ESPN Preseason Power Rankings slot Kentucky at 10th in loaded SEC

Mark Stoops will have a talented group of Wildcats taking the field this fall, but nothing is guaranteed in this era of the new-look Southeastern Conference.

On Thursday morning, ESPN’s Chris Low and Mark Schlabach previewed the 16-team SEC. They dove deep into college football’s deepest conference, breaking down their impact freshman, top transfers, favorite overall players, and much more. Additionally, Low and Schlabach ranked every SEC team ahead of the 2024 season. The Kentucky Wildcats came in at 10th, one spot below Texas A&M and one spot above Auburn.

“Mark Stoops is the dean of SEC coaches, entering his 11th season at Kentucky,” ESPN wrote. “He’s won 10 games twice in his last five seasons, but is looking to regroup after going 7-6 a year ago and nearly being named the Texas A&M coach.”

ESPN SEC Preseason Power Rankings

1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Ole Miss
5. Missouri
6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. Oklahoma
9. Texas A&M
10. Kentucky
11. Auburn
12. Florida
13. Arkansas
14. South Carolina
15. Mississippi State
16. Vanderbilt

A couple of individual Kentucky players received some praise from ESPN, as well.

Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who transferred from Georgia, was named one of six “top transfers”. Dumas-Johnson was a crucial piece to the Bulldogs winning back-to-back national championships, even being named First-Team All-American in 2022. An injury in 2023 limited his playing time, but he’s entering 2024 fully healthy with high expectations on Brad White’s defense.

Of course, ESPN had to mention Deone Walker. The projected first-round NFL Draft pick is going into the season as one of the best football players in the country. ESPN listed Big Deone as one of its eight “favorite players”, along with the likes of DE Harold Perkins Jr. (LSU) and WR Luther Burden III (Missouri). ESPN says Walker will “be one of the most coveted players in next year’s NFL draft”.

Also on Thursday, ESPN revealed betting odds for all 16 SEC teams, courtesy of ESPN BET. Kentucky’s win total is currently set at 6.5 with 75-1 odds to win the conference and 10-1 odds to make the 12-team College Football Playoffs.