By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops was all smiles after his team wrapped up the first full week of fall camp with a scrimmage Saturday at Kroger Field.
Stoops didn’t give much insight into the quarterback race, but did provide an update on freshman wide receiver Dekel Crowdus. Stoops said the injury wasn’t season-ending and expects the former Frederick Douglass High School standout to make a return in the next few weeks.
“He does not have a torn ligament,” Stoops said. “He has a strained ligament (and) there’s a good opportunity he’ll be back soon. … We are optimistic.”
Junior receiver Wan’Dale Robinson also was pleased Crowdus will return sooner rather than later. Robinson recalled Crowdus was upset about the injury the day it occurred and both players expected the worse.
“At first, we thought it was going to be much longer than we expected,” he said. “It’s just really good to know he’s OK and will be able to bounce back and be healthy again.”
The quarterback battle continues between Penn State transfer Will Levis and returnees Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen. Stoops said all three “did some good things” but focused more of his attention on tight end Izayah Cummings, who continues to make strides at his new position. Stoops said Cummings made a “one-handed catch to keep a drive going.”
“Here’s a young man that always had a great attitude, works, does everything. And I think he’s a difference-maker at tight end. He’s just so natural. It’s so friendly to quarterbacks, somebody that’s that athletic with that kind of catch radius and is so smooth. Those big guys sometimes they’re stiffer than you think. To have a big guy that’s that athletic makes a big difference. Now all of a sudden you’re looking at a young man out there and saying ‘wow, look at his athleticism’ instead of maybe at wide receiver where you know he can catch the ball, but maybe doesn’t have the top-end that you’re looking for. Now all of a sudden he looks very athletic.”
Aside from Crowdus, Stoops said the Wildcats came out of the scrimmage relatively healthy and without any serious injuries and just wanted “to continue to be clean.”
“As you could understand with the new offense, new offensive system, the players, just the whole operation. It’s really important just to… the terminology and all of that coming from a pro system. Sometimes all that just, the operation, the terminology, getting into formation and the shifts and the motions, there’s a lot to it. We’re getting better. A few pre-snap penalties. Just once or twice I would’ve had to call a timeout probably with the play clock. Just things of that nature. We want to be as game ready as we can.”
Stoops added his squad will focus on more situational schemes next week as the team prepares for its opener set for Sept. 4 against Louisiana Monroe at Kroger Field.
“We did some good things on both sides.” Stoops said. “We’re looking forward to getting these guys healed up for a day and getting back at its next week. I can’t wait to get back to work.”
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.