How Kentucky football and Southern Mississippi match up — with a game prediction

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Thu, Aug 29, 2024, 6:45 a.m.·8 min read

How the Kentucky Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 SEC) and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) match up at each position for the 2024 season opener — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

▪ In the initial game of his fourth college season, Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff will make his first collegiate start. Having played behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck at Georgia, the transfer comes to UK with meager career passing numbers — 12 of 21 completions, 165 yards, two touchdowns. A 6-foot-3, 217-pound product of Bogart, Georgia, Vandagriff needs “to operate smoothly, continue to make good decisions, and continue to make the simple look simple,” UK coach Mark Stoops says. Former Owensboro High School star Gavin Wimsatt is the most experienced QB on the UK roster after making 19 career starts for Rutgers (46.6% completions, 2,537 career passing yards, 14 TDs and 17 interceptions). Last year, Wimsatt, a 6-3, 227-pound redshirt junior, ran for 11 touchdowns while leading the Scarlet Knights to their first winning season (7-6) since 2014. True freshman Cutter Boley, the former Lexington Christian star, is bracketed on the depth chart with Wimsatt as UK’s No. 2 QB.

▪ Southern Miss coach Will Hall has two QBs listed atop the USM depth chart. A transfer from Florida State, Tate Rodemaker (908 career passing yards, 57% completions, seven touchdowns vs. five interceptions) made two career starts for the Seminoles. Last season, he completed 32 of 56 throws for 519 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. As a Southern Miss true freshman last year, Ethan Crawford started the final two games. The 6-foot, 215-pound product of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, completed only 17 of 36 passes for 240 yards, but he did throw three TDs with no picks.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Former Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker is one of two QBs listed at No. 1 on the Southern Mississippi depth chart.

Running backs

▪ Kentucky lost presumptive starter Chip Trayanum for the start of the season after the Ohio State transfer suffered a reported broken hand. Therefore, holdover Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (139 rushing yards and a touchdown last season; 14 receptions for 69 yards and a TD) will enter 2024 as UK’s No. 1 back. True freshman Jason Patterson, a 5-10, 206-pound product of Sneads, Florida, is listed No. 2 on the UK depth chart. Redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox is expected to see action, too.

▪ Southern Mississippi must replace departed star Frank Gore Jr., the third-leading rusher (4,202 yards) in school history. After beginning his career at Memphis, Dreke Clark ran for 429 yards last season and averaged 5.24 yards a rush for USM as a change-of-pace option. Kenyon Clay averaged 4.2 yards a carry last season, rushing for 179 yards and a TD on 40 carries. Diminutive redshirt freshman JQ Gray (three carries for 6 yards in 2023) could become a weapon in the USM pass game. The 5-8, 160-pound Hattiesburg, Mississippi, product caught 49 passes for 527 yards and two touchdowns as a high school senior.

Advantage: Even.

Kentucky running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (0) ran for 139 yards and a touchdown last season, his first after transferring to UK from N.C. State. Sumo-Karngbaye also caught 14 passes for 69 yards and a TD.

Wide receivers

▪ Talented Kentucky juniors Dane Key (42 catches, 636 yards, six TDs in 2023) and Barion Brown (43, 539, four) will both be looking to show greater consistency after up-and-down sophomore years. After producing a big year (57 catches, 1,004 yards, 11 touchdowns) last season at North Texas, Ja’Mori Maclin transferred and will replace Tayvion Robinson as UK’s primary slot receiver. Former Franklin County star Fred Farrier transferred to UK from UAB, where he had 18 catches for 266 yards and one TD in 2023. Farrier has gotten a lot of positive buzz out of Kentucky’s preseason camp.

▪ Southern Mississippi’s Tiaquelin “Ti” Mims, a 5-9, 175-pound junior, led the Golden Eagles in receiving last season (39 catches, 445 yards, two TDs). SEC refugee Dannis Jackson, who began his college career at Mississippi and played last season at Missouri, is No. 1 at “Z receiver” for USM. So far in his college career, Jackson has 19 receptions for 324 yards and two TDs.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key made a touchdown catch in UK’s 38-31 upset of No. 9 Louisville last season.

Tight ends

▪ Kentucky redshirt junior Jordan Dingle (12 catches, 270 yards in 2023) and true junior Josh Kattus (eight catches, 108 yards, two touchdowns) are returning starters. UK is optimistic about the futures of sophomore Khamari Anderson (one catch for 11 yards as a true frosh) and true freshman Willie Rodriguez. A 6-4, 245-pound ex-Covington Catholic star, Rodriguez is “a guy that has shown us and done some good things,” Mark Stoops says.

▪ A 6-5, 255-pound sophomore, USM’s Justyn Reid caught one pass for 13 yards last season as a freshman. Kyirin Heath, a 6-4, 235-pound junior, is a transfer from Ole Miss. He caught four passes for 60 yards last season for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Former Covington Catholic star Willie Rodriguez has cracked the Univeristy of Kentucky two-deep for the season opener of his true freshman year.

Offensive line

▪ With “The Big Blue Wall” in need of reconstruction, Kentucky used the transfer portal during the offseason to bring in its new starters at right guard, Jalen Farmer (Florida), and at right tackle, Gerald Mincey (Tennessee). Super-senior center Eli Cox, the former West Jessamine standout, has appeared in 44 games for UK and started 35.

▪ The Southern Miss OL enters 2024 with only two players who have started an FBS game. A 6-6, 303-pound product of Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, left tackle Gabe Cavazos has made seven career starts for USM after transferring from Mississippi State. At right guard, incoming transfer Dontae Lucas has made 35 career starts but none for USM. A super-senior, Lucas, a 6-4, 322-pound product of Overton, Florida, made 14 starts for Florida State and 21 for South Alabama prior to joining the Golden Eagles.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Kentucky super-senior center Eli Cox has appeared in 44 career games and has started 35.

Defensive line

▪ Kentucky junior tackle Deone Walker (55 tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, 7 1/2 sacks) is one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in college football. The 6-6, 345-pound junior from Detroit has first-team All-America potential. With veteran nose guard Josaih Hayes (torn Achilles tendon) sidelined, UK needs its other experienced nose tackle, North Carolina transfer Keeshawn Silver, to stay healthy and be productive.

▪ Southern Mississippi’s defensive front appears to be the Golden Eagles’ strength. End Jalil Clemons led USM with 11 TFL and 5 1/2 sacks in 2023. Tackle Jalen Williams, a 6-4, 305-pound product of Tylertown, Mississippi, made 30 stops in 2023 but was in on 51 tackles two seasons ago in 2022.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Linebackers

▪ Kentucky OLB/rush end J.J. Weaver begins his super-senior season with 165 career tackles, 32 TFL, 16 1/2 sacks, five fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Redshirt senior D’Eryk Jackson (89 tackles, eight TFL in 2023) is sliding over from MLB to WLB. At MLB, Georgia transfer Jamon Dumas-Johnson brings 24 career starts with the Bulldogs. A 6-1, 245-pound senior from Hyattsville, Maryland, Johnson has 126 career tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, 9 1/2 sacks and six pass breakups.

▪ Southern Mississippi has used the transfer portal to restock its linebacking corps. At MLB, ex-Western Kentucky standout Desmyn Baker (46 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups last season at WKU) is vying with former Memphis Tiger Ja’Len Sims for the starting role. At WLB, Coastal Carolina transfer Tre’ Pinkney (13 tackles last season) is listed No. 1.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Kentucky outside linebacker/rush end J.J. Weaver enters his super-senior season with 165 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 16 1/2 quarterback sacks.

Defensive backs

▪ Coming off a season in 2023 in which he intercepted five passes and successfully defended six others, Kentucky junior cornerback Maxwell Hairston is an All-America candidate in 2024. Safeties Zion Childress, Jordan Lovett and Ty Bryant all bring prior starting experience into this season.

▪ A transfer from Mississippi State, super-senior Dylan Lawrence made a team-high 78 tackles for USM in 2023 from the “stinger” position. Boundary corner Michael Caraway broke up four passes last season.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Special teams

▪ Mark Stoops said on his Monday radio show that incumbent Kentucky punter Wilson Berry (41.4 yards a kick on 55 punts in 2023) has likely retained the starting job over transfer Aidan Laros, an FCS All-American last season for UT Martin after averaging 47.5 yards on 52 punts. Place-kicker Alex Raynor returns after making 10 of 11 field goals with a long of 50 yards last season. Return man Barion Brown will be looking to run a kickoff back for a touchdown in the third straight game dating back to last season and in the season opener for a third straight year.

▪ Southern Mississippi place-kicker Andrew Stein went 17-for-23 last season on field goals with a long of 52. Punter Bryce Lofton kicked 60 times and averaged 40.4 yards a punt. Tiaquelin “Ti” Mims can be an electric punt returner. The 5-9, 175-pound Mims (average of 11.13 yards on 15 returns in 2023) had an 82-yard punt return TD in USM’s 17-13 loss to Old Dominion — and had a second punt-return touchdown called back by penalty.

Advantage: Kentucky.