By Gary B. Graves, AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON — Kentucky has work ahead if it hopes to climb out of the middle of an expanded Southeastern Conference strengthened by the addition of two college football powerhouses.

Coach Mark Stoops hopes a deep defensive corps and quicker offensive pace under another new coordinator keeps the Wildcats competitive against one of their most challenging schedules in recent memory.

Kentucky went 7-6 a year ago and just 3-5 in the SEC and now gets a season schedule that includes AP Top 25 preseason No. 1 Georgia and No. 6 Mississippi. Fourth-ranked Texas has now joined the SEC along with No. 16 Oklahoma, though the Wildcats will only face the Longhorns on a slate that leaves no room for error.

“We’ve got to get better,” Stoops said. “We’ve got to find a way to make those plays in critical moments to push us over the top. We’re not interested in just existing. … We want to find a way to improve, use these rules, whatever it is, to make changes, to make that jump to get to the next level. It’s extremely challenging.”

The Wildcats are helped by the return of SEC interceptions co-leader Maxwell Hairston among 10 defensive starters and 21 overall from a squad coming off its school-record eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Return specialist Barion Brown was one of the league’s top all-purpose players and is expected to thrive in a faster-paced offense under new coordinator Bush Hamdan.

Dane Key (636 yards receiving, six touchdowns) and Brown (539, four TDs) lead a receiving corps that spent last spring getting used to former Georgia backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff. The latest new signal caller is among 26 transfers signed to bolster depth throughout the roster, including a rushing defense (113.1 yards per game) that was second in the league to Georgia.

“I feel like we have the pieces in place,” said Stoops, who enters his 12th season in Lexington as the SEC’s longest-tenured coach following January’s retirement of Nick Saban. “We feel like we have the staff in place and we’re motivated. We’re excited and we’re ready to roll.”

Disciplinary aftermath

Fall camp opened with the NCAA placing the program on two years’ probation and vacating victories in a negotiated settlement of penalties for several Kentucky players being paid for work they did not perform in 2021 and ‘22. The sanctions included a fine and the vacation of their 10-win 2021 season and Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa. Stoops remains Kentucky’s winningest coach, though his record drops to 63-65.

Coaching seniority

Stoops was mentioned as a candidate to replace the fired Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and seemed destined for the Aggies before the school hired Mike Elko from Duke. He acknowledged this summer that school officials pursued him “aggressively” but didn’t elaborate. Stoops is now among just 19 SEC coaches with 12 years at their schools.

Said Stoops, “I’ve been grinding at Kentucky for a long time, very proud of that and want to continue to do that.”

0ffensive makeover

Kentucky will introduce its fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons in Hamdan, who joins Kentucky after building Boise State into one of college football’s most prolific outfits. The Broncos were sixth in rushing (215 yards per game) and 26th overall (436.1) last season, and one priority will be replacing 1,000-yard rusher Ray Davis. Meanwhile, Vandagriff will face his most extensive game action after throwing just 21 passes in three seasons backing up Stetson Bennett during Georgia’s two-year national championship run and Carson Beck last fall.

Defensive stars

Junior lineman Deone Walker (7.5 sacks) has been mentioned as a possible early-round NFL draft pick, while linebacker J.J. Weaver (seven sacks) passed on the draft last spring to return for a fifth season. That duo anchors a front seven including Octavious Oxendine (5.5 tackles for loss). Hairston had 68 tackles (55 solo) and five interceptions, returning two for TDs to lead the SEC.

The schedule

Kentucky is home for five of its first six games, starting Aug. 31 against Southern Miss. The Wildcats open SEC play against South Carolina the next week with No. 1 Georgia visiting on Sept. 14. Florida, Vanderbilt and No. 15 Tennessee (Nov. 2) remain, but the conference slate includes visits to Ole Miss on Sept. 28 and Texas on Nov. 23. Kentucky hosts archrival Louisville in the Nov. 30 finale, seeking a sixth consecutive Governor’s Cup.