SCHOOL: Kentucky
HEAD COACH: Mark Stoops (73-65, 11th year)
2023 RECORD: 7-6 overall, 3-5 (T-4th in SEC East)
RETURNING STARTERS: Offense – 6; Defense – 9; Special Teams – 2
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Brock Vandagriff, RB Chip Trayanum, WR Barrion Brown, WR Dane Key, DT Deone Walker, LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, OLB J.J. Weaver, CB Maxwell Harrison.
VERSUS GEORGIA: September 14 (Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky)
What will the Brock Vandagriff era at Kentucky entail?
After backing up Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck for three seasons at Georgia, Brock Vandagriff transferred to Kentucky where he will be the starting quarterback this fall for the Wildcats.
By all accounts, Vandagriff accounted for himself very well during the spring, and Kentucky is counting on the former Prince Avenue star asserting himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC.
There won't be any shortage of talented receivers for Vandagriff, as Barrion Brown is one of the better wideouts in the SEC, along with Dane Key, who has 12 career touchdowns.
The Wildcats brought in North Texas State transfer Ja'Mori Maclin, a 1,000-yard receiver in 2023.
Kentucky also brought in a pair of transfer running backs, Chip Trayanum from Ohio State, and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye from North Carolina State. Freshman Jason Patterson is also expected to make an impact.
Will the offensive line show some consistency?
Kentucky's offensive line has been an issue for the Wildcats in each of the past two years.
The group was horrible in 2022, and not much better last fall.
So, what will this season hold?
Head coach Mark Stoops turned to a pair of former East Division rivals, plucking Jalen Farmer from Florida and Gerald Mincey from Tennessee. Both were starters at the end of spring practice.
The Wildcats also hope that moving Eli Cox back to center from guard will stabilize that position, while left tackle Marques Cox was recently granted a medical waiver and will be playing his seventh season of college ball.
Right guard Jager Burton, meanwhile, is a Lexington native but is a player who has yet to live up to his recruiting hype.
Is nose guard Deone Walker the best defensive lineman in the SEC?
Some believe so.
At 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds, Walker is Kentucky's version of former Bulldog Jordan Davis, who was so destructive for the Bulldogs three years ago.
After the season it was rumored that Walker might consider entering the transfer portal. That never happened, much to Kentucky's delight.
One of the strongest players in the SEC, Walker led the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (7.5), and quarterback hurries (eight), despite constant double teams.
He's almost a shoo-in to be a first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft, and someone Georgia coaches will need to plan for when the Bulldogs and Wildcats tangle in Lexington on Sept. 14.
