One early Kentucky football standout played previously for UK’s new offensive coordinator

It would have been understandable if the high-profile transfers recruited by Kentucky football last winter felt rudderless when offensive coordinator Liam Coen returned to the NFL.

The seven offensive transfers signed by UK in the winter window agreed to come to Lexington with the understanding they’d be playing in Coen’s NFL-style scheme. With Coen gone, there was no guarantee his replacement would run the same style.

But for one of those transfers the hire of former Boise State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan to replace Coen actually brought more familiarity.

Former North Texas wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin had already played for Hamdan at Missouri as a freshman.

“Still the same with everything,” Maclin told the Herald-Leader at UK’s preseason media day in his first interview since Hamdan’s hire in February. “The way he talks, the way he coaches, it’s all the same. He holds us to the higher standard, and I know that standard since I was a freshman.

“It’s not new to me.”

Hamdan served as Missouri’s wide receivers coach during Maclin’s freshman season there in 2020. He moved to quarterbacks coach for Maclin’s second season at Missouri in 2021 and took over play-calling duties for the Tigers late that season.

Maclin, a Kirkwood, Missouri, native and cousin of former Missouri All-American Jeremy Maclin, transferred to North Texas prior to the 2022 season after recording just one catch in his first two college seasons.

When news of Hamdan’s hire at Kentucky broke, Missouri quarterback Brady Cook reconnected Hamdan and Maclin in a group text thread.

“It’s one of those full circle moments,” Hamdan said of Maclin at his introductory news conference. “Maybe in the craziness of college football, that’s one story at least for me and my family to be able to come back and work with him. It’s one of those things that is super special to me.”

Coach and pupil had to wait to reunite on the practice field as Maclin missed most of spring practice due to injury.

Maclin spent the summer playing catch-up in building chemistry with new Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff, but less than a week into preseason camp he has already reminded coaches the wide receiver room has more weapons than just juniors Dane Key and Barion Brown.

“We have been extremely impressed with his route running ability, his ability to make guys miss.” Hamdan said at media day. “He is a guy that is just chipping away at it.”

There might be familiarity between Maclin and Hamdan, but Maclin is a far more accomplished player than the last time the two worked together.

After appearing in just five games in two seasons at Missouri, Maclin caught 16 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns in his first season at North Texas in 2022. Last fall, he finally broke out, finishing the year as one of just 25 players in the country with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

His 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023 would have been more than any player on UK’s roster.

“I just think it’s so much growth overall,” Hamdan said of Maclin during spring practice. “You think about a young, 17-year-old coming from college, coming early, they’re just trying to figure their way out. They’re trying to figure out how to get to class and who to kind of roll with. I think there’s just such a big level of maturity right now from him.”

When Maclin signed with Missouri he was eager to embrace the legacy his cousin, who scored 33 touchdowns in two college seasons, left in Columbia, but now he acknowledges the pressure of living up to his last name affected him.

“It was a lot of pressure,” he said. “That’s what I was trying to do, instead of trying to pave my own way. And once I learned that, I kind of got to do what’s best for me. And my cousin harped on that as well.

“Even though I have the last name as him, our journeys are gonna be different.”

After the breakout season at North Texas, Maclin was ready to prove himself in the Southeastern Conference again. Playing for Kentucky also meant moving closer to family, who can more easily watch his games in Lexington.

At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Maclin seems a perfect fit for the slot receiver job open after the graduation of Tayvion Robinson. During UK’s Fan Day practice he showed a knack for finding the open space in the defense, but his speed should make him a threat down the field as well.

“I feel like (Maclin) is going to help us a lot,” safety Zion Childress said. “He’s a pro.”

Brown and Key will continue to receive much of the preseason attention in Kentucky’s wide receiver room. For Hamdan’s offense to reach its ceiling, the two juniors will need to find the consistency that has been missing from their first two college seasons.

But depth looks like a strength in the wide receiver room for maybe the first time since Key and Brown arrived in Lexington. Maclin’s route-running ability should make him a favorite target for Vandagriff. Backups Anthony Brown-Stephens, Hardley Gilmore and Fred Farrier could all contribute as well.

If that group lives up to its potential, Maclin is likely to play a key role.

“He’s got a lot of experience on and off the field,” Hamdan said. “The maturity that he brings to the room, to kind of bring those young guys with him. Then also for him to lean on Dane and Barion, for those guys to be able to kind of lead the room and mold the room into what we want it to be.”

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