2024 opponent check-ins: Kentucky
South Carolina football once again has one of the most challenging schedules in the country in 2024.
Now that spring practice has wrapped around the country, GamecockCentral.com is checking in on opponents. What do fans need to know about the Kentucky Wildcats? We spoke with KSR’s Nick Roush to get answers to some key questions.
Were there any surprises one way or another that played out during spring practice for the team you cover?
ROUSH: Mark Stoops scrapped the official “spring game” for a spring practice and pulled it off of TV. It surprised some, but should not surprise serious Kentucky football fans. Mark Stoops will go out of his way to keep as much concealed from the spring as possible, playing one official game only once since the pandemic.
This year it was injuries to the defense that forced the change of format. Instead of an intrasquad scrimmage, tackling was eliminated and each team went “thud” during a lengthy 11-on-11 period.
Fans who watched the action in person were still treated to a solid scrimmage, but it did not come with the typical pomp and circumstance of a normal spring game.
What would you say the biggest strength is for the program you cover?
ROUSH: The front seven of the defense was an easy answer before spring practice. Now it’s not quite as clear. Stoops cited eight injuries on the defensive line as the rationale behind the change of spring game format. He did not provide any specifics, other than to say that he expects most to be available one the season starts. If that’s the case (which I believe to be true) this is Kentucky’s deepest, most experienced, and most talented unit.
Led by All-American candidate Deone Walker, the defense line is filled with third and fourth-year players. They’re at their best against the run. ILB D’Eryk Jackson was already one of the best run-stuffers in the SEC and the Cats added another great one to play next to him, former Georgia LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson. Running against Kentucky next fall will be a fool’s errand.
What’s the most important remaining question you have after spring about this team that will need to be solved before game one?
ROUSH: Will the secondary return to form? Brad White has consistently fielded a top-five pass defense during his lengthy tenure as Kentucky’s defensive coordinator. Despite the surprise emergence of cornerback Max Hairston, who led the SEC in interceptions, the UK pass defense was uncharacteristically porous, ranking 11th in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game.
Hairston returns, but they need to find another starting cornerback. Michigan’s DJ Waller may be the answer, but is it enough to get the Kentucky pass defense back on track? We probably will not know until week two.
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On3 recently released floor and ceiling projections for every SEC team. What is your current take on a floor and ceiling for the team you cover, based on what we know after spring?
ROUSH: The floor (6-6) and ceiling (9-3) are spot on for this Kentucky team. The unknowns on offense create such a high variance with a schedule that features road trips to Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, along with a week three date against Georgia.
If QB Brock Vandagriff, RP Chip Trayanum, and OC Bush Hamdan are hits, they could spend the whole season in the Top 25. If they don’t and the offensive line struggles, it might be a struggle to reach .500.
How is the matchup against South Carolina this season viewed?
ROUSH: The South Carolina game is the biggest game of the season for more reasons than one. It’s not just that Shane Beamer has picked up wins over the Wildcats in each of the last two years. This game will ultimately determine if Kentucky is closer to their floor or ceiling and it’s against a team that’s breaking in a new quarterback who is only in his second year of college football.
Kentucky has under-achieved in consecutive seasons because they have not taken care of business at home, tallying a 2-7 SEC record at Kroger Field. Playing on ABC, Kentucky must take care of business and take down South Carolina or Stoops is in danger of treading water (at best) near the end of his head coaching tenure.
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