Texas heads over to Lexington on Saturday night to take on the struggling Wildcats. Despite the 0-3 start to SEC play, Kentucky has a number of future-NFL players on both sides of the ball that Texas will have to corral. A young QB bringing excitement to the offense, multiple top tier defensive players and more Wildcats to break down heading into Saturday night.
Cutter Boley – QB
Texas is familiar with Boley already, given he got the start in Austin last season. Boley finished with a modest 10-18, 160 yards and an INT, along with four sacks for the Texas defense. Since taking over for Zach Calzada, it’s been a mixed bag but he has brought some excitement to the Wildcat offense.
He’s been throwing the ball better and better each week and coming off a bye, he should continue to improve. The one thing that continues to be an issue is taking sacks, which is largely a function of his OL. He’s a talented passer, but if the Texas pass rush can continue to be disruptive, they should be in line to force mistakes.
Kendrick Law – WR
The Alabama transfer has proven to be the go-to receiver in this offense, having 10 more receptions than anyone else on the team. Law’s major ability is his elite speed, something that can be a problem for any defense. The Texas defense will have to make sure they keep number #1 in front of them. If Kentucky is going to win this game, it’s going to take a few blown coverages from Texas, and Law would likely be on the other end of it.
Will Rodriguez – TE
Rodriguez is a true NFL talent at the TE position. The 6’4”, 252 lbs sophomore stresses every defense he plays, and is a plus blocker as well. The Kentucky offense relies on the TE unit quite a bit, and between Rodriguez and Josh Kattus bring tons of ability to the table. There will be a number of times Anthony Hill Jr. or Ty’Anthony Smith will be forced into coverage against him and will have to hold their own. #81 is a true difference maker, and especially against an elite defense, Boley will be looking for his security blanket early and often.
JQ Hardaway – CB
JQ Hardaway is one of the more underrated CBs in the SEC. He has been one of the most consistent coverage corners in the conference and brings a great amount of physicality for an outside CB. He is someone that can totally blow up a screen because of his elite ability to shed blocks. At 6 ‘3”, his length will compete with any WR on the Texas roster, which could negate some deep shots for the Longhorns. There are not many Wildcats that Sarkisian might have to scheme around, but this might be one of them.
Alex Afari Jr. – LB
To explain it in Longhorn terms, Alex Afari Jr. is the DeMarvion Overshown of Kentucky football. He started his career as a safety, but throughout his time in college, has continued to add weight and become a true LB. Like Overshown, the athleticism Afari possesses is truly elite for the LB position, creating problems for any offense to plan around. He leads the team in tackles with 37 on the year, and the Longhorn skill players will be forced to make #3 miss a number of times on Saturday night.
Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace – DT
The Kentucky pass rush has not been a productive unit this year, but Humphrey-Grace has created consistent issues. He is tied for the team lead in sacks, with 2, and the South Dakota transfer only figures to get better the rest of the way. The Texas OL, while better last week, still needs to improve and this will be a true test. Kahlil Saunders and Tavion Gadson are the other IDL that Texas will have to contend with, but none present the challenges Humphrey-Grace does.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Kentucky Wildcats to watch against the Longhorns this weekend
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
