The upcoming college football clash between the Texas Longhorns and the Kentucky Wildcats promises to be a dramatically different affair compared to their previous encounter. Scheduled for October 18, this matchup will feature a Kentucky squad that has undergone significant transformation during the offseason, highlighted by a major overhaul in personnel. With 31 players transferring out and 25 new faces coming in, coach Mark Stoops’ 2025 roster will look vastly different and rely heavily on its newcomers, many of whom will play pivotal roles against Texas.
Last season, Kentucky struggled to a 4-8 finish while facing a daunting schedule that included three College Football Playoff teams — Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee — as well as other strong opponents like Ole Miss and South Carolina. The upcoming season doesn’t offer much relief. Kentucky faces the same group of teams but in reversed venues, giving them one of the most challenging schedules in college football, ranked ninth-toughest by Phil Steele of On3.
One major difference in the rematch against Texas will be Kentucky’s offensive backfield, which now features experienced quarterback Zach Calzada. Calzada, a seasoned player entering his seventh year of college football, brings a wealth of experience from stints at Texas A&M, Auburn, and most recently, Incarnate Word. At Incarnate Word in 2024, Calzada put up impressive numbers — 3,744 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions. He also added 332 rushing yards and five scores with his legs. Kentucky’s passing game severely underperformed in last year’s loss to Texas, with quarterbacks Cutter Boley and Brock Vandagriff combining for just 13 completions. Calzada’s addition could be a game-changer if he can utilize his arm strength and mobility to challenge a tough Longhorns defense.
Joining Calzada in the backfield is Dante Dowdell, a running back who has played for both Oregon and Nebraska. At Nebraska last season, Dowdell rushed for 614 yards and 12 touchdowns. Though his 4.3 yards per carry average wasn’t eye-popping, his physical running style offers promise. Kentucky’s running game was among the worst in the SEC in 2024, and the Wildcats were thoroughly outmatched on the ground in their previous game against Texas, getting outrushed 251 to 21 yards. Dowdell’s ability to establish the run will be critical, especially behind an offensive line that has also been reshaped through the transfer portal.
On the perimeter, Kentucky has added a dynamic playmaker in Kendrick Law, a speedy wide receiver formerly with Alabama. Despite high expectations, Law never fully found his rhythm in Alabama’s crowded offense, finishing his three-year tenure with just 33 total catches. In his final season there, he caught only 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Now with the Wildcats, Law is expected to take on a leading role, particularly out of the slot. His speed and big-play ability could stretch the Texas secondary, and if he builds a solid connection with Calzada, the duo could be a real threat on October 18.
Defensively, Kentucky’s fortunes could be significantly boosted by the arrival of Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, one of the most highly-regarded edge rushers in the transfer portal. Coming from South Dakota, where he earned first-team FCS All-American honors, Humphrey-Grace had an outstanding 2024 season with 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Kentucky struggled to generate pressure on quarterbacks last season, with no player recording more than five sacks and only one sack registered against Texas’s Quinn Ewers. If the Wildcats hope to disrupt Texas’s high-powered offense led by Arch Manning, Humphrey-Grace’s presence on the edge will be pivotal.
Another key defensive addition is David Gusta, a massive interior lineman from Washington State. Gusta, a 6-foot-3, 317-pound nose tackle, was one of the top players in the transfer portal at his position. Over the past two seasons, he started 23 games for the Cougars and became a dominant presence on the defensive line. Kentucky’s inability to stop the run was evident in last year’s matchup, and Gusta’s job will be to anchor the middle and prevent Texas from controlling the line of scrimmage like they did before. His strength and size will be vital in closing interior running lanes and making life difficult for Texas’s offensive line.
In summary, the 2025 Kentucky Wildcats team entering this showdown with Texas is largely new but potentially more dangerous. The offense has been revamped with an experienced quarterback in Calzada, a powerful runner in Dowdell, and a speedy wide receiver in Law — all poised to make immediate impacts. On defense, the additions of Humphrey-Grace and Gusta signal an effort to toughen up a unit that couldn’t slow down the Longhorns last year. If Kentucky hopes to pull off an upset in front of its home crowd at Kroger Field, it will hinge on these new transfers meshing quickly and delivering standout performances. With improved play at quarterback, more firepower in the backfield and at receiver, and added grit in the trenches, the Wildcats are better positioned to challenge Texas than they were a season ago.
