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NFL Draft Day, Kentucky Football Mock Draft Roundup

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© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky Football has had a major shift since Mark Stoops arrived on campus producing 21 draft picks in his ten years as head coach which is unheard of. The ability Stoops and his staff have shown to develop the talent of 2-3 star players is fantastic.

This has made Kentucky a much more appealing destination for recruits everywhere seeing they can also develop you and get you ready for the next step as these other top SEC schools can do.

Kentucky is looking to add its fourth first-round pick in the Stoops era in Will Levis with the other three being Bud Dupree, Josh Allen, and Jamin Davis. They are also projecting Carrington Valentine and Chris Rodriguez Jr. to be the other Wildcats drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Let’s take a look at the draft day projections.

Will Levis

CBS Sports: 2nd (Houston Texans)

ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr: 4th (Indianapolis Colts)

NFL.com: 12th (Houston Texans)

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PFF: 4th (Indianapolis Colts)

Will Levis stepped on campus in 2021 ready to make a difference for Kentucky and that’s what he did. He had an excellent 2021 season leading them to another 10-win season, then struggled in 2022 with an injury-riddled season with very poor o-line play and a bad offensive coordinator.

The hype on Will Levis before the 2022 season has not gone away though, he has shown time and time again that he has the tools to be a great QB at the next level. His adjustments made at the line along with a huge stature, elite athleticism, and a cannon of an arm.

People are either doubting Levis or very high on him. He will be the first Quarterback taken in the 1st round since Tim Couch and possibly the first Kentucky Quarterback to start an NFL game since Couch in 2003.

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Chris Rodriguez

CBS Sports: 149th (Green Bay Packers)

NFL.com: 160th (New York Giants)

PFF: 247th (San Francisco 49ers)

Rodriguez had a fantastic career for Kentucky racking up 3643 yards and 33 TD rushing in his 5 seasons as a Wildcat. He is looking to make the next step by going to the NFL this year.

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Rodriguez has the size of an NFL running back but the question for him is his speed and his ability to catch passes out of the backfield with the way the league is trending. With him projected to go anywhere in the 5th-7th round range.

Rodriguez was the backbone of the UK backfield during his time here and hopefully, he will find success at the next level.

Carrington Valentine

CBS Sports: 150th (Washington Commanders)

NFL.com: 142nd (Cleveland Browns)

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PFF: Undrafted

The improvement from Carrington Valentine from the time he first stepped onto Kentucky’s campus is incredible. He went from where he was to being Kentucky’s number-one corner in his junior season.

He has all the tools to be a great NFL corner being 6’0 with an incredible reach and great speed. He has been underrated for a couple of years now and it will be no different during the NFL draft this weekend.

If Valentine can find a good home for him in the draft, expect him to open a lot of eyes during his rookie season when he gets a chance to go out there and prove how good he is.

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REPORT: Liam Coen Leaving Kentucky for NFL Offensive Coordinator Position

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UK Athletics

On the eve of a huge recruiting weekend for Kentucky football, the program has received some bad news. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is leaving for the NFL again, this time taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator position.

When Coen returned to Kentucky last offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, for his second stint as offensive coordinator, he talked about Lexington being a place that he and his wife had missed. In his return press conference, on January 12, 2023, he went as far as saying he wanted to be somewhere for a “few years”, at least.

“I want to go somewhere, make a real impact. Plant some roots for a little bit. Be somewhere for a few years — at least — that you feel really good about. I’m excited about being back in Lexington… I’m not in a rush to go anywhere.”

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That “few years” was just a year, but to be honest, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After many games last season, Coen talked to the media with frustration about fundamental things such as lack of discipline and dropped passes. Even then, it always felt he was holding his words back. With his name circulating around multiple NFL jobs, it was clear this was the direction it was heading.

Now for Kentucky, it’s about getting the next hire right. In a time where offense is becoming the premium in college football, going through five offensive coordinators in ten seasons is not ideal. Paying $1.8 million to Coen, they have shown they will pay amongst the top in the country. Now, go get someone who keeps this core of offensive talent, can recruit, and brings much-needed consistency.

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A Piece of Will Levis’ Historic NFL Debut Displayed in NFL Hall of Fame

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis after his NFL debut.
© Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

During last year’s NFL Draft, Will Levis was one of the last players left in the green room after dropping to the second round. That moment fueled Levis, and he’s since earned the starting quarterback spot with the Tennessee Titans, appearing to have a bright future with the team.

Entering the season with no shortage of motivation, Levis entered the franchise as QB3 and wasn’t even on the active roster for the first six weeks of the season, being deemed the “emergency quarterback.” However, following an ankle injury to Ryan Tannehill in Week 6, the Titans gave their rookie quarterback an opportunity.

Levis certainly capitalized and had one of the best debuts in NFL History, throwing for 238 yards (19/29 passing) and four touchdowns. From the game, Levis has been put in the Hall of Fame. Well, at least his Houston Oiler throwback helmet from the performance has been placed on display in the Hall of Fame’s “Pro Football Today Gallery.”

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Levis started his career with a bang and had his moments. The former Kentucky Wildcat will look to build on his rookie campaign, going into a year where he should be the starter under new head coach Brian Callahan.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Cutter Boley Opens up on Playing for Kentucky, “This Is Where My Heart’s Always Been”

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Four-star quarterback prospect Cutter Boley signing with Kentucky football.
© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the early National Signing Day for the class of 2024 being over, Kentucky’s newest signed quarterback Cutter Boley discusses why he committed to play at Kentucky.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” Boley tells Kentucky Insider.

Kentucky needed to get some quarterbacks after three players either graduated or transferred with Devin Leary graduating, Destin Wade transferring to Colorado, and Kaiya Sheron electing to transfer as well.

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Kentucky was able to load up in the quarterback room by landing the Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Southern transfer Beau Allen, and then signing Boley in the class of 2024. Boley is ready to compete against them and he recognizes their talent.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to learn from them. They’re two really good quarterbacks, like I said, and they’ll have countless things to teach me from the places they’ve been and the offense that they’ve been in,” Boley tells us. “I just can’t wait to learn the things they know and just be able to work and get to work with them.”

One of the reasons why Boley committed to Kentucky is due to him having a connection since he has lived here his whole life.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” said Boley.

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As for finally signing his National Letter of Intent, Boley feels relieved to have it finished.

“It’s definitely a relief to finally put the pen to paper and make it official,” said Boley. “It’s been a long time coming so I couldn’t be any more excited about my decision and where I’m going to be for the next four years.”

What Boley is most focused on is how the offense is run, as at this time he feels like his play style is made to play professionally.

“I’m really hoping to develop into that pro-style quarterback, but I feel like I’m definitely a pro-style quarterback right now, but really develop into just being able to play in that offense at a very high level and get really comfortable in the offense, and I just want to develop all parts of my game and really be a quarterback that the NFL looks for and that type of quarterback they want to have,” Boley tells us.

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With Kentucky having a chance to develop within instead of the transfer route, fans will have a chance to see a quarterback finally develop into potentially starting in the future.

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