Latest news with #MarkStoops
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky football recruiting 2026: Texas WR Davis McCray commits to Mark Stoops
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football's 2026 recruiting class has taken time to come together. UK and coach Mark Stoops didn't receive their first commitment from a 2026 prospect until March 30, when in-state offensive lineman Jarvis Strickland elected to stay home. Two more months passed until the Wildcats landed their second pledge: Wide receiver Davis McCray joined the class June 3. Advertisement As of June 3, Kentucky's class sits 81st nationally — last among the 16 teams in the SEC — in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Here's a look at the Wildcats' 2026 recruiting class so far: Kentucky football recruiting 2026 commitments Davis McCray, WR High school: Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio) 247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars Commitment status: Verbally committed June 3 What to know: The Texas native played on offense and defense last season for Cornerstone Christian. On offense, McCray had 32 receptions for 639 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 38 tackles and a a forced fumble defensively. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound McCray also was part of the school's track and field team, competing in the 100 meters and long jump. Jarvis Strickland, OL High school: Paducah Tilghman (Paducah) Advertisement 247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars Commitment status: Verbally committed March 30 What to know: A 6-6, 294-pound offensive lineman, Strickland decided to stay in the Bluegrass State, becoming the first member of UK's 2026 class when he committed March 30. He also had offers from Louisville, SEC rivals Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt as well as Big Ten schools Indiana, Maryland, Michigan and Michigan State. Strickland's high school teammate, Martels Carter Jr., is a member of the Wildcats' 2025 signing class. Reach Kentucky men's basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@ and follow him on X at @RyanABlack. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football recruiting 2026 commits, class ranking: Mark Stoops
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Over/Under win total predictions for every SEC Football team
Over/Under win total predictions for every SEC Football team The 2025 college football season is months away. You never want to wish time away, but August 23 (week zero) can't get here fast enough. In what will likely be the last season of the 12-team playoff era, a number of SEC teams will be vying for three or maybe even four spots in the College Football Playoff. Others, will simply be hoping to go bowling. And still others, especially their coaches, simply want to survive the year and keep their job. The SEC provides a gauntlet every year, but this has especially become true in the expanded 16-team conference. Several teams will be battling to hit the over on their win total for 2025. With spring ball wrapped and transfer portal additions likely done, too, FanDuel Sportsbook updated their latest win totals for the 2025 season. Who's going to beat the projections, and who will fall short? Let's take a stab at predicting the over-under win totals for the 2025 season. All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook Win Total: 3.5 Prediction: Under The win total is so low, it's tempting to take the over. But the Bulldogs will have to go 3-0 against Southern Mississippi, Alcorn State, and Northern Illinois and then find an upset win somewhere. Here's Mississippi State's schedule for 2025. Aug. 30 – at Southern Miss Sept. 6 – Arizona State Sept. 13 – Alcorn State Sept. 20 – Northern Illinois Sept. 27 – Tennessee Oct. 4 – at Texas A&M Oct. 11 – Open Date Oct. 18 – at Florida Oct. 25 – Texas Nov. 1 – at Arkansas Nov. 8 – Georgia Nov. 15 – at Missouri Nov. 22 – Bye Week Nov. 29 – Ole Miss Try to find the fourth win. I dare you. Vanderbilt Commodores Win Total: 4.5 Prediction: Over Vanderbilt will have to beat Virginia Tech again, go 4-0 in nonconference play, and then find another win somewhere. If they can go 2-1 against the Hokies, Kentucky, and Missouri, that should put the over in play. Does Diego Pavia have another magical season in the bag? Kentucky Wildcats Win Total: 4.5 Prediction: Over Betting the over here is to bet on Mark Stoops maintaining the same level of consistency he has at Kentucky for the last decade. From his second season in Lexington in 2014 through 2023, the Wildcats never won fewer than five games. Last year feels more like the aberration than the norm. However, the schedule is rough for the Wildcats. They'll have to go at least 3-1 in nonconference and then find a couple of upsets in SEC play. No easy feat. However, look for Zach Calzada to provide a boost to the Kentucky passing attack. Arkansas Razorbacks Win Total: 5.5 Prediction: Under It's not a stretch to predict wins over Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Memphis, and Mississippi State. But the rest is a bit of a crap shoot. They'll need to find a pair of upsets on a schedule that features Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, LSU, Texas, and Missouri. If I had to pick a couple of upsets to help them hit the over, it would be Ole Miss and Missouri. Oklahoma Sooners Win Total: 6.5 Prediction: Over People keep talking about the Oklahoma Sooners schedule as if it's as difficult as last year. It's not. Quarterback turnover at places like Michigan, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Missouri along with key players lost to the draft make it a lot more manageable than people want to admit. Win Total: 6.5 Prediction: Over Florida has the toughest schedule in the nation but D.J. Lagway could be an All-American and is a legit Heisman contender this season. In a five-week span, the Gators will take on LSU, Miami, Texas, and Texas A&M. If they can go 3-1 in that stretch, the over isn't a stretch. Win Total: 7.5 Prediction: Over Road trips to South Bend, Baton Rouge, and Austin will be pivotal for the Aggies College Football Playoff chances, but there's still a path to eight wins on the schedule. Win Total: 7.5 Prediction: Under There's a strong possibility that the South Carolina Gamecocks start the season 5-0. But then they take on LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ole Miss in a four-week span. Finding three more wins on the schedule isn't easy. Win Total: 7.5 Prediction: Over It's not a huge stretch to get Mizzou to seven wins. Finding the other one is a little tougher. Though they'll have a new starter in Drew Pribula, the schedule sets up well for the Tigers, but they'll need to find an upset or two along the way. Auburn Tigers Win Total: 7.5 Prediction: Under Could Auburn be better than last year? Yeah. But a lot of that is going to hinge on Jackson Arnold living up to the five-star hype. The Tigers have a tough schedule with a sneaky good test week one on the road against Baylor. They also play at Oklahoma and Texas A&M, host Georgia and Alabama. They don't have a whole lot of margin for error in their games against Missouri, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Arkansas. The Tigers will need to go 4-0 in those games and 4-0 in nonconference. Doable, but not feeling confident. Tennessee Volunteers Win Total: 8.5 Prediction: Under It's a fairly manageable schedule for Josh Heupel and the Volunteers, but week one against Syracuse could be as they break in a new quarterback. Although Nico Iamaleava is the more recent loss of note, the Volunteers lost bell cow back Ole Miss Rebels Win Total: 8.5 Prediction: Under Ole Miss has reloaded through the transfer portal once again, but they lost a lot of talent to the NFL Draft, namely quarterback Jackson Dart. It doesn't take a lot of work to see a possibility of five losses on the schedule. Win Total: 8.5 Prediction: Over At Clemson to open the season could be a College Football Playoff preview. Garrett Nussmeier is back for the LSU Tigers to help them manage a schedule that includes games against Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. It's a tough schedule but the Tigers are going to be good this year. Texas Longhorns Win Total: 9.5 Prediction: Over This Texas team may not be as good as last year's Texas team, especially on offense, but the schedule is favorable. Texas has road trips to Ohio State, Georgia, and Florida, along with the game of the year in the Red River Showdown. If the Longhorns can go 2-2 against that group of teams, 10 wins isn't out of the question. Win Total: 9.5 Prediction: Over Yes, Georgia is replacing its quarterback but if there's a team that gets the benefit of the doubt, it's Georgia. They're coming off of an SEC title in a season where Carson Beck regressed. Kirby Smart will have the defense loaded and if they can find a run game, the Bulldogs will be in the SEC title game once again. Alabama Crimson Tide Win Total: 9.5 Prediction: Under Alabama went 9-3 with an experienced quarterback in 2024. They're replacing Jalen Milroe and will have some talented options but will they be ready for a schedule that features trips to Florida State week one, Georgia, South Carolina, and Auburn? Not to mention big games against Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide have one of the more difficult schedules in the country that's not being talked about enough. Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Draft: Buffalo or Kentucky Bills?
The NFL Draft is the biggest non-football day of the year for football fans. Hundreds of thousands of people will descend upon Green Bay for what is essentially an NFL convention. It's a celebration of the sport where the picks often feel like an afterthought, especially by day three. But for the players, it's a life-changing experience. For Kentucky football fans, it hasn't always been must-watch TV until Mark Stoops arrived. Thanks to Stoops' 11-year run in Lexington, the Kentucky Wildcats have become regular features in the NFL Draft. This year, the Buffalo Bills continued the trend by adding two more Wildcats to their roster, with more to maybe come. Maxwell Hairston Goes in the First Round The first major headline for Kentucky came Thursday night when the Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round. Hairston impressed scouts throughout the pre-draft process, showcasing the physical tools and football IQ needed to excel at the next level. His selection marked another high-profile moment for Kentucky's program under Stoops, affirming the Wildcats' growing reputation as a pipeline for NFL talent. Deone Walker Joins the Bills on Day Three The Bills weren't done tapping into Lexington's talent pool. On Saturday, they used the 109th overall pick in the fourth round to select defensive tackle Deone Walker. At 6-foot-7 and 344 pounds, Walker is one of the most physically imposing players in the 2024 class. He started 36 of 37 career games at Kentucky, piling up 132 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and six pass breakups. Advertisement Even though his production dipped slightly compared to his standout sophomore season, Walker's dominance in the trenches still earned him second-team All-SEC honors in 2024. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism gives the Bills a powerful new weapon on the defensive line. Current Buffalo Bills RB and former Kentucky Wildcat Ray Davis also chimed in on social media, embracing his Wildcat brothers with open arms. Davis himself was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and looks to take on a larger role with the Bills this upcoming season as the potential RB1. A Growing Kentucky Legacy in Buffalo Walker and Hairston will reunite with another former Wildcat, running back Ray Davis, who was selected by the Bills in last year's draft. As Buffalo chases an AFC title, Kentucky's fingerprints will be all over their roster, a testament to the program's steady rise under Mark Stoops.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mark Stoops holds press conference ahead of spring football
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky Football head coach Mark Stoops spoke with the media Tuesday as the Wildcats get set for spring practice. 'Obviously, we know the season did not go the way any of us wanted to. Certainly, our players, our staff, and myself,' Stoops said. 'Since that day, you know, truly, the next morning it feels like we have not stopped. And that's a good thing. It's an exciting time.' Mark Stoops holds press conference ahead of spring football Some big games are ahead in the SEC this week. Here's where Kentucky comes into play Mikaylah Williams has strong second half as No. 7 LSU rallies over No. 14 Kentucky 65-58 After a 4-8 season in 2024, the program has seen a lot of departures and arrivals from both the coaching staff and players. The Cats have 31 new players on their roster; 20 of those came via the transfer portal, and the other 11 are early enrollees from the high school class of 2025. 'Couldn't be more pleased with what they've done thus far. You know, and just the attitude that they've had in the weight room, attacking the weight room,' Stoops said. 'We just had our first fourth-quarter program where we're really pushing them mentally. and, physically.' Kentucky swung and missed on some portal additions they brought in a year ago, so this time around the coaching staff has put an emphasis on each position group being more balanced. Read more of the latest UK sports news 'You know, we weren't deep enough at certain positions,' Stoops said. 'So, we're hanging our hat on specific, you know, people, and maybe they were injured, or maybe, they failed to meet our expectations, and it didn't work out.' The team is yet to announce the schedule for spring practice or if there will be a Blue-White Spring Game in 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
