Despite returning 17 starters from a team that reached its second straight bowl, Kentucky will start the season from the same place it did this time last year: picked to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference’s East Division.
In the votes, released on Friday morning, the Cats were picked to finish behind Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Missouri this season. UK was picked ahead of Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Kentucky did get a bump in the player voting, with junior Benny Snell selected as a co-first team running back in the league alongside Alabama’s Damien Harris, a former Madison Southern star.