2021 best Stoops team? On paper preseason? Will it be?

[Stuntman68]

I think with Robinson you could make the argument it is the best on paper preseason.

Offense-With Robinson we have more weapons and proven weapons to go with a proven good o-line.QBs are unproven but talented. But you look at Ali, Robinson, CRod and the TEs this should be Stoops best offense easily which I know still isn’t saying much.
Defense-I never worry about the defense we always seem to figure it out even if we replace a whole secondary or front 7. This year we return so many key guys you know it’s just a question if they will be good or great.

Not to mention finally getting a modern offense and we have a dangerous returner on special teams we have lacked. And other than Missouri who we get at home our rival/swing games are against down teams Tenn, SC, Miss St and Louisville are having issues.

 

[K_TIME]

No...2018 will be better than 2021 roster IMO.

1. We still have a massive hole at edge pass rusher and 2018 had Josh Allen. We just lost Boogie Watson who was decent. I just don't think we'll be able to get to QB very well.
2. Jamin Davis was a big loss...I think Bembry is a sizeable dropoff...maybe Casey moves over or Deryck Jackson is the man.
3. We have a ton of coaching turnover...introducing 3 new faces. We have no idea how that will all pan out and Coen is really inexperienced....maybe he'll be a homerun...maybe he'll take time to learn

 

[Girthang]

If we hadn't lost Davis, Young, and Jackson, maybe.

 

[Stuntman68]

I guess the big question is how many games do you expect we win? 8-9 ? Have we ever had expectations that high? I don’t think so the 2018 season was great but nobody expected 10 wins.

 

[YaketySax]

If I were to split hairs I'd rank:

1. 2019 (if only TW hadn't gotten hurt...)
2. 2018 (lots of returning starters but a new QB)
3. 2021 (new QB, LB questions, DB questions, DL questions)

Broadly, I think you could make the case that with recruiting getting better every year the roster is always looking better on paper more or less.

 

[Girthang]

I guess the big question is how many games do you expect we win? 8-9 ? Have we ever had expectations that high? I don’t think so the 2018 season was great but nobody expected 10 wins.

I did. I bet on it and won.

We'd have had a similar season last year if not for the covid operation. Seems like it's magically ok to open things back up now, though.

Don't know if I'd bet on 10 wins next season, but 9 wins sounds about right. I'd love to be surprised with an extra win or two.

 

[wildcatwolverine]

No, I don't think so. I think the recent turn of events should leave UK fans with optimism but we don't have a proven QB so that should temper it a bit.

I expect to win the 3 patsies, UL, candy, USC Jr. We should have a good shot at UT, MSU and Mizzou (I would expect that we are favored in at least one of these games and potentially 2 of the three).

That leaves UF,LSU, and Georgia. I think UF and LSU are both beatable. Georgia on the road is a different beast. A lot depends on our new Offense and QB play.

 

[trueblujr2]

I did. I bet on it and won.

We'd have had a similar season last year if not for the covid operation. Seems like it's magically ok to open things back up now, though.

Don't know if I'd bet on 10 wins next season, but 9 wins sounds about right. I'd love to be surprised with an extra win or two.

Hopefully LSU and MSU remain beatable, that will go a long way towards how our season goes.

 

[Lightbringer123]

Did UGA get a big upgrade at QB? If they’ve got the same QB as last year I would feel like it’s a winnable game. They’re defense us what saves them but that offense was horrid against us

 

[cat89jd]

I think it all comes down to QB. Lets see how Coen does with who we have.

 

[seccats04]

Did UGA get a big upgrade at QB? If they’ve got the same QB as last year I would feel like it’s a winnable game. They’re defense us what saves them but that offense was horrid against us

Former 5 star QB and USC transfer JT Daniels took over the last half of the season and he threw around 400 yards a game it seems like. If he had been healthy all year Ga would've dominated everybody except Bama.

 

[The-Hack]

Actually, one could argue that pre-season we are in better shape than we were entering 2018.

We had Terry Wilson, who had never taken a P5 snap, presumably at QB entering 2018. Our competitions for next year were both 4 Stars who took meaningful
Snaps last year.

2018 saw the return of Josh Allen: frankly, I was not all that high on a returning senior who had had 6.5 sacks as a junior, with none in the last 6 games. I have since handed in my “player evaluation card.”

We likely have the number one returning offensive lineman in the US with Kinnard, and more than decent talent surrounding him.

Benny and CRod: call me crazy, I’ll call it a wash. Balanced against all that can said for Benny, CRod has had to split more carries, and lest I’m mistaken, currently leads in UK history for TD runs of greater than 50 yards.

2018 saw the return of three 6’ 3/4” corners, which is always nice. But the 2021 secondary looked pretty scary in 2020, even accounting for losses.

My hope: 8-4 or better.

As all are saying, if we have a major upgrade on offense, we might pull out another double-digit season.

 

[gamecockcat]

Probably not the best on paper but we're way better off than in many previous years.
1. Good core of OL returning with talent in waiting
2. RBs, TEs are solid. WRs got a shot in the arm with Ali and WR. If any of the talented FR or RS-FR can step up, we'll be fine.
3. DL has good talent returning with some experience.
4. DBs look strong.

Areas of concern:
1. QB - don't know what we have but we have 3 returning to compete and a new OC who should be able to give the QBs ample opportunity to succeed.
2. LBs need to step up. Have some good core players to build around but need to find a disrupter.
3. ST - we'll miss Duffy but might have pretty good replacement. Ruffalo/Poore, whoever should be adequate but not necessarily a strength.

 

[WildcatofNati]

I guess the big question is how many games do you expect we win? 8-9 ? Have we ever had expectations that high? I don’t think so the 2018 season was great but nobody expected 10 wins.

IF this team is 2018 caliber, which is a very big if, we could win 9 or 10 regular season games against what looks to be a fairly friendly schedule. Georgia is really the only game that we can directly pencil the L from the start. Florida is less than 50-50 probably but not by much and every other game should be 50-50 or much better.

 

[The Snoke]

I think it all comes down to QB. Lets see how Coen does with who we have.

I agree completely. Our offensive line was a special bunch of guys this year. Although I am comfortable with what we will have this year, I think our QB remains as the one thing that makes us something special. We need some sharpness in the passing attack that we haven’t had. If our QB is mobile and sharp on the passes, I truly think the rest of the pieces are in place for a really fun year in 2021.