If you look at the individual parts, it’s easy to project a significant step forward for this Kentucky team, especially on offense.

Last year, Patrick Towles became the first UK quarterback to start every game since Andre Woodson in 2007. He’s surrounded by better skill players than the Wildcats have enjoyed in years, and a deeper, more physical, more experienced offensive line.

RELATED: Best-case scenario — Wildcats avoid late slide, reach bowl game

The defense is moving to a base 3-4 scheme, with its best group of linebackers in many years. The unit is strong up the middle, though it must replace disruptive pass rushers Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith. The cornerbacks remain a major question as well.

But the path for Kentucky to have a relatively successful season won’t change much, even with the potential for major improvement, at least on offense. The Wildcats are going to need to pull off an upset or two — and may need to win three SEC games — in order to reach a bowl.

WHAT THE MAGAZINES ARE SAYING

ESPN: “The Wildcats don’t have the muscle on the offensive line or playmaking at receiver to make up for negative plays, which means first downs will be vitally important. … Kentucky hopes to have more deep threats in 2015, but defenses will load up to stop the run and force (Patrick) Towles to prove he can make them pay.”

Lindy’s Sports: “How will UK replace NFL Draft picks Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith, bookends for the defensive line last season? The answer might be a more pronounced move to a 3-4 defense, but former role players are going to have to step up, too.”

The Sporting News: “No one is expecting national championship-level results. This isn’t basketball. But at least a bowl appearance, UK’s first since the 2010 season, is a must-have.”

Athlon Sports: “This is a critical season for (Mark) Stoops and Kentucky. The administration has given him the resources — huge raises for him and his staff, a $120 million stadium renovation that opens this fall and a $45 million practice facility under construction — and Year 3 is time to deliver results.”

Phil Steele: “No doubt Stoops has upgraded Kentucky’s talent level with his recruiting. … Pull an upset or two and (the Wildcats) could get back to the post season.”

BEST PLAYERS

  • QB Patrick Towles
  • WR Ryan Timmons
  • RB Stanley “Boom Williams”
  • DE/OLB Jason Hatcher
  • LB Josh Forrest
  • S A.J. Stamps

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • New offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson allows for continuity in that he’s a disciple of the Air Raid offense. But he’s made a lot of changes, including the stance of the offensive linemen and the pre-snap communication. One of the main goals: a faster tempo. The UK offense wants to shoot for 85 plays per game.
  • The Wildcats lost 53.7 percent of the team’s sacks from the 2014 season, including first-round pick Bud Dupree.
  • Kentucky’s leading rusher has failed to reach the 500-yard mark in the last two seasons, according to Phil Steele.
  • UK features one of the best punter/kicker combinations in the SEC, which is the premier kicking conference in the country right now. But the coverage and return units were awful at times last year. The Wildcats haven’t returned a punt for a touchdown since 2010 or a kickoff since 2009. UK will coach special teams by committee this season.
  • Kentucky gave up 157 points in its final three games last season, according to ESPN. I’ve seen UK’s train-wreck defensive stats late in the season spliced a number of different ways. But I haven’t seen the theory ESPN posited: a lack of depth contributed in a major way as the team ran out of energy. If that’s the case, expect less of a late-season lag in ’15.
  • Towles threw screen passes on nearly 20 percent of his passing plays last season, fourth-most in the SEC. If defenses crowd the line of scrimmage, as most expect, Towles will need to hit players like Ryan Timmons, Garrett Johnson, Blake Bone and Jeff Badet downfield.

BIGGEST AGREEMENT

Athlon Sports quoted an anonymous SEC assistant coach as saying the following: “They have some nice-looking skill guys, but you still have to get it done up front in this league to win big.”

That’s a succinct way of expressing a point upon which most all of the national magazines explicitly agree. Again, in a vacuum, Kentucky looks poised to get better in a lot of ways. But opponents should try to exploit UK’s potential weakness up front on both sides of the ball.

Can the Wildcats get enough push from its offensive line to spring its good group of running backs and buy Towles enough time? Can the defensive line get enough pressure to prevent major meltdowns on that side of the ball (more on that shortly)? And will the bodies up front be stout enough at the point of attack to prevent a step back in production from a very nice group of linebackers?

BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT

Most of the magazines glossed over the issues in the secondary, especially at cornerback. To me, the implication is that it’s an inconsequential, or at least a boring, dynamic.

But I think it’s vital that Kentucky improve its pass coverage in order to make a bowl game. The team’s offense may put up more points and clearly it wants to move fast. In turn, the defense should be tested early and often as teams get aggressive to try to outslug UK.

The Wildcats allowed 22 passing touchdowns in ’14, tied with Auburn for last in the SEC. The starting cornerbacks are experienced seniors in Cody Quinn and Fred Tiller. The rest of the defense is relatively experienced as well, so the team should give up fewer explosive plays due to busted assignments.

But if the team’s outside linebackers can’t get enough pressure in the new 3-4 scheme, the corners who got torched often last season are going to get stuck in even more long 1-on-1 situations.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Biggest Remaining Question: Have the Wildcats assembled enough talent to make a bowl game?
Consensus Projection: 6th place, SEC East
Impact Newcomers: TE C.J. Conrad, LB Eli Brown