The Kentucky-centric 2017 college football season preview
By this point we've said basically everything that needs to be said about Kentucky football going into the UK-USM game on Saturday. But there's a lot more football to be played across the country this weekend and for the rest of the year.
Here's the Kentucky-centric view of the college football landscape. What does that mean?
We're breaking down all college football storylines that would be of interest to any Kentucky fan.
Former Stoops assistant coaches who are elsewhere
As you would expect there are a host of former Kentucky assistant coaches who are trying to make a living at other schools. They're always interesting to follow.
Notably, there's Troy head coach Neal Brown, who put together a 10-win season last year that almost included an epic upset of eventual national champion Clemson. The Trojans start their season on the blue turf at Boise State this weekend. They're about 11-point dogs so not many expect Troy to win that game, but last year they showed they were a fearless team and could be in line for another strong season.
What about other former Mark Stoops' assistant coaches?
Well, there's Shannon Dawson at Southern Miss and everyone knows where he'll be on Saturday. Dawson's got a tough job this year trying to replace Nick Mullens at quarterback, and for the first time in a while there are real questions about the trajectory of the Golden Eagles' program. But Dawson fared well against Kentucky last year.
Former and maligned special teams coordinator Craig Naivar landed on his feet at Houston after a brief stint at Kentucky and that worked out well. From there, he followed Tom Herman to Texas, where he's with the Longhorns in a resurgence effort taking place in Austin.
Texas' first opponent in 2017 is Maryland, where former UK defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh happens to be entering his first year as the co-defensive coordinator. The Terps aren't expected to be one of the Big Ten's better teams but they are, it's worth noting, putting together a very nice 2018 recruiting class. That might not save them in Austin this weekend, however.
Bradley Dale Peveto's long-term future may be uncertain because Ole Miss has the interim head coach setup following Hugh Freeze's unexpected ouster over calls to escort services, rather than all that NCAA chatter.
Derrick Ansley will again be coaching the defensive backs at Alabama. That unit was torched late in the game by Deshaun Watson in the national championship last year but Ansley will be working with tons of talent and his program is, as always, a leading contender to reach the College Football Playoff.
Of course, we've got to mention Cincinnati wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who has still not regained popularity with much of the Kentucky football fan base and has the sometimes-awkward task of recruiting against his former employer. The Bearcats have a young, new staff and they've generated some recruiting momentum but time will tell how they fare on the field.
Former Mark Stoops players showing up elsewhere
Earlier this week there was news that former Kentucky wide receiver Jeff Badet isn't an expected starter at Oklahoma. He's been passed up by a freshman. Badet will still be in the rotation, but it will be interesting to see if he really ends up getting more touches and opportunities with the Sooners than he would have with the Wildcats. Given Dorian Baker's injury and his rapport with Stephen Johnson last year he surely would have figured heavily into the equation had he stayed in Lexington.
Jarrett LaRubbio is entering his redshirt sophomore season at Miami (Ohio) after spending a year at Kentucky.
Former Kentucky quarterback Reese Phillips, who announced his transfer from UK shortly after Patrick Towles did, will be the starting quarterback for Montana. There was some question about who would take most of the Grizzlies' snaps this year but after a strong scrimmage recently it looks like Phillips will be the main guy. He's got some quality targets.
In case you hadn't seen, wide receiver Jabari Greenwood has transferred to Towson. He had a 28-yard receiving touchdown in Towson's last scrimmage.
High profile former Kentucky recruiting targets in the spotlight
It might be an exaggeration to call Alabama a recruiting "rival" because the Tide selects more than they recruit and it's not like Nick Saban has been picking on Mark Stoops. He just makes everyone feel like he's picking on them.
Nonetheless, Kentucky fans will be interested in both Damien Harris and Jedrick Wills this fall. Harris stands to get a lot of carries for one of the SEC's best offenses. He played a big role on Alabama's national runner-up team last season (1,197 yards, only 3 TDs). Meanwhile, Wills, a five-star tackle recruit from Lafayette last year, could be in line to shock everyone and play a lot at right tackle as a true freshman.
Former Kentucky resident and quarterback Elijah Sindelar may be backup going into the season for Purdue (which opens its season against Louisville this weekend), and there are signs he's shown strides. Actually, there's a chance Sindelar plays against the Cardinals.
Another former Kentucky quarterback target, Jarrett Stidham, is the main reason for optimism at Auburn. He transferred from Baylor and could be one of the SEC's most dynamic players.
Scott County defensive back Grayson Miller (Class of 2015) never seemed to be a huge Kentucky target. He's a second-teamer in Michigan State's secondary going into the 2017 season.
Hunter Bivin, a highly-regarded player from Owensboro (Ky.) Apollo's Class of 2013, is a fifth-year senior and a reserve for Notre Dame and expectations for him are only modest this year.
Cole Bentley is a freshman offensive lineman at Louisville who looked to be a starter weeks ago and he could still factor into the equation up front for the Cardinals. Many Kentucky fans were hoping the UK staff would prioritize Bentley but it never happened.
Russ Yeast, son of former Kentucky great Craig Yeast, landed at Louisville and he could be in line to make an impact this season.
The SEC under the microscope?
Plenty of college football pundits believe the ACC was the best conference in college football last season and even if you disagree it seems there's a strong case. Once again, the ACC appears to be capable of challenging the SEC for the honors of the best league in the sport.
It's not like the SEC has taken a big black eye, although the playing field does seem to have leveled a bit since the league's remarkable run of seven consecutive national championships (four different programs). But for SEC fans, coaches and administrators, nothing less than being the best will be comfortable.
The ACC owns a 16-8 record against the SEC in recent years with most of the interconference late-season rivalry games going their way lately. Florida State has exerted mastery over the Gators and Clemson has surged ahead of South Carolina.
Actually, the ACC may have the better defensive lines going into 2017, and the SEC the better quarterbacks. That would be quite a reversal from some recent years.
Recruiting bases, fan support and the SEC leading the college football investment arms race still favors the league in the long run, but for 2017 the battle for the title of "best conference" is up in the air. And that's a rarity in the 21st century.
Elsewhere in the Commonwealth
Kentucky took home the Governor's Cup Trophy for the first time in years after beating Louisville in college football's biggest upset of the 2016 season last fall. Louisville will still likely be a favorite, though much less of one, when the Cardinals travel to Kroger Field for a revenge attempt at the end of this season.
Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson enters the season with, as many have said, surprisingly little hype for someone who's returning after taking home the sport's most prestigious award. His offensive line struggled last season and Louisville followers hope (and expect) the Cards will be improved in the trenches. The Cardinals do sustain significant losses on both sides of the ball and aren't expected to win their half of the ACC (most pundits have picked them third or fourth behind FSU, Clemson and perhaps NC State, a trendy darkhorse pick from some), but most also are saying Louisville is capable of winning any one of those games against their top divisional foes.
Western Kentucky is replacing head coach Jeff Brohm with Mike Sanford Jr., after Brohm led teams to consecutive 8-5, 12-2 and 11-3 records before bolting for Purdue. He said one reason he felt comfortable leaving for West Lafayette, Ind., was the WKU program is set up for major success the next two years and he wants a new challenge. Western Kentucky is a popular pick to win Conference USA for the third consecutive year and that's the easy choice with senior quarterback Mike White returning after throwing for 4,363 yards, 37 touchdowns and seven picks.
