When searching for a breakout candidate among Southeastern Conference defenders this fall, one name that continues to be brought up time and time again is Kentucky defensive lineman, Quinton Bohanna.

It can often be difficult for a nose guard to stand out on the football field due to the fact their primary responsibility on the field is to eat up blockers in order for others to make plays, but every so often, talented big men come along and prove they can disrupt an offense from the nose guard position.

According to Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White, Bohanna is regarded as that level of an athlete and the expectation in Lexington is that the senior will be that player for the Wildcat defense this fall.

The leader of the Kentucky defense has signaled out Bohanna this offseason as a player that needs to take his game to the next level if the Wildcats are going to live up to their potential this fall.

“Quinton and I have had quite a few talks – because I have lofty expectations for what he can be for us,” White said during his first press availability of the training camp. “And I will not shy away from that, and he doesn’t want me to shy away from the fact that we need more out of him, and I expect more.

“It’s not about being, one play or two play a game, you know, that looks good in a highlight film. It has to be consistent down in and down out. Again, he wasn’t just a highlight guy, he does a lot of the dirty work that nobody sees. He commands a lot of double teams, he keeps guys free. But what I expect of him is to do that – and then more. So it’s his job plus is what we talk about. What he can do is he can hold point and when it comes off, I expect him to tear off.”

White then took his breakdown of Bohanna a step further and said he’s asking the nose guard to be a force in Kentucky’s pass rush this season.

“I really expect to get more out of him in the pass rush game this year,” White added. “He doesn’t need to just be thought of as a run guy. He’s got enough twitch and short-area burst and strength that he can affect the pass game – and we need him to. Because there’s going to be times that he gets the one-on-one. And when he gets the one-on-one, there should be nobody that can block him.

“And so that’s the expectation for him, that’s what I expect him to do.”