It isn't much of an oversimplification to say that these 3 things must happen. You must recruit high school players with as much talent as your opponents. Then you must develop high school players into overachieving college players. Then, your coaches must out-coach the coaches on the other team, meaning preparation as well as adjustments. Stoops is signing Kentucky's best recruiting classes since the 1970s. Without cheating, it is almost impossible for a school in a small state like Kentucky to out-recruit Alabama, T A&M, Florida, Georgia. But we can out-recruit Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas. Over time, we should be able to hold our own against Tennessee and the Mississippi schools. In theory, this means that effective player development and shrewd coaching can make Kentucky an upper tier SEC team. We aren't there yet, but our fans tend to overlook something. The overwhelming majority of Stoops recruits on Kentucky's 2015 roster were still freshmen and sophomores. I consider 2016 another rebuilding year. Others disagree, but patience is a virtue. I believe things will really begin to stabilize for Stoops in 2017, by which time Gran will be in his 2nd year at Kentucky, quarterback play should be better, and both of our lines will be much better. Football games are usually won or lost by the big guys in the trenches.
Where we are at as a program (very short)
- Thread starter Levibooty
- Start date
It isn't much of an oversimplification to say that these 3 things must happen. You must recruit high school players with as much talent as your opponents. Then you must develop high school players into overachieving college players. Then, your coaches must out-coach the coaches on the other team, meaning preparation as well as adjustments. Stoops is signing Kentucky's best recruiting classes since the 1970s. Without cheating, it is almost impossible for a school in a small state like Kentucky to out-recruit Alabama, T A&M, Florida, Georgia. But we can out-recruit Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas. Over time, we should be able to hold our own against Tennessee and the Mississippi schools. In theory, this means that effective player development and shrewd coaching can make Kentucky an upper tier SEC team. We aren't there yet, but our fans tend to overlook something. The overwhelming majority of Stoops recruits on Kentucky's 2015 roster were still freshmen and sophomores. I consider 2016 another rebuilding year. Others disagree, but patience is a virtue. I believe things will really begin to stabilize for Stoops in 2017, by which time Gran will be in his 2nd year at Kentucky, quarterback play should be better, and both of our lines will be much better. Football games are usually won or lost by the big guys in the trenches.
Good perspective. IMO this offense has a chance to control the clock more than in previous years which will help the defense out a lot. By any measure this years team is deeper, and more talented then the previous 2 Stoops teams that have only missed a bowl game by a play or two. so "making it to a bowl" sounds to me like not only an achievable mark but something that should be reasonably expected. I think this team does have the potential to break out and reach a bit higher goal than that, but that's simply conjuncture at this point. You are right that come 2017 we should be a very strong team that is competitive against most all of our opponents.
It befuddled me that coach Stoops was a successful defensive coach using a four down lineman set and has recruited primarily offensive players while changing to a three four set that neither he nor his coordinator had re recruited for or had a history coaching.....all the talk of multiple sets to the side.
I get the feeling that the staff was hoping that beloved air raid phrase would buy some wins....trouble is he was using it in a conference where EVERY other team has Sunday bound players and experienced defensive coordinators that are practicing against better offensive players on their own teams every day.......so whatever gimmick offense the Cats tried half heartedly to run ended up in the burn pile.
And on the largest part....the coaching staff lost the players. Not a team. No cohesiveness. You could almost tell no faith in the game plan. Or was there a game plan......
I also think what we might be seeing this year is not Mark Stoops fourth year.
It's Eddie Grans first as a head coach...not in waiting, not in title...but the man in charge.
I get the feeling that the staff was hoping that beloved air raid phrase would buy some wins....trouble is he was using it in a conference where EVERY other team has Sunday bound players and experienced defensive coordinators that are practicing against better offensive players on their own teams every day.......so whatever gimmick offense the Cats tried half heartedly to run ended up in the burn pile.
And on the largest part....the coaching staff lost the players. Not a team. No cohesiveness. You could almost tell no faith in the game plan. Or was there a game plan......
I also think what we might be seeing this year is not Mark Stoops fourth year.
It's Eddie Grans first as a head coach...not in waiting, not in title...but the man in charge.
Gracious, I have no idea where this obviously heartfelt comment is going, but the poster is passionate with his thoughts.
Yeah it's kind of like lets disregard everything we've learned about why Dawson was hired to start with and why he was replaced with Stoops first choice at this time. Passion can lead to casualties by friendly fire.
The one thing you can count on every year some Kentucky football fan is going to be wanting to fire somebody as if that has never been tried before. I just want some upper level DL to commit!
I agree Fish but an even worse problem was open field tackling, that is an area that I want to see improve.
As much as I want to get excited about the direction of the program, we're coming off a second half of the season collapse for the second straight year. And last year's first half included games like EKU where we were lucky to escape with a win.
I do believe that with even a mildly competent offense, we're 2 wins better at least, but thus far, no one under Stoops has been able to field a mildly competent offense. I also think that Stoops needs to get better as a sideline coach. He has to stop screwing up with clock and game management.
But I do like the recruits we have brought in and are bringing in. I do like the new hires. I like how our secondary is shaping up....for the first time in decades, seemingly. At some point, one of our well-thought of QB recruits will live up to their hype- same goes for the receivers. And we're finally getting some good OL recruits. So there's potential for improvement. I will hold out hope, but I won't expect much until I see it one the field.
But just in the same way you expect players to improve year over year, I expect Stoops to improve. I expect Barker has the skills to become a good QB. I think our WRs have the talent to succeed. We're a little thin in the trenches, which never bodes well, but our skill positions are as athletic and full of raw talent as they've been in some time. That's progress. that's a reason for hope.
I do believe that with even a mildly competent offense, we're 2 wins better at least, but thus far, no one under Stoops has been able to field a mildly competent offense. I also think that Stoops needs to get better as a sideline coach. He has to stop screwing up with clock and game management.
But I do like the recruits we have brought in and are bringing in. I do like the new hires. I like how our secondary is shaping up....for the first time in decades, seemingly. At some point, one of our well-thought of QB recruits will live up to their hype- same goes for the receivers. And we're finally getting some good OL recruits. So there's potential for improvement. I will hold out hope, but I won't expect much until I see it one the field.
But just in the same way you expect players to improve year over year, I expect Stoops to improve. I expect Barker has the skills to become a good QB. I think our WRs have the talent to succeed. We're a little thin in the trenches, which never bodes well, but our skill positions are as athletic and full of raw talent as they've been in some time. That's progress. that's a reason for hope.
Very well articulated post Sir. I hope to read more like this. In the near future I see Kentucky having a roster of experienced talent, I am hoping that this year is the start of that rise in numbers. Not just talented players throughout both offense and defense but seasoned, mature, and developed talent. That is what we play against in the SEC.