Liam and Levis have filled our fall football headlines. Liam as in Liam Coen, Kentucky's new offensive coordinator, the young man with the plan for re-introducing the Wildcats to the forward pass. Levis as in Will Levis, UK's new No. 1 quarterback, who owns a strong arm and a quirky taste for very brown — yuck! — bananas.
That's all interesting and fun, but even with the Cats' new skill position sizzle, we shouldn't forget a fundamental truth about the great game of football. Outcomes are decided in the trenches. Always have been. Always will be.
To that end, it bears remembering that much of Mark Stoops' recent success as UK's head coach was built at the line of scrimmage. On both sides of the football.
Consider: Kentucky football went nearly a decade without a single offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft. Chicago chose offensive guard Todd Perry in the fourth round of the 1994 draft. Detroit tabbed offensive guard Larry Warford in the third round of the 2013 draft. O-line Cats drafted between: Zero.
Since Stoops replaced Joker Phillips in 2013, the Cats have had three offensive lineman selected — tackle George Asafo-Adjei, a seventh-round pick by the New York Giants in 2019; Logan Stenberg, a fourth-round pick by Detroit in 2020; and Landon Young, a sixth-round selection by New Orleans in 2021.
Now look at the defensive side. Baltimore used a fourth-round pick on defensive end Za'Darius Smith in 2015; Jacksonville selected edge rusher Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in 2019. Last year, UK had not one but two interior lineman selected. Dallas grabbed nose guard Quinton Bohanna in the sixth round. Carolina tabbed tackle Phil Hoskins in the seventh.
"The SEC is a physical league," Stoops has said more than once. "We want be a physical football team."
How physical will UK be in 2021?
Wolford replaces Schlarman as O-line coach
New position coach Eric Wolford takes over the offensive line. The former South Carolina line coach has big shoes to fill. The late John Schlarman recruited, taught and nurtured UK's "Big Blue Wall," the pride name for a unit that two years ago was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to college football's top offensive line.
Darian Kinnard will be the fourth Stoops big ugly to hear Roger Goodell call his name. Kinnard is a preseason All-American and potential first-round draft pick. With the addition of LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal, Kinnard remains at right tackle as Rosenthal occupies the left side. Yes, left tackle (blind side) is the glamour spot, but right tackle is growing in importance, too.
Nearly as important as Kinnard's return was Luke Fortner's decision to be a "Super Senior." Previously a starting guard, Fortner will occupy Drake Jackson's old center spot. There are similarities. Like Jackson, Fortner is smart and crafty. He's learning the position, but he has Jackson's commitment to the game.
If Fortner anchors the offensive side, Marquan McCall assumes that role on defense. Bohanna's understudy at nose is ready for his star turn. When asked about energy guys on defense, starting cornerback Cedric Dort went right to McCall, who joins veteran defensive end Josh Paschal as tone-setters.
The duo should set an example Stoops' young linemen can follow. Important roles exist for the lauded 2020 defensive line class to fill. Justin Rogers, Octavious Oxendine and Josaih Hayes will hear their names called. Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, a senior, must be a factor. Quality depth is the desire of defensive coordinator Brad White. It's a long season. Check that. It's a long SEC season.
"I probably feel better at certain spots than others," White said during camp, adding he has defensive linemen who look the part, "but you've got to go out and do it."
For years, Kentucky couldn't do it. Not on the lines. Not in the trenches. Stoops has changed that. Yes, Coen's call sheet opens up the offense, but the physicality shouldn't disappear. Football is still a game of blocking and tackling. And fundamentals. It's still a game won in the trenches.
