Johnny Dawkins walked away from Lexington with a strong impression of Kentucky, and he didn’t sound like a coach trying to be polite after an exhibition game.
After Central Florida pushed the Wildcats to the edge at Rupp Arena, with Kentucky needing an Alex Wilkins floater at the end of regulation just to force overtime before pulling away in the extra period, Dawkins said Mark Pope’s team already looks dangerous - and could be much more by the time the season settles in.
“They have a terrific team,” he said. “No one’s going to be who they are in October, but me looking down the road for what they can become as a team, they will become a great team, by what I’ve seen.”
The numbers backed up some of that optimism. Kentucky had 23 assists against just 12 turnovers while making 32 field goals, a sharp finish after an early preseason stretch that had been a little messy in that area. Dawkins pointed to that ball movement and the way the Wildcats connected on offense as a sign of what’s coming.
“I look at the plays they made, the chemistry and continuity they already had-they had 23 assists in this game,” he continued. “I mean, that’s a lot of guys connecting and playing together for a well-coached team.
Those are things that I look at, combined with the talent. You can only see them improving from this point, like we all will.
“No one will be where we are in October compared to where we’ll be in January and February, and obviously that team has a lot of potential. It’s a fun group.”
For Dawkins, the biggest separator is Kentucky’s length. He sees a roster built with size and long arms everywhere, the kind of team that can close space fast on defense and make life difficult on offense.
“Their number one strength is their length,” Dawkins continued. “I mean, they’re a very long team.
I like their pieces. Your pieces have got to fit to be successful, and their pieces fit.
They have shooting, they have low-post play, they have guards that can maneuver the basketball anywhere they want to go. When you have that, you have everything at that point.
“It’s just getting the experience and growing together, continuing to build. But they have a lot of good pieces.
They’ve done a really good job assembling that group, based on what I can tell from my experience in coaching. I like the direction they are headed.”
Dawkins’ view was simple: Kentucky already looks solid, but the real version of this team may not show up until later. For now, he called it a group with plenty of talent, good chemistry, and a lot of room to rise once the regular season starts next week and beyond.
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Kentuckys roster turnover has become easier to judge with a little distance, and the 2026 season is offering a revealing look at what some of those departures have meant elsewhere. The list of 38 former Wildcats now playing for other FBS programs shows just how widely the talent has scattered, with players turning up at new schools at every position and carving out roles that range from depth pieces to steady contributors.
For Kentucky, the interesting part is not just where those players landed, but how much they are playing once they got there. The article tracks their current schools, positions and production, and the range of impact makes the exodus look different depending on the name involved. Some departures have barely registered, while others have become much more noticeable reminders that roster management does not stop when a player leaves Lexington. [Read more 🡒]
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Josh Heupel said both quarterbacks are practicing well, but he stopped short of signaling any immediate change, leaving the competition open as Kentucky approaches. For Tennessee, the off week is a chance to sort through the options and try to find some stability before a game that could go a long way toward defining the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Could Get A Quiet Resume Boost From Oklahoma-South Carolina
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A sneaky important piece of that picture is Oklahoma-South Carolina, a matchup that could carry real weight for Kentuckys strength of schedule. The winner could climb to an 8-4 record and land in the rankings, and both teams bring recent victories over ranked opponents into a game that matters well beyond their own standings. With difficult finishes still ahead for both programs, the outcome could end up giving Kentucky a useful boost when the playoff conversation starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]