Kentucky enters the bye week 6-1 and potentially on pace for a historic season.

After a tough loss, Kentucky fell to No. 14 or No. 15 in the major college football polls, which certainly illustrates how far this particular Wildcat squad has come. We’ve told you about guys like Will Levis and Wan’Dale Robinson, but here are 6 key players for the rest of UK’s season — featuring a few under-the-radar types who might show up in a big way in November.

Eli Cox, OG

Cox (no relation to the author) is exactly the kind of player Mark Stoops has built UK’s climb on. Cox was 247sports’s 1,404th-rated player in the 2019 recruiting class, and according to that service, he had no scholarship offers from any other Power 5 schools. But after 2 years of watching and learning, Cox hasn’t just started, he’s starred.

ESPN named him to their midseason All-American squad and the future is bright for the 6-4, 300-pound sophomore guard. Cox and his fellow linemen have paved the way for Chris Rodriguez to lead the SEC in rushing and will be pivotal for the rest of the season.

Izayah Cummings, TE

Cummings, who shifted from wide receiver to tight end in fall camp, is emerging as a downfield receiving threat. Kentucky’s more traditional tight ends, Justin Rigg and Brenden Bates, have the experience and have played well. But Cummings can create mismatches. He can outrun linebackers and power through defensive backs. To date, he has 6 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, but don’t be surprised if he doubles or even triples those receiving numbers over the rest of the season.

Carrington Valentine, CB

Kentucky lost Kelvin Joseph and Brandin Echols to the NFL Draft, and found themselves scrambling a bit to patch up the cornerback spot. But Stoops’ confidence in Valentine seems to never waver. Valentine started his first game in the Gator Bowl last year, and his late 2020 surge carried over into his sophomore season. He is 4th on the team with 39 tackles, and he’s a threat on the blitz (1.5 tackles for loss, including a sack) or in coverage (2 passes broken up). He’ll be tested in upcoming matchups with Mississippi State and Tennessee, and a couple of good efforts from Valentine would go a long way toward slowing those passing attacks.

Vito Tisdale, DB

Tisdale played well in 2020 but missed much of the early 2021 season in dealing with off-field legal issues. Those being resolved, he’s slowly rounding his way into more playing time. A sophomore, Tisdale has the speed to cover but packs a surprising amount of power as a big hitter. He’s strong enough to play nickel or safety, but fast enough to cover as a corner. Don’t be surprised if he steps up in the next 2 games after the bye week.

Kavosiey Smoke, RB

Chris Rodriguez isn’t going anywhere, but Smoke is another fun component for Liam Coen’s offense. Consider Saturday, when Coen called a quick out to Wan’Dale Robinson, who caught the ball, and then lateraled to a streaking Smoke, who cut up field for a gain of a half dozen yards. Smoke’s season so far (50 rushes, 277 yards, 1 TD) has been solid, but there’s an opportunity for him to see more time and contribute in more ways than he’s shown.

Colin Goodfellow, P

Once the backup to Max Duffy, Goodfellow has worked his way into increased playing time. The super senior started 2 games in 2020 when Duffy was sidelined due to COVID protocols. This year, he was expected to back up freshman Wilson Berry. But when Berry had some minor injury issues and wasn’t particularly effective, Goodfellow stepped in and has averaged 46.7 yards per punt. That’s good for 2nd in the SEC in yards per punt, and for a Kentucky team that still likes to lean on its defense, Goodfellow’s ability to flip the field will make him a good fellow to have around.