Who is staying, who is leaving for Kentucky football after Gator Bowl loss to Clemson?

In describing the importance of Kentucky’s bowl game to his players, Mark Stoops painted a clear picture.

“I told ‘em before the Louisville game that the last two games of the season are the only two games all year that we’re going to either walk off the field with a trophy or without one,” Stoops said Thursday, repeating a story he told multiple times leading up to the Gator Bowl. “I can tell you from experience, it feels a heck of a lot better when you have to stay and have one of you present us a trophy and take it back home.”

For the second consecutive season, Kentucky will have to carry the disappointment of a bowl loss throughout the winter though after losing 38-35 to Clemson in the Gator Bowl.

Now, the Wildcats will hope that setback does not derail the momentum built in December for what looks like a critical offseason for the program.

The 2024 season will mark the first year since 1991 the SEC will play without divisions after it officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the league this summer. While the conference schedule is staying at eight games for at least one more season, Kentucky’s slate will grow more difficult as games against Missouri, Mississippi State and Arkansas were swapped for games against Texas, Auburn and Ole Miss in the new schedule.

Who will help Kentucky manage the new-look SEC? Here is a position-by-position breakdown of where the roster stands heading into the offseason.

QUARTERBACKS

No position will face more turnover next season than quarterback. Starter Devin Leary played his final college game in the Gator Bowl. Backups Kaiya Sheron and Destin Wade have already left the team via the transfer portal. Deuce Hogan, who spent the regular season as the fourth-string quarterback but was the top backup in the Gator Bowl, tweeted in December he planned to enter the transfer portal but deleted that message less than an hour later.

UK signed Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, a former five-star recruit who spent three years as a backup to Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck in Athens, as the heir apparent to Leary. Four-star Lexington Christian Academy quarterback Cutter Boley will officially enroll at UK in January but already joined the team for the Gator Bowl trip. Former Wildcat Beau Allen, who backed up Will Levis in 2021, will return to UK as a walk-on after stops at Tarleton State and Georgia Southern.

Kentucky may never have had two quarterbacks as hyped as Vandagriff and Boley on the roster at the same time, but neither is proven at the college level. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen will need to repeat the magic he found with Levis as an unproven transfer.

RUNNING BACKS

Ray Davis is headed to the NFL draft after breaking UK’s single-season record for total touchdowns. Backup Ramon Jefferson’s college career is finished after seven years, and backup JuTahn McClain is in the transfer portal.

That leaves Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, LaVell Wright and Jamarion Wilcox as the returning scholarship running backs. Sumo-Karngbaye showed playmaking potential this season but split time at wide receiver. Wright missed the 2023 season with an injury. Wilcox, a former four-star recruit, did not record a carry as a freshman but remains an exciting option for the future.

Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum will join the team in January to compete for the starting job. UK signed two three-star high school running backs: Tovani Mizell and Jason Patterson. Patterson will enroll at UK in January. Kentucky is also reportedly in the running for Toledo transfer Peny Boone, the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Kentucky needs sophomores Barion Brown and Dane Key to take a major step forward in their development, assuming the Wildcats are able to hold off any transfer interest in the duo through the entire offseason. Fellow starter Tayvion Robinson is leaving after exhausting his college eligibility, but North Texas transfer Ja’Mori Maclin, one of 24 players in the country with at least 1,000 receiving yards in the regular season, has signed as Robinson’s replacement.

Depth is still a concern at wide receiver. That could be solved if Anthony Brown-Stephens takes a step forward after catching five passes as a freshman and at least one player from the group of Shamar Porter, Ardell Banks and Brandon White proves worthy of a spot in the rotation. Kentucky signed Texas A&M transfer Raymond Cottrell, a former four-star recruit, this month after losing little-used backups Dekel Crowdus and Cole Lanter to the portal.

UK signed two wide receivers in the 2024 high school class, including mid-year enrollee Hardley Gilmore, but another transfer receiver could be needed to improve the depth situation.

TIGHT ENDS

Kentucky lost backup tight end Izayah Cummings to a transfer to Louisville but received a boost when Jordan Dingle removed his name from the transfer portal. Dingle and Josh Kattus will enter 2024 as the top tight ends with Brenden Bates playing his final game in the Gator Bowl, but Khamari Anderson could play a larger role next season after recording his first catch in the Louisville game.

Tanner Anderson, who redshirted in 2023, is the other returning scholarship tight end. UK signed Covington Catholic tight end Willie Rodriguez in the 2024 high school class. Recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Vince Marrow predicted on signing day Rodriguez could make an early impact despite middling recruiting rankings.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Left tackle Marques Cox and center Eli Cox are returning in 2024 for their final seasons of eligibility. Starting guards Dylan Ray and Jager Burton will also be back. Former USC transfer Courtland Ford, who made his second start in the Gator Bowl, is the current favorite to replace Jeremy Flax at right tackle, but don’t be surprised if the staff adds a transfer tackle to compete for the the job. The Wildcats were linked to Jacksonville State tackle transfer Xavier Bausley.

Former Florida guard Jalen Farmer will join the team in January as a transfer. He could compete for a starting job but will be needed for depth even if Ray and Burton retain their spots on the top of the depth chart. The return of former Ohio State transfer Ben Christman, who missed the 2023 season with a knee injury, could also boost depth. Senior Tanner Bowles, who can play center or guard, has another season of eligibility but has yet to announce his plans for 2024.

Paul Rodriguez, Austin Ramsey and Malachi Wood will look to earn a spot in the rotation for the first time next season. The offseason progress of Wood could be particularly important due to depth concerns at tackle.

“He’s built like in a lot of ways what you’re looking for at the highest level of football,” Coen said this month of the 6-foot-8 former Madison Central star. “Continuing to gain his lower body strength, core strength. When you’re that long it’s hard to sometimes get into your stance fast, but he’s just gotten better and better. Obviously the length is something we can’t truly coach, what he has in his body. It makes it exciting to be able to work with him moving forward.”

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Retaining tackle Deone Walker for what could be his final college season before entering the NFL draft has to be the top priority for Kentucky. Walker has given no indication he is considering leaving, but interest from powerhouse programs will only increase as teams identify roster needs before the spring portal window.

Backup nose guard Jamarius Dinkins is transferring to Purdue, but the rest of Kentucky’s defensive line could return. The group might be the deepest on the roster with Keeshawn Silver, Tre’vonn Rybka, Octavious Oxendine and Josaih Hayes all also spending time as starters in their careers. Freshman Tavion Gadson earned a spot in the rotation late in the season. He could be joined by classmates Kendrick Gilbert and Tommy Zeismer next season.

Despite the returning depth, do not be shocked if a freshman earns early snaps in 2024. Four-star prospects Brian Robinson and Jerod Smith are two of the highest-ranked signees in the class and both will enroll in time for spring practice.

LINEBACKERS

Losing Trevin Wallace to the NFL draft is a blow for Kentucky’s 2024 defense, but the return of J.J. Weaver for a sixth season and the addition of former Georgia All-American Jamon Dumas-Johnson as a transfer provide hope the unit can still be a strength. Middle linebacker D’Eryk Jackson has two years of eligibility remaining but did go through senior day this season and has yet to announce his plans for 2024.

Even if Jackson returns as expected, the depth behind the projected starters is largely unproven. Former Northern Illinois transfer Daveren Rayner should play an important role at the inside linebacker positions if he decides to use his final season of eligibility to return to UK, but Kentucky will need freshman Jayvant Brown to prove worthy of backup snaps.

Outside linebacker Keaten Wade followed his twin brother Destin into the transfer portal, increasing the need for Tyreese Fearbry and Noah Matthews to take a step forward. The hope is Weaver bounces back from a disappointing 2023 season to provide a consistent pass rushing threat, but he will need help. Freshman Grant Godfrey will have a chance to play after missing the 2023 season due to injury. High school signees Jacob Smith and Caleb Redd could factor at the outside linebacker position, but UK would probably add a transfer edge rusher if the right candidate becomes available.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Cornerback Andru Phillips is headed to the NFL draft and backup safety Jalen Geiger is in the transfer portal, but safety Zion Childress will use his pandemic season of eligibility to return for a third season at UK and cornerback Maxwell Hairston, the SEC’s leader in interceptions, should be back for his second year as a starter. Safeties Jordan Lovett and Ty Bryant are also set to return after starting multiple games this season.

The top internal candidates to replace Phillips are JQ Hardaway, Jordan Robinson and Jantzen Dunn, but Kentucky would surely add a transfer cornerback if a starting-caliber option becomes available to them. Freshman Nasir Addison might be the most exciting option among the current backups if he can use the offseason to gain a better understanding of the defense while working on his body. Addison’s classmates Jaremiah Anglin and Avery Stuart could provide additional depth in the secondary.

Kentucky signed four high school defensive backs in December. Two, Jiquavious Marshall and Terhyon Nichols will enroll in January. On signing day, Stoops mentioned Nichols and Quay’Sheed Scott as signees who could play at cornerback early in their careers.

SPECIALISTS

Kicker Alex Raynor has one year of eligibility remaining after converting 10 of 11 field goals in his first season at UK after transferring from Georgia Southern. Kentucky must replace kickoff specialist Chance Poore and will hope to find more competition for punter Wilson Berry, who struggled for much of this season.

UK signed Montana prep kicker Jacob Kauwe in the high school class. Kauwe has experience punting but was listed as a kicker. He could start his career as the kickoff specialist. Former Boyle County kicker and punter Jackson Smith is set to return but has not yet been able to force his way onto the field at either position.