First Down Kentucky: New Beginnings
New is a big word surrounding the Kentucky offense in 2024. The Wildcats will have a new offensive coordinator, a new wide receivers coach, and a new offensive line coach. There are also multiple transfers joining the roster who were not in Lexington last season. In Bush Hamdan‘s first quarterbacks room, that newness stands out the most.
The Wildcats have three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster plus Beau Allen. None were on the roster in 2023. A total rebuild of the room shows how fluid this current era can be. The players in that room are using each other to help themselves adjust to their new college football home.
“I think it really is neat because we all come from different places. Beau was here but then he played and then came back. So he has different experiences as well,” Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt told KSR on Friday at media day. “I think it’s neat how we all get to talk about how different is this.”
First Down Kentucky is taking a closer look at how the program’s two big additions at the sport’s most important position are adjusting to their new home.
Brock Vandagriff is working on improving Kentucky’s offensive leadership
By the end of the 2023 season, we learned that player leadership ended up becoming a problem for the Kentucky offense. No matter the team or the level, offenses depend on quarterbacks to provide leadership. Brock Vandagriff knows this and is attempting to establish himself as a leader within the Kentucky football program despite being a newcomer.
Some work in the classroom at the University of Kentucky is helping the redshirt junior.
“Leadership is very important at the quarterback position. It’s actually what my master’s is in — communications and leadership development. So being able to take some stuff from the classroom and put it on the field,” Vandagriff told KSR. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about just making sure you lead your ship. That’s basically how I define leadership. It’s pretty simple but it’s pretty accurate as well.”
Vandagriff is new but Kentucky will ask a lot of the SEC transfer this season. Much is riding on Kentucky’s latest starter to come directly from the portal. The quarterback is currently trying to build and establish trust with his teammates and coaches as this Kentucky offense tries to find its new identity.
“One of the things with Coach Hamdan that we’ve built over this spring and summer and a couple of days into fall camp is just trust,” said Vandagriff. “I’m going to trust whatever Coach Hamdan calls and whoever he calls to be out there is going to be in the right position at the right place and the right time.”
Once the season begins, we’ll learn if that leadership and trust can help the transfer quarterback get off to a good start. So far, Vandagriff appears to have earned the respect of his teammates and coaches with his old-school work ethic.
The fit at Kentucky this time around was better for Gavin Wimsatt
In a big surprise, Rutgers dipped into Kentucky during the 2022 recruiting cycle and landed a commitment from four-star prospect Gavin Wimsatt. The Owensboro (Ky.) High prospect surprised many when he picked the Scarlet Knights over the Wildcats. But the chance to return home is always on the table in this era of college football.
Wimsatt reclassified to join the Rutgers program during the 2021 season and became a two-year starter for head coach Greg Schiano, but left the program after losing a position battle to Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis during spring practice. Wimsatt then entered the transfer portal and quickly landed at Kentucky.
This time the fit made more sense.
“At the time, it wasn’t the right fit. And I think coming in the second time it was a better fit than the first time,” Wimsatt told KSR.
The redshirt junior could have a role as a change-of-pace wildcat formation quarterback for Kentucky this season after rolling up 493 non-sack rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in the Big Ten last season. Wimsatt not only likes the culture fit at Kentucky but also likes how he fits with the new offensive coordinator.
“Coach Hamdan’s offense. I just think I really fit into it and I can be a great asset to this team and help them win,” Wimsatt told KSR.
The in-state prospect will not be Kentucky’s starting quarterback in 2024 but he raises the floor in the position room and gives Hamdan a veteran with legitimate power conference experience.
Kentucky players visit Friends of Coal
Camp is off and running but Kentucky players are still getting out in the community. Recently, multiple players went to visit Friends of Coal and Blackhawk Mining to see how the coal industry operates. J.J. Weaver, Brian Robinson, Jacob Smith, Jerod Smith II, and Carson Wright were some of the players in attendance.
The coal whistle at Kroger Field will be ringing in Kroger Field sooner rather than later. Friends of Coal recently became a corporate sponsor of the 15 Club and wanted to introduce the players to their industry.
Deone Walker was mic’d up at Kentucky Fan Day
Miss Kentucky Fan Day? Want to live it through the eyes of Deone Walker? The Kentucky football X account has you covered.
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