Kentucky Battles On, Coleton Price's Artistic Touch Takes Centre Stage
On Thursday, July 30, the Kentucky football program posted a video on its official X account that showcased the artistic talents of Coleton Price, a fifth-year senior transfer and projected starting center this fall. The video, which featured Price drawing the Kentucky athletics logo on the glass with a black marker, quickly went viral, garnering over 670,000 views.
Price's modesty about his artistic abilities is evident when asked about his masterpiece. "Kind of surprised myself out there whenever I was drawing that," he said. "But whenever I was younger, I used to draw a little bit. Nothing too crazy. But yeah, whenever I drew (the logo), I wasn't trying to impress anyone. It was more of like, 'Hey, I'm just going to do this thing.'"
The Wildcats will lean on Price plenty this fall, though. He transferred to Kentucky after spending four years at Baylor, where he redshirted as a freshman and then appeared in 32 games, including 30 starts. Last season, he permitted just one sack in 526 pass-block snaps. Now in Year 1 in Lexington, he earned a place on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is handed out annually to the top center in the nation.
Coach Will Stein, who is entering his first season as Kentucky's head coach, is confident in Price's abilities. "Coleton Price is as good of a center as I've been around," he said. "We obviously haven't gone through a game yet, but just how he prepares — his mentality, his physicality, his athleticism, consistency — he's a pro in every sense of the word."
Price's bond with new starting quarterback Kenny Minchey is also an essential aspect of the team's success. Minchey, who transferred from Notre Dame, praised Price's leadership and down-to-earth nature. "Knows what it should look like — on the field, in the weight room, leadership style," Minchey said. "I feel like he had it all. Just a really down-to-earth guy."
Chemistry between a quarterback and center is essential. Without it, an offense will never function at a high level. Good thing Minchey and Price have developed a tight bond. "If something is off — anything's off — we're coming to each other," Minchey said. "Every single play, we're touching the football, so we've definitely got to be on our p's and q's."
As the Wildcats prepare for the upcoming season, Price's artistic talents may be a fun aside, but it's his football skills that will truly make the difference. With Price's help, the team is looking to have a strong season. Price said the team's offense is "amazing" to watch. "Nothing you could really say wrong about it. Stein's going to put us in the best situation we can be in," Price said.
The Wildcats will take to the field soon, and it's clear that Coleton Price will be a key player in their success. As the team prepares for the upcoming season, fans will be eagerly watching to see how Price and the rest of the team perform.
Source: Yahoo Sports