Ranking the Top 100 College Football Teams for 2017: No. 53 Kentucky

In the 100 days leading up to the kickoff of the college football season on Saturday, Aug. 26, HERO Sports is ranking the top 100 teams in the FBS. You can find all the rankings and previews here.

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No. 53 Kentucky

Kentucky hasn't won more than eight games since 1984. They came close last year, narrowly falling to Southern Miss and Georgia by a combined 12 points.

Can they get over the hump this year with 16 returning starters, the deepest roster in the Mark Stoops era, and a relatively friendly schedule? 

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2016 Record: 7-6 (4-4, SEC)

Kentucky opened the season with a home loss to Southern Miss and road demolition at Florida. Their postseason hopes were suddenly bleak and hot seat whispers for Mark Stoops were growing louder.

However, the Wildcats rebounded, winning seven of their final 10 games to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2010. The most impressive win came in the regular-season finale when they won a road shootout with Louisville and soon-to-be Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, 41-38.

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Head Coach: Mark Stoops (5th year, 19-30 overall)

Mark Stoops has recruited like a champion since arriving in 2011, compiling top-40 recruiting classes in all but one year as head coach. However, while the classes are routinely laced with four-star prospects who picked the Wildcats over SEC foes, they are struggling to compete with those SEC foes on- and off-the-field. They have never finished better than 10th in the conference in recruiting and are 8-24 in the SEC in five seasons.

Stoops signed a contract extension this spring that runs through 2022. That contract will automatically extend by one year if he wins 7-9 games and by two years if he wins 10 or more games.

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Key Returning Offensive Players

QB Stephen Johnson, QB Drew Barker, RB Benny Snell Jr., WR Dorian Baker, WR Garrett Johnson, TE C.J. Conrad, OT Cole Mosier, OT Kyle Meadows, G Nick Haynes, C Bunchy Stallings

After incumbent quarterback Stephen Johnson took over for injured starter Drew Barker last season and earned praise during spring practice, it appeared there'd be no competition or controversy during fall camp.

Nope, says Mark Stoops.

“It has to be an open competition,” Stoops said in June. “Drew was the starter coming out of last fall, was doing some really good things and unfortunately got injured. Then, we were really proud of Stephen. The way he came in, competed, put us in a position to win every game and got a heck of a lot better as the season went on.”

Whoever wins the job must provide more through the air. Though the Wildcats averaged 30 points per game and had one of the best rushing offenses in the SEC (234 yards per game), they were unbalanced. The passing game was completely inept in four SEC losses.

Johnson averaged just 7.7 yards per attempt and threw a modest 13 touchdowns in 265 attempts. However, he has the arm strength and can terrorize defenses with play-action passes.

Benny Snell Jr. takes over at running back after a 1,000-yard true freshman season. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns over their final 11 games. Seniors Dorian Baker and Garrett Johnson are back at receiver. Johnson is averaging 15 yards per catch the last two seasons.

Their skill players will be aided by a strong offensive line that lost four-year starting center Jon Toth but returns four starters, including three seniors. 

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Key Returning Defensive Players

DT Matt Elam, DT Adrian Middleton, LB Denzil Ware, LB Courtney Love, LB Jordan Jones, LB Josh Allen, CB Derrick Baity, CB Chris Westry, S Mike Edwards

Kentucky is projected to start 11 upperclassmen on defense, including four juniors in the secondary, led by sure-tackling safety Mike Edwards. A potential All-SEC selection and 2018 draftee, Edwards had 100 tackles, eight passes defended and three interceptions in 2016.

"He's a playmaker. He's like some of these other guys in that he's versatile," Stoops said of Edwards. "I truly believe I could play him at nickel, dime, either safety position and either corner position, and he could play at a high level."

Jordan Jones and Denzil Ware (below) are their most disruptive defenders. The pair combined for 27.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Kentucky fans have been waiting for Matt Elam to break out since the four-star defensive tackle arrived in 2014. He's battled injuries and been unreliable in three seasons, appearing in just 17 games and making 42 total tackles.

Fellow big man Adrian Middleton had a breakout sophomore season, recording 5.5 tackles for loss after playing sparingly in 2015.

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Notable Player Losses

RB Boom Williams, WR Jeff Badet, C Jon Toth, S Marcus McWilson

The Wildcats most notable losses came on offense in running back Boom Williams, receiver Jeff Badet and center Jon Toth. Williams and Toth both signed free-agent NFL contracts, while Badet went to Oklahoma as a grad transfer.

Safety Marcus McWilson — the only departing defender with more than 65 tackles in 2016 — is gone after recording 173 career tackles and four interceptions.

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Notable Player Additions

RB A.J. Rose, DT Kordell Looney, LB Jamar Watson, S Davonte Robinson

A ton of redshirt freshmen are ready to contribute, particularly on defense, where three could earn two-deep places by Week 1.

Kordell Looney, Jamar Watson and Davonte Robinson were three-star recruits in a 2016 class that ranked 33rd in the nation. Robinson is a long, athletic safety (6-foot-2, 187 pounds) who played at Henry Clay High School in Lexington.

Offensively, A.J. Rose is a big back (6-foot-1, 212 pounds) who will compete with junior Sihiem King for No. 2 spot behind Benny Snell.

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Schedule

Kentucky immediately hits the road to play Southern Miss in a rare Power Five at Group of Five season opener. They need revenge after blowing an 18-point halftime lead last year.

Their SEC schedule begins with a Week 3 trip to South Carolina followed a home game vs. Florida a week later, the latter of which begins a stretch of five of six games at home.

They avoid Alabama, Auburn and LSU from the SEC West.