By LARRY VAUGHT
Not being able to showcase what he could do in spring practice because of an injury was not easy for North Texas transfer receiver Ja’Mori Maclin.
“Me being competitive from a football standpoint and wanting to be out with the guys, that was the hardest part of being hurt. But other than that, I was level headed thanks to God keeping me sane,” said Maclin. “I’m very competitive. I love the game of football. That was a point of time where I could just continue to build on my faith in God and I’m right where I need to be.”
Maclin played the last two seasons at North Texas after transferring from Missouri after two seasons. He has played in 29 career games with 13 starts. He has 74 receptions for 1,389 yards and 13 touchdowns and last year had 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Maclin’s faith, though, means more to him than any football statistic.
“My faith is the most important thing in my life. It has always been that way. Well, I wouldn’t say that. I say probably two years ago, I really started to really, really feel my faith with God and everything’s been good since then,” Maclin said.
Maclin credits a former teammate for showing him how to become a “man of faith” by the way he carried himself on and off the field.
“I was just like, ‘Man, I want to be like that guy.’ I’m just kind of trying to continue to build my life on that,” Maclin said.
Kentucky returns junior receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key, who have both had two productive seasons. However, it’s Maclin who was one of 49 receivers named to The Biletnikoff Award watch list. The award recognizes the most outstanding receiver in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“We really have a lot of good players here,” Maclin, who had four 100-yard receiving games in 2023 and averaged 17 yards per catch, said. “I feel like we bring different things to the room. Dane (Key) is a taller guy. Barion Brown is a really speedy, fast guy and then I am more of a versatile player who could play inside or outside and do a lot of things. I am here to bring my playing experience being an older guy and just give those guys my knowledge.
“Barion is one of the fastest receivers on the team and one of the fastest guys anywhere. I don’t even try to race those guys. I’m saying I was never like a super fast speed guy. So I look at him (Brown) and (cornerback) Max (Hairston) and they’re way too fast for me. I like you guys stay over there and I’m gonna stay over here out of the way.”
Maclin could tell in spring practice that quarterback Brock Vandagriff could do way more than just throw a deep ball.
“For the past two years I was pretty much a deep threat. I am just happy to be with the guys here where I can do more,” Maclin said. “It is gonna be hard to stop all that. You have so many guys that can do so many things. We’re ready to go against other teams and get the season going.
“I’m trying to make my plays. It’s a blessing to be back out there with the guys. God got me through the spring.”
Maclin joked that North Texas almost played “dodgeball” with the way it spread the field and threw the football. He would like to see UK use a four-receiver offense like North Texas did and believe UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan would be open to doing that some.
“That would be very hard to stop,” Maclin said.
Great Crossing High School coach Steve Page got a quick promotion for 7-foot center Malachi Moreno before his star player announced he would play his college basketball at Kentucky.
“If he is not the next Mr. Basketball, I am not sure what you will be watching next year,” Page said.
Moreno averaged 16 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the field last season when Great Crossing went 36-2 and lost in the state tournament semifinals. He has already scored 1,638 points, grabbed 1,378 rebounds and blocked 461 shots, No. 6 on the all-time list in Kentucky. Page expects him to leave Great Crossing with over 2,200 points and close to 1,900 rebounds.
Moreno has had 62 double-doubles in 105 games the last three years along with four triple-doubles. He’s had six games with 10 or more blocks.
“He doesn’t care about stats. He just cares about winning,” Page said. “We are 91-15 the last three years. He’s also an incredible teammate. It’s always team over himself. He’s a leader on and off the court. He’s always going to sign autographs because he knows kids look up to him.
“He’s a student of the game who wants to watch film to see areas he can improve on. He’s also a true student-athlete with a 4.0 grade-point average.”
Reed Sheppard and Travis Perry were the previous two Kentucky Mr. Basketball winners. The last time UK signed three straight Mr. Basketball winners were Rex Chapman (1986), John Pelphrey (1987) and Richie Farmer (1988).
ESPN national recruiting director Paul Biancardi knows Pope secured a mobile big man who is a rim protector and low post threat. “Moreno shines in his scoring ability close to the basket and in his shot-blocking skills,” Biancardi said. “His timing when blocking shots is particularly noteworthy. He has a natural sense of waiting until the offensive player releases the ball.”
Georgia four-star running back Jamarion Wilcox was one of the stars in Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class and many thought he would see significant playing time last season. Instead the 5-10, 197-pound Wilcox was redshirted and did not play.
Kentucky running backs coach Jay Boulware indicated several weeks ago that going into preseason practice, Wilcox was not one of the first three running backs on the depth chart. However, he seems to now be making an impression like the No. 9 ranked running back in the 2023 recruiting class was expected to do.
He had 4,119 yards rushing and 58 total touchdowns in high school and picked UK over Ohio State, Auburn, Clemson and others.
Wilcox has been compared to not only former UK running back Boom Williams but also Moe Williams, one of UK’s all-time best running backs.
“I think Moe Williams had the best balance I have ever seen,” said former UK all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles. “I saw this kid’s high school film and saw that extra gear he had. I keep hearing that Wilcox has finally turned that corner. He may not be fully around the corner but he is getting closer to being the back everyone expected.
“To me, this kid has the talent to be a special running back from what I saw in high school. If that happens, this team could be really special.”
Wilcox and true freshman Jason Patterson were summer roommates. Boulware had listed Patterson No. 3 on his pre-practice depth chart and cited his work ethic as one reason. Hiles said maybe Patterson’s work habits had rubbed off on Wilcox and helped him.
With Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum expected to miss several weeks after breaking his hand, Wilcox now has an even better chance to find his way into the playing rotation.
“He’s always gonna have the talent, he’s always gonna have the speed,” UK running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who had been No. 2 on the depth chart, said about Wilcox. “It’s just getting deeper into the playbook. Freshman year was just being on the scout team and just understanding things from the back seat. Now he’s starting to drive a little more.
Even Boulware is slowly coming around on Wilcox saying he has been one of the players he’s been most pleased with in practice so far.
“Part of my job as a coach is to help those young men. This is my calling, right? God has put me here for a reason,” Boulware said.
Kentucky volleyball opens its season Aug. 27 in Louisville playing national power Nebraska in the first AVCA First Serve Showcase in the KFC Yum! Center.
“We are super pumped,” said UK assistant coach Madison Lilley, the national player of the year on Kentucky’s 2020 national championship team. “We are playing a little earlier than normal and it’s going to be really special to be part of the season-opening showcase on national TV (ESPN2). Our six seniors are really juiced.”
One of those seniors is All-American setter Emma Grome, who had to follow Lilley’s brilliant career.
“Setters are the quarterback of the team. No one else touches the ball every single play like the setter does most times,” Lilley said.
The assistant coach said Grome has gone from talking about techniques and mechanics to focusing more on decision making, the setting sequence and the IQ part of her game.
“Once you have your consistency down, the next step is IQ and how to set all your hitters up,” Lilley said. “We have some crazy offensive weapons for her to use.
“Emma is super easy to work with. She watches videos. She has high goals but she puts in the work in the offseason and deserves all the respect she gets.”
Lilley confidently proclaimed Kentucky would win a national championship when she was a freshman, a modest boast she does not remember but plenty of others do.
“Multiple people brought up that I said that, so I probably did. Emma works hard enough and her teammates believe in her enough to be that type of leader to get you there,” Lilley said. “It is one thing for someone who does not work hard to act like they want to win but everyone sees through that. Emma’s work is genuine and teammates know that.”
Sophom*ore safety Ty Bryant started four games last season, including Alabama and Tennessee, and got to play against some of the best playmakers in the Southeastern Conference.
Bryant was impressed by several UK receivers other than junior stars Barion Brown and Dane Key during offseason workouts starting with North Texas transfer Ja’Mori Maclin.
“I feel like he’s a guy that ‘s really good. Obviously, coming from North Texas everybody knew he was good, but he wasn’t able to practice in the spring because he was hurt,” Bryant said. “He’s back out there now. He’s looking really good.”
Sophom*ore Anthony Brown-Stephens is another receiver he really likes.
“He is another one that’s improved a lot. He has really been good,” Bryant said.”All the receivers honestly have been good. Just like our running backs run the ball so hard. Our O-line has improved a lot, too.”
Bryant said UK has a “lot of guys” at quarterback with Brock Vandagriff, Gavin Wimsatt, Beau Allen and Cutter Boley who can play.
“I feel like everybody on offense has improved and I’m anxious to see what they do this year because I think they are going to be really good,” Bryant said.
Quote of the Week: “I just want to take a second to give myself some flowers. As someone who has bad social anxiety, being around so many new people in the village, being posted all over social media, and competing on one of the world’s largest stages felt daunting at times. It takes a lot of strength to be subjected to criticism, comparison and judgement about your appearance, personality and performances, etc. and still stand firm in who you know you are. I’m proud of me,” former UK track star/Olympic gold medalist Alexis Holmes on her accomplishments.
Quote of the Week 2: “This past summer she gained experience with USA Volleyball. She went off and developed some things in her game that are really cool to see. She is such a dynamic athlete and works so hard. She is such a delight to have in the gym,” UK assistant volleyball coach Madison Lilley on sophom*ore Brooklyn DeLeye.
Quote of the Week 3: “That’s the most important part, just getting everybody involved. Last year, it was kind of hard to do that. This year, we’re putting an emphasis on that, getting more guys involved in the game,” UK running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye on Bush Hamdan’s offense.
