Georgia Opponent Offseason Overview: Kentucky
It’s that time of year when football feels so far away. Spring practice has passed. There’s nothing to discuss from the draft anymore, and it’ll be several months before we see any more pads poppin’ across the country. That’s why at DawgsHQ, we’re starting to look ahead to those brighter days with out Opponents at a Glance series, previewing each of Georgia’s Power Five opponents for 2023 with an offseason overview. After looking at South Carolina and Auburn last week, we continue with Kentucky today.
Kentucky Wildcats
Head Coach: Mark Stoops (11th season)
2022 Record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC) / Music City Bowl loss vs. Iowa
Last Meeting: November 19, 2022 (Georgia 16, Kentucky 6)
Kentucky has been one of the more consistent teams in the SEC East over the last decade. Mark Stoops is the division’s longest tenured head coach and the only one besides Kirby Smart who’s been at their current school more than four years. The Wildcats have made it to seven straight bowl games.
As a result of the consistency, there’s tons of respect between Smart and Stoops. Smart always praises the physicality of Kentucky teams, and that’s likely to be a part of who the Wildcats are once again.
Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez – as well as Kavosiey Smoke – must be replaced at quarterback and running back respectively, but Kentucky went to the transfer portal to do so. NC State quarterback Devin Leary gives offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who returns after one season away from the program in the NFL, another pro prospect to work with at the position while Vanderbilt’s Ray Davis and Leary’s Wolfpack teammate Demie Sumo-Karngbaye reload the backfield. Ju’Tahn McClain is also expected to take on a heavier load.
Leary threw for 6.807 yards and 62 touchdowns in four seasons at NC State including a particularly impressive 2021 campaign that saw him go for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He suffered a season-ending injury in early October with the Wolfpack off to a 5-1 start.
Leary will have a talented group of young receivers to work with in Lexington. Barion Brown and Dane Key were both freshmen last season and finished first and second respectively in yards for Kentucky. Brown, a top-100 player coming out of high school, caught 50 passes for 628 yards, both team-highs, and four touchdowns while Key led the Cats in scores with six on 37 catches for 519 yards. Add in tight ends Jordan Dingle and Josh Kattus and four of Kentucky’s top five receivers last season were freshmen. Then there’s Tayvion Robinson who is back for another year after transferring from Virginia Tech and caught 40 passes for 497 yards and three scores, giving Kentucky all five of its top five pass catchers back from 2022.
Four starters from last year’s offensive line return, but it’s a unit that struggled mightily. Stoops and his staff went out and added transfers Marques Cox (Northern Illinois), Tanner Bowles (Alabama), Dylan Ray (West Virginia) and Ben Christman (Ohio State) during the offseason.
Defensively, finding replacements for Carrington Valentine and Keidron Smith at cornerback is important. Once again, transfer portal additions are expected to play a part in doing so with JQ Hardaway (Cincinnati) and Jantzen Dunn (Ohio State) coming in. The presence of Jordan Lovett, Zion Childress and Vito Tisdale in other secondary spots definitely helps solidify the back end though.
Elsewhere, the linebackers also have new faces to find. Jordan Wright and DeAndre Square finished second and fourth on the team in tackles and both declared for the NFL Draft. However, D’Eryk Jackson and Trevin Wallace are back after finishing first and fifth while outside linebacker JJ Weaver returns for his senior season. Wallace and Weaver finished second and third in tackles for loss with Weaver leading the team in sacks.
Finally, up front, Deone Walker is the centerpiece of a Kentucky group that has several guys capable of contributing. Walker earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his showing against Louisville in the regular season finale and earned Freshman All-American honors so he’ll be looking to build on that. Meanwhile, pressure falls on Josaih Hayes and Jamarius Dinkins in the middle as well as instant impact transfer Keeshawn Silver from North Carolina and Octavious Oxendine, who came out of high school with high expectations. On the end, defensive end Tre’Vonn Rybka returns after appearing in 12 games last season with 19 tackles while being backed up by Kahlil Saunders likely. It’s a unit has a chance to be one of the best in the SEC being able to go several spots down the depth chart without much drop off.
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