Mark Stoops, the football coach at Kentucky, has a lot of work ahead of him in 2025.

Entering his 13th full season as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, Mark Stoops stands at a critical juncture in 2025. He’s the longest-tenured coach in program history and the winningest by a comfortable margin, but the pressure is mounting. Stoops has overseen a transformative era for Kentucky football, lifting it from SEC basement dweller status into a respectable middle-tier competitor. But recent seasons have brought more questions than answers, and the expectations in Lexington have never been higher.

After back-to-back 7-6 finishes in 2022 and 2023, followed by a disappointing 6-7 season in 2024—including a bowl loss that left a sour taste—the fanbase is hungry for more than mediocrity. Kentucky is a basketball school by heritage, but the passion for football has steadily risen thanks to Stoops’ earlier success. Yet, as the Wildcats prepare for the 2025 campaign, it’s clear: Stoops has a lot of work ahead of him.

A New SEC, A New Reality

The 2025 season marks a significant turning point in the Southeastern Conference. With the arrival of Texas and Oklahoma and the elimination of the East-West divisional format, the league has never been more competitive—or unforgiving. The expanded 16-team SEC is a gauntlet. No longer can Kentucky bank on beating up on weaker East teams like Vanderbilt or South Carolina to stay afloat. Every Saturday is a battle against a national contender.

This restructuring also brings about an identity crisis for teams like Kentucky. Without divisional play, there’s no straightforward path to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. The Wildcats must now find a way to distinguish themselves in a crowded field that includes Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and now Texas and Oklahoma.

For Stoops, this means that merely being good isn’t enough. Kentucky must be great—consistently.

Quarterback Carousel: Finding the Guy

Perhaps the most pressing concern heading into 2025 is the quarterback position. Since Will Levis departed for the NFL after the 2022 season, Kentucky has struggled to find stability under center. Devin Leary’s 2023 campaign was riddled with inconsistency. Brock Vandagriff, the former Georgia transfer expected to be the answer in 2024, failed to meet expectations despite flashes of brilliance.

Now, Kentucky enters 2025 still searching for “the guy.” Stoops brought in another transfer this offseason—former four-star QB Tyler Macon from Missouri—and the staff is high on redshirt freshman Cutter Boley, a Kentucky native with a strong arm and poise beyond his years. The spring game showed promise, with Boley making strides, but a true starter has yet to emerge.

Stoops and offensive coordinator Liam Coen, back for another stint in Lexington after his previous success in 2021, must settle on a quarterback quickly. Without stability at the game’s most important position, any hopes of contention in the new-look SEC will be dashed before the season even begins.

Offensive Line: Rebuilding the Big Blue Wall

Another major challenge lies in the trenches. The “Big Blue Wall”—once the backbone of Kentucky’s offense and a nationally respected unit—has taken a step back in recent seasons. Injuries, transfers, and recruiting misses have thinned the depth and talent.

In 2025, Stoops and offensive line coach Zach Yenser must reignite that identity. The Wildcats are bringing in three JUCO linemen and two high school signees who are expected to contribute immediately. Left tackle Marques Cox is back for a sixth year, providing veteran leadership, but the rest of the line is a work in progress.

The run game, once a staple of Stoops’ smashmouth philosophy, has struggled as a result of poor line play. Ray Davis’ departure to the NFL only compounds that issue. Sophomore running back Jason Moore and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward will need room to operate if Kentucky is to return to a physical, run-first identity.

Wide Receivers and Playmakers

If there’s a silver lining to Kentucky’s offense, it’s the talent at wide receiver. Barion Brown and Dane Key form one of the more electric duos in the SEC. Both players have the speed to stretch the field and the experience to lead by example. Tayvion Robinson may be gone, but sophomore Anthony Brown-Stephens and incoming freshman Kylan Fox add depth and explosiveness.

However, all the receiver talent in the world won’t matter if the quarterback play is erratic or the offensive line can’t protect. Stoops knows this, which is why there’s a renewed emphasis on simplifying the offense and allowing playmakers to get the ball in space quickly.

Defensive Rebuild Underway

Stoops’ background is defense, and Kentucky has traditionally been solid on that side of the ball during his tenure. But 2024 saw the Wildcats surrender over 27 points per game, their worst mark since 2016. The front seven struggled against the run, and the secondary was prone to giving up big plays.

In response, Stoops hired former Michigan State co-DC Harlon Barnett as the new defensive coordinator. The early reviews have been positive—players are responding well to his aggressive 4-2-5 scheme, which emphasizes speed and versatility. Linebackers Trevin Wallace and D’Eryk Jackson are back and healthy, giving the defense a strong spine. On the backend, safety Zion Childress and cornerback Maxwell Hairston will need to anchor a young but talented secondary.

Stoops is also hoping that five-star linebacker Amari Jefferson, a surprise commitment late in the 2024 cycle, can contribute early. His athleticism and instincts make him a potential game-changer.

Culture Check: Motivation and Buy-In

Beyond the Xs and Os, Stoops faces perhaps his most difficult challenge: re-energizing the locker room and the fanbase. The apathy that crept in during the 2024 campaign was palpable. Crowds at Kroger Field dwindled late in the year. Frustration with offensive stagnation and defensive lapses boiled over on social media. Even Stoops himself sounded weary at times in press conferences, prompting speculation about whether he might pursue other jobs or consider a sabbatical.

To his credit, Stoops has embraced the challenge. This offseason, he revamped his strength and conditioning staff, held leadership council meetings with upperclassmen, and instituted accountability programs aimed at rebuilding a winning culture.

Still, he knows the only true way to earn back belief is to win. And with the most difficult schedule in program history looming—including games against Alabama, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee—it won’t be easy.

NIL, Recruiting, and the Portal: Walking a Tightrope

Another major piece of the puzzle is navigating the modern landscape of college football. The combination of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and the transfer portal has changed everything. Kentucky doesn’t have the donor base or booster muscle of an Alabama or Texas. But the Wildcats have found ways to be competitive.

Stoops has leaned on a small group of passionate alumni and business leaders in Lexington to keep the program afloat in the NIL arms race. Still, retaining stars like Barion Brown and Dane Key has required financial gymnastics.

On the recruiting front, Kentucky’s 2025 class currently ranks in the low 30s nationally—a concerning figure. Stoops needs to land a few marquee prospects before signing day to keep pace. The hope is that a successful 2025 campaign could swing momentum.

Job Security and Legacy

Despite recent struggles, Stoops’ job is safe—at least for now. His $9 million buyout, coupled with the goodwill he’s built over a decade, gives him security. But there is a growing sentiment among some fans and boosters that the program has plateaued.

Is Stoops the man to take Kentucky from good to great? Or has he reached his ceiling?

That’s what 2025 is about. It’s a prove-it year in many ways—not because Stoops is in immediate danger of being fired, but because the program risks becoming stale. If the Wildcats go 6-6 again and struggle in SEC play, it may be time for a philosophical reset, if not a leadership one.

On the other hand, if Kentucky can win eight or nine games—especially in the new SEC—it would mark a resurgence and perhaps the most impressive coaching job of Stoops’ career.

Mark Stoops doesn’t shy away from pressure. He’s been here before—leading Kentucky out of the depths of irrelevance into the national conversation. But the landscape has changed. The bar has been raised.

2025 presents a unique blend of opportunity and adversity. There are personnel issues to solve, cultural shifts to manage, and a brutal schedule to survive. But Stoops has built something real in Lexington, and he’s not going to let it crumble without a fight.

The work ahead is daunting. But if Mark Stoops can weather this storm, 2025 could be remembered not as the beginning of the end—but the start of his second act.