David Pachall of TimesFreePress.com has listed his most irreplaceable football players in the SEC and Kentucky’s quarterback is #1.
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[B]1. Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton[/B]
Players such as South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery and Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower are far more touted and talented, but the Gamecocks and Crimson Tide still would survive and even thrive at those positions because of their depth.
Take away Newton, who has the task of extending Kentucky’s program record of five consecutive bowl appearances, and the Wildcats are left with two guys who were in high school last year. The only other scholarship quarterback who went through spring practice in Lexington was midyear enrollee Maxwell Smith.
Newton, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior, completed 4 of 7 passes for 54 yards during the 2010 regular season, when he was Mike Hartline’s backup. When Hartline was suspended for the BBVA Compass Bowl, Newton started and was less than overwhelming, completing 21 of 36 attempts for 211 yards in a 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh.
Kentucky second-year head coach Joker Phillips likes what he’s seen in the months since.
“I saw us become a more efficient passing team this spring,” Phillips said, “and I’m pleased with the way Morgan Newton has taken a hold of this offense, especially the passing game. I am pleased with his progress. Watching how he improved and how different he looked got you excited.”
Newton made eight starts following an injury to Hartline in 2009, and he completed 75 of 135 attempts for 706 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. The Wildcats went 5-3 in those games, and Newton became the first starting quarterback to win at Auburn and at Georgia in his career since Tennessee’s Tee Martin on the way to the 1998 national championship.
He will need not only to stay healthy this season but excel on an offense that no longer has tailback Derrick Locke (887 rushing yards last season), receiver Chris Matthews (925 receiving yards) and the do-everything Randall Cobb (1,017 receiving and 424 rushing yards). Cobb threw three touchdown passes a year ago, which were three more than Newton.
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[URL=”http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jul/17/sec-1-2-3-irreplaceable-players-2011/?sportscollege”]Complete Article[/URL]
Hat Tip: John Clay
