Kentucky football roster breakdown: Ranking 5 players on verge of breakout season in 2023
LEXINGTON, Ky. — There are a handful of players Kentucky football already knows it will count on in 2023.
On offense, there's quarterback Devin Leary, running back Ray Davis and wide receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key. On defense, lineman Deone Walker, linebackers D'Eryk Jackson and Trevin Wallace and and defensive back Jordan Lovett are proven contributors.
But for the Wildcats to reach their goals this fall, they will need other players to step up, too. Who will be those players on both sides of the ball that will take big leaps?
Here are the top five players most likely to have breakout seasons in 2023:
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5. Alex Afari, LB
Afari was one of the Wildcats' top signees in the 2022 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings, a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 11 athlete in the nation. Before last season began, coach Mark Stoops noted the Wildcats were looking forward to lining up Afari at cornerback. That hasn't happened yet. A rangy 6-foot-2, Afari was plugged into UK's hybrid nickel spot, which is a blend of linebacker and defensive back. He took to the new role quickly, appearing in all 13 games (including three starts) as a freshman.
There are two reasons to believe he'll be even better as a sophomore. First, Afari split snaps last season with Vito Tisdale, who was dismissed this spring for a violation of team rules. The second is that Afari has continued to put on weight that will help him hold up physically while playing in the box. He was 195 pounds when he graduated high school. He's listed at 214 pounds on UK's official roster.
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4. Keeshawn Silver, DL
Stoops wasn't shy about complimenting Silver during the spring, calling the 6-4, 322-pound lineman "a monster." A transfer, Silver spent the past two seasons at North Carolina, where he played little. As a freshman in 2021, he appeared in three games and made one tackle. Last fall, he appeared in three more contests and had three tackles against Miami. But his potential is evident. And he has size that can't be taught.
Given his lack of seasoning, it might take Silver some time to get his feet under him this fall. Yet, after so little time on the field the past two seasons at UNC, Silver is in line for far more reps in 2023. Bear in mind, playing on the interior, his individual numbers at the end of the season likely won't jump off the page. Nor will they reflect how truly disruptive he can be.
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3. Tayvion Robinson, WR
Robinson has shown he's capable of being a team's top option in the passing game — just not at Kentucky, yet. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he had 153 catches for 2,052 yards and 10 touchdowns in three seasons at Virginia Tech and was the team's unquestioned go-to receiver his final two years.
After UK lost Wan'Dale Robinson (no relation) to the NFL following the 2021 season, it was thought Tayvion Robinson could help fill the void. In the first third of last season, he did just that: Robinson had six receptions for 136 yards in the opener versus Miami of Ohio and seven catches for 149 yards and two scores against Northern Illinois. But in the final seven games he played, Robinson never logged more than five receptions or 49 yards in any outing. Robinson's final numbers: 40 receptions for 497 yards and three touchdowns. Rising sophomore wideouts Barion Brown and Dane Key ended up leading the team in receiving and should be penciled in as the top two targets to start 2023.
Returning offensive coordinator Liam Coen helped Wan'Dale Robinson author a record-setting campaign two years ago. Can he work more wonders with another Robinson this fall?
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2. Josh Kattus, TE
It's not that Kattus hasn't proven himself yet; he did play in 11 games, with three starts, last season. It's just that sharing the tight end room with Jordan Dingle — who earned an honorable mention Freshman All-American accolade from College Football News — meant Kattus was ever-so-slightly overshadowed in 2022. Coen will dial up plenty of sets this call for two tight ends on the field. Kattus will figure prominently in many of them, providing ample opportunity to display he's every bit Dingle's equal.
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1. Zion Childress, DB
Fellow safety Jordan Lovett is the only returning starter in the secondary this fall, and Childress is in line to start at the other safety spot.
A Texas native who played quarterback and receiver in high school, Childress spent the first two seasons of his college career playing for Texas State. He transferred to Kentucky before last season, and it took him little time to find his footing: Childress appeared in all 13 games, making his first career start in a home loss to top-ranked (and eventual national champion) Georgia, tallying a career-high nine tackles.
It was the highlight of a strong second half of his season. He finished 2022 with 34 tackles, two tackles for loss and three pass breakups, and 22 of those tackles came over the final six weeks. Childress is still not a finished product at safety and has just one season of SEC experience. If he reaches his peak, Kentucky's defense again could be one of the best in the country.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football roster 2023: Players on the verge of breakout season
