Portal season is when “we should be better next year” turns into “prove it.” And a new coaching staff, with the head coach still coaching in the College Football Playoffs, has its work cut out for it.
For Kentucky football, the first priority is simple. The defense has to get harder to play against. There is just no way around it. Brad White's unit was far too easy to score on last year, and that is partially the reason Mark Stoops was fired.
They can't be “looks good on paper” harder.
Saturday harder. Harder when it matters in the red zone.
Kentucky football needs linebacker production that ends drives
Linebacker is where defenses either stay on schedule or fall apart.
If Kentucky wants to be more consistent in 2026, it needs linebackers who tackle cleanly, communicate checks, and don’t get stretched to death in space. We have already picked the player, the Cats need to go after, you can read more about Austin Romaine here.
The portal pitch here is straightforward: come play early, come play a lot, and come be a centerpiece instead of a rotational hope.
You don’t rebuild a defense with projects at linebacker. You rebuild it with grown-ups.
Kentucky football needs secondary help that actually holds up
Every fan base says it.
“We need corners.”
Kentucky needs corners for the reason everyone does: because the sport is designed to embarrass you on the outside if you can’t cover. Better coverage buys time for the pass rush. Better coverage makes third-and-medium feel survivable.
And when you add that to a coaching staff trying to install a new identity, having a back end that can hold up is the difference between “promising” and “functional.”
The portal is where Kentucky can change the feel quickly
Development is still necessary. Recruiting still matters.
But the portal is how Kentucky can change the tone of the roster in one offseason with proven college snaps.
This window can’t be wasted on maybes.
It has to be used on players who’ve already shown they can take the air out of a drive.