Kentucky Football Spring Cleaning: Quarterback

It’s football time in the Bluegrass. Kentucky’s spring practice is scheduled to start on Monday, March 6 as the Wildcats will be putting on the pads once again. After a disappointing season, Mark Stoops and his program will be looking for a big bounce back in 2022. The official football work will begin in March and last for 15 practices before the end of the spring semester arrives.

KSR is diving into the personnel over the next couple of days to get our readers primed up for spring ball. Let’s start with quarterbacks as Kentucky has turned to another Power Five transfer to replace Will Levis.

QB Newcomers

— Liam Coen: The Los Angeles Rams assistant is back in Lexington for another stint as Kentucky’s play-caller and will also be coaching quarterbacks. Coen will be working with another transfer while attempting to build depth and score points this fall.

— Devin Leary: A former four-star recruit from South Jersey, Leary is spending his sixth and final season at Kentucky after five years spent in the ACC at NC State. The transfer will be limited during spring practice as he recovers from a torn pectoral injury, but all signs point to Leary being QB1 at Kentucky this fall.

Top Storyline: Who emerges as QB2?

We all know Leary will be the one taking snaps when Kentucky opens the season against Ball State in September. What will be answered in the spring is who will be next in line.

At different points in 2022, three quarterbacks claimed Kentucky’s QB2 job. Deuce Hogan, Kaiya Sheron, and Destin Wade are all back on campus. Liam Coen recruited two of them to Lexington. Who gets the upperhand?

Wade should be considered the favorite after earning the start in the Music City Bowl and having the highest upside of the trio but is no lock. The Cats could also decided to visit the transfer portal in May after spring ball ends.

UK has to find a QB2 that they feel can go out and win games. That answer must be found in spring practice.

Wild Card: Kaiya Sheron

The Somerset (Ky.) High product is moving into year three at Kentucky and is entering a pivotal spring practice. After starting for Kentucky in the Week 6 home loss to South Carolina, the redshirt sophomore was eventually replaced by Destin Wade by the end of the season. Now Kaiya Sheron needs to make a move.

The in-state pocket passer will be reuniting with an offensive coordinator that seemed to like what the QB can bring to the table. Liam Coen spoke highly of Sheron during Kentucky’s 2021 spring practice.

“Kaiya is the type of kid where he’ll make a throw, a big-time throw and then just kind of walk off the field like nothing happened. He’s a cool customer who’s got some stuff to him,” Coen said . “He’s got a big arm. He’s done some nice things.”

Sheron could be poised to take a big leap.

Prediction: Kentucky does not add another QB after spring practice

When we entered the first transfer portal window, many in the Big Blue Nation were worried about quarterback. Kentucky did a great job targeting and landing Devin Leary to give the offense a bonafide top-shelf starter next season. However, positional depth was not addressed.

Kentucky did not sign a quarterback in their latest high school recruiting class and will enter the year with just four scholarship quarterbacks. One — Deuce Hogan — was originally brought into the program as a walk-on. The Cats need an answer in 2024 at quarterback, but that will come after the 2023 season ends.

Liam Coen and his offense will be all-in on Leary. If an injury happens, Kentucky will roll with someone that is currently on the roster. The upcoming spring practice must have some big development at the position. A quality backup option needs to emerge.

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