(Photo Credit: Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
WR.PR Barion Brown, WR Dane Key, WR/PR Tayvion Robinson, TE Jordan Dingle, OG Jager Burton, OG Eli Cox, OT Jeremy Flax, DE JJ Weaver, DT Deone Walker, LB D’Eryk Jackson, LB Trevin Wallace, CB Andru Phillips, FS Jordan Lovett and SS Zion Childress.
Key Players Departing:
QB Will Levis, RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., OG Kenneth Horsey, OG Tashawn Manning, DE Josh Paschal, NT Justin Rogers, LB DeAndre Square, LB Jacquez Jones, LB Jordan Wright, CB Cedrick Dort, CB Quandre Mosely, CB Keidron Smith, CB Carrington Valentine, DS Tyrell Aijan, PK Matt Ruffalo and PT Colin Goodfellow.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: QB Devin Leary (NC State transfer), WR Shamar Porter (Nashville, Tennessee), CB JQ Hardaway (Cincinnati transfer), RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (NC State transfer), DL Keeshawn Silver (North Carolina transfer), RB Ray Davis (Vanderbilt transfer), OL Tanner Bowles (Alabama transfer), TE Khamari Anderson (Detroit, Michigan) and LB Grant Godfrey (Suwanee, Georgia).
3 Star Recruits: OT Ben Christman (Ohio State transfer).
2022 Results:
G01 MIAMI (OH) W 37-13
G02 @ #12 Florida W 26-16
G03 YOUNGSTOWN STATE W 31-0
G04 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W 31-23
G05 @ #14 Ole Miss L 19-22
G06 SOUTH CAROLINA L 14-24
G07 #16 MISSISSIPPI STATE W 27-17
G08 @ #3 Tennessee L 6-44
G09 @ Missouri W 21-17
G10 VANDERBILT L 21-24
G11 #1 GEORGIA L 6-16
G12 #25 LOUISVILLE W 26-13
BOWL vs. Iowa L 0-21
Team Info:
2022 Overall: 7-6 (4th in SEC East)
Home: 5-3
Away: 2-2
Neutral: 0-1
SEC: 3-5
Non-SEC: 4-1
Head Coach: Mark Stoops
Kentucky: 66-59
Career: 66-59
Bowls: 4-3
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Destin Wade (17-29, 187 yards, 58.6%, 6.4 avg., 2 TD, 1 INT)
Rushing: JuTahn McClain (59 car., 278 yards, 4.7 avg., 0 TD)
Receiving: Barion Brown (50 rec., 628 yards, 12.6 avg., 4 TD)
TD’s Scored: Dane Key (6)
Sacks: JJ Weaver (3)
Tackles: D’Eryk Jackson (67)
Interceptions: Jordan Lovett/Trevin Wallace (2)
Pass Deflections: Andru Phillips (5)
Tackles For Loss: JJ Weaver (6)
Forced Fumbles: JJ Weaver (2)
Kick Returns: Barion Brown (16 ret., 440 yards, 27.5 avg., 1 TD)
Punt Returns: Tayvion Robinson (15 ret., 83 yards, 5.5 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: None
Punting: None
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 13 Devin Leary (RS SR/TR)
RB: 1 Ray Davis (RS SR/TR)
WR: 6 Dane Key (SO)
WR: 7 Barion Brown (SO)
WR: 9 Tayvion Robinson (SR/TR)
WR: 80 Brenden Bates (RS SR)
LT: 69 Marques Cox (RS SR/TR)
LG: 73 Dylan Ray (RS SO/TR)
OC: 62 Jager Burton (RS SO)
RG: 75 Eli Cox (RS SR)
RT: 77 Jeremy Flax (SR/TR)
KR: 7 Barion Brown (SO)
PK: 16 Alex Raynor (RS SR/TR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 8 Octavious Oxendine (SR)
NT: 9 Keeshawn Silver (RS SO/TR)
DT: 00 Deone Walker (SO)
DE: 13 JJ Weaver (RS SR)
LB: 54 D’Eryk Jackson (SR)
LB: 32 Trevin Wallace (JR)
LB: 3 Alex Afari Jr. (SO)
CB: 31 Maxwell Hairston (RS SO)
CB: 23 Andru Phillips (RS JR)
FS: 25 Jordan Lovett (RS SO)
SS: 11 Zion Childress (RS JR/TR)
PR: 9 Tayvion Robinson (SR/TR)
PT: 93 Wilson Berry (RS SO)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: A
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: A
Punters: C
Schedule:
09/02 BALL STATE CARDINALS | Kentucky won (28-20) the only prior meeting between school sin 2001.
09/09 EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS | Kentucky leads the series 3-0. The Wildcats won (27-16) the last meeting between schools in 2017.
09/16 AKRON ZIPS | Kentucky won (47-10) the only prior meeting between schools in 2010.
09/23 @ Vanderbilt Commodores | Kentucky leads the series 48-43-4. The Wildcats are 7-3 since 2013 and their last series win (34-17) was in 2021.
09/30 FLORIDA GATORS | Kentucky trails the series 20-53. The Wildcats are 307 since 2013 and their last series loss (10-34) was in 2020.
10/07 @ Georgia Bulldogs | Kentucky trails the series 12-62-2. The Wildcats are 0-10 since 2013 and their last series win (34-27) was in 2009.
10/14 MISSOURI TIGERS | Kentucky leads the series 9-4. The Wildcats are 7-3 since 2013 and their last series loss (10-20) was in 2020.
10/28 TENNESSEE VOLVUNTEERS | Kentucky trails the series 26-83-9. The Wildcats are 2-8 since 2013 and their last series win (34-7) was in 2020.
11/04 @ Mississippi State Bulldogs | Kentucky trails the series 24-26. The Wildcats are 4-6 since 2013 and their last series loss (17-31) was in 2021.
11/11 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE | Kentucky trails the series 2-38-1. The Wildcats lost (3-63) the last meeting between schools in 2020.
11/18 @ South Carolina Gamecocks | Kentucky trails the series 14-19-1. The Wildcats are 7-3 since 2013 and their last series win (16-10) was in 2021.
11/25 @ Louisville Cardinals | Kentucky leads the series 19-15. The Wildcats are 5-4 since 2013 and their last series loss (17-44) was in 2017.
Predictions:
Home: 7-0
Away: 1-4
Neutral: 0-0
SEC: 5-3
Non-SEC: 3-1
Overall: 8-4 (2nd in SEC East)
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