Fall is nearly upon us, and for the big blue nation, September 3rd cannot get here soon enough. There is plenty to be excited about with Kentucky football in 2022. Quarterback Will Levis is slated to have a stellar year this season, possibly even hearing his name called early in the 2023 NFL Draft. The running back position is as deep as ever. The receivers look to be vastly improved and the defense boasts one of the top front sevens in the Southeastern Conference.
There are question marks, however, going into the season. Although the receivers are as deep as they have ever been during the Mark Stoops era, they are very young, outside of transfer Tayvion Robinson. True freshmen, though highly touted will be asked to step into important roles right out of the gate. The secondary will be relying on a lot of new faces as well, thanked mostly impart to the transfer portal, while also asking some freshmen to play meaningful snaps early on.
All this being said, the Wildcats look to be more than formidable as they compete in the SEC east. The road won’t be easy, of course, it never is in the SEC. Here is a look into the daunting schedule Kentucky faces as they make their bid for Atlanta.
Weeks 1-4: Miami (OH), Florida, Youngstown State, Northern Illinois
The Wildcats open up the season at home versus Miami (OH). The Red hawks are one of the stronger teams in the MAC, however, Kentucky will be a fairly heavy favorite to open the season 1-0. It will be in week two against Florida where the Wildcats will be tested early. The Gators will be surely looking for revenge after suffering a loss in Lexington last season to Stoops and company. Look for new head coach Billy Napier to have his team ready to go when the Wildcats make their way to Gainesville.
Next up is Youngstown State in week three. The Penguins are an FCS school that went 3-7 last season. They are the school that represents Stoop’s hometown, however, don’t look for any letup as the Wildcats will once again be heavy favorites. Week four will showcase another MAC team in Northern Illinois. The Huskies are returning most of their starters on offense and defense, however, the Wildcats will once again be considered heavy favorites to pick up the win.
Weeks 5-8: Ole Miss, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Bye
This is where the stretch gets tougher for Kentucky. Week five sees the Wildcats traveling to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Historically, the Wildcats have struggled to beat Lane Kiffin and this season will be no exception. The Rebels could boast a strong offense led by transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Zach Evans. Dart has yet to prove himself in terms of consistency but was highly touted coming out of high school. Evans, however, is one of the better running backs in the country and was a key addition for Kiffin and his staff. The offensive line and defense will need to pull their weight, but, this should be a good matchup for Kentucky and would be a big win for Stoops and his team if they can pull it off.
South Carolina will provide another scary matchup for the Wildcats in week six. Shane Beamer brought his squad out of nowhere and was much more competitive in SEC play than many expected in 2021. With Spencer Rattler now behind center, Kentucky could be in for a shootout in Lexington. Mississippi State shocked Kentucky last season and will look to give them everything they want once again in 2022. With quarterback Will Rogers returning, the Bulldogs will once again be out to prove last season was no fluke. Look for Stoops to be hungry for revenge, when they matchup in week seven. Week eight will provide a much-needed bye week for the Wildcats.
Weeks 9-13: Tennessee, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Louisville
This stretch will be vital for the Wildcats, especially if they are able to take care of business leading up to week nine. Tennessee should be the toughest matchup to date when Kentucky makes its way to Knoxville. The Vols and Wildcats are expected to battle for second place in the east, with both looking to dethrone Georgia for the division’s top spot. Head coach Josh Heupel and quarterback Hendon Hooker are looking to return back to prominence, as are Stoops and his squad. If the stars align just right, this could be one for the ages.
Missouri is bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in the country in 2022, however, is still building under head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. That being said, this is an up-and-coming program that Kentucky can’t take lightly when they match up late in the season. Vanderbilt is another program that seems to be heading in the right direction, however, is also a team Kentucky should be able to handle with little trouble, as long as they don’t look ahead to their following matchup too soon.
Next up is what could be arguably the most important game in program history, depending on how the season plays out up to this point. That being said, if Kentucky can get to nine wins coming into week twelve, then they have a chance to do something special. However, facing the defending SEC east and national champs is going to be a tall order. Georgia lost a lot to the NFL Draft this off-season, but they will not be devoid of talent by any means.
The Bulldogs are an NFL factory full of five-star and high four-star talent. Kentucky could have an advantage in experience, however, which may be their shot to pull off the upset. That being said, beating Georgia will be extremely difficult. However, this is a game they need to win in order to take the next step as a program.
Last but certainly not least is Louisville. Not a lot needs to be said here, this is the quintessential rivalry game for the Wildcats. The Cardinals will be much improved this season and are led by one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC in Malik Cunningham. They will also be hungry for a win that has eluded them for a few years now. Of course, this is also a game always marked on Mark Stoop’s calendar and it should promise to be a fun one.
Conclusion
Even with question marks at the receiver group as well as in the secondary, Mark Stoops should have a very good squad going into 2022. The road won’t be easy, but it should provide a fun ride for the Wildcats and the big blue nation. At most, this season can be one of the most special in recent memory. At the very least, it should lead to another highly successful season ending in a prominent bowl game for Kentucky. For now, the countdown begins for football season in Lexington.
Larry Spicer will produce a weekly column covering both the University of Kentucky Basketball and Football programs for the L4 Security 13th Region Media Network. He is a resident of Corbin, and is married with two daughters. He is a communications major at Eastern Kentucky University and has covered football from the NFL to College since 2017.
