Kentucky makes ESPN, Sports Illustrated's Preseason Rankings

For the first time ever, Kentucky Football is ranked in both the AP and Coaches Preseason Polls, coming in at No. 20 and No. 21 respectively. ESPN and Sports Illustrated released their preseason power rankings this morning, and the Cats are No. 22 in each. As you might expect, Will Levis is a big reason why.

“Speaking of quarterbacks who intrigue the league: Will Levis fits that bill as well,” Pat Forde writes for Sports Illustrated. “The task for Levis this season will be showing he can light up the best opponents and not just the weak spots on the Kentucky schedule—his 2021 efficiency rating was 90 points higher against non–Power 5 opponents than those in the P5. The Wildcats historically are never ranked preseason but have earned a new level of respect (from everyone but the school’s men’s basketball coach).”

Leave it to Forde to fit in a dig at Cal. ESPN’s writeup of Kentucky also includes praise for Levis but raises questions about Kentucky’s secondary.

“The Wildcats have to find a way to be more consistent in defending the pass, and that’s not all on the secondary, either,” Chris Low writes. “Several defensive back contributors from a year ago are gone, and emerging talent Vito Tisdale also suffered a season-ending injury in the spring. Bringing in Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith should help on the back end, but the Wildcats are also looking to replace all three defensive-line starters.”

Here is where Kentucky and its SEC brethren stand in all of the preseason polls:

	AP	Coaches	ESPN	Sports Illustrated
Alabama	1	1	1	1
Georgia	3	3	3	3
Texas A&M	6	7	7	8
Arkansas	19	23	17	NR
Kentucky	20	21	22	22
Ole Miss	21	24	20	NR
Tennessee	NR	NR	NR	24

ESPN: Tennessee is Kentucky’s most important game of the season

ESPN also released its SEC Preview this morning. Kentucky is No. 5 in the SEC Power Rankings behind Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Arkansas, with Tennessee coming in at No. 6. Speaking of the Vols, Kentucky at Tennessee on October 29 is one of ESPN’s five “must-see” games in the league this fall.

“Despite John Calipari’s recent comments that Kentucky was a basketball school, Mark Stoops has worked tirelessly to make the Wildcats relevant in football as well. They’ve won 10 games in two of their last four seasons and bring back one of the more talented passers in the league in quarterback Will Levis. What Kentucky hasn’t done consistently is beat rival Tennessee. Stoops is just 2-7 against Tennessee, and this late October clash in Knoxville could go a long way toward establishing who’s best equipped to challenge Georgia in the SEC East.”

Sadly, zero Wildcats made ESPN’s Preseason All-SEC Team, with Auburn’s Tank Bigsby and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs getting the nods at running back over Chris Rodriguez, the league’s top returning back. Prove ’em wrong, C-Rod.