When the clock ran out on Kentucky’s season following a 38-24 loss to Louisville, one of the biggest questions going into the off-season was “Who will be the quarterback in 2016?”
Patrick Towles started the first ten games before being benched in favor of Drew Barker who started the last two. Towles then played a mop up role in the second half of the UL game when Barker was ineffective.
One day after the season, Towles announced he was transferring out of the program. A few weeks later he said he will be attending Boston College where he will be able to play immediately since he has graduated and has one year of eligibility left.
A couple of weeks after that, the guy thought to be the back-up going into the spring, Reese Phillips, who missed the 2015 season with an Achilles injury, surprised many by leaving the program as well. Phillips had some less than complimentary things to say about Coach Mark Stoops and pledged his support to now former offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Phillips since backtracked from some of his comments and later announced he will finish his career at Montana and will have at least two years of eligibility left.
That leaves the sophomore Barker as the only quarterback with game experience as the Cats will have to learn yet another offense under new coordinators Eddie Gran and Darrin Hinshaw. In the last couple of weeks, the Cats have taken positive steps to get some more players in camp.
Gunnar Hoak will join the squad as a true freshmen for the 2016 season. Hoak is 6’4”, 190 lbs out of Dublin, Ohio, and is rated as the 14th best pocket quarterback by ESPN. He graduated high school in December and has enrolled in school already.
Over the weekend, Stoops and company picked up another player when Stephen Johnson II, a dual threat quarterback out of California, committed to the Cats. Johnson is 6’3” and 185 lbs and is regarded as a 3-star player and the number 5 rated JUCO quarterback by Rivals.
Johnson threw for 3,200 yards with 34 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions for the College of the Desert. Stoops has told Johnson he will come in right away and will compete for the starting spot in the spring.
Going into the spring the quarterback job is Barker’s to lose, but it sounds like Johnson could provide some strong competition.
Hit me up on twitter @kevinmcguffey and give me your thoughts.
Main Photo
