School: Kentucky

HEAD COACH: Mark Stoops (13th year, 77-73)

2024 RECORD: 4-8 overall, 1-7 (15th in SEC)

RETURNING STARTERS: Offense – 3; Defense – 4, Special Teams – 1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Zach Calzada, RB Dante Dowdell, WR Ja'Mori Maclin, TE Willie Rodriguez, DL David Gusta, DL Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace, CB JQ Hardaway, S Ty Bruamt

VERSUS GEORGIA: Oct. 4 (Sanford Stadium)

The Wildcats hope it starts with former Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada.

Unfortunately, there are issues at wide receiver as the top targets like Dane Key and Barion Brown both hit the portal, leaving plenty of questions.

Speaking of questions, Kentucky's offensive line wasn't just bad, it was horrible.

To fix the problems, head coach Mark Stoops added six newcomers through the transfer portal. Considering Kentucky must replace four of its five starters, there will be plenty of opportunity.

There's good depth at running back, but overall, Kentucky's offense won't strike a lot of fear into the hearts of opposing defensive coordinators.

They'd better.

That certainly was not the case last year. Kentucky hoped bringing in Brock Vandagriff would cure its quarterback woes, but that never worked out.

Stoops needs to pray that history does not repeat.

A bad year from Calzada could signal the end for Stoops, the longest-tenured coach in the SEC.

There are new faces everywhere.

On defense, the Wildcats are counting on defensive linemen David Gusta (Washington State) and MiQuise Humphrey-Grace (South Dakota), while edge rushers Kam Olds (Kent State) and Sam Greene (USC) will need to fix a pass rush that ranked 15th in the SEC.

It won't be easy.

Kentucky opens SEC play at home against Ole Miss, but then faces South Carolina and Georgia on the road in back-to-back weekends before Texas and Tennessee come to hand.

The Wildcats won't be favored in any of those, and might not be until facing Vanderbilt in their conference finale. But that's not even a given anymore.