Kentucky football post-scrimmage quotes
The first scrimmage of fall camp is always a measuring stick — not just for individual players, but for the direction of the team. After Kentucky’s opening fall scrimmage of 2025, head coach Mark Stoops made it clear which group will determine the Wildcats’ fate this season: the offensive line.
“We have to be one unit there. We have to be cohesive and have some depth,” Stoops said. “I feel like we’re getting there.”
It’s no secret Kentucky’s offensive front struggled in every game last year, especially in short-yardage situations. Stoops wants that fixed. “In obvious run situations, we have to be better. Third-and-one or fourth-and-one — that’s a high percentage run. We have to be more effective than we were a year ago. I feel like we’re making strides.”
That progress, he says, is starting to show up in camp. “We need to improve on the offensive line and we need to run the ball like we used to. I saw some of that today and it helped us mix things up a little more.”
But Stoops is cautious about drawing conclusions too early. “In a scrimmage, you want to see one side do well because they’re doing something exceptional, not because the other side’s inept,” he explained. “Sometimes it’s hard to judge whether a play was a true sack or not. That’s why we’ve got to keep evaluating.”
Kentucky’s run game could be anchored by transfer Seth McGowan, but it all starts up front. If the line improves, it opens everything — play-action for Zach Calzada, lanes for backs, and tempo control late in games. The run game will be the key.
“I’m starting to see more quality football,” Stoops said. Whether that translates into wins will be decided soon enough. The first real test comes Aug. 30 against Toledo.