First Down Kentucky: What's the Ceiling and the Floor for the Wildcats?
We are in the infant stages of College Football Talking Season. To get the ball rolling, Andy Staples took a closer look at the floor and ceiling of each team in the SEC with On3’s National Director of Scouting Cody Bellaire. Projecting how Kentucky will fare in the new-look SEC may be a tough pill to swallow for the Big Blue Nation.
In college football, you are a prisoner of your schedule. Like every SEC slate, this year’s schedule features few layups. There also aren’t great opportunities to take big swings on the best teams in the sport because almost all of those games are on the road: Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida.
We’ve learned in recent years that winning in The Swamp is no longer an impossible task. However, Florida still has good players. You can’t simply write a W with a Sharpie.
The On3 prognosticators set the floor at 6-6, with a ceiling of 9-3. Reaching that ceiling will require an exceptional year from Brock Vandagriff.
“They’re sort of living in this world of purgatory that I don’t know if they’re ever going to be able to escape,” said Bellaire. “Yes, they bring in somebody like Brock Vandagriff, but even if he’s clicking at all cylinders, I don’t know if I see a team that wins more than 10 games and if that’s the case, they would be scratching and clawing for a Playoff berth.”
Couches will burn on State Street if the Wildcats reach the CFB Playoff. You can dream big or dread the thought of a 6-6 season. Reality most likely lies somewhere in between this floor and ceiling.
“I think they wind up right in the middle at 8-4 or 7-5, because that’s the thing, Mark Stoops is a good coach. He’s a solid, steady coach who has brought in solid, steady good players. They’re well-coached,” said Staples.
“They will have one game where they get completely out-classed, probably like Georgia. They’ll also have a game where they play perfectly and outclass somebody else, like the Florida game last year. You’re going to have those, which makes Kentucky-Auburn very interesting. It also makes Kentucky-South Carolina very interesting.”
As we discussed on 11 Personnel on Thursday night, those two SEC home games will define how we think about this Kentucky football team. During the last two underachieving seasons, Kentucky is a combined 2-7 at Kroger Field against SEC opponents. If that trend continues, the Cats are much closer to the floor than the ceiling.
Lingering Question for Kentucky Football
The 2024 Kentucky football roster looks good on paper. The Wildcats addressed multiple needs during the first transfer portal window by adding a quarterback, right tackle, inside linebacker, and running back. The last transfer portal running back to suit up for the Cats had one of the best seasons ever by a UK rusher. How much will Kentucky be able to lean on Chip Trayanum? That’s what ESPN is asking as we turn the page from spring to summer.
“There are some big shoes to fill in the backfield after Ray Davis was a one-and-done starter at tailback for the Wildcats. The former Vanderbilt transfer accounted for 68% of Kentucky’s rushing yards and 78% of its rushing touchdowns in 2023,” writes ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
“That’s not good news for an offense that ranked 12th in the SEC with 127.9 yards per game. Chip Trayanum is a veteran runner who was stuck behind TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams at Ohio State the past two seasons. Former NC State transfer Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and freshman Jason Patterson seemed to be next in line during the spring. With four starting offensive linemen coming back, Kentucky has to figure out a way to be more efficient in the running game.”
Kentucky Football Camp Dates
The month of June has transformed into one of the most important times on the recruiting calendar. Previously it primarily served as an evaluation period. Prospects came to campus to impress coaches at camp and tour the facilities. That still plays a role in the process, but three weekends of official visits have become the top priority.
Nevertheless, Kentucky is still hosting six days of camps in early June. KSR will be at the facility to check in on the prospects. If you’re a high school talent looking to catch the eyes of coaches (not just from Kentucky either) this is your perfect opportunity. Registration is now open online for all of the Kentucky football summer camps.
There are also camps open for youngsters who aren’t trying to make waves in recruiting. Kentucky will host a Youth Camp (1st-4th grade) on June 13 and the Junior Wildcat Camp (5th-8th grade) on June 14.
Ray Davis Suits up for the Bills
NFL rookie minicamps are underway across the country this week. It’s the first opportunity many former Kentucky Wildcats have to put on an NFL uniform and show what they’re bringing to the league. Ray Davis began the next chapter of his life by sharing his locker setup in Buffalo. The running back will rock No. 22 for the Bills.
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