Mark Stoops has pushed the Kentucky football program to unprecedented heights during his time in Lexington, highlighted by two 10-win seasons in four years, six consecutive bowl games, top recruiting classes and historic draft success.
Leading up to this point, the Wildcats have been knocking down those barriers as underdogs deserving respect. Now, though, Kentucky is seen as a contender in the SEC East led by a quarterback with buzz as a potential top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
On one end, Stoops appreciates that the work his team continues to put in is finally earning some national respect.