JD PicKell: Kentucky football has belief in SEC East chances

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater08/18/22

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Kentucky football is arguably in one of the best positions in program history. After only two 10 plus win seasons in school history, the Wildcats have now done it twice in the last four years. They’re also on the program’s longest streak of postseason appearances with six and postseason wins with four. Based on his assessment of the program, On3’s JD PicKell thinks that the Wildcats believe it’s their time.

PicKell broke down Kentucky’s confidence in a recent episode of ‘The Hard Count’. He says Kentucky is completely bought in to the idea that they’ll be the East’s representative in the SEC title game.

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“The internal feeling is confident and now let’s put in the work,” said PicKell. “Kentucky, in house, feels very strongly that they’re going to Atlanta. They feel very strongly they can win the East, something that hasn’t been done at Kentucky in a long time.”

The culture and identity around the Kentucky program has completely shifted under Mark Stoops. The Wildcats have spent the last decade from bottom-dweller to one of the SEC’s best. What’s different about this season is the pieces that are still intact.

Stoops hired Rich Scangarello to replace Liam Coen as Kentucky’s OC and maintain their offense. On defense, they kept DeAndre Square, JJ Weaver and Jacquez Jones from their linebacker position. They kept their most important piece offensively too with Will Levis heading into his senior season at quarterback. Those pieces specifically is what has the Bluegrass faithful buzzing according to JD PicKell.

“They feel like they have the pieces to do it. If you look at the critical pieces, they’ve gotten a lot of those boxes checked,” PicKell said. “(There’s) a lot of guys coming back at the linebacking corp, three fourths of it in fact, from a defense that allowed around 21-22 points a game last season. They have their head coach who has been their fearless leader in Mark Stoops and you have a quarterback who a lot of people in the NFL Draft world are saying is going to be the first quarterback taken in Will Levis.”

The AP Poll has had Kentucky ranked three of the last four seasons including a high of No. 11 in 2018 and 2021. That is the level the Wildcats believe they’re at now and they’re ready to break through. In a deep SEC, Kentucky will have to remain consistent in order to reach the expectations they’ve set for themselves. Regardless of the competition, though, JD PicKell says the Wildcats are under the impression that this is their opportunity. It’s now up to them to take it in 2022.

“You have the defense taken care of, your head coach very much taken care of, and you believe you have the guy at quarterback at Kentucky. They think they now have all the pieces in place to get over the top and to go ahead and win the SEC East.”