Kentucky leads SEC in returning production

Most college football teams attempt to get old and stay old when dealing with roster construction. That method is made easier in the transfer portal era, but eventually the best players on your team leave for the NFL. Kentucky lost four draft picks off the 2024 roster, but are getting a ton of starters back on both sides of the football along with adding more than a handful of transfers who will step into starting roles this fall.

Those two developments have made Kentucky one of the most experienced teams in college football. On Monday, ESPN‘s Bill Connelly update his returning production rankings and the Wildcats lead the Southeastern Conference.

• 14. Kentucky (72%)
• 18. Missouri (71%)
• 22. Ole Miss (70%)
• 27. Florida (68%)
• 28. Georgia (68%)
• 36. Texas (67%)
• 38. Texas A&M (67%)
• 40. Auburn (66%)
• 52. South Carolina (65%)
• 53. Oklahoma (65%)
• 59. LSU (64%)
• 61. Vanderbilt (64%)
• 68. Arkansas (61%)
• 100. Alabama (53%)
• 108. Tennessee (48%)
• 116. Mississippi State (45%)

Iowa State (86%), Stanford (85%), Oklahoma State (85%), Virginia Tech (84%), Virginia (81%), Iowa (79%), Baylor (79%), SMU (78%), and Rutgers (72%) are the only power conference teams with more returning production than Kentucky. The latest development was a big change.

Back in February, Kentucky ranked No. 102 in Connelly’s returning production rankings, but that number did not include returning super seniors such as Eli Cox, Marques Cox, J.J. Weaver, and Zion Childress. The Wildcats will enter the season with seven scholarship super seniors on the roster.

Kentucky has also made some additions via the transfer portal since the last update and that helped boost the returning production ranking. Kentucky checked in at No. 40 overall in the preseason SP+ rankings that were released on Valentine’s Day. Expect the Wildcats to climb into the top 25 in the upcoming update.

Mark Stoops has one of the most experienced teams in college football this season.

How ESPN Calculates Returning Production

How is returning production calculated? There are different metrics used for each positions. Those that produce stats get to pull that data while offensive lines get points for career starts.

Offense
Percent of returning WR/TE receiving yards: 23.5% of the overall number
Percent of returning QB passing yards: 24%
Percent of returning OL snaps: 47.5%
Percent of returning RB rushing yards: 5%

Defense
Percent of returning tackles: 69.5%
Percent of returning passes defensed (intercepted or broken up): 12%
Percent of returning tackles for loss: 10.5%
Percent of returning sacks: 8%