Kentucky coach Mark Stoops thinks starting quarterback Brook Vandagriff has what it takes to be successful this season.

Stoops said the Georgia transfer enjoys a “very smooth” chemistry with the team’s offensive unit going into the team’s season opener against Southern Mississippi. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m.

“Anybody who talks to you about Brock will tell you that he’s a great human being,” Stoops said during the Southeastern Conference teleconference on Wednesday “His father’s a high school coach, and he grew up in that. He just wants to work hard. He’s in the facility all the time, and he works at it. Great young man and great personality.”

Stoops added that Vandagriff also knows what it takes to take command in the huddle and isn’t afraid to be a leader.

“He’s very easy to get along with, but yet has the comfort level to demand things from the receivers and take over from the leadership role in the summer and organize throwing sessions and seven on sevens and things of that nature,” he said. “I feel like it’s been good, and we’ll continue to keep growing in that area as the season goes on.”

Stoops also likes the way junior receiver Barion Brown is progressing and is hopeful Brown will have a breakthrough season.

“I think Barion would be the first one to tell you that he’s worked really hard and just maturing and growing,” Stoops said. “That’s just a natural progression for players. I think everybody has such high expectations for him, as do we, because he’s so talented but he is just going into his third year.”

Stoops also said Brown has been consistent with his improvement during the off-season.

“He’s definitely maturing and growing and getting bigger, stronger, physically and mentally, more consistent,” he said. (I’m) very excited about Barion and what he’s capable of.”

Southern Miss coach Will Hall compared Brown to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.

“He’s the best I’ve ever coached against,” Hall said. “… he’s really, really dynamic.”

 

Tablet Talk

 

In addition to wireless on-the-field communication between coaches and players, tablets also will be used on the sidelines as a form of dialogue. Stoops and his staff got an early jump with the use of tablets during the Citrus Bowl last season.

“I felt like that was a relatively easy transition,” Stoops said. “We felt like it was helpful. I communicated with the SEC head coaches in the offseason on that. It is a different system, and we did spend quite a bit of time on that, just making sure everybody was comfortable.”

Stoops also used the tablets during fall camp.

“During our scrimmages and during certain practices where we actually went to our position on the bench and went through the tablets, went through the series, and made sure everybody was comfortable with it,” he said. “We’ve tried to head off as many problems as we can and get comfortable with how we’re dealing with that communication.

“Then with the two-minute warning, that’s just another variable that we have to take into consideration. I think it’ll just depend on the situation there.”