Kentucky’s Dupree grows into ‘savage’ role on defense

LEXINGTON, Ky – . Bud Dupree writes the same word on his wrist tape before every University of Kentucky football practice: Savage.

“We’ve got to play with that mentality,” Dupree said. “A savage will do anything to get what they want.”

What Dupree wants is to lead the charge in the Wildcats’ resurgence under coach Mark Stoops, who is entering his second season at the helm. Dupree, a senior defensive end, also wants to complete his transformation from modest recruit into high NFL draft pick. He knows if he achieves one of those goals, the other likely comes with it.

Dupree certainly looks like a man ready to deliver. He has packed on 15 pounds in the last year and about eight since last season ended, almost all of it apparently muscle. His hulking new physique is quite literally turning heads, as is his performance this spring.

“I don’t want to use the term that everybody uses, ‘freak,’ but athletically, he does things very easy,” Stoops said. “He works his tail off, but he’s blessed.”

He came to Kentucky from Irwinton, Ga., in 2011 with only a handful of other scholarship offers and a 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame fit for expansion. A versatile athlete, Dupree almost ended up a tight end for the Cats. Savages, however, are better suited for defense.

“I came a long way,” he said. “The weight I gained and the hard work I put in with the coaches, it’s starting to pay off. Everyone’s amazed by how big I got. I’ve always just been big (compared to) smaller people in the community, but no one ever thought I’d get this big.”

Dupree is now listed at 267 pounds, up 38 from his freshman season. He led Kentucky in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (9 ½) and ranked second in tackles (61) last season. He has 173 career tackles, 24 ½ for loss, and 16 sacks. Those are all strong stats, but this fall figures to be Dupree’s biggest yet.

He has been a headache for the Cats’ offense all spring.

“Yo, Bud is huge,” running back Jojo Kemp said. “He’s a stud.”

Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot calls Dupree “a giant.” He and Stoops have coached a guy like this before, back when they were still at Florida State. Bjoern Werner was a relative unknown, a three-star recruit just like Dupree, who became a first-round NFL draft pick under their tutelage.

Coincidentally, Werner visited his old coaches in Lexington this week. He watched Dupree practice, studied film with him and gave him some advice.

“I’m pretty impressed with him,” said Werner, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts. “He’s a good speed rusher off the edge. He’s got a good explosive takeoff. That’s what he needs, especially at the next level.”

Werner attributes his growth to Stoops and Eliot’s expertise with defensive players.

“If you listened,” he said, “everything worked out.”

Dupree listens. His attentiveness, in fact, is one of the things that remind Stoops and Eliot of Werner. Elite athleticism doesn’t hurt, but a fierce — savage? — commitment to the daily grind brings it all together.

“It’s a similar story,” Eliot said, “and the reason why it’s a similar story is he’s a similar athlete and he has a similar work ethic. He fits the same mold.”

Stoops said both Werner and Dupree “developed themselves into the players they’ve become.” To that end, Dupree said no one on the staff told him he needed to gain weight in the offseason. But it’s listed right there in his NFLDraftScout.com profile, his lone weakness: lack of size and strength.

That’s not a question now.

“I was challenging myself to see how heavy I can get and still run the same speeds,” Dupree said. “I thought I would get slower, but I actually got faster and more powerful and started outrunning people I didn’t think I could outrun.”

He said he runs the 40-yard dash now in the high 4.4s or low 4.5s, which would wow NFL scouts at the combine next year. Dupree can beat former UK quarterback Jalen Whitlow — and most of his teammates — in a foot race, even at his new weight.

As he got bigger, more and more of them challenged him to a race.

“Then I started to beat them,” Dupree said, “and the list started getting smaller.”

Another list that’s shrinking is college defensive ends that pro talent evaluators think are better than him. NFLDraftScout.com ranks him the No. 6 player at his position for the 2015 draft. He plans to keep climbing.

No one around here will be surprised if he does.

“Football has slowed down to him,” UK defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh said. “He’s gone to that upper, higher learning. He’s not only learning on the field, but he’s learning (by) taking notes; he’s learning in the weight room; he’s learned how to be a leader. … Bud's a special player. He's special because he listens.”

Dupree is unusually thoughtful for a savage.

“Every day I wake up and just think, ‘Gotta get better at something,’ ” he said. “I try to come out and not only get myself better but for the whole team. If my team gets better, I know it puts me in a position to get better as well.”

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.