Kentucky Football's Final 2021 Ranking and Where UK Falls in 2022 Top 25s

As soon as the clock struck zero on the CFB Playoff National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the college football world turned its attention to the 2022 season. While Nakobe Dean celebrated in the confetti with an Alabama hat on his head, journalists submitted their final selections for the 2021 AP Poll, while their bosses hit publish on pre-written “Way Too Early” Top 25s for the 2022 season.

Typically this Venn diagram does not include the Kentucky football program right in the middle. The Cats might get some postseason love, but that does not always translate into preseason hype. Thanks to Will Levis and a host of other returning Wildcats, Kentucky is going to be a team folks are talking about all summer long.

Final 2021 AP Top 25

Kentucky finishes No. 18 in the final AP Poll of the 2021 season, the highest finish since UK was ranked No. 12 at the end of the 2018 season. Before Mark Stoops arrived, the Wildcats’ most recently finished in the Top 25 in 1984. It’s just the tenth time in school history that Kentucky has been in the final AP Poll of the college football season.

1. Georgia (61)
2. Alabama
3. Michigan
4. Cincinnati
5. Baylor
6. Ohio State
7. Oklahoma State
8. Notre Dame
9. Michigan State
10. Oklahoma
11. Ole Miss
12. Utah
13. Pittsburgh
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest
16. Louisiana
17. Houston
18. Kentucky
19. BYU
20. NC State
21. Arkansas
22. Oregon
23. Iowa
24. Utah State
25. San Diego State

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 115, Wisconsin 97, Minnesota 47, Purdue 44, UTSA 9, Army 6, Fresno State 2, Coastal Carolina 2, Air Force 1, UAB 1

Sporting News’ 2022 Top 25

Bill Bender has Kentucky ranked No. 12 entering the offseason, trailing only Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M in the SEC.

Mark Stoops was given an extension in the offseason, and he kept offensive coordinator Liam Coen and defensive coordinator Brad White. The continuity is there following a 10-win season, and Will Levis is back at quarterback with a full offseason to work with. It wouldn’t hurt if Wan’Dale Robinson returned, and Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson can make an impact at receiver. The defense was loaded with seniors, so there is a rebuild on that side. Dare we say the Wildcats reload as the second-best team in the SEC East? 

Sporting News

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach

Schlabach is not as bullish on Kentucky, placing the Cats at No. 21, below the team they beat in the Citrus Bowl, No. 15 Iowa.

The Wildcats narrowly missed out on possibly playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game, but they still won 10 games in a season for only the second time since 1977. (The first was 2018, also under coach Mark Stoops.) With tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr. opting to come back, the Wildcats could be very explosive on offense next season. Quarterback Will Levis, a Penn State transfer, should be even better with a full offseason. Both offensive tackles might turn pro. Defensively, there are a lot of questions about who is coming back with 10 senior starters on that side of the ball. If at least a handful decide to return, the Wildcats might push for 10 victories again.

ESPN

The Athletic

Stewart Mandel is on the same wavelength as Schlabach, placing Kentucky at No. 21. Like Schlabach, they are not completely up to date on which Wildcats have officially announced they are returning, but I can’t be too harsh. After all, they were up late in Indy Monday night. There is one thing I cannot forgive Mandel for: Tennessee at No. 13? Give me a break.

Quarterback Will Levis returns but loses star WR Wan’Dale Robinson to the NFL Draft. Transfer Tayvion Robinson, Virginia Tech’s top pass-catcher, looks to fill his shoes. Star RB Chris Rodriguez’s NFL decision is pending, but linebackers Jordan Wright and Jacquez Jones are staying. The O-line could get a boost from Auburn transfer Tashawn Manning and five-star recruit Kiyaunta Goodwin, the headliner of Mark Stoops’ highest-ranked class.

The Athletic

247 Sports

Brad Crawford resisted the urge to make South Carolina a Top 25 team and slotted UK in at No. 20, tying with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Kentucky loses top playmaker Wan’Dale Robinson offensively, but quarterback Will Levis is returning after a 10-win season and you know Mark Stoops’ team will be a bully in the trenches.

247 Sports

Sports Illustrated’s Top 25

Pat Forde kept it par for the course, slotting in Kentucky at No. 21.

With two 10-win seasons in the last three, the Wildcats have arrived as a consistent contender. They should keep that momentum going in 2022, with quarterback Will Levis returning and leading rusher Chris Rodriguez Jr. expected to do the same (big-play receiver Wan’Dale Robinson has declared for the draft). There will be some retooling on defense. Kentucky has been active in the transfer portal, both in terms of who’s coming and who’s going, but Mark Stoops is bringing in the highest-rated recruiting class in school history and some of those freshmen could have an immediate impact.

Sports Illustrated

Athlon Sports

Athlon got ahead of the curve by publishing their Way Too Early Top 25 prior to kickoff in the National Championship Game. The advanced work shows as Athlon ranks the Wildcats No. 22.

The Wildcats are coming off their second season of 10 or more wins under coach Mark Stoops. With quarterback Will Levis returning, Kentucky should squarely be in the mix for a spot in the top 25. However, the list of departures from both sides of the ball is significant. Top receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and All-America tackle Darian Kinnard are off to the next level, and running back Christopher Rodriguez Jr. could follow. Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson is likely to slide into the No. 1 target role for Levis, and the line may not drop off too much in production if Dare Rosenthal returns at left tackle. Kentucky’s defense scored an early victory when coordinator Brad White turned down overtures from LSU to remain in Lexington. This unit ranked as one of the best in the SEC last year, but pending a few NFL Draft decisions, White and Stoops could have gaps to fill at every level.

Athlon Sports

Bleacher Report’s Top 25

The Wildcats are ranked No. 18 by the aggregators, one spot behind Iowa. Georgia is the only team ranked higher in the SEC East.

Action Network

Brett McMurphy was a believer in Kentucky in 2021, voting them 10th in the final AP Poll of the season. He’s not so bullish on the 2022 Cats, placing Kentucky at No. 23. Action Network’s computer generated formula is even less interested in Kentucky. The model ranks Kentucky No. 44 next fall.