How Many Starters Return Exactly?

[Dakota25]

How many do we return on offense, defense, and special teams? I know a vast majority of the starters and key players will be back. If Boom Williams came back I think UK would have a shot at a pre season ranking.

I think this will be a break out year. Need to build of the seven win season and try for eight or nine this year. Also would like to see a win over Florida! I'm 28 so must I say more?

 

[law1127]

I'm 71, do I need to say more?! Saw the last win on a cold,snowy day in November , and CM Newton gave up that advantage!

 

[Dakota25]

I'm 71, do I need to say more?! Saw the last win on a cold,snowy day in November , and CM Newton gave up that advantage!

I have only heard stories my good sir of what it's like to beat Florida!

 

[ukalum1988]

I'm 71, do I need to say more?! Saw the last win on a cold,snowy day in November , and CM Newton gave up that advantage!

I was a student at UK and was in attendance for that game. That's over a half a lifetime ago!!

 

[RV2]

How many do we return on offense, defense, and special teams? I know a vast majority of the starters and key players will be back...

Offense (8)
S Johnson QB
D Baker WR
G Johnson WR
CJ Conrad TE
K Meadows OL
C Mosier OL
N Haynes OL
B Stallings OL

Defense (9)
A Middleton DL
N Pringle DL
D Ware LB
C Love LB
J Allen LB
J Jones LB
D Baity DB
C Westry DB
M Edwards DB

Special teams (3)
A MacGinnis K
G McKinnis P
B Best LS

If you count starters like ul (meaning a kid started some games) you can add 4 more

D Barker QB
B Snell RB
L Young OL
A Bell DL

 

[_ukcat]

I'm 71, do I need to say more?! Saw the last win on a cold,snowy day in November , and CM Newton gave up that advantage!

I am 63 and I was there also. Not sure exactly who was at fault for moving the Fla. game from the Nov. date but I truly believe if it had stayed in Nov. we would not be staring dead in the face of this Freaking Losing Streak!!! I always loved UK switching the Home and Visitor benchs for that Nov. game and having UK in the Sun and the Gators in the Shade.

 

[ukalum1988]

I am 63 and I was there also. Not sure exactly who was at fault for moving the Fla. game from the Nov. date but I truly believe if it had stayed in Nov. we would not be staring dead in the face of this Freaking Losing Streak!!! I always loved UK switching the Home and Visitor benchs for that Nov. game and having UK in the Sun and the Gators in the Shade.

Law nailed it.... Another display of Football acumen (or lack thereof) by Newton. Pretty sure it was Spurrier's first season with the Gators in 1990 that would be the last time we would host them in November. We actually played them in Gainesville back to back in '91 & '92. Not sure of the logic of that move; now we get the Gators and the Vols both home or away in the same season, and that was when we moved away from November games against the Gators.

The blind squirrel will find the nut eventually; perhaps this will be the year.

 

[jauk11]

Offense (8)
S Johnson QB
D Baker WR
G Johnson WR
CJ Conrad TE
K Meadows OL
C Mosier OL
N Haynes OL
B Stallings OL

Defense (9)
A Middleton DL
N Pringle DL
D Ware LB
C Love LB
J Allen LB
J Jones LB
D Baity DB
C Westry DB
M Edwards DB

Special teams (3)
A MacGinnis K
G McKinnis P
B Best LS

If you count starters like ul (meaning a kid started some games) you can add 4 more

D Barker QB
B Snell RB
L Young OL
A Bell DL

It isn't just the number of returning starters we have but the quality we have replacing them. Center is the only position that might no have better talent, and we have two (or more) very good replacements there. Timmons was a good player but we have a very deep WR corp returning and looks like we should have at least two extraordinary freshmen besides them. Boom was an extraordinary RB but Snell would be number one (IMO) even if he had returned, and King and Rose are going to be extraordinary backups IMO always easier to replace a second teamer than it is a starter.. And it is saying something if you can even start to think of Boom as a second teamer. If we have a rash of injuries there Bowden could help, and no doubt with his experience as a QB he would give us another dimension at Wildcat.

On D we lost a very good DL in Miggins but the new talent (and experience) should make us better overall. We lose a four star DB but we have twice as many there as we used to have on the whole team, and several of our three stars are better than the ordinary four star. And four stars aren't usually ordinary, ours are behind some very good players. We have some VERY exciting players at LB, with some very promising new talent as proven in the Spring Game.

Altogether not many holes to fill and a lot of very good new talent and experience to replace them with.

 

[Smashcat]

I was a student at UK and was in attendance for that game. That's over a half a lifetime ago!!

We are in a good position to FINALLY end this awful slide.

 

[Jbapp1978]

How many do we return on offense, defense, and special teams? I know a vast majority of the starters and key players will be back. If Boom Williams came back I think UK would have a shot at a pre season ranking.

I think this will be a break out year. Need to build of the seven win season and try for eight or nine this year. Also would like to see a win over Florida! I'm 28 so must I say more?

Pre season ranking. So you are saying there is like 100 d1 programs worse then us?
We will be ranked 60-75th. We definitely need to start whipping these schools that hold NCAA record win streaks against us. I think before we worry about UF we should be very worried about a USM team that will be extremely hard to beat at their home.

 

[jauk11]

Pre season ranking. So you are saying there is like 100 d1 programs worse then us?
We will be ranked 60-75th. We definitely need to start whipping these schools that hold NCAA record win streaks against us. I think before we worry about UF we should be very worried about a USM team that will be extremely hard to beat at their home.

Now I am going to be afraid to watch the Southern Miss game-------and I will probably hide under the bed when we play Ole Miss.

Thanks for the warning.

 

[Jbapp1978]

Now I am going to be afraid to watch the Southern Miss game-------and I will probably hide under the bed when we play Ole Miss.

Thanks for the warning.

Jauk you know darn well I was not speaking to you good buddy. I wouldn't over look USM. They beat us at home now we go there. Now we shouldn't hide under our beds in a perfect world, but as we saw last year at home, this world is not perfect. And I detected through your sarcasm that you think ole miss is a lock as well. We will see, I'm just ready for us to get started.

 

[jauk11]

Jauk you know darn well I was not speaking to you good buddy. I wouldn't over look USM. They beat us at home now we go there. Now we shouldn't hide under our beds in a perfect world, but as we saw last year at home, this world is not perfect. And I detected through your sarcasm that you think ole miss is a lock as well. We will see, I'm just ready for us to get started.

'''You can't overlook anyone, teams have lost games they were favored by 40 points in. Not sure how you deduced that I thought Ole Miss is a lock, far from it, but most think they will be down-------still a very talented team.

 

[Jbapp1978]

'''You can't overlook anyone, teams have lost games they were favored by 40 points in. Not sure how you deduced that I thought Ole Miss is a lock, far from it, but most think they will be down-------still a very talented team.

Well thats what i was saying, so why would you say you're afraid of USM then? You just messing around?

 

[Blue Decade]

It isn't just the number of returning starters we have but the quality we have replacing them. Center is the only position that might no have better talent, and we have two (or more) very good replacements there. Timmons was a good player but we have a very deep WR corp returning and looks like we should have at least two extraordinary freshmen besides them. Boom was an extraordinary RB but Snell would be number one (IMO) even if he had returned, and King and Rose are going to be extraordinary backups IMO always easier to replace a second teamer than it is a starter.. And it is saying something if you can even start to think of Boom as a second teamer. If we have a rash of injuries there Bowden could help, and no doubt with his experience as a QB he would give us another dimension at Wildcat.

On D we lost a very good DL in Miggins but the new talent (and experience) should make us better overall. We lose a four star DB but we have twice as many there as we used to have on the whole team, and several of our three stars are better than the ordinary four star. And four stars aren't usually ordinary, ours are behind some very good players. We have some VERY exciting players at LB, with some very promising new talent as proven in the Spring Game.

Altogether not many holes to fill and a lot of very good new talent and experience to replace them with.

Getting 17 starters back from a bowl team is gold. But the big story now in Kentucky football is the overall roster rebuild that Stoops has accomplished with his 14, 15, 16, 17 recruiting classes. Next man up. Quality depth and serious competition at every position. Was evident last year on our offensive line and at running back. Now finally becoming evident on our defensive line, linebacker, and quarterback. To put it another way, most of our 2nd string players could start for some other SEC teams. That hasn't previously been true at Kentucky in my memory.

 

[law1127]

Another footnote on the Florida/UK football history, at the time of our last win in the snow,the series was either tied or we had the advantage! Interesting! 17-14 UKs advantage in games won at that time of last win!

 

[jauk11]

Well thats what i was saying, so why would you say you're afraid of USM then? You just messing around?

You have a funny way with words, you are the one afraid of Southern Miss, and sure, there is maybe a chance in a hundred that we will lose to them. People win the lottery when the odds are a hundred million to one against them.

 

[Jbapp1978]

You have a funny way with words, you are the one afraid of Southern Miss, and sure, there is maybe a chance in a hundred that we will lose to them. People win the lottery when the odds are a hundred million to one against them.

Well I'm certainly not taking them for granted. I guess last year they hit those odds.

 

[willievic]

I'm 71, do I need to say more?! Saw the last win on a cold,snowy day in November , and CM Newton gave up that advantage!

I'm 78, need I say more.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[TNTUK]

Pre season ranking. So you are saying there is like 100 d1 programs worse then us?
We will be ranked 60-75th. We definitely need to start whipping these schools that hold NCAA record win streaks against us. I think before we worry about UF we should be very worried about a USM team that will be extremely hard to beat at their home.

Pretty sure some of the pre-season rankings out there right now have us Top 40 already.

ESPN's FPI poll for 2017 has us at #34, for instance.

 

[willievic]

Well I'm certainly not taking them for granted. I guess last year they hit those odds.

The football bounces a funny way, sometimes.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[Jbapp1978]

Pretty sure some of the pre-season rankings out there right now have us Top 40 already.

Are they offical? Lemme know when the offical ONE comes out. If we are in the top 40 id say thats a nice step in the right direction

 

[TNTUK]

Are they offical? Lemme know when the offical ONE comes out. If we are in the top 40 id say thats a nice step in the right direction

What does "official" mean? That ESPN FPI is a power rating index and is "official".

SB Nation has us at #41.

CBS put us at 63rd (which appears to be waaaaay off base and just the standard ranking UK gets pre-season).

I'll be interested to see the preseason coaches poll and AP polls in August - my guess is that UK makes "other receiving votes" in at least one of those (likely coaches poll).

 

[Jbapp1978]

The football bounces a funny way, sometimes.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

i hope we blow them out. We have not proven we can beat them so i will be nervous. To be honest, it wasnt a ball bouncing the wrong way, it was a second half domination.

 

[TNTUK]

i hope we blow them out. We have not proven we can beat them so i will be nervous. To be honest, it wasnt a ball bouncing the wrong way, it was a second half domination.

A 2nd half domination like we dominated them in the first half.

 

[Jbapp1978]

What does "official" mean? That ESPN FPI is a power rating index and is "official".

SB Nation has us at #41.

CBS put us at 63rd (which appears to be waaaaay off base and just the standard ranking UK gets pre-season).

I'll be interested to see the preseason coaches poll and AP polls in August - my guess is that UK makes "other receiving votes" in at least one of those (likely coaches poll).

I thought there would be a AP poll that is the standard everyone uses right before the season starts. One bonifide poll. I know there are tons of off season polls but they are not the final word for example SB nation has us 41. But CBS has us 63rd. Both carry no weight because wich one are gonna believe? SB nation ofcourse but fans cant pick and choose whatever poll has them highest. Do you get what i mean?

 

[Jbapp1978]

A 2nd half domination like we dominated them in the first half.

Not quite they dominated better evidently they won. Dont make this a pissing match, dont take this personal its not like im making things up

 

[TNTUK]

I thought there would be a AP poll that is the standard everyone uses right before the season starts. One bonifide poll. I know there are tons of off season polls but they are not the final word for example SB nation has us 41. But CBS has us 63rd. Both carry no weight because wich one are gonna believe? SB nation ofcourse but fans cant pick and choose whatever poll has them highest. Do you get what i mean?

I do, but a power index poll carries some weight now based on returning players/starters, production, etc. We'll have to wait until August for the AP and Coaches Polls.

 

[TNTUK]

Not quite they dominated better evidently they won. Dont make this a pissing match, dont take this personal its not like im making things up

I'm not taking it personal but we will beat USM by 3 TDs this year. Mark my words.

 

[Jbapp1978]

I do, but a power index poll carries some weight now based on returning players/starters, production, etc. We'll have to wait until August for the AP and Coaches Polls.

Thanks thats what i meant hopefully we are ranked high IN THOSE polls

 

[Jbapp1978]

I'm not taking it personal but we will beat USM by 3 TDs this year. Mark my words.

I hope so. That would be an excellent start

 

[TNTUK]

Thanks thats what i meant hopefully we are ranked high IN THOSE polls

Fair enough brotha!

 

[WildCard]

The Cats return a bunch from an unexpectedly good 2016 season. Perhaps equally important is the fact the 2017 schedule looks even less intimidating than the 2016 schedule (nobody near 'Bama's caliber). I believe only 3 2017 opponents are getting any pre-season top 25 attention and it is mostly in the high teens, low 20s spots. And 2 of those games (FL and UofL) are in Lexington. Other than unfortunate injuries it should be another good year.

Your first "good" indication of "expected success" will come in June when Steele publishes his magazine.

Peace

 

[jauk11]

I thought there would be a AP poll that is the standard everyone uses right before the season starts. One bonifide poll. I know there are tons of off season polls but they are not the final word for example SB nation has us 41. But CBS has us 63rd. Both carry no weight because wich one are gonna believe? SB nation ofcourse but fans cant pick and choose whatever poll has them highest. Do you get what i mean?

I think with your extensive research and knowledge I will believe YOU.

Four wins it is.

 

[jauk11]

Well I'm certainly not taking them for granted. I guess last year they hit those odds.

So you think we won't be any better and they will be just as good-------and we still should have won that game. Lots of unexpected developments in that game, and I believe we have our QB this year. AND a second QB if he goes down. AND probably a third one by the end of the summer.

 

[TNTUK]

The Cats return a bunch from an unexpectedly good 2016 season. Perhaps equally important is the fact the 2017 schedule looks even less intimidating than the 2016 schedule (nobody near 'Bama's caliber). I believe only 3 2017 opponents are getting any pre-season top 25 attention and it is mostly in the high teens, low 20s spots. And 2 of those games (FL and UofL) are in Lexington. Other than unfortunate injuries it should be another good year.

Your first "good" indication of "expected success" will come in June when Steele publishes his magazine.

Peace

Agreed - Steele lists UK as tied for 3rd in the country for most returning starters (17); one of the teams we are tied with is UGA - who is the other team in the top 20 in rankings out there right now (high teens as well).

UK has a great shot to make some noise this year - they just need to capitalize.

 

[jauk11]

I hope so. That would be an excellent start

Some FACTS for you, although I am sure facts make no difference to you.

72, 81 93, and 85.

I don't think there are many fans that don't think our loss to them was an anomaly that should have never happened--------well, except for you of course. So where is their improvement coming fro? We have almost all our starters returning, with adequate to BETTER replacements in almost all of the few starters we lost. Give me the numbers for your favorite school, I don't want to waste any more time, do they have key players like their QB, top RB, OL, etc returning?.

Take the freshmen coming in, we have SEVERAL that are expected to step in and contribute.

What are the numbers at the top? That is where they finished in recruiting the past four years, they have nine THREE stars new to their team this year, all 5.5s except for two 5..6s, NINETEEN two stars, how does their two 5.6s compare to our four four stars? And it was worse in the prior classes. Remember, we are looking for places where they will improve over last year, JMO and not shared by you but I think UK is proven to be a much better team next year, at least on paper-------well, to most rational fans anyway..

OK, tired of wasting my time talking to a wall, my advice to you is mortgage your house (or your part of the basement) and bet it all on them, and you should get several points in the bargain. Put your money where your mouth is, I will. Bye.

 

[jauk11]

I'm 78, need I say more.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

Well, I just had a birthday so I edged you out.

You do know when you are getting old don't you,, it's when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Think about it.

 

[WildCard]

Agreed - Steele lists UK as tied for 3rd in the country for most returning starters (17); one of the teams we are tied with is UGA - who is the other team in the top 20 in rankings out there right now (high teens as well).

UK has a great shot to make some noise this year - they just need to capitalize.

Ummm, other than his "Expected AP Top 10" has Steele released any 2017 data? That does include FL @ #10 which I believe is the highest they have been rated in any "way too early" Top 25 op-ed pieces. In his magazine he usually incorporates returnees into a far more comprehensive experience rating/chart which factors in the relative "importance" of certain positions as well as returning performance. But "returning experience" is always a tough thing to assess except for teams that always recruit at the top of the stack. Last year TN was #3 in returning experience, LSU #8. 'Bama was #116, Clemson was #101 and tOSU was #128.

Peace

 

[TNTUK]

Ummm, other than his "Expected AP Top 10" has Steele released any 2017 data? That does include FL @ #10 which I believe is the highest they have been rated in any "way too early" Top 25 op-ed pieces. In his magazine he usually incorporates returnees into a far more comprehensive experience rating/chart which factors in the relative "importance" of certain positions as well as returning performance. But "returning experience" is always a tough thing to assess except for teams that always recruit at the top of the stack. Last year TN was #3 in returning experience, LSU #8. 'Bama was #116, Clemson was #101 and tOSU was #128.

Peace

No, he only has released "most returning starters" for 2017 - without breakdowns by position, etc. Just sheer # of returning starters only.