Kentucky Sports Radio

Part two in an eight part series previewing the 2010 Kentucky Football Wildcats: Running Backs

Derrick Locke

Proving the doubters wrong - It’s one of the most overused cliches in sports. Yet that is precisely what Derrick Locke has been doing from the moment he arrived in Lexington. He can’t run track and play football in the SEC. He’s now been All Conference in both sports. He’s too small to be an every down SEC running back. His 1731 career rushing yards rank him 10th all time at UK entering his senior season. He’ll never be the same after blowing out his knee. Locke enjoyed his finest season in 2009, only one year removed from major knee surgery. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a single doubt about Locke that has proven to have any legitimacy. Unless, of course, someone doubted that he could successfully navigate the Lexington streets on his moped.

Kentucky’s football program narrowly avoided another in a long line of inexplicable disasters when Locke wrecked his moped on June 4th. This incident, of course, brought about two obvious questions. First, is there another SEC team, aside from the now slightly less “wild and crazy” Vanderbilt, whose star running back would be sporting a mode of transportation most commonly utilized by middle school girls? Secondly, why would Locke bother driving a vehicle that has a maximum cruising speed roughly twelve miles per hour less than his own? Regardless, Locke suffered only a slight crack in his ulna, and looks to be ready for Fall Camp. Good news for the Cats as they possess little experienced depth at the tailback position.

Post-Spring Depth Chart

Tailback:
1. Derrick Locke 5-9, 191 Sr. Hugo, OK (Hugo)
2. Donald Russell 5-11, 208 So. West Palm Beach, Fla (Dwyer)
3. Jonathan George 5-10, 204 Fr-RS Lincoln, Al (Lincoln)
4. CoShik Williams 5-9, 185 So. Hiram, Ga (Hiram)

Fullback:
1. Moncell Allen 5-7, 225 Sr. New Orleans, La (Providence Day)
2. Greg Meisner 6-1, 235 Jr. Greensburg, Pa (Hempfield Area)

The Man:

Derrick Locke is without question one of the most explosive players in the SEC. Locke finished sixth in the conference in rushing in 2009 with 907 yards and added 31 catches for 284 yards for good measure. Also dangerous returning kicks, Locke was named All Conference as a return specialist by CollegeFootballNews.com in 2009. His elite speed is readily apparent, but Locke’s small stature belies his physical running style.

*Random Note: Locke holds the UK outdoor long jump record at 25 feet, 3 1/4 inches. By my math, if the Cats simply hand it to him and let him jump, that’s 8.42361 yards per pop. If only they would stop screening my calls on the Big Blue Line…

The Supporting Cast:

Sophomore Donald Russell seems to have momentarily locked down the backup role at tailback thanks in large part to his huge effort in the Blue/White Game. (118 yards rushing, 37 yards receiving) Russell saw spot duty as a true freshman in 2009, but showed flashes of immense potential, including his 79 yard touchdown run against Eastern Kentucky. Highly regarded Alabama native Jonathan George was in line to play as a true freshman in ‘09 before a high ankle sprain in Fall Camp forced him to redshirt. A now fully healthy George will battle Russell for carries.

Moncell “The Turtle” Allen moves full time to fullback with the graduation of current New York Jet John Connor. Allen has bounced back and forth between backfield positions, but has been productive in a reserve role. In 38 games with the Cats, Allen has accumulated 469 rushing yards, but has yet to fulfill his lifelong dream of having a neck.

Wild Cards:

Kentucky’s 2010 recruiting class sported three highly regarded tailbacks in Brandon Gainer, Raymond Sanders and Miles Simpson. It’s a safe bet that at least one of these talented backs will see significant action in 2010.

Overview:

The prayers of Cat fans everywhere were mercifully answered when Locke decided to return to Lexington for his senior season. Locke gives Kentucky an experienced ball-carrier who can literally score any time he touches the ball. The loss of Connor at fullback can’t be underestimated, as he was the best blocking back in college football last season. My guess is that Joker will look to minimize this loss by using fewer power I formations, and will instead spread the field with four wide receivers as he did in the Woodson era. Despite the loss of Connor, and the lack of experienced depth at tailback, Kentucky will boast a swift and talented stable of backs in 2010.

Next up: Receivers

Part one: Quarterbacks