Destin Wade, the former Kentucky quarterback who started the 2022 Music City Bowl, is on the move once more, entering the transfer portal after a single season at Colorado. Wade’s collegiate journey has been marked by unmet expectations and shifting narratives, with his father, Steve Wade, shedding light on what he describes as Kentucky’s broken promises regarding his son’s playing time.
NEWS: Colorado QB Destin Wade plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per @PeteNakos_.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 10, 2024
The former 4-star transferred from Kentucky last season.https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/fw8hFjq7ab
Wade’s lone appearance as a starter for Kentucky came under difficult circumstances. With Will Levis opting out of the Music City Bowl, Wade faced one of the nation’s top defenses in Iowa, throwing for just 98 yards and two pick-sixes in a 21-0 loss. Despite the difficult situation, his father asserts that the program failed to provide Destin an opportunity to recover from this performance.
“They didn’t keep their promises up there,” Steve Wade told Main Street Maury. “We’re not going to go for that. They threw him in that bowl game and never gave him a chance to redeem himself under circumstances that nobody could have really done anything with.”
"They didn't keep their promises." The Wade Twins' father was not happy with how his sons were used at Kentucky.
— KSR (@KSRonX) December 5, 2023
“Destin could have been just as good as that quarterback we had this year,” Steve Wade said.
“There’s nothing any of those guys sitting in that quarterback couldn’t… pic.twitter.com/jOwMMiw1qe
Wade’s recruitment to Kentucky included assurances from then-offensive coordinator Liam Coen that his athleticism was too good to waste on the bench. But as Coen returned to the NFL and the Wildcats cycled through offensive coordinators, the family felt those promises went unfulfilled.
Fast forward to 2024, Wade found himself on the sidelines again, this time behind Heisman candidate Shedeur Sanders at Colorado. While his brother Keaten Wade remains at Colrado for now, the elder Wade’s comments reveal lingering frustration about the lack of opportunities afforded to Destin while at Kentucky. What makes this move even more interesing is that Shedeur Sanders is presumed going to the NFL and the starting job should be open at Colorado.
For the Cats coaching staff, this is another chapter in a troubling pattern of quarterback mismanagement. Between missed development opportunities and discontented players, the Wildcats’ quarterback room has struggled to retain talent, just take a look at this years transfer portal class by clicking here .
Can Mark Stoops and his staff get back to building trust and delivering on their recruitment promises, only time will tell?