The knocks on Rich Brooks' Wildcats the last couple of years have been directed at the defensive side of the ball. If this spring is an accurate gauge, that's about to change.

The defense, featuring a hard-hitting, experienced secondary and a star-studded front, dominated the spring. Cornerback Trevard Lindley and defensive end Jeremy Jarmon are All-SEC-caliber players. Braxton Kelley has moved from middle to weak-side linebacker to help fill the big hole left by Wesley Woodyard, the SEC's leading tackler the past two seasons.

Kentucky appears to have all the ingredients for a very good defense this season.

The offense, on the other hand, has some concerns, specifically at quarterback.

While both Curtis Pulley and Mike Hartline showed signs in the spring, neither separated himself in the race to replace Andre Woodson as the 'Cats starter.

"The good news is that I think they both did some really good things and I feel very confident that our offense is not going to fall off the face of the earth with either one of them at quarterback," said Brooks after the spring game. "I am pleased with the level of play from both of them."

--Despite the loss of leading rusher Rafael Little to the NFL, coach Rich Brooks says the running back position will be a strength.

Alfonso Smith looked great in the spring game, and Tony Dixon, Moncell Allen and Derrick Locke will also receive carries.

--Senior OT Garry Williams was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. Williams is entering his third season starting on the left side of the Wildcats' offensive line.

SPRING MOVERS:

WR E.J. Adams -- No unit was hit harder by graduation than the receiving corps. That prompted Adams' switch from defensive back to wide receiver, a position the speedy junior played in high school. He responded with numerous big plays in the spring and could be a perfect complement to Dicky Lyons Jr., the Wildcats' leading returning receiver.

DE Ventrell Jenkins -- The big fellow was a solid run-stopper last season and excelled in clogging up the middle. But he's displayed enough athleticism in the offseason to move to defensive end.

S Matt Lentz -- A converted quarterback, Lentz is now playing safety and picked off a pass in the spring game. He also had several big hits during scrimmages and has shown good anticipation, according to Kentucky.com.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "To me, it is always better to have two good quarterbacks and I think that is where we are. I feel a lot better about this position at the end of spring practice then I did at the start." -- Rich Brooks.

2008 OUTLOOK: At first glance, Kentucky appears to be in a rebuilding mode. But the Wildcats have plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball to earn their third consecutive trip to a bowl game.

Contending in the brutally tough SEC East may be a little too much to ask of a team that is lacking proven playmakers on offense, but coach Rich Brooks doesn't believe his program will take a step backward this season.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: While most of the focus in the offseason has been on finding a replacement for record-breaking quarterback Andre Woodson, the bigger concern for the Wildcats is finding dependable receivers.

Kentucky lost four of its top pass catchers -- wideouts Keenan Burton and Steve Johnson, tight end Jacob Tamme and running back Rafael Little -- to the NFL. Senior WR Dicky Lyons and RB Tony Dixon are the only returning players that posted double-digit receptions last year.

"We need to get a lot better at, that we have been very good at the past couple years, is the vertical passing game," said Brooks. "We had a few wide-open people that we missed and honestly we didn't work on that as much this spring and it will be a point of emphasis going into fall camp. We will be working on giving receivers a chance to make a play and getting the ball to them when they are open even when they are tightly covered."

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The secondary should be the strength of the defense, led by All-SEC candidate Trevard Lindley. A junior, Lindley led the Wildcats in interceptions and was second in tackles. Keep an eye out for Matt Lenz, a converted quarterback who proved to be a hard-hitting safety in the spring.

"This is clearly the best pass coverage that we have had in the spring since I have been here," said Brooks. "We have more talent and more depth in the secondary than we have ever had. It is obvious in the passes that were caught and in the passes that were dropped that the coverage was there for the most part and very aggressive."

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Kentucky returns its punter, Tim Masthay, and its kicker, Lones Seiber. Redshirt freshman Ryan Tydlacka also could contend for either position if either Masthay or Seiber falters.

ROSTER REPORT:

--DT Ricky Lumpkin underwent surgery to remove a calcium deposit from his right femur during the spring. Coach Rich Brooks won't know until at least June whether Lumpkin will be ready for fall practice.

--Braxton Kelley was moved from middle linebacker to weakside linebacker. While the senior admits to not being totally comfortable at his new spot, he was the spring game's leading tackler.

--TEs T.C. Drake and Ross Bogue will be looked upon to make up for the loss of Jacob Tamme. "I am very pleased with our tight end position," said Brooks. "We had a great tight end in Jacob Tamme who could catch anything that was thrown his way and I thought our tight ends showed up (at the spring game)."

Previous Report: 05/01/2008