2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Last updated

2016 Kentucky Wildcats football
Kentucky Wildcats logo.svg
TaxSlayer Bowl, L 18–33 vs. Georgia Tech
Conference Southeastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw (1st season)
Offensive scheme Spread
Defensive coordinator D. J. Eliot (4th season)
Base defense 3–4 or 4–3
Home stadium Commonwealth Stadium
Seasons
  2015
2017  
2016 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Eastern Division
No. 14 Florida x  6 2   9 4  
No. 22 Tennessee  4 4   9 4  
Georgia  4 4   8 5  
Kentucky  4 4   7 6  
South Carolina  3 5   6 7  
Vanderbilt  3 5   6 7  
Missouri*  2 6   4 8  
Western Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^  8 0   14 1  
No. 24 Auburn  5 3   8 5  
No. 13 LSU  5 3   8 4  
Texas A&M  4 4   8 5  
Arkansas  3 5   7 6  
Mississippi State  3 5   6 7  
Ole Miss*  2 6   5 7  
Championship: Alabama 54, Florida 16
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • * Ole Miss and Missouri vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team (variously "Kentucky", "UK", or "Wildcats") represented the University of Kentucky in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the program's 123rd overall and 83rd as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Stoops and the played home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the TaxSlayer Bowl where they lost to Georgia Tech.

Contents

Preseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Daron Blaylock#7LB6'1"226Senior Marietta, GA Graduated
Zack Blaylock#17DB6'0"193Junior Marietta, GA Graduated
Glenn Faulkner#18DB6'2"201Junior East St. Louis, IL Graduated
Ryan Flannigan#33LB6'2"225Senior Missouri City, TX Graduated
Josh Forrest #45LB6'3"230Senior Paducah, KY Graduated
Jason Hatcher#6DE6'3"247Junior Louisville, KY Transferred to West Georgia
Khalid Henderson#22LB6'1"235Senior Austell, GA Graduated
Farrington Huguenin#91DE6'4"271Senior Columbia, SC Graduated
Cory Johnson #67DT6'3"300Senior Columbia, SC Graduated
Jabari Johnson#47LB6'1"250Senior Stone Mountain, GA Graduated
Melvin Lewis#90DT6'4"311Senior Compton, CA Graduated
Cody Quinn#16DB5'11"185Senior Middletown, OH Graduated
A.J. Stamps#1DB6'1"205Senior Vicksburg, MS Graduated
Jordan Swindle#70OL6'7"304Senior Jacksonville, FL Graduated
Fred Tiller#3DB6'0"196Senior Homerville, GA Graduated
Patrick Towles#14QB6'3"235Junior Fort Thomas, KY Transferred to Boston College
Zach West#67OL6'3"305Senior Lexington, KY Graduated

2016 signing class

Prior to National Signing Day on February 3, 2016, five players enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice and included four former high school seniors and one junior college transfer. [1]

On National Signing Day, Kentucky signed an additional twenty players out of high school and junior college that completed the 2016 recruiting class. The class was highlighted by three Army All-American's as well as Kentucky's Mr. Football. [2]

College recruiting information (2016)
NameHometownSchoolHeightWeight40Commit date
Jaylin Bannerman
#62 DE
Pickerington, OH Pickerington Central High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Jordan Bonner
#4 LB (JUCO)
Lyndhurst, OH Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)215 lb (98 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
T. J. Carter
#57 DE
Mableton, GA Whitefield Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)245 lb (111 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
JaQuize Cross
#83 DT
New Market, AL Buckhorn High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)310 lb (140 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Kash Daniel
#11 LB
Paintsville, KY Paintsville High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)227 lb (103 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Luke Fortner
#117 OT
Sylvania, OH Sylvania Northview High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)278 lb (126 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Tobias Gilliam
#69 DB
Dayton, OH Wayne High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Jordan Griffin
#37 DB
Jonesboro, GA Jonesboro High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Gunnar Hoak
#40 QB
Dublin, OH Dublin Coffman High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Dakota Holtzclaw
#42 TE
Columbus, OH Worthington Kilbourne High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Zy'Aire Hughes
#52 ATH
Paducah, KY McCracken County High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)180 lb (82 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Drake Jackson
#2 C
Versailles, KY Woodford County High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)290 lb (130 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Stephen Johnson
#5 QB (JUCO)
Rancho Cucamonga, CA College of the Desert 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Tate Leavitt
#5 OT (JUCO)
Thornville, OH Hutchinson Community College 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)295 lb (134 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Kordell Looney
#57 DT
Springfield, OH Springfield High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)285 lb (129 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Grant McKinniss
#5 P/K
Findlay, OH Findlay High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)190 lb (86 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Naquez Pringle
#28 DT (JUCO)
Georgetown, SC Itawamba Community College 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)330 lb (150 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Justin Rigg
#64 TE
Springboro, OH Springboro High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)240 lb (110 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Davonte Robinson
#92 DB
Lexington, KY Henry Clay High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
A. J. Rose
#80 RB
Cleveland, OH Garfield Heights High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Kayaune Ross
#18 WR (JUCO)
West Chester, OH Phoenix College 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Benny Snell
#56 RB
Westerville, OH Westerville Central High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)200 lb (91 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Roland Walder
#36 LB
Dayton, OH Trotwood-Madison High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)220 lb (100 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Jamar Watson
#112 LB
District Heights, MD Bishop McNamara High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)220 lb (100 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Landon Young
#6 OT
Lexington, KY Lafayette High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)270 lb (120 kg) 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Kentucky Football Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  • "2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team". 247Sports. Retrieved February 3, 2016.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops enters his fourth season as the Wildcat's head coach for the 2016 season. During his previous three seasons he led the Wildcats to an overall record of 12 wins and 24 losses.

On December 18, 2015, offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson announced he would not return to the program for the 2016 season as the offensive coordinator. [3] [4] In his place Kentucky hired Cincinnati offensive coordinator Eddie Gran as the assistant head coach of offense at Kentucky. Cincinnati quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw has also joined the UK staff as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. [5] [6]

NamePositionConsecutive season at
Kentucky in current position
Mark Stoops Head coach 3rd
Eddie Gran Offensive coordinator, Running backs 1st
D. J. Eliot Defensive coordinator 3rd
Steve Clinkscale Defensive backs 1st
Jimmy Brumbaugh Defensive line 3rd
Lamar Thomas Wide receivers 1st
Vince Marrow Tight ends, recruiting coordinator3rd
John Schlarman Offensive line 3rd
Darin Hinshaw Quarterbacks 1st
Matt House Special teams coordinator, inside linebackers 1st
Corey EdmondStrength and conditioning1st
Reference:

2016 signing class

Returning starters

Offense

Roster

2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1Ryan TimmonsSr
WR 2Dorian BakerJr
RB 3Jojo KempSr
WR 6Blake BoneJr
QB 7Drew BarkerSo
WR 8Jabari GreenwoodFr
WR 9Garrett JohnsonJr
RB 10 A. J. Rose Redshirt.svg  Fr
WR 11Tavin RichardsonFr
QB 12Gunnar HoakFr
WR 13 Jeff Badet Jr
QB 14Luke Wright Redshirt.svg  So
QB 15Stephen JohnsonJr
QB 16Davis MattinglyFr
WR 17Alexander MontgomeryJr
RB 18Stanley WilliamsJr
WR 19Kayaune RossSo
WR 20Ryan KendallSo
RB 22Sihiem KingSo
RB 24Zach JohnsonFr
RB 25Harold TurksFr
RB 26 Benny Snell Fr
RB 30Ditalian TablerFr
WR 31David BouvierSo
RB 32William MahoneJr
WR 42Kynan SmithFr
FB 48Will CollinsSr
TE 49Tanner FinkSr
C 52Drake JacksonFr
G 55David BaumerSo
G 57Zach MyersSr
G 61Tristen SalyerFr
C 62Dylan GreenburgJr
G 63Wells PurdomFr
G 64 George Asafo-Adjei So
G 65Jervontius StallingsSo
OT 67 Landon Young Fr
G 68Nick HaynesJr
G 69Ramsey MeyersJr
G 71 Logan Stenberg Fr
C 72 Jon Toth Sr
OT 73Kyle MeadowsJr
G 74Cole MosierJr
OT 75Tate LeavittJr
OT 77Mason WolfeFr
WR 80Marvin RobinsonFr
WR 81Dakota HoltzclawFr
TE 83Justin RiggFr
WR 84Charles MousheyJr
TE 85Greg HartJr
TE 86Darryl LongSo
TE 87 C. J. Conrad So
WR 88Charles WalkerJr
WR 89Zy'Aire HughesFr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
CB 3Jordan GriffinFr
S 4Marcus WalkerFr
CB 5Kendall RandolphJr
LB 8Kobie WalkerSo
CB 9Davonte RobinsonFr
CB 11J.D. HarmonJr
LB 14Dorian HendrixFr
S 15Marcus McWilsonSr
CB 16Cody QuinnSr
CB 17Tobias GilliamFr
DE 20Kengera DanielSo
CB 21 Chris Westry So
DB 23Jared TuckerSo
DB 24Blake McClainSr
S 25Darius WestSo
S 27 Mike Edwards So
CB 28Kei BeckhamFr
CB 29Derrick BaitySo
CB 30Isaiah BrownFr
LB 31Jamar WatkinsFr
LB 32Eli BrownFr
LB 33Roland WalderFr
LB 34Jordan JonesSo
DE 35Denzil WareSo
DT 36Jacob HydeJr
LB 37Spencer FoySo
LB 38Alex BrownellFr
LB 39Elijah BarnettFr
LB 40Nico FiriosSo
LB 41 Josh Allen So
LB 43Logan BlueSo
LB 44De'Niro LasterJr
LB 45Jaylin BannermanFr
LB 46Drew SchlegelFr
LB 47Jordan BonnerFr
LB 51 Courtney Love Jr
DT 59Kordell LooneyFr
DE 60Calvin TaylorFr
DT 69Matt ElamJr
DT 77Naquez PringleJr
DT 78Zane WilliamsSr
DE 90 T. J. Carter Fr
DE 91Kevin KirbyFr
DE 92Alvonte BellJr
DT 93Ja'Quize CrossFr
DT 94Courtney MigginsSr
DE 98Tymere DuboseSo
DT 99Adrian MiddletonSo
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
LS 53Blake BestFr
P 80Grant McKinnissFr
P 93Bryan KirsheSo
PR 1Ryan TimmonsSr
PR 88Charles WalkerJr
PK 95Miles ButlerSo
PK 99 Austin MacGinnis Jr
KR 22Sihiem KingSo
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Eddie Gran
    Offensive coordinator/running backs
  • Darin Hinshaw
    Quarterbacks coach
  • Lamar Thomas
    Wide receivers
  • Vince Marrow
    Tight ends
  • John Schlarman
    Offensive line
  • D. J. Eliot
    Defensive coordinator/linebackers
  • Jimmy Brumbaugh
    Defensive line
  • Steve Clinkscale
    Defensive backs

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster
Last update: May 7, 2015

Schedule

Kentucky announced its 2016 football schedule on October 29, 2015. The 2016 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Wildcats will host SEC foes Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, and will travel to Alabama, Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee. [8]

The team will host three out of four of its non–conference games which are against Austin Peay from the Ohio Valley Conference, New Mexico State Aggies from the Sun Belt Conference, Louisville from the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Southern Miss Golden Eagles from Conference USA.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 37:30 p.m. Southern Miss * ESPNU L 35–4457,230
September 103:30 p.m.at Florida CBS L 7–4585,821
September 174:00 p.m. New Mexico State *
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
SECN W 62–4249,669
September 247:30 p.m. South Carolina
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 17–1051,702
October 17:00 p.m.at No. 2 Alabama ESPN L 6–34101,821
October 84:00 p.m. Vanderbilt
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
SECNW 20–1355,030
October 227:30 p.m. Mississippi State
SECNW 40–3850,414
October 2912:00 p.m.at Missouri SECNW 35–2150,234
November 57:30 p.m. Georgia
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
SECNL 24–2762,507
November 1212:00 p.m.at Tennessee SECNL 36–49101,075
November 194:30 p.m. Austin Peay *
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 49–1348,948
November 2612:00 p.m.at No. 11 Louisville * ESPN W 41–3854,075
December 3111:00 a.m.vs. Georgia Tech *ESPNL 18–3343,102
Schedule Source: [9]

Game summaries

Southern Mississippi

Southern Mississippi vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Golden Eagles71021644
Wildcats21140035

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: September 3, 2016
  • Game time: 7:32 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind ENE 7 mph (11 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 57,230
  • Referee: Ken Antee
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (analyst)
  • Game Recap [10]

Florida

Kentucky vs. Florida
Quarter1234Total
Wildcats00077
Gators141014745

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 10, 2016
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 85,821
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst)

New Mexico State

New Mexico State vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Aggies21147042
Wildcats1421141362

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: September 17, 2016
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 49,669
  • TV: SEC Network

South Carolina

South Carolina vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Gamecocks073010
Wildcats037717

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: September 24, 2016
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 51,702
  • TV: SEC Network

Alabama

Kentucky vs. Alabama
Quarter1234Total
Wildcats30036
#1 Crimson Tide31414334

at Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

  • Date: October 1, 2016
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 101,821
  • TV: ESPN

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Commodores307313
Wildcats7100320

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: October 8, 2016
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 55,030
  • TV: SEC Network

Mississippi State

Mississippi State vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Bulldogs014101438
Wildcats06211340

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: October 22, 2016
  • Game time: 7:30pm EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 50,414
  • TV: SEC Network

Missouri

Kentucky vs. Missouri
Quarter1234Total
Wildcats7147735
Tigers0701421

at Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri

  • Date: October 29, 2016
  • Game time: 12:00 NOON EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 50,234
  • TV: SEC Network

Georgia

Georgia vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Bulldogs7631127
Wildcats777324

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: November 5, 2016
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 62,507
  • TV: SEC Network

Tennessee

Kentucky vs. Tennessee
Quarter1234Total
Wildcats10332036
Volunteers147141449

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee

  • Date: November 12, 2016
  • Game time: 12:00 NOON EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 101,075
  • TV: SEC Network

Austin Peay

Austin Peay vs. Kentucky
Quarter1234Total
Governors760013
Wildcats02121749

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: November 19, 2016
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance: 48,948
  • TV: SEC Network

Louisville

Kentucky Wildcats at #11 Louisville Cardinals
Quarter1234Total
Wildcats147101041
#11 Cardinals7177738

at Papa John's Cardinal StadiumLouisville, Kentucky

Game information

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Kentucky Wildcats
Quarter1234Total
Yellow Jackets101031033
Wildcats0301518

at EverBank FieldJacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 31, 2016 [12]
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. EST
  • TV: ESPN
  • Source:

References

  1. Hale, Jon (January 16, 2016). "UK adds five early enrollees from 2016 class". Courier-Journal . Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  2. Moore, Josh (January 8, 2016). "UK adds five early enrollees from 2016 class". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  3. Hale, Jon (December 18, 2015). "Shannon Dawson out as Kentucky OC". The Courier-Journal . Louisville. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  4. Smith, Jennifer (December 18, 2015). "Kentucky's Shannon Dawson won't return next season". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  5. Hale, Jon (December 19, 2014). "Gran, Hinshaw join Kentucky football staff". The Courier-Journal . Louisville. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  6. Smith, Jennifer (December 29, 2015). "UK football hires Cincinnati's Eddie Gran to be assistant head coach of the offense". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  7. "Football – 2015 Coaches". University of Kentucky Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  8. "Football's 2016 Schedule Announced" (Press release). University of Kentucky Department of Athletics. October 29, 2015. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  9. "2016 Kentucky Wildcats Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  10. Moore, Deb (September 3, 2016). "Wildcats Drop Opener to Southern Miss". University of Kentucky Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  11. http://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=400869071 ESPN Box Score: Kentucky at Louisville
  12. Long, Mark (December 31, 2016). "Georgia Tech tops Kentucky 33-18 in TaxSlayer". AP News. Retrieved December 29, 2024.