Bush Hamdan gives his take on Kentucky quarterback room

Kentucky will enter the 2024 season with both a new offensive coordinator and a new starting quarterback. Bush Hamdan is prepared to take over at OC as Devin Leary leaves for the NFL, but the Wildcats made a couple of key additions to their QB room this offseason.

Brock Vandagriff transferred to Kentucky after three years at Georgia and is expected to be the frontrunner to replace Leary as starter. UK also signed four-star freshman quarterback Cutter Boley, a local product who has received rave reviews from the coaching staff.

With those two, Hamdan believes he has a solid foundation heading into next season.

“You don’t take the job unless you feel pretty good about that quarterback room and the acquisitions they had,” he said. “So I’m excited to work with all those guys. I know they’re eager, too. Brock and a lot of those guys have already been by and I’m excited to get to work with them.”

Vandagriff spent his three seasons at Georgia backing up Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck, where he was a part of two national championship rosters. He appeared sparingly in blowouts, compiling 165 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-18 passing.

Interestingly enough, Vandagriff saw some playing time against Kentucky this past season as the Bulldogs won 51-13. He finished 5-of-7 for 46 yards and threw a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats have had a reputation for finding success with transfer quarterbacks over the past few years with Leary and Will Levis. They’ve seen enough from Vandagriff, a five-star coming out of high school in 2021, to believe that can continue in 2024.

Boley was a big recruiting when for the Wildcats, who landed him over programs such as Michigan, Notre Dame and Tennessee. He ranked as the No. 391 overall prospect and No. 25 quarterback in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

It’s likely that Boley takes a redshirt to give him more time to develop. Vandagriff has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so Boley could theoretically be a sophomore when he is ready to take over.

The Wildcats also brought back Beau Allen as a walk-on. He previously played for Kentucky in 2020 and 2021 before transferring away and getting some starting experience at Tarleton State in 2022. Now he returns to Lexington and could provide extra depth behind Vandagriff if Boley isn’t ready to be the No. 2 right away.

Regardless, it’s clear Hamdan has plenty of talent in his quarterback room as he prepares to take over the Kentucky offense. We’ll get a better idea of how things are shaping up when spring practice begins soon.