Will Stein kicked off his first few weeks in office by signing a Top 10 transfer portal class. How one feels about the ceiling of this group’s production is largely based on health. If certain players can consistently perform at a high level, this Kentucky football team can be dangerous.
Those concerns are primarily reserved for skill players. Kentucky moved Martels Carter from safety to running back because CJ Baxter and Jovantae Barnes spent the entire spring on the sideline. The Red River running backs have dealt with injuries throughout their careers, and the same could be said for WR Nic Anderson. If those guys can play at peak performance, Kentucky fans will have a lot of fun this fall.
They were among the 15 players who were ruled out of the Kentucky spring game. That was not surprising. The addition of Lance Heard was.
Kentucky’s star left tackle was the biggest recruiting win for the Wildcats in the transfer portal after he earned All-SEC honors a year ago at Tennessee. A Top 100 player in college football, Heard can play his way into the first round of the NFL Draft.
Stein said in April that Heard required a clean-up procedure that would sideline him for four weeks. That timeline was spot on as Heard was spotted rocking and rolling during summer workouts at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. He looks healthy enough to whip some SEC defensive linemen right now.
Lance Heard, via UK Athletics
The Kentucky head coach believes Heard has a bright future in Lexington. When describing his Feed the Studs mantra to the Pardon My Take crew, Stein shared that it’s not all about skill players.
“It’s not just like wideouts and running backs. To me, we got a big left tackle named Lance Heard. I’m so fired up to have on our team. How do we get him out in space?”
I don’t know the answer to Will Stein’s question, but I certainly want to see it.
More Snapshots from Kentucky Summer Workouts
Before sharing a few more photos of the Kentucky football team in action, I am obligated to point out the head coach’s attire. Will Stein was rocking another Power-K pullover. This time, the Nike gear is black, not the blue he wore earlier in the week. When will Big Blue Nation get a chance to purchase? Whenever Nike wants us to empty our wallets.
Will Stein rocks the Power K at Kentucky summer workouts, via UK Athletics
If there’s one big takeaway from this look at the Kentucky football summer workouts: skies out, thighs out. There’s a whole lot of quad flexion happening, including from the aforementioned Baxter. It’s good to see him in the weight room after missing spring practice.
Kentucky RB CJ Baxter, via UK Athletics
LB Tavion Wallace, via UK Athletics
Nic Anderson is in action in this photo gallery, along with Olaus Alinen, who is one mountain of a man on the Kentucky offensive line.
Olaus Alinen, via UK Athletics