Can Mark Stubbs keep Kentucky as one of the top 25 teams in the country? The 2022 season could be very important for wild cats.
With 33 wins over the past four seasons, two campaigns of 10 and four straight wins, coach Mark Stopes has taken Kentucky football to new heights. Sure, the Wildcats basketball program may never be, but don’t let that diminish the level of consistency and prevalence that Kentucky has reached under the Stoops.
But now with one of the most talented groups we’ve seen in some time, could the Wildcats be the absolute best under this system?
The Kentucky Wildcats enter the season at #22 in FanSided’s Top 50 pre-season rankings.
Kentucky Football season 2021 review
Prior to the 2018 campaign, it had been more than four decades since Lexington saw a 10-game winner on the football field. But after last season, this was two of the last four years in which the Wildcats reached the 10-win mark.
Kentucky’s three losses came in the 2021 season at the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is to be expected given the nature of the conference. However, even winning 5-3 in the league while winning every other game is an original feat, especially when it punctuates a 20-17 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa to end the season.
Kentucky Wildcats crime preview for the 2022 season
- Return appetizers (5): QB Will Levis, RB Christopher Rodriguez, TE Brenden Bates, OL Eli Cox, or Kenneth Horsey
- Notable newcomers: WR Tayvion Robinson (Virginia Tech), 4-star WR Dane Key, OL Tayvion Manning (Auburn), 4-star OL Kiyaunta Goodwin
- effect player: Will Levis
Last season, the offense was in the middle of the group in terms of production, but despite only five players being brought back, there are reasons to believe a slight increase could occur on this side of the ball.
Rodriguez is a stalwart in the running, and despite some big losses on the streak, the transfer gate was nice and should deliver quite a bit of thrust up front, particularly Auburn’s Tashawn Manning, an inside hitter. But really, this crime would go as far as Will Leavis could take, especially with Wan’Dale Robinson now gone.
Levis has gained buzz as a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft and he deserves it. He had a cannon arm and threw it for 24 touchdowns a year ago, but the key would be to sharpen the decision-making process, thus reducing the turnover. If he can do that and become more proficient at communicating with signals, this could be one of Kentucky’s best crimes in some time, if not ever.
Kentucky Wildcats defense preview for the 2022 season
- Return appetizers (5): LB JJ Weaver, LB DeAndre Square, LB Jacquez Jones, CB Carrington Valentine, S Tyrell Ajian
- Notable newcomers: DL Darrion Henry-Young (Ohio State), CB Keidron Smith (Ole Miss),
- effect player: JJ Weaver
Mark Stoops has done a great job throughout his career getting guys in the building, developing them, and then reaping the rewards of seasoned players. That’s pretty much the case again, even with only five players back.
These five returnees will be decisive. Leading the way is the leading player from a year ago, JJ Weaver, who will have more pressure on him to get into the middle with the departure of Josh Paschal. Meanwhile, the rest of the linebacker corps were strong last season and should stay the same. Moreover, high school Valentine and Ajian are the activists who should act as the anchors for that unit.
The big question is on the defensive line. There are talented players including Ohio State transferman Darion Henry Young along with some former 4-star recruits Josaih Hayes and Justin Rogers. What we haven’t seen is that these guys only get meaningful shots up front, which would be something to watch, especially early in the year.
Kentucky Football Player Awards Watch the 2022 season
Several Kentucky football players are on their pre-season award watch lists but these three stand out.
Eli Cox, Outland
Cox missed the end of last season with a hand injury and will go from guard to center this season, but his pedigree is undeniable. As one of the few returning in the trenches for wild cats, he will have his chance to shine.
Will Levis, Maxwell / O’Brien
With 33 total touchdowns to his credit in 2021 and now hoping to progress with the experience he gained in Kentucky last year, Levis will have all eyes on him. If he plugs in, he can pay dividends both individually and on the team as a whole.
Chris Rodriguez, Maxwell
Rodriguez helps the cause with Levis, who averaged over 100 dash yards per game last season and looks set to make it happen again. He is elusive and explosive and should be able to fully demonstrate his talents in the 2022 season.
Kentucky Wildcats is the biggest game in the 2022 schedule
We’ll see a big test of essentially Kentucky away from the gate as Game 2 of the season takes the Wildcats to Gainesville for a date with the Florida Gators on September 10th.
With Florida entering its first season under Billy Napier, there are reasons for hope but also serious questions about what the Gators will be up to. This is the perfect time for Kentucky to catch this team because their experience and consistency within the program can prove invaluable in such a showdown, even if they’re on the road.
With a tough final stretch in the SEC and in the contention game against Louisville, setting the tone early with the conference opener against Florida should be crucial.
Best Kentucky Football Scenario
The best-case scenario from Lexington starts with the Wildcats dealing with Florida and in the three non-conference surrounding games, none of which are much of a threat. This is a 4-0 start before the team heads to Oxford to try to stop the Lane train.
With the Ole Miss turnover, we can count that as a win for the wildcats as well, and the same is true for the home games against South Carolina and even Mississippi State, despite the Bulldogs being a tough match. However, the best case is that this team starts 7-0 before going into its open week.
Out of that, they are really picking things up as they go against Tennessee and Missouri before finishing in three home games against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Louisville. While Vandy is a true Kentucky game, all but the match with the reigning national champions is winnable.
Pie option may be in the sky, but there’s a world where Kentucky Soccer ends the regular season at 11-1, but is still out of the SEC Championship game thanks to a loss to Georgia.
Worst-case scenario for football in Kentucky
Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario for Kentucky isn’t great. If the offensive and defensive lines fail to integrate quickly, it could lead to an early loss in Florida and then things could go wrong from there.
Ole Miss, though essentially her experience of changing across the board, will be explosive and dangerous, which could be a problem if Kentucky offenses aren’t banned well — they won’t be able to keep up the pace. Mississippi State could cause more problems with Mike Leach finally attacking the ground firmly in Starkville, putting the Wildcats at 3-3 into the weekend.
With things skewed, we can count a loss at Tennessee Stadium and at home against Georgia, which would make a home showdown against rival Louisville 6-6, 7-5. That won’t please many Kentucky fans, but if this team is going to go into that game at 6-5, I like Louisville’s upside much better at that point, which means the Wildcats’ lowest bar this year is a 6-6 normal-end. season. It’s still bowling, but not at all what the Big Blue Nation hoped for.
Predict the Kentucky Football Season 2022
The good news for fans is that I don’t see the 6-6 scenario coming into play – it’s more of a doomsday scenario than anything else.
Alternatively, perhaps this team’s best bet is to finish the regular season at 9-3. As mentioned, I’m flagging Georgia as a loser no matter what, but they’re also likely to drop at least two more games against Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Tennessee. But I still love the team that gets it done in the Bluegrass State fight against Louisville, so not only is it another nine-win season with a chance to hit 10 again, but the in-state bragging rights will still taste just sweet.
Kentucky Football 2022 game bowl game
Bill Bender pot predictions for Sporting News Put the feral cats in the alligator bowl opposite the house.
next one: #21: Arkansas
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