Mark Stoops calls Kentucky players 'entitled'

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops offered a blunt assessment of the Wildcats’ spring practice on Saturday. Suffice to say, it didn’t go well.

“I don’t have a lot to say today. I’m a little frustrated, a little disappointed, a little pissed, to be totally honest with you,” Stoops said afterward. “Just been lackluster the last couple days.”

It was quite the contrast from when Stoops met the media Friday following Kentucky’s pro day. He acknowledged that amid his opening statement and added he wants the players currently on the roster to know they have to work to get to a pro day.

Right now, he implied that might not be the case.

“I visited with you yesterday, yes, it was a great day for Kentucky football. I loved the pro day, proud of those guys and love each and every one of them that trained yesterday and giving a shot in the NFL. That was fantastic,” Stoops said. “The guys we’ve got right now, I don’t know if they just think they’re going to roll out of bed and be good or whatever. it’s not the same. We need to get back and play the way our brand was made, and that was by being tough and being physical and playing physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Being able to run the ball. Just grateful for what we have.

“I just feel like we have a bunch of guys who are entitled and don’t work extremely hard and think it’s going to happen or are waiting for the next guy to make it happen. I’m not real pleased.”

Mark Stoops: Kentucky has ‘no leaders right now’

As far as getting things on track, Stoops continued to avoid holding back on the state of the roster.

“No excuse, bulls—. Whatever it is,” Stoops said.

Spring practice got underway for Kentucky earlier this month, and the Wildcats are preparing to host an open practice April 1. They’re not going to have a spring game due to surface changing to Kroger Field. There are plenty of new faces on the roster, such as quarterback Devin Leary out of the transfer portal, as Kentucky tries to replace some of its veteran leadership.

Some veterans from last year’s roster, including quarterback Will Levis, are out of the picture now. That means others have to step up to lead. So far, Stoops said he’s still waiting for that.

“We have no leaders right now,” he said.