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Kentucky Football Picked to Finish 15th in the SEC, One Earns All-SEC Nod

Nick-Roush-headshotby: Nick Roush07/19/25RoushKSR
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Gary Cosby Jr. via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Kentucky was one of the least talked-about teams at SEC Media Days. That sentiment was reflected in the preseason polls.

Members of the media submitted ballots from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and did not give the Wildcats a vote of confidence. Ahead of Mark Stoops’ 13th season in Lexington, Kentucky was picked to finish 15th in the SEC. Only Mississippi State, who’s entering year two with Jeff Lebby, was behind UK.

The Wildcats were picked near the bottom of the SEC East numerous times. Last year was the first without divisions in decades, and Kentucky came in at No. 11.

In addition to the final standings predictions, the folks at SEC Media Days also picked their preseason all-conference teams. When you’re picked to finish at the bottom of the league, you’re probably not going to have very many All-SEC players.

Kentucky only has one All-SEC selection. Punter Aidan Laros is a Third-Team punter, who’s still working on his toughness. He was actually tied with another punter, Arkansas’ Devin Bale.

Kentucky got some bulletin board material at SEC Media Days. Mark Stoops has been at his best as an underdog. It’s a role his football team relishes.

“I’m going to go out there and we’re going to swing. You know what I mean? We got a lot of work to do. We have an incredibly challenging schedule, but bring it on,” Stoops said in Atlanta. “Let’s embrace it, have fun with it and attack each and every day.”

SEC Predicted Order of Finish

SchoolPoints
Texas3060
Georgia2957
Alabama2783
LSU2668
South Carolina2109
Florida1986
Ole Miss1979
Texas A&M1892
Tennessee1700
Oklahoma1613
Auburn1272
Missouri1170
Vanderbilt936
Arkansas764
Kentucky512
Mississippi State343

2025 Preseason All-SEC Teams


OFFENSE

First-Team
QB – LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
RB – Quintrevion Wisner, Texas
RB –  Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M   
WR – Ryan Williams, Alabama    
WR – Cam Coleman, Auburn
TE – Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
OL – Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
OL – Cayden Green, Missouri
OL – DJ Campbell, Texas 
OL – Austin Barber, Florida
C – Jake Slaughter, Florida  

Second-Team
QB –Garrett Nussmeier, LSU  
RB – Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma
RB – Caden Durham, LSU
WR – Aaron Anderson, LSU
WR – Ryan Wingo, Texas
TE – Oscar Delp, Georgia
OL – Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M    
OL – Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M    
OL – Jaeden Roberts, Alabama   
OL – Fernando Carmona Jr., Arkansas
C –  Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Third-Team
QB – Arch Manning, Texas 
RB – Nate Frazier, Georgia  
RB – Jam Miller, Alabama
WR – Eric Singleton, Auburn
WR – Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
TE – Jack Endries, Texas     
OL – Earnest Greene III, Georgia 
OL – Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
OL –  Xavier Chaplin, Auburn
OL – Trevor Goosby, Texas
C – Connor Lew, Auburn   

DEFENSE

First-Team
DL – Keldric Faulk, Auburn    
DL – Dylan Stewart, South Carolina    
DL – Colin Simmons, Texas  
DL – Christian Miller, Georgia 
LB – Anthony Hill Jr., Texas       
LB – Whit Weeks, LSU    
LB – CJ Allen, Georgia 
DB – KJ Bolden, Georgia   
DB – Michael Taaffe, Texas    
DB – Daylen Everette, Georgia    
DB – Jermod McCoy, Tennessee     

Second-Team
DL – Caleb Banks, Florida
DL – Tim Keenan III, Alabama   
DL – LT Overton, Alabama
DL – R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
LB – Deontae Lawson, Alabama
LB – Harold Perkins, LSU    
LB – Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss    
DB – Malik Muhammad, Texas    
DB – Domani Jackson, Alabama    
DB – Will Lee III, Texas A&M  
DB –  Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina  

Third-Team
DL – Tyreak Sapp, Florida
DL – Trey Moore, Texas
DL – Cam Ball, Arkansas
DL – Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss  
LB – Taurean York, Texas A&M   
LB – Arion Carter, Tennessee    
LB – Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss 
DB – Keon Sabb, Alabama  
DB – Boo Carter, Tennessee  
DB – Bray Hubbard, Alabama
DB – Isaac Smith, Mississippi State

SPECIALISTS

First-Team
P – Brett Thorson, Georgia  
PK – Peyton Woodring, Georgia   
LS – Beau Gardner, Georgia 
KS – Peyton Woodring, Georgia 
RS – Zachariah Branch, Georgia     
AP – Zachariah Branch, Georgia  

Second-Team
P – Jack Bouwmeester, Texas
*PK – Trey Smack, Florida  
*PK – Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
LS – Rocco Underwood, Florida
KS – Trey Smack, Florida
RS – Barion Brown, LSU    
AP –  Zavion Thomas, LSU

Third-Team
*P – Devin Bale, Arkansas
*P – Aidan Laros, Kentucky  
PK – Alex McPherson, Auburn  
LS – Ben Anderson, Oklahoma
KS – Will Stone, Texas
RS – Zavion Thomas, LSU    
*AP – Eugene Wilson III, Florida
*AP – Jadan Baugh, Florida
* – Indicates a tie

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2025-08-02