Kentucky football ranked No. 11 in PFF's preseason power rankings
Let the preseason hype continue to grow.
Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus unveiled its 2022 College Football Preview Magazine for the upcoming fall season. The nearly 300-page breakdown goes in-depth on all of the Power Five teams, highlighting areas such as season projections and strength of schedule. The massive preview also power ranked all 130 Divison I programs ahead of the season, where the Kentucky Wildcats came in at No. 11 overall.
Along with Kentucky’s optimistic preseason ranking, PFF projects Kentucky to win 8.0 regular season games this year with a 3.0 percent chance to win the Southeastern Conference outright. The magazine harps on the need for quarterback Will Levis to have a big season, but adds that the brakes need to be tapped a bit on his potential. PFF is high on Levis, but also asks to temper expectations.
With that in mind, PFF does expect a “smidge” of a decline from last season’s 10-win Kentucky squad.
Will Levis is one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the country — he eats bananas with the peel on, puts mayonnaise in his coffee and is a dynamic athlete with an insane release. The final point is the reason why he is pegged as a top prospect in next year’s draft class. That said, there’s a reasonable argument to be made that Levis’ hype is a bit premature, as he needs to emphasize fully utilizing his arm talent in 2022. The Kentucky quarterback will have a sturdy rushing attack around him due to running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s return. No SEC rushing offense generated a higher success rate in 2021 than Kentucky, and expectations are that it will be close to the same in 2022. This team’s biggest concern is on the defensive side of the ball, specifically at cornerback. Carrington Valentine is the only returning Wildcat cornerback who has significant experience, and he earned a sub-60.0 PFF grade in 2021. Tha’s an issue.
PFF’s 2022 College Football Preview Magazine
PFF detailed three of Kentucky’s biggest strengths and weaknesses for next season, as well. The team’s strengths consist of a strong run game, impressive interior offensive lineman, and a deep wide receiver room. As for the weaknesses, PFF points to a regression in pass protection, the lack of depth at corner, and a less-spectacular pass rush than a season ago.
There is plenty of additional information on the 2022 Kentucky packed into this preview too, including notes on DL Justin Rogers (who is listed as a potential breakout player), S Tyrell Ajian, transfer WR Tayvion Robinson, and plenty of others.
If you have a subscription to PFF, you can download the entire magazine through the link here.
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