Kentucky Wildcats:
It seemed like Mark Stoops was leaving Lexington for the Texas A&M job, but he ultimately decided to stay with Kentucky. Stoops hasn’t been able to break through and get this team into the top tier in the SEC, but those really aren’t the expectations with this program. As long as Stoops has the Wildcats in bowl games, people will be happy. And Kentucky has finished above .500 in seven of the last eight seasons.
This season, a successful year would once again mean eight or so wins. And while Kentucky is starting over at the quarterback position, there’s no reason to doubt this group. The Wildcats have a lot of experience and a very reasonable schedule. And they rarely lose games they’re expected to win, so they tend to have a high floor and be a trustworthy team to bet on.
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Offense
Devin Leary struggled to replace Will Levis last year. He did throw for 2,746 yards with 25 touchdowns, but he also struggled with his accuracy and turned the ball over a bunch. Now, Kentucky is turning to Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff under center. Once a highly-regarded recruit, Vandagriff chose the Bulldogs over the likes of Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Penn State. He never ended up getting a shot in Athens, but he’s a talented kid and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan should get the most out of him.
Vandagriff will have the luxury of throwing to a talented group of wideouts. Dane Key and Barion Brown are both back after turning in solid seasons last year, and they should be one of the toughest duos to cover in college football. North Texas transfer Ja’Mori Maclin could also play a big role after having 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.
Kentucky lost star running back Ray Davis to the NFL, but the Wildcats are replacing him with a proven commodity in Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum. And what’s most important is that Kentucky should have a decent offensive line this season. That’s big, considering Hamdan likes to lean on the running game.
Defense
Kentucky will have 10 players with starting experience on the defense this year. So, this group should only improve after allowing 25.8 points per game last season. The Wildcats will be especially tough in the front seven. This was one of the best rushing defenses in the conference last year and could be even stronger in 2024.
The talent behind the big guys up front just pops. Defensive end Deone Walker is a flat-out stud, and he joins J.J. Weaver and D’Eryk Jackson as impact returners. Kentucky also made a huge addition to the linebacking corps by adding Georgia transfer Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
Kentucky just needs to hold up in the secondary. Maxwell Hairston is an extremely reliable corner, but the rest of the defensive backs are question marks.
Outlook
I was a little surprised to see this total down at 6.5. The only way Kentucky doesn’t hit this mark is if Vandagriff is a huge disappointment. The Wildcats have four can’t-miss games on the schedule and then a handful of toss-ups. With the overall talent and experience on this roster, you can trust Stoops to make lemonade with that.
Pick: Over 6.5 Wins
