Texas Longhorns vs. Kentucky Wildcats Way-Too-Early Preview: Players to Watch

After a 4-8 finish in 2024, the Kentucky Wildcats endured an offseason of personnel change.

Last year, the Wildcats faced three College Football Playoff qualifiers -- the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers -- as well as two teams only spots away in the Ole Miss Rebels and South Carolina Gamecocks. Clashing with the same conference opponents as last year, just with reversed venues, Kentucky has the ninth-toughest schedule in college football according to On3's Phil Steele.

With 31 outgoing transfers and 25 incoming transfers between last season and this one, new Wildcats will be in some of the most important positions for coach Mark Stoops in 2025. Here are five Kentucky players, all in fact newcomers, to watch in their matchup against Texas on Oct. 18:

QB Zach Calzada

Calzada, a seventh-year senior, is now at Kentucky after spending time as a Texas A&M Aggie, Auburn Tiger and Incarnate Word Cardinal. Last year, the Buford, Georgia-native accumulated 3,744 passing yards with a 35:9 touchdown-interception ratio for the Cardinals, good enough to prompt a return to the Southeastern Conference to close his collegiate career. Calzada also added 332 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

The Wildcats' new quarterback will likely challenge Texas's defense more than Kentucky's signal callers did in their game last season, as Cutter Boley and Brock Vandagriff only totaled a combined 13 completions against the Longhorns. If Kentucky is to create an upset story against Texas, Calzada will have to be the one to spur it.

RB Dante Dowdell

Dowdell spent his first two years of college football as an Oregon Duck and a Nebraska Cornhusker. Last year as a Cornhusker, Dowdell rushed for 614 yards and 12 touchdowns, though he did it at an unimpressive 4.3 yards per carry average. Now, he forms a backfield tandem with Calzada in Lexington, looking to improve a run game that was bottom five in the SEC in 2024.

In their matchup at Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium last season, the Longhorns outrushed the Wildcats 251 yards to 21 yards, controlling the flow of the game. At Kroger Field this time around, the Wildcats will have to compete better on the ground against Texas's defense to have a chance. That effort will need to come primarily from the bruiser Dowdell, who will be running behind an offensive line updated with transfers.

WR Kendrick Law

As a four-star prospect out of Louisiana, Law committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide and spent three seasons in Tuscaloosa. Law never really got his footing as a pass-catcher in the Crimson Tide offense, recording only 33 receptions total. In his junior year, he gathered 10 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.

He has made the move to Lexington for his senior collegiate season, where he can expect a much bigger role. As one of the fastest guys in college football, Law has the ability to open up the field as a receiver, an explosiveness out of the slot that Texas will have to keep an eye on. The connection between Calzada and Law could have a notable impact on Oct. 18.

EDGE Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace

After three seasons with the South Dakota Coyotes, Humphrey-Grace goes to Kentucky as 247Sports' No. 9-ranked edge rusher in the transfer portal. In his redshirt sophomore at South Dakota, he had 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, earning first-team FCS All-American honors.

Now making his way to the SEC, Humphrey-Grace will look to help Kentucky wreak more havoc on opposing quarterbacks than the Wildcats did a year ago. No player at Kentucky had more than five sacks last season, and the Wildcats only had one sack on Quinn Ewers and four tackles for loss at DKR. Pressuring Arch Manning will be vital to their upset hopes in Lexington, with Humphrey-Grace undoubtedly a factor in that.

DT David Gusta

Gusta was the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 26 player overall in the portal, per 247Sports, after spending four years with the Washington State Cougars. He started 23 games for Washington State over the past two seasons, becoming an imposing player at the defensive tackle position.

With how Kentucky struggled against the run against Texas last season, Gusta will play a big role in the trenches to try to prevent a similar outcome from happening. At 6-3 and 317 pounds, Gusta is a force to be reckoned with at nose tackle and his strength will be a focus point for Texas's interior offensive line.