As fall practice opens, the mercury stays high, and college football soon approaches, the only thing hotter than Southern weather is fall camp position battles. After consecutive bowl seasons, Kentucky football has built a solid collection of talented veteran players. While most of the defense returns, and many starting offensive players are familiar faces, there are still some major battles to be determined in fall camp. Here are five position battles to watch, and who we think wins out.

QB: Gunnar Hoak vs. Terry Wilson

There’s rarely a position battle bigger than the face-off for the starting QB spot, and after two years under JUCO transfer Stephen Johnson, the Kentucky job is up for grabs in fall camp. Who wins the job — or whether both players see time — will play a major role in dictating Kentucky’s offensive strategy in 2018.

Hoak is a 6-4 redshirt sophomore in his third year in the program. He has never played a collegiate snap, but based off of long looks in the Blue/White spring game in 2017 and 2018, Hoak is an accurate passer who is deceptively quick and showed some composure under pressure. That said, he’s inexperienced and might lack next-level athleticism.

On the other hand, sophomore JUCO transfer Terry Wilson is all athleticism. On multiple plays in Kentucky’s spring game, he showcased athleticism by breaking out of the pocket on scrambles. That said, he also airmailed short passes to open receivers and sometimes had issues with ball security. Remember, he originally committed to Oregon. He was the No. 12-ranked dual-threat in the 2016 class that also featured No. 1 Jalen Hurts, No. 2 Brandon McIlwain (South Carolina, but transferred) and No. 4 Jarrett Guarantano.

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Many in the media have anointed Wilson as the man to beat, but considering Eddie Gran’s proficiency over the past two seasons in a limited offensive package with QB Johnson, Stoops might elect to play things safe at least to open the season. He said at Kentucky’s Media Day that game reps ultimately will provide separation.

Who wins? Hoak, at least initially.

RB2: Siheim King vs. A.J. Rose

Kentucky’s feature back will be junior Benny Snell, who is probably the team’s best player. But there will be plenty of carries to split, and while King looked entrenched, Rose came on in spring practice to challenge for the second back’s carries.

King is a senior and a 5-9 outside runner who tallied 364 yards and a pair of touchdowns last year. Rose, a sophomore, played sparingly in 2017, carrying just 15 times, but was very sharp in the spring game, running for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns. At his best, Rose seems to combine King’s speed on the edge with some of Snell’s bullish inside running style.

While King has the speed an experience to contribute, a more versatile back is probably at a premium.

Who wins? Rose, although King will see touches in some way (slot receiver, kick returner, etc).

K: Chance Poore vs. Miles Butler

The player Kentucky might miss most from last year’s team could well be kicker Austin MacGinnis, who became UK’s all-time leading scorer last year, and nailed two winning kicks in 2016. Whoever wins the job has large shoes to fill.

Chance Poore is a true freshman who was recruited to take this job. He was a highly touted kicker from South Carolina, earning prokickers.com’s ranking as the top kicking prospect in the 2018 class. That said, the next month will be a baptism by fire for Poore, and it is a rare player who can go straight from high school graduation to the SEC gridiron, even in terms of kickers.

Miles Butler is a senior walk-on who has simply been solid at ever opportunity. When MacGinnis struggled with leg injuries in 2015, Butler stepped in and kicked well, going 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 46-yarder. Last season, he filled in as a punter for one game after the starter was suspended, and was solid there. He’s also handled kickoffs at times for MacGinnis. There’s nothing flashy about Butler, but he has experience, and has performed above expectations in the past.

Who wins? It might not be surprising to see Poore handle kickoffs and Butler, whose leg is more accurate than booming, handle extra points and field goals, at least for all but the longest kicks.

MLB: Kash Daniel vs. Chris Oats

One of the few starters who doesn’t return on UK’s defense is departed senior middle linebacker Courtney Love. This battle is probably a question of experience versus potential. Daniel (below) was a highly touted recruit who Michigan tried to lure, and in two years of backing up Love and playing special teams, he has 26 tackles. He’s athletic enough that he converted a fake punt last season for UK.

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Oats is an elite level prospect from Cincinnati. Most true freshmen aren’t ready for SEC competition, but Oats is a big (6-5, 220) high motor athlete, who looks to have speed that Daniel might not be able to equal.

Both are good enough to play, and Oats particularly might moonlight at an outside spot.

Who wins? Daniel seems to have experience and leadership qualities, but particularly on passing downs, Oats’s athleticism will find a way on the field, perhaps beside Daniel if not in his place. Daniel start, but Oats will play.

CB: Lonnie Johnson vs. Chris Westry

Westry is a rangy (6-4) senior athlete who was one of UK’s best players as a freshman in 2015. Since that time, he has struggled with consistency, enough so that he lost his starting job midway through last season … to Johnson, a JUCO product who showed good ball skills in his time on the field.

Derrick Baity was overshadowed by Westry moving into 2017, but he was very solid last season, and seems to have UK’s other cornerback slot locked down. One thing to remember is that Stoops frequently uses a nickel back in passing sets.

Who wins? Westry is just too talented to have another season like 2017, and given his size and strength, he’ll get the first crack at the job. Look for Johnson to still see the field, likely as the nickel back, but if Westry falters again, Johnson might end up spending more time at corner. Westry starts, but Johnson might start at nickel if he does.