Mark Stoops doesn’t sugarcoat. When he walked out of Kentucky’s final scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, his verdict was simple. “Overall, we were clean, we’re getting better,” he said. “We have two weeks to continue to work really hard and push and try to get things detailed. I’m happy with where we’re at.” Truly spoken like a man whose camp ended on his terms. And with no major injuries in the books, Big Blue Nation can breathe easier as Toledo looms on August 30 at Kroger Field. But what about the big question on everyone’s mind? The run game?

The Wildcats’ rushing attack has been a riddle all summer. Expected workhorses Seth McGowan (New Mexico State) and Dante Dowdell (Nebraska) have both been sidelined with minor injuries, missing each of the two scrimmages. That’s a red flag on the surface, but Mark Stoops insists both will be ready when the real season kicks off. But their absence cracked the door wide open for the backups. On August 17, KSR reported on X that “Summer scrimmages have allowed more opportunities for backup running backs Jason Patterson and Jamarion Wilcox.” And these backups didn’t waste the chance.

As Mark Stoops said, “The other backs got a lot of work done.” Redshirt freshman Jason Patterson might’ve been a footnote last fall, limited to four games before redshirting, but now he’s forcing his way into the conversation. He looked like one of the best players on the field, showing flashes that reminded folks why the staff has quietly been high on him since spring. “JP has looked good,” Mark Stoops said. “Going back to the spring, you can pull up a few quotes that I’ve been impressed with him. He’s a good player. He’s very physical, very tough. And he’s been very reliable through this camp.” Patterson has now cemented himself as RB3, which in this offense might mean RB1.5 if injuries linger.

And then there’s Jamarion Wilcox. The one who led Kentucky in rushing a year ago with 590 yards on just 92 carries. He’s got the juice, but Mark Stoops is still waiting for the consistency. “With Jamarion, and a lot of our younger players as we develop them, it’s a lot of little things,” the HC said. “Just doing the little things. He’s doing things. He’s maturing, he’s growing, and we’ll continue to work with him.” 

The optimism is there. “I feel better about our run game,” Mark Stoops said. “When we put it all together, I’m looking forward to that, with everybody healthy and everybody in there… We still have a couple of weeks to put it all together.” While Kentucky’s 2024 run game never lived up to billing, the 2025 version could be deep, diverse, and dangerous if everyone stays upright. And speaking of upright, the HC just bolstered his sideline with a few familiar faces.

Mark Stoops makes big offseason moves with Big Blue bloodlines 

Coaching turnover is part of life in the SEC, but Mark Stoops played this round smart. This week, Kentucky announced the addition of Jack Ray as assistant special teams coach. Ray has been grinding from Hawaii to Nevada to Washington State, carving out a reputation for attention to detail and energy. “Special teams are a critical part of what we do, and I’m confident he will make an immediate impact with our players and our program,” the HC said, confident his new hire can tighten up a phase that too often swung games last year. But that wasn’t the only reunion. 

Two Wildcat alums are back in the building. Former safety Yusuf Corker, once the captain of Mark Stoops’ secondary, and offensive line bruiser Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings are now graduate assistants. The former piled up 240 tackles in Lexington before brief NFL stints and will tutor the DBs. Stallings, the All-SEC road grader who once cleared paths for Benny Snell Jr., is working with the defensive line. Both arrive with credibility already stamped on their resumes.

It’s a move that strengthens Kentucky’s future while keeping its past firmly in the room. Now, with new staffers, fresh depth in the backfield, and a clean bill of health, Mark Stoops’ Wildcats are staring straight at a season that could tell us a lot about whether Kentucky is reloading or truly ready to rise.