3 Kentucky Football Rankings to Get You Fired Up For Talking SZN

One week from today, hundreds of overweight Diet Coke addicts will step out of the Atlanta heat and into a frosty 62-degree College Football Hall of Fame to share what they think about SEC football ahead of the 2025 season.

If that doesn’t romanticize the event enough to get you ready to run through a brick wall, KSR has scoured the internet to find some takes that could raise your blood pressure. Some Kentucky football fans love to play the disrespect card. If you’re like Benny Snell and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to light some preseason rankings on fire, it’s time to find a match.

Where Kentucky Ranks in the FBS

College football power rankings are imperfect. That’s at least what I think about FPI. Personally, I’m more of an SP+ guy. Kentucky ranks No. 34 and 43 in each respective preseason power ranking.

Phil Steele doesn’t need a power ranking. All he needs is a mustache filled with decades of football knowledge. In his college football preview magazine, Steele ranked every FBS team from 1-136. The Wildcats are No. 50. Ouch.

There’s only one other SEC team ranked outside of the Top 40. Mississippi State is No. 55.

SEC Quarterback Rankings

Steele’s system is not one that produces a lot of fodder during Talking SZN. Nothing hits quite like a debate over SEC quarterbacks.

Hope springs eternal for college football fans during Talking SZN. Much of that belief is put on the shoulders of a signal-caller. Do you value returning experience, or is new guy going to solve all of the program’s problems?

This year, there are seven returning starting quarterbacks in the SEC. Four players were high school recruits who bought time as backups at their school. Five projected starters are transfers, but in the case of John Mateer, he’s a starter who will have the same play-caller.

Friend of the program, SEC Mike, shared his quarterback rankings over the weekend. While you will probably quickly scroll to the bottom to find Zach Calzada at No. 16, a spot he will frequent in many of these rankings, I’m more interested in what the ranker values. It’s clear returning starters are at the top of his pecking order, while transfers are in the cellar. That’s not always how things shake out.

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board.

Best SEC Stadiums

There’s an old well you can always go back to during Talking SZN. “What’s the toughest place to play?” The SEC is home to some of the best venues in college football. Kroger Field can get rocking in the right setting, but you will never see it near the top of one of these lists. Even though Chris Phillips is from the Palmetto State, he is 100% correct one one very specific take: Williams-Brice Stadium doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the most difficult places to play in the league.

Toughest Places To Play In The SEC via @CPhilly19

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/KSKRxElrUX

— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) July 3, 2025