Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Making the case for why Kentucky football will be better than last season in 2025

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 5:30 PM ET

The Kentucky football season is set to kick off on Saturday against the Toledo Rockets, and the buzz doesn't seem to be there for fans. There isn't a lot of belief that Kentucky is going to have a good season, and it seems like some members of Big Blue Nation are ready to move on to basketball season.

There is no doubt that the football team has had its fair share of struggles over the last few seasons, especially last season when the Wildcats went 4-8, winning one SEC game.

The schedule this season for the Wildcats is much harder, as it is one of the top ten hardest schedules in all of college football. Knowing how challenging the schedule is this season for the Wildcats, there isn't a ton of belief in this football team, but should there be?

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Is Kentucky Football better than last season?

As previously mentioned, last season wasn't great for the Kentucky Wildcats as they only won one football game in SEC play and had some ugly losses. This offseason, it really does seem like the Wildcats got better.

The defense at Kentucky has been solid for a while now, as it was last season, and all signs point to this being the case again this season. Kentucky returned a lot of star defenders and added players at positions of need. Kentucky's defense should be a top-half defense in the SEC this season.

Offensive line play was atrocious last season, and the staff did a good job of adding players via the portal to fix this hole including new left tackle Shiyazh Pete. The Wildcats lost receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key in the portal, but Alabama transfer Kendrick Law is going to be excellent.

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The big question mark on this offense will be at the most important position, which is quarterback. Zach Calzada was just named QB1 for the Kentucky Wildcats, and the Incarnate Word transfer is ready for his third stop in the SEC. If Calzada exceeds expectations, this is how the Kentucky Wildcats could find themselves playing in a bowl game.

Knowing the Wildcats play one of the toughest schedules in college football, making a bowl game will be tough, but on paper, this 2025 team looks better than the one we saw last season.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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