Brock Vandagriff Expected to Start vs. Murray State

Kentucky’s quarterback situation was murky following the loss to Tennessee. As the Cats prepare to return to Kroger Field against Murray State, the chips are falling back into their proper place.

Wednesday night on KSBoard, Zack Geoghegan shared that Brock Vandagriff is healthy and expected to earn the starting quarterback assignment this Saturday. Vandagriff was playing some of his best football when he suffered a head injury in the second half of the loss at Tennessee.

Even though Vandagriff has started in every game for the Wildcats this fall, Gavin Wimsatt has played in all but two. The Rutgers transfer was primarily used as a change-of-pace option in the middle of drives but was handed the sticks for the entire second half of a loss at Auburn. Kentucky also turned to Wimsatt at Tennessee following Vandagriff’s injury.

True freshman Cutter Boley, a former four-star talent from Lexington, made his debut during garbage time of a blowout loss at Florida and did not complete a pass, only an interception. He received plenty of reps with the first team offense as Vandagriff healed up during the bye week. Even though we no longer expect to see Boley get the start, there’s a good chance he’ll get multiple series under center this Saturday.

“I’d like to see him just like I’d like to see a lot of the young guys,” Mark Stoops said during the bye week. “Any game reps you can get somebody. Certainly, at the quarterback position it is important. We want to go look good, build on what we’ve done, and try to get better.”

Starting Vandagriff is the Right Move

Kentucky is 3-6, playing one of the worst teams in the FCS this Saturday. It’s hard for any Kentucky fans to get excited to watch this football game. Starting a true freshman at quarterback changes that.

Engaging fan interest in this game should not be a top priority for the coaching staff. The No. 1 priority for the offense over the final quarter of the season is discerning if Vandagriff can be the guy for the 2025 season. The first-year starter needs reps. While it may not mean everything, showing growth down the stretch could tell Bush Hamdan and Mark Stoops what they need to know about the future of that position.

In an ideal world, Vandagriff and the Kentucky passing attack light up the scoreboard for a half, paving the way for Boley to get his first extended run of the season after the first drive of the second half. Kentucky hosts Murray State at 1:30 pm EST this Saturday and it can be watched on SECN+/ESPN+.