Kentucky Wildcats Football: Who Will Play QB in 2012?

Last spring Joker Phillips and other coaches raved about the strides made by the Kentucky offense in spring practice. Morgan Newton lit it up during the Blue/White game. As did wide receiver Brain Adams. The hype carried over into fall camp and the offense was mentioned in the same breath as the prolific offense of 2007.  Well it didn’t exactly play out that way once the pads started flying. The offensive line was patchwork due to injuries. Newton was hit early and often. His confidence waned, then disappeared. Accuracy, never his strong suit, followed suit.  When the ball was delivered, anyone not named King dropped it. After all of the preseason excitement, Kentucky’s offense ranked as one of the worst in the FBS last season. Most don’t recognize the total picture and simply blame Newton for the struggles of 2011.  There was a joyous uproar when Maxwell Smith became the starter due to injury.  However there is no guarantee that he will take the reigns in 2012.  Here is a look at the quarterbacks on this year’s roster:

Maxwell Smith So.-  Smith gained starting experience as a true freshman due to injuries. After struggling in a back-up role, he produced strong performances versus Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Unfortunately he struggled greatly against any team outside the state of Mississippi and took several big hits in the pocket that led to him missing the UT game. Smith has a relatively high ceiling and has the inside track on the starting position. His injuries only required rest. It seems that the only things holding him back could be his rail-thin build and his work ethic. Coaches have made comments about his need to focus several times. Hopefully Smith takes the job and runs with it, allowing the freshmen to redshirt.

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