Tennessee football at Kentucky: Five key Wildcats to watch

Any team coached by Mark Stoops will be known for elite defensive players all over the field, and that’s no different for this year’s Kentucky Wildcats team. However, when Tennessee football travels to Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, the Vols will have plenty of playmakers on offense to keep their hands full as well.

Our post looking at key UK players Josh Heupel has to watch out for could probably include one offensive player for every position. We had to separate guys out on that side of the ball based on the matchups with Rocky Top and who is the catalyst for the success.

It’s a different story for defense. You’ll notice all of the defensive players are at interchangeable positions and have similar roles as playmakers in Stoops’ scheme. Let’s break down who all of these guys are and why they made the list. These are the five Wildcats Tennessee football will have to watch out for this Saturday.

6’3″ 278 pounds

When the Vols run their RPOs with Hendon Hooker and whomever starts at running back, Josh Paschal will often be tasked with reading who keeps the ball. As a result, Hooker, or Joe Milton III if Hooker is knocked out of the game, will have to keep him off-balance at every turn. That’s easier said than done when you look at how the elite end plays.

Paschal leads the team in tackles for loss with 11.5 despite having just one sack on the year. He’s also one of the players who is capable of forcing turnovers, as he does have a forced fumble this year. Add in his 36 tackles, 19 of which were solo, and he can to be an impact player in many ways.

Heupel’s offense won’t be able to take off this weekend if he can’t account for Paschal. Everything about how a play develops will start with him, and Tennessee football’s need to establish the run involves needing to contain Paschal at all costs. Kentucky is elite up front it seems like every year, but Paschal is among their most experienced players, so watch out.