UK Football: INJURIES

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Wildcats Thunder Football/Recruiting Analyst

Injuries are part of the game of football. Accordingly, every football team sustains injuries, and must overcome them.

This fall, it is absolutely critical that UK must avoid serious injuries to the five key seniors....Woodson, Little, Burton, Tamme, and Woodyard. So far, so good.

Moreover, MLB Braxton Kelley, DT Ventrell Jenkins, and DT Myron Pryor are returning from injures that impacted their availability in preseason camp. That will help.

Freshman DT Ricky Lumpkin apparently suffered a minor back injury against EKU. The coaching staff is downplaying it, but this is something to watch. Lumpkin's future availability is very important to our DT rotation.

A far greater concern is the rash of injuries in UK's defensive secondary. CB David Jones will need about a month to recover from an emergency appendectomy. CB EJ Adams dislocated his wrist against EKU, and could be out for a long time. If things don't go well, Jones and/or Adams might even have to redshirt this fall. Meanwhile, safety Marcus McClinton sprained an ankle in preseason camp, then re-injured the ankle against EKU.

Jones and Adams are definitely out of the next two games against Kent State and UL, while McClinton's availability for the Kent State game is said to be doubtful.

These three injuries have quickly depleted a defensive secondary that was, arguably, the most improved area of UK's football team heading into the 2007 season. With future opponents like UL, South Carolina, and LSU having potent aerial games, this is a huge concern. The margin for error with injuries is now very thin, and the staff will need to coax solid performances out of their other young CBs and safeties.