For the past few years, it’s seemed like an entirely new offense has taken the field for Kentucky football each season and the 2024 campaign will be no exception.

One major reason for this change has stemmed from a higher-than-average rate of turnover at the offensive coordinator position. Keeping with the theme, this is no different for the Cats in 2024.

Bush Hamdan will take the reins as Kentucky’s fourth new offensive coordinator — though Liam Coen had two stints — since the Cats parted ways with Eddie Gran in 2020.

Hamdan, who is taking over after Coen ended his second stint in Lexington, leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after returning last season to replace Rich Scangarello.

Kentucky is Hamdan’s fifth school where he will have served as an offensive coordinator during his 15 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional level with two prior stops in the SEC at Missouri and Florida.

With Hamdan calling the plays for the Broncos, the team tied for the 2023 Mountain West Conference Championship while also finishing second in scoring and third in total offense.

When it comes to Hamdan’s offensive style, fans can expect to see an uptick in tempo and overall control of the game. 

“We always want to be somewhere in the middle,” Hamdan said. “What that means is, have the flexibility depending on how the game is going to do whatever it takes to win the football game.”

On top of that, the introduction of helmet-to-helmet communication — which allows Hamdan to call plays directly into the quarterback’s helmet instead of signaling from the sideline — may promote a faster pace of play throughout college football overall.

However, while efficiency and rhythm will be a key focus when it comes to tempo, a complete overhaul is not expected with the 2024 team. 

“I’m not trying to be a tempo offense, we are not trying to be Ole Miss and Tennessee or those teams that do it exceptionally well. They just snap it with 30 seconds on the play clock,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. “That’s a different style, it’s very difficult to prepare (for) that, they do it very well.”

Another part of Hamdan’s approach is to create explosive plays, which he accomplished with the Broncos as they were 26th in the nation with 436.1 yards-per-game.

As for the man under center, Kentucky has gone to the transfer portal once again. Will Levis handed the title to Devin Leary in 2023, who then passed it to Brock Vandagriff from Georgia.

With the Bulldogs’ consistent success in recent years, Vandagriff knows what a winning culture looks like as he starts for the first time in his collegiate career.

“Smart, smart player, tough, can run all those things,” Hamdan said. “Guys like Brady Cook at Missouri, you see what his skill set looks like; what Taylen Green did last year at Boise; Maddux Madsen, we think he’s right in the mold of a guy we’d like for this system.”

While Vandagriff will be seeing the bulk of the snaps for the Wildcats, Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt may also see some time as quarterback.

Wimsatt’s athleticism and versatility allows him to run the ball in wildcat formations, but also throw the ball, which could leave defenses guessing.

While bell cow running backs like Chris Rodriguez Jr. and, most recently, Ray Davis have been one man shows in the backfield, this season the position may look a bit different.

A committee approach is expected to be headlined by DeaMonte “Chip” Trayanum and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, though numerous backs are expected to contribute down the depth chart. 

Both men join the Cats by way of the transfer portal with Trayanum coming from Ohio State and Sumo-Karngbaye coming from N.C. State along with Leary last season. 

Unfortunately for the backs, Trayanum suffered a broken hand, which will likely cause him to miss a few games and propel Sumo-Karngbaye into a larger role with Jamarion Wilcox and Jason Patterson as potential backups.

“Each of the backs brings a little something different to the table,” Vandagriff said. “You got ‘Chip,’ a bigger dude, just a really physical runner, and then Demie, maybe he runs routes a little better, he played some wide out from what I heard a little bit last year, some slot, he’s good at catching the ball, stuff like that.”

Both men can be used in various formations and situations, which should serve the offense well and prevent a one-dimensional running attack.

Looking at the passing attack, fans can find some familiarity in wide receivers Dane Key and Barion Brown, both entering their third seasons with the Wildcats.

Another duo to watch out for is that of transfers Ja’Mori Maclin and Fred Farrier II, who are both expected to play big roles.

“I think this room has been one of the closest we’ve had, everybody has bonded together,” Key said. “A lot of fun is going on in that room, but we’re also taking it a lot more serious than we have in the past. Just everybody being older, it’s a different look to the game than there has been in the past.”

Rounding out the pass catchers is the tight end group — the only part of the offense that has not been supplemented by the transfer portal — headlined by the returning duo of Jordan Dingle and Josh Kattus.

Dingle has shown his ability to be a pass catcher in open space and Kattus’ ability to be used as a blocker in running formations should allow both men to see a role in this new system. 

Finishing out the offense is the “Big Blue Wall,” which could be the most important group of the offense as all of the potential that the new system has relies heavily on solid protection from the line.

The O-line has some experience this season as Marques Cox, Jager Burton and Eli Cox are all back in blue and white. Rounding out the O-line is likely to be transfers Jalen Farmer and Gerald Mincey.

So, whether it’s a coach putting on the headset, players suiting up for the first time or another day at the office for the veterans, the Kentucky offense will certainly be a must-watch as the season unfolds. 

The offense and the rest of the Wildcats will kick off their 2024 season at home on Saturday, August 31, against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The game is set to begin at 7:45 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network.