Kentucky's roster management must be flexible as college football continues to change

The House v. NCAA settlement was slated to fundamentally change how college athletics operates in 2025. Schools revenue-sharing with college athletes in 2025-26 was the biggest change, but that was not supposed to be the only change. New roster limits were coming to college football.

We will have to wait until 2026 for that to arrive. On Thursday, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported the SEC has set a football scholarship limit of 85 for next season with the early signing period and the winter transfer portal window now just a few weeks away. That is 20 short of the maximum allowed under the settlement. To make up for that shorter number, programs will be allowed to have 20 walk-ons on the roster in 2026.

Does that change things for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football program? The 12th-year head coach gave a direct answer to KSR on Monday afternoon.

“Yes,” Stoops responded.

Kentucky currently has 21 high school prospects committed in the class of 2025 that are all expected to sign on Dec. 4. The Wildcats will see some roster attrition but recent history tells us not to expect a complete roster overhaul. That means Kentucky might not have a ton of room for transfer additions. It is clear that the program will shop in the free agent market but getting to 20 additions from the portal could be difficult.

The Wildcats are not surprised but must be flexible in today’s ever-changing college football climate when it comes to roster management.

“I don’t know if the word is surprise. I don’t like that headline. But just continue to take the information that’s given to us and adjust and make the best decisions we can,” Stoops explained. “There was nothing ever set in stone, so were we looking at options working off different numbers? Yes, of course.”

Kentucky will move forward with 85 scholarship players in 2025 before the 105-scholarship era likely arrives in 2026. A wild month awaits the program in December as we will likely see some two-way player movement and an aggressive approach from the UK program as they look to fill some key positions of need in the portal.

Why sticking at 85 scholarships could mean small transfer portal haul for Kentucky (KSR+)

Recruiting never stops in college football. Staffs must now be more flexible than ever to adjust to the always changing rules.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. Now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe.

On Friday, my latest football column touched on the big rule change announced by the SEC and explains why this is a significant development. Staying at 85 scholarships could significantly alter how the Wildcats deal with roster management decisions this offseason.

New users can join KSR+ now for just $1.