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Kentucky Wildcats football preview: What to know ahead of the 2025 season

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

The Kentucky football team has quite a bit of uncertainty with 50 newcomers to its roster, yet the expectations are still high coming off a disappointing 4-8 2024 campaign.

What will coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats be able to deliver in 2025 against a schedule filled with tough SEC foes, plus archrival Louisville?

Get ready for the season, including the opener Saturday against Toledo, with the stories below.

Kentucky’s Zach Calzada is photographed during the UK Spring Showcase at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, April 12, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 1: WHY KENTUCKY FOOTBALL FANS FACE A MASSIVE CHALLENGE IN 2025

Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops commenced his preseason news conference on July 28 by noting that the Wildcats have a whopping 50 newcomers on their 2025 roster. | Published August 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

New Mexico State running back Seth McGowan (1) carries the ball during the season final home football game for Middle Tennessee, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. By Helen Comer

NO. 2: FOUR YEARS AFTER OKLAHOMA ARREST, NEW KENTUCKY RB SETH MCGOWAN SEES GREATER PURPOSE IN FOOTBALL

Seth McGowan is not a man who wants to speak in cliches. | Published August 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops on the sidelines during a football game against South Carolina Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. By Brian Simms

NO. 3: PREDICTING EVERY GAME OF UK FOOTBALL’S 2025 SEASON. CAN THE CATS BOUNCE BACK?

With a whopping 50 newcomers on the 2025 Kentucky football roster, I am less certain of what to expect of Mark Stoops’ Wildcats in the coming season than ever before. | Published August 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

UK WR DJ Miller (#7) during the media day morning session at Kroger Field on August 1, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 4: WHY UK’S VETERAN QB THINKS ONE WILDCAT IS THE ‘BEST FRESHMAN WR’ HE’S EVER SEEN

Entering his sixth season of college football for four different programs, Zach Calzada is well accustomed to the constant churn of new teammates. | Published August 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

UK QB Beau Allen (#11) during the media day morning session at Kroger Field on August 1, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 5: IN FINAL COLLEGE SEASON, BEAU ALLEN HAS UNEXPECTED BUT KEY ROLE FOR KENTUCKY

It would have been impossible to predict how Beau Allen’s college career would go when he signed with Kentucky as a much-hyped four-star quarterback in December 2019. | Published August 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

UK Coach Derek Shay during the media day morning session at Kroger Field on August 1, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 6: WHY UK’S NEW TIGHT ENDS COACH IS NOT TRYING TO BE THE NEXT ‘BIG DOG’ ON STAFF

The sheer volume of new faces on the Kentucky football roster was impossible to ignore as fans surrounded the Wildcat practice fields during the annual Fan Day festivities shortly after the start of preseason camp last week. | Published August 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley (8) warms up before the Blue and White football game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky, Saturday, April 13, 2024. By Silas Walker

NO. 7: WHAT IF I TOLD YOU UK’S QB SITUATION IS IN THE BEST SHAPE OF THE STOOPS ERA?

On Saturday, after Kentucky football had completed the first of what will be two preseason, intrasquad scrimmages, Mark Stoops proclaimed himself pleased with UK’s quarterback play. | Published August 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks off the field after beating Murray State during a game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 8: THE 10 COACHES AND PLAYERS UNDER THE MOST PRESSURE IN 2025 KY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Since Western Kentucky moved to the FBS in 2008, there has been an enduring reality to college football in the commonwealth: | Published August 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

UK Defensive Back Martels Carter Jr. (4) talks to media outlets about his nickname “C4” and joining the Wildcats 2025 roster during the mid-year enrollee’s media day at the Nutter Indoor Practice Facility on February 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 9: THESE FOUR FRESHMEN COULD BE EARLY CONTRIBUTORS FOR KENTUCKY FOOTBALL IN 2025

With the addition of more than 20 transfers to the 2025 roster, the majority of holes on the Kentucky football depth chart entering the offseason will be filled by newcomers with college experience. | Published August 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

UK WR Cole Lanter (#86) during the media day morning session at Kroger Field on August 1, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 10: AFTER WORKING CONSTRUCTION AT KROGER FIELD, COLE LANTER IS BACK WITH UK FOOTBALL

The day before wide receiver Cole Lanter suffered a season-ending leg injury during Kentucky football’s Fan Day practice, the former Boyle County High School star’s spirits were high. | Published August 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

UK Head Coach Mark Stoops takes pics on the sidelines during the Kentucky Football Fan Day open practice at the Joe Craft Football Training Center on August 2, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 11: IS MARK STOOPS ACTUALLY ON THE ‘HOT SEAT’ AMID SAGGING RESULTS FOR UK FOOTBALL?

It turns out there might have been no true winner in the great John Calipari-Mark Stoops feud of 2022. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

NO. 12: KENTUCKY FOOTBALL VS. THE NAYSAYERS: FIVE KEYS TO A UK SURPRISE IN 2025

Suffice to say, the outside analysts are not gushing over the 2025 prospects for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats. | Published August 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky’s Zach Calzada high-fives teammate Ja’Mori Maclin during the UK Spring Showcase at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, April 12, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 13: NEW ERA OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFERS PATH FOR QUICK TURNAROUND FOR KENTUCKY

By now, offensive guard Joshua Braun is well aware of the work it takes to build cohesion on and off the field for a college football team. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Tennessee and Kentucky fans walk to the stadium before an SEC football game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Kns Tennessee Kentucky Football By Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

NO. 14: IN REVENUE SHARING ERA, SUCCESS OF FOOTBALL MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR UK

In case there were any lingering doubts about the financial importance of football success even at a basketball powerhouse like Kentucky, a series of moves by the UK athletic department over the spring and summer should have eliminated any uncertainty. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

UK QB Cutter Boley (#8) looks for the pass downfield during the Kentucky Football Fan Day open practice at the Joe Craft Football Training Center on August 2, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 15: WHAT TO MAKE OF MARK STOOPS’ LATEST COMMENTS ON QB COMPETITION, CUTTER BOLEY

Mark Stoops apparently wants you to know he has not named a starting quarterback for the 2025 season. | Published August 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats tight end Willie Rodriguez (81) runs the ball during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 16: WILLIE RODRIGUEZ, DJ WALLER AMONG BREAKOUT CANDIDATES FOR UK FOOTBALL IN 2025

For Kentucky football to exceed expectations in 2025, it will need the majority of the 24 transfers it signed to pan out. | Published August 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.