UK Football: Spring Practice Update

Quarterbacks

Sep 7, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Reese Phillips (12) and cornerback Cody Quinn (16) come out on the field during the game against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

It seems the quarterback discussion has been never ending for UK football, but from the talk at practice today Stoops and Brown are more than ready to put that to rest. While neither had a clear deadline to choose their starter, they both made it clear the sooner the better and the players agreed. I anticipate by the end of spring ball we will have 2 of the 5 emerge as the starters and will be narrowed by the end of fall camp. Watching them today, they all took equal first team reps with the exclusion of injured Max Smith. Drew Barker seemed very eager to learn and get things right- I noticed him approach Max several times and ask questions. Stoops said Barker is “very mature and going about his work the right way, he spends a lot of time studying (the offense)”. As expected of a guy who would normally still be in high school, he made his share of mistakes today, but he seemed positive and upbeat (see his interview here). Stoops said that they want one clear starter and as soon as someone “steps up and takes full command of the offense” they will name a starter. Stoops said: “We’ve improved- that’s the good news, we have improved. Starting with Jalen, obviously Max is not out there, I think Jalen has improved. I am encouraged with Patrick, Reese and Drew. I think they’re doing some good things.” I saw HUGE improvements in Towles and Phillips; both were very accurate and I saw both Towles and Barker run as well as throw. On the two redshirt quys Stoops said: “I definitely think it helped them. It’s no mystery; there were times last year I thought about taking the red shirt off of both of them. I think it really helped them mature. Patrick is definitely improved. He’s much quicker with his release and is throwing the ball very well so I feel encouraged.”

Nov 30, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Maxwell Smith (11) runs the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Neal Brown said: “Jalen has missed a little time with a tight hamstring, the other three guys- Towles has really improved fundamentally which gives him a chance. He’s gotten a lot better, the ball is getting out on time and his feet are in a position to throw the ball, which is a big improvement, I’m excited about that. Reese and Drew- Drew is obviously just getting here, Reese is getting reps with the first group for the first time really. Both of these guys have added something, they’ve added a little juice. I’m excited about the progress these guys have made- we’ve thrown a lot at them in three days. Heavy install in three days and we’ve looked as good in these three days as we did at any point last season. I wouldn’t say we’ve arrived, but we’re definitely better.” Brown was asked if the quarterbacks would have to adapt to the offense, or if the offense would be adapted to the quarterbacks since 4 are traditionally pocket passers and Whitlow is stronger with running the ball. Brown said that all of his quarterbacks have the ability to run if need be, “Towles runs better than you think, he gets labled because hes a big kid, his highlands film he ran pretty well…he times pretty well, he really does- he can run it. Drew ran it for a lot of yards in high school. Obviosly he’s playing against faster guys now but he can run it. Reese ran the ball a lot in high school so all three of those guys can run the same plays. Is Jalen going to run them better? Probably. But all of them can run the ball.” Brown also added that the entire team is benefitting from the quarterback play being better and it is transforming the entire offense, “The whole practice is better because they’re better…our quarterback play has been better the last three practices than any point last year. Jalen is better now than when we finished Tennessee. They had to improve. They didn’t play well enough there last year.”

Nov 9, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Jalen Whitlow (2) throws the ball against the Missouri Tigers at Commonwealth Stadium. Missouri defeated Kentucky 47-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Of course there is a ton of good news right there. The fact that they want ONE quarterback starter and want to name them sooner rather than later helps not only the team, but that individual. Like Reese Phillips said, its all about getting into a groove which is hard when you’re rotating. It also helps with the leadership aspect that one guy will be in full control of the offense. I loved with Neal Brown said about these three practices being better than any point last season- that says a lot. If I had to make a prediction, I would say Reese Phillips wins the starting job, Towles is backup, followed by Smith and have Whitlow in on running packages and Barker redshirting. Of course, that is completely my own opinion and based on previous seasons and one hour of spring practice, but that is what I think. I also saw that Patrick Towles will travel to California for two weeks in May to work with QB coach George Whitfield. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he has worked with tons of collegiate and professional quarterbacks including Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. Stoops mentioned that the wide receivers playing well helps the quarterbacks play well but that position could use improvement as well. Does that leave room for the incoming freshman to make a difference? It sounds like it. Personally, I think Blake Bone’s size could add another dimension to this offense immediately.

October 27, 2012; Columbia, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles (14) passes the ball during the third quarter at Faurot Field. The Missouri Tigers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 33-10. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s what Jalen and Drew had to say today as well.

Jul 2, 2013; Beaverton, OR, USA; Drew Barker (15) passes the ball during the Nike 7on7 pool play at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon on Tuesday July, 2, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports