Wildcats look to get dialed in and physically ready for 2025
The first full week of fall camp is in the books, and Mark Stoops likes what he’s seeing so far.
“I thought we made some strides offensively,” Stoops said after Kentucky’s Media Day and Fan Day festivities. “Better attention to detail. It’s still early, but (we had a) good first week.” The offense did struggle a bit early on with several misplaced throws and some interceptions given up. That will need to continue to get better.
The Wildcats are less than a month away from kicking off the 2025 season against Toledo on Aug. 30. Early practices have focused on fundamentals, tempo, and toughness—the bedrock of Stoops-era football.
“We have to be physical,” Stoops said. “We have to be able to run the football.”
That starts up front. Kentucky’s offensive line struggled in 2024 but looks retooled and refocused. Stoops noted the group’s size, strength, and commitment to creating depth behind the starters.
The defense—particularly the secondary—is also drawing praise.
“I don’t want to get the cart in front of the horse, but I feel like the secondary can be really good,” Stoops said. “We need to keep them healthy and develop some depth.”
That would be a massive leap forward after a 2024 campaign that saw Kentucky finish 112th nationally in completion percentage allowed (66.0%). If the Cats want to improve on last year’s 4–8 finish, they must get off the field on third downs.
This year’s group seems dialed in. Football IQ is a major focus.
“We’re spending extra time at night just working on two-minute situations, third down, specialty blitzes,” Stoops said.
With veterans on both sides of the ball and promising newcomers pushing the depth chart, there’s cautious optimism in Lexington.
“We’re further along,” Stoops repeated multiple times. That might not sound like much, but after a season of breakdowns and missed assignments, it could be everything.