By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
One day after being cleared to play, Kentucky freshman receiver Lynn Bowden was on the practice field Saturday, a welcomed sight for the Kentucky coaching staff.
Bowden, a heralded four-star recruit from Ohio, took part in an autograph signing segment during the team’s annual fan day Saturday and then practiced with the squad, mainly with the punt and kick return units and the team’s current core of wide receivers. Bowden participated in an individual practice session after he cleared to play by the NCAA on Friday.
Bowden wasn’t in full gear, but is expected to make the transition to full pads by early next week. Bowden is expected to make an immediate impact this season, but Stoops isn’t rushing the process.
“He’ll do what he can handle,” Stoops said. “We’ve got to bring him along. He missed some days (and) he can’t install everything. Nobody can handle that, so we’ve got to go to Day 1 install and feed him a little bit.”
That menu in moving forward, could result in more involevment on special teams, where Bowden could be counted on to provide kickoff and punt returns this season as he makes the transition from high school to the collegiate level.
“We’re get out there and give him a shot in live looks and see what he can do,” Stoops said.
On track: Stoops and the Wildcats conducted six practices in a span of seven days to open camp and Stoops has been pleased with his teams’s progression.
“We’re getting better in several areas, but we’ve got to keep on working and keep improving,” Stoops said. “II like the mentality of this team and I love the work ethic. We’re trying to get better every day and that’s what we like about it.”
The Wildcats made several big plays during the open practice session in front of fans Saturday and quarterbacks Stephen Johnson and Drew Barker were on target with most of their throws in both the long and short passing game.
“It was good to see some competitive plays today,” Stoops aid. “Guys that were covered and (the quarterbacks) forced it in there and made some good plays. I would like to see us win more (defensively) with contested plays, but it’s good to see (the team) throwing and catching (the ball).”
Injuries limited: Defensive back Derrick Baity “rolled his ankle” Friday and was sporting a walking boot near the end of practice Saturday. Stoops said Baitty’s ankle was a “regular” ankle sprain.
“(It’s not) high or anything like that, so he should be fine,” Stoops said. “Eli (Brown) has a (hamstring) that he tweaked (and) there’s some other guys that haven’t practiced.”
Overall, Stoops likes the health of his squad going into the second week of camp.
“We’re a little banged up, but we’re not too bad,” he said.
On the defense: On the defensive end, Stoops likes the way the team has been making strides under new defensive coordinator Matt House.
“Defensively we have a little bit more experience,” he said. “We worked really hard in the off-season to minimize the mistakes tat are out here. There’s still some that are popping up that we need to get ironed out that I’m not happy about. But, overall, we’re much further ahead with some experience defensively. It’s evident (following) the first six practices.”
Newcomers Quinton Bohanna, a defensive lineman and Josh Paschal, also a defensive player, have earned praise during the opening week of workouts and both players are giving the defensive line a lift. Stoops said Bohanna is starting to work his way into the rotation.
“He has shown up,” Stoops said. “He (is) definitely a guy that’s we’re gonna start forcing into the two-deep (depth chart).”
Paschal, one of the highest recruits on the radar for the Wildcats, hasn’t been a disappointment.
“(He’s) a very good football player,” Stoops said. “What’s great about Josh is, he has a lot of things going for him. He’s physically what you’re looking for, but he’s a great kid, very consciousness. He works hard. He’s a gym rat. He’s one of those guys a lot like Jordan Griffin. He’s in here. Football’s very important to him. He’s in here all the time, he’s taking care of his body, he’s lifting, he’s running, and he’s got instincts. He’s definitely gonna be a guy that plays as well.”
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com and twitter @keithtaylor21.