Nyck Harbor will present a major test for Kentucky defense

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South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor is one of those guys who, when he steps on the football field, you notice him right away. At 6-foot-5, he is taller than most every cornerback who will line up against him. But his secret weapon is that he is probably faster than them, too.

NFL scouts estimate that he could be running a sub-4.3 40 based on his 10.2 100-yard dash time. To put that in perspective for you, Tyreek Hill, who’s been regarded as the fastest man in football, has been clocked running a 4.29.

And Kentucky’s secondary has been a tad leaky this season. Take a look at the numbers that the Cats have given up to WRs this year:

–Youngstown State- Lynn Wyche-El: 7 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD
-Alabama’s trio of Ryan Williams, Rico Scott, and Lotzeir Brooks: 12 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD
-Texas A&M- Mario Carver: 11 receptions, 119 yards
-South Alabama- Jeremiah Jones-Thomas: 6 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD

Nyck Harbor’s best career game came last season when he had 6 receptions, 115 yards, and a TD against Clemson in the season finale. Unless Kentucky can shore up the back end of the defense, those kinds of numbers aren’t really out of reach.

And that puts a lot of pressure on a Kentucky defense that has really used turnovers to overcome some big plays. The Cats are top 15 nationally in interceptions and turnover +/-. But they have given up nearly 5 yards per play, according to the NCAA stats.

The Cats could be living dangerously on Saturday if they fail to plug the holes in the secondary.

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