As we went through our position-by-position preview for the Cats, we said one group that needed experience was quarterbacks. Specifically, Kentucky would likely hit the transfer portal to find another player. That’s precisely what Mark Stoops did, and in the process, he gets a do-over at a rare in-state recruiting miss. Let’s introduce you to the newest member of the quarterback room and show you how he fits in as Kentucky Adds Gavin Wimsatt.
Cats Pick Up Another Quarterback
Headed Out Of State
Hailing from Owensboro, Kentucky, Wimsatt ranked third-best player in Kentucky and 25th-best quarterback in the 2021 class. In recent years, Stoops and Vince Marrow have prioritized keeping the best players in the state home. However, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder spurned the Cats, choosing to play for Greg Schiano and Rutgers. While he was initially listed in the 2022 class, Wimsatt finished early and enrolled in the fall of 2021.
Playing in four games as a freshman, Winsatt completed nine of 21 passes for 45 yards. The following season, he played eight games, throwing for 757 yards and five touchdowns. However, he did have seven interceptions.
Winsatt won the starting quarterback job in 2023 when he led the Scarlet Knights to a 7-6 record and a 31-24 win over Miami (Florida) in the Pinstripe Bowl. In the process, it gained the first bowl win for Rutgers since 2014.
During the 2023 campaign, he completed 48 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns. In addition, he ran for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns, a total that ranked him fifth in the Big Ten.
Returning Home
During the Spring, Winsatt found himself in a battle for the starting quarterback job with former Minnesota signal caller Athan Kaliakmanis. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarocca, who Kaliakmanis played for at Minnesota, named him the starting quarterback, and Wimsatt entered the transfer portal.
On Monday, Winsatt visited Lexington. In fact, he was spotted with Marrow at Bluegrass Airport. Apparently, that’s the new thing in Kentucky: people camp out at the airport to see who coaches are picking up for visits. Shortly after that, he announced he was a Wildcat. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Now that we’ve given you an introduction let’s return to show where he fits in as Kentucky adds Wimsatt.
Rutgers transfer quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has committed to Kentucky.
The Owensboro native has decided to come back home and play for the Cats.
📸 @GavinWimsatt pic.twitter.com/e1AwpOi2il
— Sidelines – Kentucky (@SSN_Kentucky) May 7, 2024
Adding Needed Depth
As we discussed in the beginning, the Wildcats have several talented quarterbacks with little experience. Presumed starter Brock Vandagriff only played in 13 games at Georgia, much of that in a mop-up role.
Behind him is Beau Allen, a former Wildcat backup who transferred to Tarleton State and Georgia Southern before returning to Lexington. Allen did not play at all last season. The other quarterback is a true freshman and highly touted local product, Cutter Boley. As a result, Wimsatt is presumed to be Vandagriff’s backup.
While his passing numbers don’t wow you, his running ability certainly does. The new offensive coordinator, Bush Hamdan, wants a rushing quarterback in his attack, and Wimsatt certainly fits that bill. Previously, UK had hosted former UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee, who eventually ended up at Virginia Tech.
Again, Kentucky adds Gavin Wimsatt from Rutgers, who adds much-needed experience to the Wildcat signal callers. Thanks for checking out this and all the great content here at Last Word On College Football.
