UK Says Goodbye to Great Senior Class

Happy Thanksgiving to all the faithful readers of the Pinkie!

It’s a bit of a quiet day in the way of news ahead of Kragthorpe’s last stand tomorrow and UK’s massive matchup with Tennessee on Saturday, so I thought I would talk about something that I am very thankful for: UK’s group of 20 seniors that will play its last game in Commonwealth against the Vols.

This class doesn’t quite measure up to the Woodson, Tamme, Little, Burton, Johnson, Woodyard group, but it is one of the better groups we have seen, particularly on the defensive side. It’s not going to be easy to replace these guys, but for now, let’s think about celebrating their careers in a game that I am very, very excited about. I really believe that the ‘Cats are going to parlay their second half performance in Athens into a great all around game this weekend.

Anyway, I have roughly organized the 20 players in order of significance and how tough they will be to replace, so let’s take a look.

Trevard Lindley – Cornerback – Hiram, GA

Trevard occupying the top spot is unfortunately more of a lifetime achievement award. He started off the season really well with a pick 6 against Miami (OH) and was solid up until the Alabama game, when he hurt his ankle. He missed a few games, but since he returned, he has been just pretty good, not living up to his dominant reputation.

He had 3 tackles and a couple pass breakups last weekend, but was challenged repeatedly and beaten a few times. Ankle injuries never have a quick healing process, so here’s hoping that the long break before the bowl game will allow him to return to form and nail down an early round destination in the Draft.

All in all, Trevard Lindley is one of the best secondary defenders UK has had. He has drawn some difficult matchups over his years as a starter and what a luxury it has been to stick him out there and feel good about him against wide receiver.

Micah Johnson – Middle Linebacker – Fort Campbell, KY

Micah came in as the most heralded UK recruit since Tim Couch. He will leave an All-SEC performer and an NFL Draft choice. His decision to return for his senior year was a crucial one, because it allowed Steve Brown to stick an experienced player at middle linebacker in between Danny Trevathan and Sam Maxwell, two guys who had never been full time starters.

He has battled injuries this year, but has been on the field most of the time…which is fortunate because there is a major drop-off when he is not at his best. He leads the ‘Cats in both solo and total tackles, giving UK a physical presence in the middle that has allowed them to play the run well all year.

Micah has always been a physical specimen and it’s been a pleasure to watch him find a position and turn into a football player over the past 4 seasons.

Sam Maxwell – Outside Linebacker – Hartwell, GA

It’s hard to imagine a player more quickly and convincingly going from pre-season question mark to in-season biggest defensive playmaker than Sam Maxwell has this season. It started early with a huge late interception in the UofL game and it has continued all year up until Maxwell made the game sealing pick against Georgia.

Corey Peters – Defensive Tackle – Louisville, KY

Believe it or not, it doesn’t happen that often that a defensive tackle makes 49 tackles in 11 games like Corey Peters. Corey Peters was the lone holdover from last year’s defensive line after Jeremy Jarmon was not allowed to play and he has been an anchor all year. He topped off his season to this point with an absolutely dominating performance against Georgia.

John Conner – Fullback – West Chester, OH

I love John Conner so much that I feel bad about listing him as the 5th senior. UK may never have a better blocking fullback than the beastly Conner. Show me a good run by a Kentucky back this season and I will show you a huge block by Conner…he has been that important to the running game.

Zipp Duncan – Offensive Tackle – Magnolia, KY

After manning the left guard position as a starter during his junior year, Duncan has successfully made the move to left tackle. It will be an emotional night for the Kentucky native.

Jorge Gonzalez – Center – Tampa, FL

Jorge had to sit out the opener while he was suspended, but has returned and given the ‘Cats a steady presence in the middle of the offensive line and worked with a variety of different quarterbacks, which is not easy.

Christian Johnson – Guard – Fort Campbell, KY

After redshirting the 2008 season, Johnson has regained his starting role at left tackle and performed well on an experienced offensive line.

Justin Jeffries – Offensive Tackle – Louisville, KY

The Louisville St. X product was named to the SEC All Freshman team and has been a starter ever since.

Calvin Harrison – Strong Safety – Columbia, SC

Calvin Harrison has gotten the majority of the reps at strong safety during his senior year and has made plays along the way. He has 3 picks on the season, 1 fumble recovery, 4 passes deflected, and 7 passes defended.

Ashton Cobb – Strong Safety – Alquippa, PA

Cobb competed with fellow senior Calvin Harrison for the starting job at strong safety, but lost out. He has seen the field sparingly, making 13 tackles and 1 interception.

Alphonso Smith – Running Back – Louisville, KY

Alphonso Smith showed some serious speed and some serious potential early in his career, but has never quite lived up to the potential we thought he had. Derrick Locke has clearly emerged as UK’s number one back.

Lones Seiber – Kicker – San Antonio, TX

It’s kind of strange to put UK’s all time leading scorer this far down the list, but I think we can all agree that Lones will not be that hard to replace next season.

Will Fidler – Quarterback – Henderson, KY

UK announced Wednesday that redshirt junior Will Fidler would forgo his final year of eligibility. He will graduate in the fall and get started with his life.

Fidler has earned constant praise as a backup QB from the staff. He played meaningful snaps when Mike Hartline went down, but was beaten out by freshman Morgan Newton.

Here are UK’s remaining seniors

TC Drake – Tight End – Bardstown, KY
Ross Bogue – Tight End – Suwanee, GA
Maurice Grinter – Tight End – Louisville, KY
Mikhail Mabry – Linebacker – Mililani, HI
Anthony Cecil – Wide Receiver – Hodgenville, KY
Dustin Luck – Guard – Poole, KY
Stephen Ball – Fullback – Brentwood, TN
Trey Bowland – Running Back – Knoxville, TN
Anthony Cecil – Wide Receiver – Hodgenville, KY
Chris Cessna – Linebacker – London, KY
Daryl Faulkner – Cornerback – Memphis, TN
A.J. Nance – Linebacker – Knoxville, TN
Michael Schwindel – Linebacker – Hawesville, KY