle linebacker:
Starter: Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson
Backup: Grant Godfrey
Shifting to linebackers, Dumas-Johnson did not play last week, but is expected to be back this week against Texas. Jayvant Brown was removed from the middle linebacker position group and shifted to weakside.
Week 12 performance:
Godfrey- three assists.
Weakside linebacker:
Starter: Alex Afari Jr.
Backup: Jayvant Brown
There has been some shifting at the weakside position as Jackson is out for the rest of the season with injury.
Week 12 performance:
Afari Jr.- four assists.
Brown- one assist.
Field cornerback:
Starter: JQ Hardaway OR Jantzen Dunn
Looking at corners, the duo of Hardaway and Dunn remains unchanged.
Week 12 performance:
Hardaway- one tackle.
Boundary cornerback:
Starter: Maxwell Hairston
Bakcups: DJ Waller Jr. or Nasir Addison
Hairston made his return after an extended absence and is expected to start against the Longhorns.
Week 12 performance:
Addison- one tackle, one assist.
Strong safety:
Starter: Zion Childress
Backup: Kristian Story
Moving over to safeties, the duo of Childress and Story remains unchanged.
Week 12 performance:
Childress- two assists.
Story- one tackle, one assist.
Free safety:
Starter: Jordan Lovett or Ty Bryant
To wrap up the defense, Bryant and Lovett remain unchanged as they have split time all year and are expected to do so to round out the year.
Week 12 performance:
Bryant- two assists.
Lovett- one tackle, one assist, two interceptions.
***
Rounding out the depth chart is the specialist group:
Kicker:
Starter: Alex Raynor
Backup: Jacob Kauwe
As expected, Raynor remains the starting kicker as he was just named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Week 12 performance:
Raynor: 2/2 FG, 32 long, 6/6 PAT.
Kickoff:
Starter: Aidan Laros
Backup: Jacob Kauwe
Laros’ role as the kickoff man is unchanged in this updated chart.
Punter:
Starter: Aidan Laros
Backup: Wilson Berry
Instead of the “or” term that had been reflected on the chart for most of the year at punter, Laros has been defined as the starter after taking over the duties full-time earlier in the season.
Week 12 performance:
Laros- one punt, 53 yards.
Long snapper:
Starter: Alex McLaughlin
Backup: Walker Himebauch
There are no changes at long snapper.
Short snapper:
Starter: Walker Himebauch
Backup: Alex McLaughlin
After being unchanged all season, Himebauch has moved from the backup position to the starter at short snapper with McLaughlin sliding to the backup and still starting at long snapper.
Holder:
Starter: Wilson Berry
Backup: Aidan Laros
Not any changes at the position, but just some clarity on a definite starter instead of the “or” verbiage. Also, Beau Allen has been removed from the chart.
Kickoff return:
Starter: Barion Brown
Backup: Demie Sumo-Karngbaye
No changes to show in the return crew, but if Brown remains injured then expect Sumo-Karngbaye to be the lead returner and potentially another receiver to fill-in.
Punt return:
Starter: Ja’Mori Maclin OR Barion Brown
Backup: Dane Key
When healthy, Maclin and Brown mostly split reps, but that could be Maclin and Key if Brown is still banged up. The SEC injury report later in the week should clear up Brown’s status for the Texas matchup.
***
Kentucky will head the furthest west it has ever gone for a clash with the Longhorns on Saturday, Nov. 23, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
