Photo by Keyli Chisesi (Go Big Blue Country)
With starting quarterback Stephen Johnson set to play his final game at Kentucky in a few weeks, it sparks the discussion of who will the Wildcats signal caller be in 2018. We are still months from that answer but it’s an important question heading into the spring and moving forward.
Mark Stoops thought he had his future quarterback locked up in 4-star recruit Jarren Williams. However, Williams committed to Kentucky twice, only to change his mind both times, leading to the two parting ways entirely. Stoops then shifted his focus to other quarterback targets but the UK coach said during his press conference on Tuesday that he is not sure if the Wildcats 2018 class will include a quarterback.
That information leaves a lot of unknowns and uncertainty heading into the offseason. Behind Johnson is redshirt junior Drew Barker, redshirt freshman Gunnar Hoak, freshman (will redshirt) Danny Clark, and freshman (will redshirt) Walker Wood. If the Wildcats don’t land a quarterback for 2018, one of those four names will be the quarterback next season.
The early money should be on Barker, who took over the starting job in the final three games of the 2015 season and was the starter in 2016 before suffering a season-ending back injury just two games in. Barker was recruited to Kentucky to be the savior of the program and was Stoops’ biggest prize in his first full recruiting class. His career hasn’t gone as planned due to unfortunate luck and injuries but a strong senior season would provide a positive end to his up and down career.
Behind Barker is redshirt freshman Gunnar Hoak, who will be a sophomore in 2018. With two full years under his belt, Hoak will challenge for the starting quarterback position. Since his impressive outing in the 2017 spring game, fans have been lobbying to see what he can do on the field. Even if he doesn’t start, fans will likely get their first in-game look at Hoak early on next season.
Also in the mix will be Danny Clark, who redshirted this season but acted as the scout teams quarterback every week. Stoops described Clark as one of the best teammates he has ever coached and fans shouldn’t sleep on him being a player in the quarterback battle. A one time Ohio State commit, Clark is talented but doesn’t have the advantage of being in the system as long as Barker and Hoak have.
Last but not least is Walker Wood; a native of Lexington, Ky. Wood is a dual-threat quarterback and an unbelievable athlete that needs to be on the field in some capacity. That would leave four scholarship quarterbacks returning for the Wildcats next season, which is a good problem to have.
Stoops says he isn’t sure if they will sign a quarterback but Kentucky is still actively recruiting for the position. Junior college quarterback Terry Wilson, three-star James Foster, and Matthew Baldwin have all been pursued by the coaching staff. Willson, a former Oregon quarterback, has plans to visit Kentucky soon and Foster plans to visit before signing in February.
