Not a Surprise-The one thing Mark Stoops has to get done to stabilize the Kentucky football program

The Key Task Mark Stoops Must Address to Stabilize Kentucky Football

Mark Stoops faces a crucial challenge to stabilize the Kentucky football program: addressing the offensive line. Kentucky’s offense has struggled with inconsistency in recent years, largely due to frequent changes at the offensive coordinator (OC) position. Since 2020, UK has had five different offensive coordinators, including non-consecutive terms for Liam Coen and Eric Wolford. This constant turnover has been detrimental to the offense’s development.

In 2024, under offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, Kentucky’s offense posted some of its worst statistics, averaging just 14.1 points and 269.9 yards per game against power conference teams. However, Stoops appears to value continuity and has indicated that Hamdan will return for the 2025 season. Stoops highlighted the need for stability, noting that the team has been successful on defense due to consistency in that area, and he believes a similar approach on offense is crucial for improvement.

The primary issue for Kentucky’s offense in 2024 was the poor performance of the offensive line, which struggled both in pass protection and in creating scoring opportunities. The Wildcats gave up 35 sacks in 2024, ranking among the worst in the FBS, and failed to generate significant red zone success. In contrast, Kentucky’s offensive line in 2021, which included future NFL players, created 40 red zone opportunities and scored on 35 of them. In 2024, they only managed 18 red zone drives and scored on just 12.

Stoops has acknowledged that Kentucky’s guards, including Jager Burton and Jalen Farmer, provide a solid foundation, but the team needs to improve at center and tackle positions. The Wildcats will need to recruit talent to bolster the tackle spots, which Stoops has identified as a priority.

While decisions about the quarterback position, including whether freshman Cutter Boley will start, are important, Stoops’ main focus for the offseason must be the offensive line. Addressing this issue will be key to turning around Kentucky’s offense and giving the team a better chance of success in 2025.