RJ Young of Fox Sports ranks the Kentucky Wildcats number 28 in the preseason rankings he recently released. Here’s what he had to say about the Cats.
Mark Stoops has put the Wildcats into eight straight bowl games. If they make a ninth straight postseason appearance, defensive lineman Deone Walker will likely have quite a bit to do with it. At 6-foot-6, 348 pounds, he led the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (7.5) in 2023. Teams won’t double-team him as often, with former Georgia linebacker and two-time national champion Jamon Dumas-Johnson joining UK through the portal.
The jewel in Stoops’ 2024 transfer class has to be former five-star and UGA backup Brock Vandagriff, who could be the Wildcats’ most talented quarterback since Tim Couch, still the only 4,000-yard passer in UK history.
Maxwell Hairston was an “All-Slept-On” player in 2023, recording 68 tackles, five picks, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble from his cornerback position.
Related: Full preseason US LBM Coaches poll
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 around eight or so wins.
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.
[Check out RJ Young’s full ultimate 134 college football rankings here]
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