Kentucky football QB finally breaks silence on shock retirement

The cat is out of the bag regarding Brock Vandagriff's retirement

There was no big announcement, no blue carpet, no press conference— Brock didn't enter the portal, no fanfare, just a random tweet from Bleed Blue Network announcing Vandagriff's retirement (they received some backlash until the official announcement was made). The entire situation was quite peculiar at the time.

Vandagriff, the fifth-rated QB in the class of 2021, shocked many across the country when he committed to Kentucky after leaving Georgia. The idea of a Liam Coen led offense featuring Vandagriff at quarterback had fans dreaming big.

Unfortunately, it was never meant to be. Coen left for Tampa Bay about six weeks later, and the rest is history. Vandagriff was never truly put in a position to succeed. Between being paired with brand-new offensive coordinator, Bush Hamdan, a historically bad offensive line, dropped passes from veteran receivers, and injuries; Vandagriff never really had a chance. Speaking to Ryne Dennis of the Athens Banner-Herald, Vandagriff hinted at his waning passion for the game:

"It wasn’t like I was fired up to go in there every day. As a quarterback that’s kind of what you need. Your team relies on you, and I didn’t feel like I was able to be at my best every day because of the whole situation."

Brock Vandagriff

Mark Stoops tried to convince Vandagriff to return

"He said basically we could do this, and we could do that, and we’d love you to come back. I just said, coach, it’s nothing against your program or you at all. It was more of my decision more than anything else. There weren’t any external factors that played into it. I was, I won’t say burnt out, I was just ready for the next stage of my life."

Brock Vandagriff

Vandagriff battled through injuries all year

The QB suffered injuries to his ankle, knee, and shoulder and even endured a concussion while managing to start 11 games for the Wildcats. As difficult as it is to leave the game you’ve played all your life, it’s not worth risking your health—and Vandagriff realized that.

The former signal-caller has since traded in his football equipment for a career in medical equipment sales

"Like it talks about in the Bible, be hard working, take pride in your work, and I think that it was just time to happen. I was just ready for it."

Brock Vandagriff

What could have been will always be a lasting memory. What if Coen had never left, what if Brock had transferred to another school after he did, what if the line was better. But Brock is at peace, and at the end of the day that is what was important to him. BBN turns to Zach Calzada as a 3rd straight transfer QB. Read more about Calzada here.