Why can Kentucky Football NOT get a GREAT Quarterback?

[blueheretic]

Kentucky with Stoops has had zero luck in the QB conversation.

Will Levis was really good. Loved that dude but he was a transfer that came with a chip on his shoulder combined with a pretty good OC.

But Kentucky/Stoops has always been a QB away from fielding a great team.

Why can't Stoops develop a great QB?

Why can't Stoops recruit a great QB?

Calzado is so so. Mediocre. I mean look where we grabbed him. He's not going to be the guy who takes a good football team and elevate them into a GREAT FOOTBALL TEAM.

All of the great teams have a great QB. None of them have a mediocre QB. It may be that they're great at the College level and not at the NFL level. That would be completely ok with me.

We have had a couple of teams that were a QB away from getting Stoops to the top of the SEC heap and you cannot get there without a damn good QB.

What is it about Stoops that makes it impossible for him to either develop a great QB or recruit a great QB to Kentucky?

[Matt Dillon]

If you're talking about transfers, money may be part of the problem. Tradition may be another. Most really good players, regardless of position, want to play for a winner. As far as h.s. commits, once again money and tradition could be factors although that seems to be changing Boley, Saunders and Ponatoski). One thing I'd like to see UK do is hire a coach just to develop QB's like we had when Randy Sanders was here. I know the last four years he was here coach Sanders was QB coach and OC but I'd like to have a coach just to work with the QB's.

[Matt Dillon]

Another thought is much of our recent QB woes can be traced to inept oline play. Had he been playing behind an oline like Schlarman's Big Blue Wall, Vandergriff may have been an entirely different player.

[Pete Hogwallop]

We've had a few decent ones. Levis comes to mind.

[Trueblujr]

I’m not gonna close the books on Calzada after that game. He made three good plays that were pretty much negated. The bomb that was ruled barely out of bounds. Rodriguez Fumble after his rumble. And Laws catch in the back of the end zone, we’re all good throws that resulted in nothing or a turnover.

I do feel like if things go off the rails next week Boley will get some play. I just want next weeks game to be competitive with us having a chance to win even if we don’t. Stoops has competed against Ole Miss pretty well.

[Jeffky62]

Instead of a qb what about heading to new Orleans and get sumerall before another school grabs him .

[40bill]

Im not sure its just a quarterback. Yes, the SEC certainly has had its share, but those teams also had other things we dont: great consistent O lines, running backs that keep the opposing defense honest, receivers that want to be part of a team that wins rather than padding their own stats. Tradition of course, but to be honest (as much as it hurts) we have never offered the side benefits: money, perks...that a lot of SEC schools not named Vanderbilt offer. We have historically played second fiddle to every other school in the conference.

Just an example: so far this year UK has 14 men playing in the NFL. Not shabbly right? Alabama has 67. Georgia 66. That list goes on.

[thebluestripes]

I'm sure most qb recruits are shown tape by other schools of uk's qbs getting sacked multiple times a game in the sec. Running for your life for a bad team and risking injury probably makes many qb's alittle leary of coming here. Also the revolving oc door probably doesnt help much. Honestly the reasons to not come here far out weigh reasons to come here.

[Sam K.]

blueheretic, I share your frustration with the lack of production at the qb position in recent years. To cut to the chase, we hired a Head Coach whose forte is on the defensive side of the ball. Mark's dad coached defense. Mark played defensive back. Mark coached defensive backs. And 15 out of the 24 UK players in the NFL are on defense with 8 of them being Defensive Backs. https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-footbal...kentucky/90866

[KYWILDCAT41035]

Instead of a qb what about heading to new Orleans and get sumerall before another school grabs him .

Bingo to this.... You get Jon and everything else will gradually work itself out....

[Jaxcat]

Not sure that Sumrall is the savior many of us hope he'll be. Lot of history of 'OMG, we just got (insert name) as our coach!' that turned out to be a big dud. Hope I'm wrong.

As to the QB, I've said for several years that Stoops has pursued the wrong type of QB. Like all the other big-time programs, UK has been looking for the 6'-3+", 220+ lb, pro style QB and we tend to get the 2nd tier or worse of those prospects. Witness what a dual-threat, smaller QB like Castellanos did to Bama (as did Manziel) and other programs who have that type of system. They're darn hard to defend because you HAVE to take into account that the QB is also a runner. I would guess there are many more non-protypical NFL-sized QBs who would be a great fit with a team that wants to emphasize the run that the big schools simply won't recruit (Diego Pavia, anyone?). We'd also, most likely, be one of the bigger programs that are recruiting run-first OL. We may not put many into the NFL but I think we'd have a better chance of sustaining 7+ wins going this route. Honestly, I thought that was the system that Eddie Gran was bringing to UK from Cincy. A shifty, dual threat QB who could make the intermediate throws to keep 8 defenders out of the box. Terry Wilson was the blueprint, imo. Unfortunately, he proved to be a pretty bad passer. But, there is surely a lot more Terry Wilsons who could be a true dual threat who'd love to come to UK vs a Will Levis or Calzada or Vandagriff or... As already stated in this thread, UK has a bad rep re: QBs - why would a serious NFL prospect come to play here when there are other options? Now, a DT QB would, presumably, not have many options, especially in the SEC/B10. And, it would give our offense a definitive identity that we could consistently recruit for.

Of course, that won't happen, but one can dream.

[Majoga]

If you're lucky enough to have experienced the Tim Couch era, you've most likely experienced the one allowed for your lifetime. If you're younger than that, there is still hope for you.

[bthaunert]

Not sure that Sumrall is the savior many of us hope he'll be. Lot of history of 'OMG, we just got (insert name) as our coach!' that turned out to be a big dud. Hope I'm wrong.

As to the QB, I've said for several years that Stoops has pursued the wrong type of QB. Like all the other big-time programs, UK has been looking for the 6'-3+", 220+ lb, pro style QB and we tend to get the 2nd tier or worse of those prospects. Witness what a dual-threat, smaller QB like Castellanos did to Bama (as did Manziel) and other programs who have that type of system. They're darn hard to defend because you HAVE to take into account that the QB is also a runner. I would guess there are many more non-protypical NFL-sized QBs who would be a great fit with a team that wants to emphasize the run that the big schools simply won't recruit (Diego Pavia, anyone?). We'd also, most likely, be one of the bigger programs that are recruiting run-first OL. We may not put many into the NFL but I think we'd have a better chance of sustaining 7+ wins going this route. Honestly, I thought that was the system that Eddie Gran was bringing to UK from Cincy. A shifty, dual threat QB who could make the intermediate throws to keep 8 defenders out of the box. Terry Wilson was the blueprint, imo. Unfortunately, he proved to be a pretty bad passer. But, there is surely a lot more Terry Wilsons who could be a true dual threat who'd love to come to UK vs a Will Levis or Calzada or Vandagriff or... As already stated in this thread, UK has a bad rep re: QBs - why would a serious NFL prospect come to play here when there are other options? Now, a DT QB would, presumably, not have many options, especially in the SEC/B10. And, it would give our offense a definitive identity that we could consistently recruit for.

Of course, that won't happen, but one can dream.

I'm not sure if Sumrall is the savior either. What I do know is we have a guy who bleeds UK blue just as much as anyone else out there having success (33-9/21-3 at the mid major level) and has the highest ranked non Power 4 program right now. I'm not sure if there has ever been a ore obvious choice as head coach. Will he succeed? No one knows, but his success to date tells me he has just as good of a chance as anyone.

[blueheretic]

I'm not certain that i want Sumrall.

Kentucky will ruin his career like it does nearly everyone else.

Without significant change, Kentucky simply isn't going to be a world beater.

Does Sumrall want to come to Kentucky just to make a Bowl Game?