Mark Stoops has been the best thing for this Kentucky football program. Before Stoops arrived, Kentucky hadn’t had a 10 win season since 1977. Stoops has had two in his tenure at Kentucky. He is also the winningest coach in the football program’s history as well. Stoops has built a great culture, but can Kentucky continue to succeed?.
Offense
Even after losing quarterback Will Levis to the NFL Draft, I really like this Kentucky offense in 2023. Stoops brought in starting quarterback Devin Leary from NC State. Leary has some targets that should help flourish this Wildcats offense. This group is led by freshman All-American’s Barion Brown and Dane Key. Those two are going to be big time for this Wildcats offense.
In their running game, they will be led by transfer running back Ray Davis (Vanderbilt). For Davis to have success this year, they need their offensive line to be a lot better after a horrendous 2022. The Wildcats retooled and added some talent via the transfer portal. Adding Left Tackle Marques Cox (Northern Illinois) and right tackle Courtland Ford (USC) will help this offensive line gain a boost that they need. They’ll get left guard Kenneth Horsey to go back to his proper position. If the Wildcats get the offensive line in better shape, they will be a solid offense in the SEC.
Defense
With Mark Stoops as the head coach, this Kentucky defense should always be a good one. They have to replace five starters, but they have so much young talent to fill those holes. On the defensive line they have a freshman All-American in Deone Walker who is going to have another great year for the Wildcats. The defensive line also has two senior starters that will create some pressure on opposing offenses.
Inside linebackers Trevin Wallace and D’Eryk Jackson have some big shoes to fill this year. With the departure of DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones, Wallace and Jackson need to be the leaders just like Square and Jones were last year. The secondary is led by safeties Jordan Lovett and Zion Childress. These two are poised for a big breakout year at the safety spot if Kentucky is going to continue their great runs of having a good defense in the SEC.
Win Total Bet
The Win Total is set at 6.5 on the FanDuel Sportsbook. The over is set at -162 odds and the under is set at +132. Mark Stoops will not allow this team to win less than 6 games. The over hits with some ease here, however the odds are too high for my liking. You’ll get Kentucky all year at some favorable prices, and I think they might be one of the best teams to cover a spread as an underdog this year. No bet on the win total, but you should watch out for this Kentucky squad.
Schedule Predictions
Convincing Win vs Ball State (1-0)
Win vs Eastern Kentucky (2-0)
Win vs Akron (3-0)
Loss at Vanderbilt (3-1)
Win vs Florida (4-1)
Upset Win at Georgia (5-1)
Win vs Missouri (6-1)
Loss vs Tennessee (6-2)
Win at Mississippi State (7-2)
Loss vs Alabama (7-3)
Loss at South Carolina (7-4)
Win at Louisville (8-4)