Among the many things Jason Patterson has done to open eyes during his short time at Kentucky, one of the most impressive might be just being there. The Wildcats brought in a pair of talented veteran running backs from the transfer portal, Dante Dowdell from Nebraska and Seth McGowan from New Mexico State, to go […]
Among the many things Jason Patterson has done to open eyes during his short time at Kentucky, one of the most impressive might be just being there.
The Wildcats brought in a pair of talented veteran running backs from the transfer portal, Dante Dowdell from Nebraska and Seth McGowan from New Mexico State, to go along with sophomore Jamarion Wilcox, but that never fazed Patterson.
Instead, the redshirt freshman from Sneads, Fla., just kept working.
“It’s pushed me a lot. I love it,” Patterson said after Tuesday’s practice. “I told my coach, coach (Jay) Boulware, that I would never shy away from competition; I would run to it. The guys that are in the NFL, they would never back down. They just compete. That’s what I want to do.”
By all accounts, the 5-foot-10, 209-pound Patterson was the star of UK’s first major scrimmage. Coaches and teammates from both sides of the ball praised his effort at Kroger Field on Saturday.
“JP showed up today,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. “I thought he made some people miss. He was a tough runner. His vision was good. That was good to see.”
“JP showed up today,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. “I thought he made some people miss. He was a tough runner. His vision was good. That was good to see.”
Added UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan: “He has benefited (from his reps). I think in this day and age of college football when you take a kid like him and bring in two transfers, they got two ways to react to it, and he’s been a guy who has just put his head down, gone to work.
“I think in a lot of ways, those two other backs, we’ve seen them play a lot of football, so he’s getting a ton of opportunities, and he is one of those guys who has really stood out.”
Patterson also credits the players around him for giving him a chance to shine.
“I think I’m coming along fine, right where I need to be, along with the offensive line,” he said. “… Coach Bush and coach Stoops have given me the opportunity to make some plays, and I went out there and did it.”
During his redshirt season, Patterson made the most of the snaps he received while staying under the four-game limit to retain a year of eligibility. He played against Auburn, South Carolina, and Southern Miss, rushing for 111 yards on 20 attempts (5.6 ypc) and caught one pass for 15 yards.
He feels like a smarter running back with a year of SEC experience under his belt.
“A huge difference,” Patterson said. “The offensive line is way more consistent, and as for my play, I’ve got way more wisdom and experience to know where the point of attack should be, how to hit it, the speed of the game — when to speed it up, when to slow it down. Stuff like that has definitely helped me a lot.”
“He’s not worried about anything other than improving his craft, and I think he’ll be rewarded,” Hamdan said.
Category: General Sports
