Another day, another Kentucky football transfer commitment. Alabama wide receiver Kendrick Law committed to the Cats Friday afternoon as Bush Hamdan is loading up on offensive weapons. With JJ Hester, Zach Calzada, and Henry Boyer all committing yesterday, Hamdan has made four impactful additions in about 32 hours. Can Law be the latest Tide receiver to blossom after a transfer?
Player Background
Law was a four-star, top one hundred recruit out of Captain Shreve High in Shreveport, Louisiana. Law committed to the Crimson Tide over LSU, Texas, Florida State, and others before enrolling for the 2022 season. He appeared in ten games as a true freshman putting up 103 yards on 12.9 yards per reception. Law progressively received more snaps as a slot receiver and made the full-time switch to slot under Kalen DeBoer. He put up 105 yards and a touchdown this past season for Alabama as his roll diminished with the emergence of uber-talented freshman Ryan Williams and Washington transfer Germie Bernard. Law didn’t have the production Tide fans expected out of the elite recruit, but the physical tools are undeniable.
Program Fit
Fast, fast, and faster. The former track athlete posted a 10.77 100-meter dash in high school, and the speed did not leave him when he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Law is an absurd athlete who hit 23.6 miles per hour this past offseason according to DeBoer. The more shocking piece of news was the 209-pound player reportedly benches 450 pounds. Law’s biggest strength is his run blocking where he did not receive PFF run blocking grade lower than a 67.5 in any of his three seasons at Alabama. Reminder, he is a 4.3 speed receiver. Law is not a great route runner, and he mostly uses speed to gain an advantage on his defenders. In Hamdan’s offense he would thrive on vertical routes, quick flats, and intermediate crosses where Law would have the space and freedom to run away from defenders in the slot where motions and formations make it harder to press. He gets north-south as quickly as possible and has been effective on jet sweeps throughout his career. The play below was called back for a holding, but it shows you the type of weapon Kendrick Law is as well as the trust Nick Saban had in him to call his number on fourth down of the Iron Bowl.
Position Outlook
Kendrick Law has experience on the outside and most recently as a slot receiver at one of the best college football programs in the country. He lacks production, but he looks to have a clear role in the Bush Hamdan offense. Kentucky has Ja’Mori Maclin returning in the slot, but the big play receiver had better success as an outside guy at North Texas in 2023. Hardley Gilmore is a player the staff raves about as a potential superstar, but he will be entering his true sophomore season after an injury kept him sidelined for the first half of the season. Kentucky recently added a potential X receiver in JJ Hester from Missouri and Oklahoma. Fred Farrier, David Washington, and five freshmen finish out the current receiver room following a mass exodus and position coach change. Law is an effective gadget player with game breaking speed and kick return ability. The fit in Hamdan’s offense makes too much sense for me to not be excited regardless of the yardage numbers.
