Kentucky Football: Five questions before UK's turn at SEC Media Days
Mark Stoops steps up to the main podium at SEC Media Days on Thursday and he'll be bringing Drake Jackson, Kash Daniel and Lynn Bowden along to speak with reporters as well.
The quartet will have plenty of opportunities to answer questions but here are five questions we can safely assume they will have the opportunity to address.
1. How do you replace Josh Allen, Benny Snell and that secondary and still have another successful season?
These are all going to be questions you've read about before and this is the No. 1 topic that has been hanging over the program since the end of the Citrus Bowl.
We know who the players in line to be replacements are. JUCOs in the secondary, Cedrick Dort, AJ Rose, Kavosiey Smoke, Jordan Wright, Boogie Watson, etc.
Kentucky has improved depth and talent but how do you replace stars?
2. Is Terry Wilson ready to take the next step in his development as a quarterback?
The great hope for Kentucky football in 2019, beyond the way the schedule sets up, is that the offense improves enough to offset whatever defensive regression might be coming.
And one of the reasons that might be used to justify that hope is the return of quarterback Terry Wilson. He had his struggles last year; plenty of them. But there were bright spots and silver linings as well.
He will have a strong offensive line, a deep tight end corps, Lynn Bowden and some talent in the backfield around him to help him excel. Wilson's development could define Kentucky's season.
3. What kind of defensive coordinator will Brad White be and what differences might come with Matt House's departure?'
Matt House wanted to be an NFL coach more than he wanted to work at the college level.
It's always tough to tell exactly how much an assistant coach had to do with his unit's success because talent, development and experience are all ingredients that go into the final product as well.
But the numbers looked good for House. Just 16.8 PPG allowed, only 14 touchdown passes by opposing quarterbacks and a lot more stats that set a new bar in the recent history of the program.
The Brad White hire as House's replacement was immediately recognized as a possibility because of the work he did with Josh Allen but also his strengths as a communicator and teacher of the game, dating back to his own time as an NFL assistant.
White seems to have Stoops' full confidence but a new dynamic will have to be forged between the head coach and the defensive coordinator, throughout the week during game prep and on Saturdays as they scheme and make adjustments.
4. Just how good is the defensive line going to be?
If Terry Wilson's development and some nice returning talent on offense is one reason to believe Kentucky could sustain some serious losses, another is the possibility that the defensive line takes a big step forward.
Kentucky does have to replace Adrian Middleton and Tymere Dubose up front, but almost everyone returns. Included in "almost everyone" are a number of players who could be prepared to take their games to the next level, including Quinton Bohanna and Calvin Taylor.
The Wildcats' second string defensive line in 2019 may be good enough to have been the starting line on a number of teams in previous years.
5. Has Kentucky football earned more respect than it is currently being given?
This has been a question that has followed Kentucky as the program has improved in recent years. It was easy to write off Kentucky's bowl appearances during 2016 and 2017 when the Cats finished 7-6.
But a 10-3 season still hasn't converted a lot of outsiders into believers, with Florida and Missouri more trendy picks in the East going into 2019.