Kentucky Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

Defense

Nobody was mistaking Kentucky’s defense for Alabama’s last season, but it still held its own. With nine starters returning to the unit, it could be better this year.

It all starts with the Wildcat linebackers. Junior Jordan Jones is a beast from the outside. He led the team in tackles with 109, 15.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. He’s a wrecking machine and his linebacker mates, Josh Allen and Courtney Love, are pretty good in their own right.

In the secondary, junior safety Mike Edwards returns. He was second on the team in tackles a year ago with an even 100, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and eight passes defensed. He could make an even bigger impact this year. At the corners, Chris Westry and Derrick Baity return for their third years as starters. With all that experience early in their careers, they both could have breakout junior years.

Can opposing rushing attacks be stopped?

Last season, Kentucky allowed just over 228 yards per game on the ground, good for 110th in the country. That was also 12th in the SEC, with only Ole Miss and Missouri giving up more yards per game. In nine games they allowed opposing teams to rush for over 200 yards. If the Wildcats want to win eight or more games this season, that must improve and the defensive line has to be the ones to lead it.

Defensive end Denzil Ware is good, but he plays more in the hybrid linebacker role the Wildcats deploy in their 3-4 scheme. The starters appear to be senior Naquez Pringle at nose tackle and  junior Adrian Middleton and sophomore T.J. Carter the end spots. There is not a lot of depth behind them either with some departures, so the main guys have to step up this year to slow down rushing attacks.