2017 Kentucky Football Preview

Gray LaRose
Aug 22, 2017 · 4 min read
Photo Courtesy of Bill Thiry

SEC football is just days away. Before toe meets pigskin on August 31st, The Wheelhouse crew has compiled our preseason SEC power rankings and a preview of each team. As we release our team previews, we’ll release them in the order of which each team is ranked in our preseason rankings to help the days until kickoff go by quicker.

The Kentucky Wildcats check in at №. 11 in our preseason SEC power rankings.

2016 season recap:

After a questionable loss to Southern Miss to start of the season, 2016 looked to be another forgettable year for Wildcat fans. However, after a disturbing 45–7 loss to Florida in week two, the Wildcats figured out where they had gone wrong to start the season. They won five of their next six games including games against SEC East opponents South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Missouri. The boys in Blue then followed up their impressive start with two straight losses to SEC East opponents, Georgia and Tennessee, even though the Wildcats put up 600 yards of total offense against the Volunteers in Neyland Stadium.

Kentucky ended the season at 7–5 (4–4 in SEC) with an impressive 41–38 win over rival and No. 11 Louisville in the Governors Cup. As the season progressed, quarterback Stephen Johnson and stand out running back Boom Williams found their strides. With a postseason invitation to the Taxslayer bowl, Kentucky took on the Georgia Tech spread option offense with a chance to reach eight wins for the first time in nearly 10 years (2007). Ultimately, the Wildcats fell to the hands of Georgia Tech’s rushing attack 33–18.

Offensive Preview:

The Wildcats return eight of their 11 offensive starters. Although they lost their top running back Boom Williams, the run happy Wildcats will without a doubt be as explosive as they where last season. Freshman All-American Benny Snell will take over the starting job this season with either speed backs Sihiem King or A.J. Rose being Snell’s complementary back.

After racking up the second most rushing yards in Kentucky football history last season (3,044), the cats return four of their five offensive lineman. There is no question what will be Kentucky’s go-to on offense. That being said, quarterback Stephen Johnson took complete ownership of the team during spring practice this offseason. Johnson led the Wildcats to all seven of their victories last season after taking over the starting job from then starter Drew Barker.

Although the loss of top wide receiver Jeff Badet, who transferred to Oklahoma, will hurt, the Wildcats have a deep group of talented wide outs lead by a pair of senior veterans in Garrett Johnson and Dorian Baker. If Kentucky is going to shock some people in the SEC this season, Johnson will have to improve on his short game passing and ball security. However, with as strong of a run game as the Wildcats have, expect Johnson’s arm to remain the second option for most of the season.

Defensive Preview:

Last season the Wildcats defense could hardly be described as rock solid, but they were good enough against average offenses to keep their offense within striking distance. With nine returning starters, their 2017 campaign should be more impressive. Along with a solid linebacking core and top SEC pass rusher Denzil Ware, the Wildcats should be able to consistently remain in games.

The key to Kentucky breaking out this year and potentially getting to 10 wins for the first time in a while is their run defense. Jordan Jones and Courtney Love will be leading tacklers in the SEC, but who’s going to step up in the middle of the defensive line? JUCO transfer and senior DT Naquez Pringle is going to own the interior line and allow the defensive playmakers on the outside to make plays.

Newcomers who will make a difference:

While Kentucky brought in a solid recruiting class this past offseason, expect very few of them to receive any significant playing time this year due to the upperclassmen on the roster. Top Kentucky recruit Lynn Bowden is an all around athlete. Bowden is listed as 6-foot-1, 185-pounds and is mentioned to be the most versatile player to come out of the state of Ohio in a long time. Head coach Mark Stoops is likely to move Bowden around in the offense to get him more touches. Expect to see the young athlete at both wide receiver, running back and even the occasional wildcat quarterback formation this season.

Another Kentucky freshman who will need to have a stand out year is Joshua Paschal. Listed as a defensive end, Paschal is really a hybrid outside linebacker who can play as a down lineman. With an experienced linebacker core and Denzil Ware rushing from the edge, Paschal won’t be used often this year, but when he sees the field expect Kentucky to run some interesting disguises to get him to the quarterback.

Keys to a successful season:

In order for Kentucky to have a breakout season that everyone is talking about, the Cats are going to need to improve upon two things: their run defense and their ability to win a shootout. Stephen Johnson has shown that he can perform on the big stage, but also has shown struggles with ball security. If Johnson can secure the football and improve his intermediate passing game, Kentucky could find their stride this season and who knows, maybe even surprise some people.

Conclusion:

I don’t see Kentucky hitting the 10-win mark this season because well — its still Kentucky, but the talent is there for them to do it. Mark Stoops is one of the longest tenured coaches in a weak SEC East and this 2017 campaign is his time to shine. If Kentucky can keep possession of the football and hold opponents to less than 30 points per game, I fully expect them to compete in the east. Whether or not they can break through and win it, that’s a whole different story.

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