Player Profile: Larry Warford

Larry Warford

Height:  6'3
Weight:  332
School:  Kentucky
Position:  Guard
Ranking:  #3 Guard
Projection:  2nd Round

Strengths
-Good bulk to play the interior (332)
-Experienced with 47 games played in the SEC.  37 starts at RG.
-Powerful run blocker who moves defenders off their spot
-Strong anchor.  Tough to move back
-Better athlete than you think.  Moves really well for his size.  Shows good straight line speed.
-Does a good job of pulling and trapping and attacking defenders in the next level.
-Shows good balance in pass protection
-Good punch that can jar defenders.
-Always moving his feet.
-Good overall IQ.  Understands angles and assignments-
-Has the mean streak you want out of a lineman
-Great character.  No off the field issues.

Weaknesses
-Shorter arms than you would want (33")
-Not the ideal body frame.  Short (6'3) and squatty
-Struggles against speed rushers.  Especially at the 3 technique
-Weight could be an issue.  Weighed 350 lbs at one point.  Conditioning is an issue.
-Doesn't move well laterally.  Can be beat by double moves.
-Not overly quick.  Can be beat off the ball
-Needs better hand placement.  Doesn't lock down defenders when he makes contact.
-Tends to lung in run blocking

Summary
Which ever teams are wanting to draft Larry Warford they are going to get a power run blocking machine.  Warford uses his size to advantage to physically maul defenders but uses his strength to push defenders off their spot and open up running lanes.  But Waford isn't just a physical imposing player, he can also move pretty well for his size.  He surprisingly moves well for his size and is able to pull and trap effectively.  In the open field Warford rarely misses and is able to hit those moving targets.  While run blocking is his strength he isn't a slouch in pass protection.  With his size it's no surprise he has a strong anchor and makes it really hard to knock off his spot.  He does an effective job mirroring defenders, but need to improve his lateral movement which could hurt him against speedier rushers.  Another negative for Waford is that he doesn't have great quickness which hurts him against quicker defenders who could blow past him.  You'd also like to see Warford drop a little weight or redistribute the weight because he tends to wear down over the game and could improve his quickness.  However Warford should be able to step in right away and challenge for a starting spot on Day 1.  Look for him to go somewhere in the late 2nd round, but no later than the early 3rd. A team like Atlanta could be an option.

Coaching Carousel (Kentucky Wildcats)

What was longer rumored to happen has finally come true.  It was announced that Joker Phillips would no longer be the head coach after the season was over.  Phillips was the "Head Coach in Waiting" under Rich Brooks and took over in 2010.

But much like other "HCIW" Phillips hasn't had much success.  His career record is 12-23 and never won more than 6 games in a season.  Joker's best year was his first where he took the Wildcats to the Compass Bowl where they lost to Pittsburgh. Phillips has been known as a offensive mind, but his offensives at Kentucky have been relatively pedestrian.

The Kentucky job isn't the greatest gig in college football, but it isn't terrible.  They play in the marquee conference (SEC) but are in the East Division which is easier (relatively speaking) than the West.  They've been able to attract talent, so that won't scare too many coaches away.

Potential Candidates
Bobby Petrino (Former Arkansas Head Coach)
Petrino is the top name in the search and would be the best case scenario for the the Wildcats.  Petrino is a proven winner and has had success in the blue grass state before.  He turned Louisville into a BCS team before leaving for the Atlanta Falcons.  He'd bring instant credibility to the Wildcats with the recruits. However he has some baggage.  But as we've seen with Kentucky and John Calipari, they're not afraid of that if you win.

Dirk Koetter (Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator)
Since Phillips has been in a sense fired, one name that has surfaced is Koetter's.  Koetter has head coaching experience at Boise State and Arizona State.  He had success at both spots, but couldn't sustain it at ASU.  He is the current OC with the Falcons who are enjoying a breakout season from Matt Ryan.  Koetter might not be the biggest name or even the Wildcats top choice, but he could be their fall back guy if their top choices decline.

Willie Taggert (Western Kentucky Head Coach)
Ever since Western Kentucky came into Lexington and knocked off the Wildcats people have had their eye on Taggert.  Taggert is an up and coming coach who is in his first gig as a head coach.  He was the RB coach at Stanford before.  He's been trained under Jim Harbaugh and that is a good thing.  Plus he has experience recruiting in the Kentucky area.  The draw back is that Taggert is coaching at his Alma Mater and may hold out for the perfect job to come up.  This may not be it.

Sonny Dykes (Louisiana Tech Head Coach)
Another up and coming name to consider is the current Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes.  Dykes has the Bulldogs at 9-1 and will likely win the WAC and have an outside shot at a BCS Bowl.  Dykes is a spread offense guru who learned his trade under Mike Leach and Hal Mumme.  Before taking over at LaTech he was the offensive coordinator at Arizona and Texas Tech.  Dykes also was an assistant for two stints at Kentucky when Hal Mumme.  He probably won't be their first choice, but it would be hard to find a better coach who would want this job than Dykes.

David Cutcliff (Duke Head Coach)
An under the radar coach who could do well might be the current Duke head coach.  Cutcliff is no stranger to the SEC after he was the OC for Tennessee in the Peyton Manning era and then was the Mississippi HC also.  Even though Cutcliff was fired from Ole Miss the Rebels were relatively successful and haven't gotten back to the level of success he had there.  Now at Duke he has turned this doormat program into being bowl eligible for the first time in over 15 years and are still in the race for the Division Title.  If Cutcliff can do that at Duke, what could he do at Kentucky?