Kentucky running back Josh Clemons really impressed everyone last year as a true freshman. Despite major problems with the run blocking early in last year's campaign, Clemons managed to gain 279 yards, second on the team, in the 5 full games he played and 4 rushing attempts in the 6th before injuring his knee. Clemons showed a good combination of speed and power, and it has been widely hoped that he would be fully healed this year and ready to pick up where he left off.
Not so fast.
Larry Vaught reports today that even though Clemons is expected to be ready, Joker Phillips is strongly considering a redshirt for him if not:
If Clemons is not 100 percent early in the season, Phillips says the coaching staff might have to at least consider redshirting him rather than having him available for only part of the year.
It is true that Kentucky can afford to redshirt Clemons this year if necessary because unlike last year, Kentucky is plenty deep in the running back position. The addition of quality young freshmen Dy'shawn Mobley and Justin Taylor at the spot to go along with Jonathan George, CoShik Williams and Raymond Sanders gives Kentucky a tremendous amount of depth at the position.
With all that said, I really hope Clemons is available. He is the kind of power/speed combination that it takes to run the ball in the SEC, and he has better size than Williams or Sanders.