How good do you believe UK will be next year?

[screwduke1]

Could this be a 2nd team in the SEC east kind of team? What do you all think.

I think a lot of it comes down to if the line is better (it couldn't be any worse so the bar for any improvement is low). And Leary staying healthy.

The D should be good as it pretty much always is. But how good the offense will be should be what determines how good we end up being IMO.

 

[tdcat]

If Leary, M. Cox, Weaver and Walker stay healthy, this team will be very, very good.

 

[gamecockcat]

Schedule is not ideal but we should have a good chance at 8+ wins. Defense looks to be nasty (barring injuries) with depth on all 3 levels. Having Coen back with a smart, efficient QB and multiple weapons to work with is exciting. OL almost has to be better and maybe Leary will make reads and dumpoffs a hair quicker to avoid the sacks. HAVE to keep him healthy although I do expect both Sheron and Wade will look much better with Coen coaching. Running game is a question mark but the pieces should be in place to be effective. Wondering how Jefferson comes back and how he's used.

 

[backinky2018]

Cautious optimism, considering the schedule. Who is our backup QB? Seems to me that we rarely have a serviceable backup...

 

[The-Hack]

I think the pieces are in place for an excellent season.

Obviously, Leary’s health is key. If we keep him healthy 8-4 to 10-2 is in play.

A return to Florida on New Year’s Day should be the minimum goal (Tampa Bowl), and NYD6 should be a possibility.

Key games: (1) Mississippi State on the Road. A win at State puts us real close to a 9-3 campaign, even if UT, Bama and Georgia prove too much for us. We’ve won in Knoxville, we expect to beat Florida wherever we play them.

Can we get a win in Starkville??

(2) Bama at home: yes, I’ll risk seeing my name on the Internet Genius’s site, but Bama showed itself mortal on the road in 2022. We will not be an easy out for anyone.

(3) South Carolina in Columbia: Yes, we’ve dominated for a decade, but Rattler can beat the big ones, especially at home. Need to get back to our Cock beating ways to see 9 or more for 2023.

(4) Tennessee at Home: We need to hold serve this year at home. Hooker has moved on, and we might just have the gun and receivers to win a high scoring game, a.k.a. USCe in 2022.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

 

[Dddjdd]

Starting point is probably acknowledging the ceiling is 10 wins given that we play UGA and Bama. Next tier of games is SCar/UT/MSST/Florida. If we go 2-2 there, looking at 8-4. Obviously I’m assuming we don’t drop any we shouldn’t which we did last year. I think 8.5 regular season wins is a fair over/under.
O line has to be improved. Leary has to fully heal (I believe he tore his throwing side pectoral) and stay healthy this season. I think defense will be very stout

 

[K_TIME]

Great question.....

1. Schedule is much rougher...those more winnable SEC games are on road. Miss St, USC....maybe Vandy is added to the list Can UK sweep that?
2. Miss St new coach....but Leach was the guy for air raid. The new guy is going to go to a different offense down the road...but that roster isn't built for anything by air raid. So maybe that game is much more winnable on road than usual.
3. Has Tennessee vaulted past winnable to much less likely to win? Will Heupel keep building or decline the longer he's there as he did at UFC?
4. Bama replacing Ole Miss is huge swing in schedule toughness.
5. I don't think UL catches up in 1 year...but Brohm will be a whole heckuva lot tougher than Satterfield squads.

I'm going to say 8-4...which is a really good season with the schedule we've got. To me the season boils down to not Coen as much as is Yenser is a good OLine coach. I was not a fan of Coen keeping him.....but Coen deserves the benefit of the doubt...but if Yenser is a bust...this team won't do much IMO.

 

[JHB4UK]

Too early for me. Gotta see Leary & Cox in action this spring healed up.

 

[docholiday51]

Great question.....

1. Schedule is much rougher...those more winnable SEC games are on road. Miss St, USC....maybe Vandy is added to the list Can UK sweep that?
2. Miss St new coach....but Leach was the guy for air raid. The new guy is going to go to a different offense down the road...but that roster isn't built for anything by air raid. So maybe that game is much more winnable on road than usual.
3. Has Tennessee vaulted past winnable to much less likely to win? Will Heupel keep building or decline the longer he's there as he did at UFC?
4. Bama replacing Ole Miss is huge swing in schedule toughness.
5. I don't think UL catches up in 1 year...but Brohm will be a whole heckuva lot tougher than Satterfield squads.

I'm going to say 8-4...which is a really good season with the schedule we've got. To me the season boils down to not Coen as much as is Yenser is a good OLine coach. I was not a fan of Coen keeping him.....but Coen deserves the benefit of the doubt...but if Yenser is a bust...this team won't do much IMO.

Good point about the O line, One would think we would be better (since it would be hard to be much worse) We have a good chance(and should be) to be 6-1 going into the bye week. At least the structure of the schedule is quite favorable. Stoops and company usually have us in a position to compete in most every game. If I had to guess we will be better than last year and maybe just short of 2 years ago with a shot at being as good but without the record to match that season.

 

[rudd1]

-here's what I know: we should be very good on defense. Vet qb w/very talented wrs/ and solid tight ends. RB room looks really good on paper. Need the OL to do better*.

*I'm of the belief that scheme had a lot to do with the perception of OL play last year. Leary should be better at reading defenses than Levis...and Coen is a game changer.

-tough schedule...but no one on that schedule is looking past the gridiron cats. And that my friends is a welcome state of being for those of us that have been around for a while. Our cats are legit.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

I'd feel a lot better if CRod was back...dude's a chain mover when you're trying to run clock

 

[docholiday51]

-here's what I know: we should be very good on defense. Vet qb w/very talented wrs/ and solid tight ends. RB room looks really good on paper. Need the OL to do better*.

*I'm of the belief that scheme had a lot to do with the perception of OL play last year. Leary should be better at reading defenses than Levis...and Coen is a game changer.

-tough schedule...but no one on that schedule is looking past the gridiron cats. And that my friends is a welcome state of being for those of us that have been around for a while. Our cats are legit.

Amen, Amen and Amen. We we are is a far cry from where we were much of the 60's,70's ,80's and 90's. Some think it is contend for an East or SEC title or bust, they would have never made it as fans thru the lean years where more than 2 wins a year was something to hope for. Glad as Hell I'm still around to see the Cats over the last few years.

 

[Deli owl]

8-4

 

[1_Cool_CAT]

Does Stoops have even more pressure on him this year then last due to the pay raise, plus those donating to NIL wanna see more progress?

I mean, why do they want our money for, they say it will help the progress?

 

[3632]

I don't really see getting 5 wins in the sec. We need significant improvement up front. So I think our max is 8 if things go great. As mentioned above, our typical 'winnable' games are on the road and Bama at home takes away an environment against someone we can beat. Until we play better against UT I don't see that as a 'feel decent about it' game or until he shows he'll play more aggressively defensively. The way to play that offense is counterintuitive. Instead of play slow it down you have to play aggressively and once they get behind on possessions they get in trouble. But we don't play that way in any situation. For all of the playing better against florida we've done with stoops we have underplayed ut even when we've had better teams.

 

[JHB4UK]

Does Stoops have even more pressure on him this year then last due to the pay raise, plus those donating to NIL wanna see more progress?

I mean, why do they want our money for, they say it will help the progress?

Honestly he puts more pressure on himself than he gets from the media or the typical fan.

He looked at last yrs results & fired the spec teams coordinator and offensive coordinator, brought in a very successful spec teams coach & brought back Liam Coen. The transfered in top level help at QB, RB, & LT.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

7 and 5 or 8 and 4. Schedule is tough and Stoops won't win at msu so that's a loss based on history.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I always look at UK as our toughest game and it has played out like that the last few years. Both teams want to be physical and control the lines. UK will have an experienced QB, provided he is back from injury, could be the top QB in the East heading into the season, of course Carolina can make that claim too,at least today.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

8-4 or better will be a great season for the CATS! Starting the season 0-2 BAMA GEORGIA are almost automatic loses hurts.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

8-4 or better will be a great season for the CATS! Starting the season 0-2 BAMA GEORGIA are almost automatic loses hurts.

UK has a big advantage over both of those heading into the season, a QB with successful starting experience. That's a big edge at the most important position on the field.

 

[JHB4UK]

Stoops couldn't have structured the 23 schedule any more perfectly for a team with a new QB.

3 easiest OOC games at home first 3 weeks
A close trip to the 14th best SEC team in week 4
The 13th best SEC team at home week 5

No excuse for O line issues to not be figured out, Leary dialed in with Barion and Key by the time we go to Athens Week 6

 

[Sawnee Cat]

We have two automatic losses in the East. Tennessee and Georgia. So I doubt we have any chance of coming in second. I am hoping for 9-3 and if we get anything better I will be elated.

But Tennessee owns us and I doubt that changes.

 

[backinky2018]

I think the key is starting 5-0. 3 layups, followed by Vandy on the road must be wins. Then you have a monster home game with UF, our crowd should be amped much like we were in 2021 when the gators came to town.

Win that, and you have to get a split with Georgia / Mizzou before the bye. That sets up another monster home game with the Vols.

I am NOT ready to concede the Bama game as a loss. They're mortal now. They still have worlds of talent, but they've not been a great road team the last few years. Let's see how they respond on a cold November day at CWS.

 

[hmt5000]

Ox needs to add mass and strength. He took a step back this year from his freshman year. I really thought he'd shine this year but just couldn't handle the size of OL in the sec.

 

[YaketySax]

7-5…?

 

[Eccain01]

Because of how hard our schedule is 8-4 would be great but prolly 7-5. This team could be much better but with the same record.

 

[EdgeHD]

Could this be a 2nd team in the SEC east kind of team? What do you all think.

I think a lot of it comes down to if the line is better (it couldn't be any worse so the bar for any improvement is low). And Leary staying healthy.

The D should be good as it pretty much always is. But how good the offense will be should be what determines how good we end up being IMO.

Safe wins: Ball State, EKU, Akron

Probable wins: Vandy, Florida, Missouri, Louisville

Tossup: South Carolina, Mississippi State

Probable losses: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee

I'd say 8-4. But could be 9-3 or 7-5.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Safe wins: Ball State, EKU, Akron

Probable wins: Vandy, Florida, Missouri, Louisville

Tossup: South Carolina, Mississippi State

Probable losses: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee

I'd say 8-4. But could be 9-3 or 7-5.

Based on history msu is a probable loss.

 

[_ukcat]

7-5 possible 8-4

 

[EdgeHD]

Based on history msu is a probable loss.

Maybe not this year. Mississippi State lost their coach and some important players. 2023 will be Zach Arnett's first year as their head coach and Matt Brock's first year as a DC. Will Rogers is back. But they lose 3 offensive line starters, 5 of their top 6 defensive linemen, and 2 starting linebackers. They got one of the league's worst recruiting classes. This is a transition year in Starkville and we probably should win this game.

 

[The-Hack]

They got one of the league's worst recruiting classes.

Rivals ranks their 27 player class with 3 Four Star players and a 2.93 average Star rating above our 19 player class with 9 Four Star recruits and a 3.47 average.

Hmmmm.

Since 2019, they have signed 24 HS Four and Five Stars: we have inked 39.

And I think our portal rankings consistently are better than theirs.

 

[Girthang]

It all depends on how healthy we stay and If the offense can score. We're going to have a chance to win any game if we have that ability.

 

[Colonial Farm 80]

I think the pieces are in place for an excellent season.

Obviously, Leary’s health is key. If we keep him healthy 8-4 to 10-2 is in play.

A return to Florida on New Year’s Day should be the minimum goal (Tampa Bowl), and NYD6 should be a possibility.

Key games: (1) Mississippi State on the Road. A win at State puts us real close to a 9-3 campaign, even if UT, Bama and Georgia prove too much for us. We’ve won in Knoxville, we expect to beat Florida wherever we play them.

Can we get a win in Starkville??

(2) Bama at home: yes, I’ll risk seeing my name on the Internet Genius’s site, but Bama showed itself mortal on the road in 2022. We will not be an easy out for anyone.

(3) South Carolina in Columbia: Yes, we’ve dominated for a decade, but Rattler can beat the big ones, especially at home. Need to get back to our Cock beating ways to see 9 or more for 2023.

(4) Tennessee at Home: We need to hold serve this year at home. Hooker has moved on, and we might just have the gun and receivers to win a high scoring game, a.k.a. USCe in 2022.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

Our bar for expectations was lowered a little by disappointments in 2022. I am inclined to believe it will go up again in 2023. We need to go into Columbia and beat the Gamecocks and I believe we will. 8-4 or 9-3.

 

[megablue]

I think we certainly can be a good team, but I hope we can be an excellent team.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I think we can win 10 games. I think we can beat Tennessee as well.

 

[3632]

Based on history msu is a probable loss.

That’s the thing….regardless of what our team ends up being we normally lose at MSU and to UT. Plus we always have 1 just out and out clunker. So it’s hard for me to take those normalcies and add UGA and Bama in there and think there’s a shot at 9 regardless and especially with the Oline concerns.

 

[Wildcat40229]

I`ll say 8-4 or 9-3. I believe we`ll be undefeated in out of conference games and I also believe we`ll beat the Vols at home. We`ll lose to Georgia, Alabama and someone else not named UL. But the Alabama game does have my attention.

 

[Girthang]

Safe wins: Ball State, EKU, Akron

Probable wins: Vandy, Florida, Missouri, Louisville

Tossup: South Carolina, Mississippi State

Probable losses: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee

I'd say 8-4. But could be 9-3 or 7-5.

I think the "toss-up" category teams should go to probable wins, and we beat at least 1 of the "probable losses" teams. If our QB and OT position are shored up and healthy, 2 of 3.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Rivals ranks their 27 player class with 3 Four Star players and a 2.93 average Star rating above our 19 player class with 9 Four Star recruits and a 3.47 average.

Hmmmm.

One of many things fundamentally wrong with internet recruiting class rankings. Depending on the criteria they select, they can make their rankings say almost anything.

UK's 2023 class is strong, especially the defensive signings, plus Brown, Porter, and Wilcox.

And I would not count out Sebastian Scott. Although there are some obvious differences, the decision to bring Scott in reminds me very much of the earlier decision to take Melvin Lewis out of Fullerton in 2013. IIRC, Lewis was initially a walkon. Like Scott, Lewis was close to being out of football options when Stoops offered him an opportunity. And like Scott, Lewis was badly out of shape and needed a year in Lexington to lose some weight and remake his body. Then Lewis worked hard and eventually became one of the better NTs in the SEC at that time. After watching Scott's game film from Cardinal Newman hs, I think he has a real chance at UK if his motor is for real.

 

[The-Hack]

Our bar for expectations was lowered a little by disappointments in 2022.

Since 2016, our fate has rested largely with the health of our QB. Keep him in good shape, win 10. Get him injured and win 7 or 8.

Honestly, maybe the biggest factor separating 2019 and 2021’s Citrus bowl seasons from the other seasons was ending our season with the QB that started it, and his being 100 percent, or near, throughout the whole season.