The 2025 college football season is creeping up, and the Tennessee Volunteers are getting ready to tackle a tough schedule. They’ve got big goals—making it back to the College Football Playoff—and plenty of talent to work with.
There’s a lot of pressure on the Vols to stay in the SEC title conversation. One matchup that stands out is against the Kentucky Wildcats, a team hoping to bounce back after a rough 2024.
Let’s take a closer look at where Kentucky stumbled last year and what might be in store for them this time around.
Kentucky Wildcats: A Season to Forget
Kentucky’s 2024 season was pretty brutal. They recorded their fewest wins in a regular (non-pandemic) year since 2013.
The Wildcats managed just one SEC victory and lost to rivals like Tennessee, Louisville, Florida, and Vanderbilt. Offensively, things just didn’t click—they averaged 20.6 points per game, ranking 119th in the country, and sat at 107th in yards per play.
Defensively, it wasn’t much better. Kentucky finished 14th in the SEC for turnover margin and 13th in yards per play allowed.
Key Losses and Struggles
Kentucky started the season at 3-2, but then the wheels kind of fell off. They only won one of their final seven games.
There were some ugly losses: a 20-13 defeat to Diego Pavia, a 48-20 blowout by Florida, and a 41-14 rout from Louisville. The defense held up early, but they couldn’t carry the offense forever.
- Turnover Margin: Minus-7, ranking 14th in the SEC
- Yards Per Play Allowed: 5.80, ranking 13th in the SEC
- Offensive Struggles: Ranked 119th nationally in scoring
Coaching and Personnel Changes
Mark Stoops has led the Wildcats since 2013, making him the longest-tenured coach in the SEC. But after last year, he’s in unfamiliar territory.
Kentucky’s streak of eight straight bowl games ended. Since their second 10-win season in 2021, the Wildcats are just 18-20.
Departure of Vince Marrow
One of the toughest blows came when Vince Marrow—associate head coach and tight ends coach—left for rival Louisville. Marrow was Stoops’ top recruiter and right-hand man.
New Additions and Transfers
After last season’s struggles, Kentucky decided to shake things up. They’ll have more than 40 new faces between a 25-player portal class and a 21-player 2025 recruiting class.
Here are some of the new names to watch:
- Offensive Line: Alex Wollschlaeger (Bowling Green), Shiyazh Pete (New Mexico State)
- Backfield: Dante Dowdell (Nebraska), Seth McGowan (New Mexico State)
- Wide Receivers: Kendrick Law (Alabama), J.J. Hester, Troy Stellato, Ashton Cozart
Quarterback Situation
Quarterback play peaked in the Will Levis years (2021-2022), but since then, it’s been shaky. Last season, Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff and Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt both had their ups and downs.
Zach Calzada: The Wildcard
Looking ahead, Zach Calzada is probably the starter for 2025. He’s been around—this will be his seventh college season.
Calzada lit it up at Incarnate Word with 3,791 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Maybe he’s the steady hand Kentucky’s been missing at quarterback.
Defensive Challenges
Brad White returns for his seventh year as defensive coordinator. But the defense is in a tough spot—they’re bringing back just 55% of last year’s production and only four starters.
Some major departures:
- Deone Walker: Three-time All-SEC defensive tackle
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson: 2024’s leading tackler and Georgia transfer
- D’Eryk Jackson: Veteran linebacker with 216 career tackles
- Zion Childress: Safety with 148 tackles in two years
- J.J. Weaver: Outside linebacker with 21.5 career sacks
Season Outlook
Kentucky’s got a tough road ahead. They’ll need to play a lot better at home in 2025.
The schedule’s rough: home games against Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and Ole Miss; road trips to Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Louisville. Playing well at Kroger Field could make or break their season.
Key Players to Watch
Some names could really shape Kentucky’s season:
- Ja’Mori Maclin: Wide receiver who flashed late in 2024
- Jalen Farmer: Starting right guard
- Josh Kattus: Senior tight end, 14 career starts
- Jager Burton: Four-year starter, moving back to center
- Jamarion Wilcox: Last season’s leading rusher
- Alex Afari Jr.: Senior linebacker, 21 career starts
- Jordan Lovett: Fourth-year starting safety
- JQ Hardaway: Cornerback with 47 tackles in 2024
- Steven Soles Jr.: Outside linebacker, 13 QB pressures
- Daveren Rayner: Linebacker with 126 tackles at Northern Illinois
Conclusion
The Kentucky Wildcats are staring down a pivotal 2025 season. They’re hoping to bounce back after a rough 2024.
There’s a lot of new faces, plus a brutal schedule. Honestly, consistency will be everything if they want to get back to winning in the SEC.
Mark Stoops and his team have their work cut out for them. Will they pull it off? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Want more details? Check out the full article on Tennessee Vols Football Schedule 2025: Opponents at a Glance – Kentucky Wildcats.
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