One QB to stay, the rest left? Kentucky’s Mark Stoops faces a crucial decision

It’s rarely a good sign of a successful offensive season when you’ve seen three quarterbacks play meaningful minutes. That’s exactly what Kentucky has seen this year in Brock Vandagriff, Gavin Wimsatt and Cutter Boley. It’s not starting to shape up, with the most likely scenario being that whoever Mark Stoops chooses to start Saturday against Louisville will be the only one who sticks around until next year. This is pure speculation, but it makes the most sense in the age of the transfer portal; let’s lay out the reasoning in this article.

Brock Vandagriff – Junior

Brock Vandagriff transferred from Georgia. He has won two national championships as a backup for Georgia and was recruited out of high school as a 5-star quarterback in the 2021 class. He was never able to see the starting role for the Bulldogs and opted to transfer to Kentucky last year to fill that spot. He has at least one more year of eligibility after this year, and if he loses his starter status, you have to assume he will move on strongly.

Gavin Wimsatt – Junior

Gavin Wimsatt also went in under the assumption that he would support Vandagriff, but came in to mix it up. He helps make things happen with his legs and at the same time always presents the threat of throwing. This was clearly the plan with Wimsatt and yet that strategy became a liability and he has actually been on the bench for several weeks now. Went up on the depth chart by Cutter Boley. It’s a little surprising that Wimsatt hasn’t jumped onto the portal already, considering how he was used towards the end of this season.

Cutter Boley – Freshman

Finally, we arrive at 4-star recruit and true freshman Cutter Boley. He’s been backing up Vandagriff and getting meaningful minutes lately. He has clearly outplayed Vandagriff for two weeks in a row. Fans are clamoring for him as he appears to be the best quarterback on the roster. He knows he is the future and he talks like he is. Then, if he is benched instead of Vandagriff again for the Louisville game, he would also begin to assume that Vandagriff is the quarterback of the future (for next year), making him realize that he would not be able to compete for starting place. He’s already won it with his play, so if he doesn’t actually get it, it might make him want to switch.

That’s the dilemma head coach Mark Stoops faces, and he has to make the decision that gives Kentucky the best chance for the foreseeable future, even if he doesn’t think it’s the best one to beat Louisville. However, it seems that the decision is the same. Boley is the best quarterback of late, giving Kentucky the best chance to win against the Cardinals and into the future.