KSR Today: New Quarterback, New Website (Who Dis?)

Good morning and welcome to the beginning of a new era of Kentucky Football, and the debut of a new web design here on KentuckySportsRadio.com. Unless you are visiting us for the first time today (and if so, welcome!) you probably noticed right away that things look a little different around here. Surprise! While you were sleeping off the weekend and that “White Lotus” finale, we unveiled the slick new website we’ve been sitting on the last couple of months, part of KSR’s makeover under the new On3 Sports brand. You will soon find that everything is much cleaner and easier to navigate throughout the new layout, with new features you may not recognize and many others to come. Even better, you will be thrilled to know the annoying pop-up ads from the old site were removed and hauled off to the dump during the renovation. They’re gone now. Sorry about that.

Now that the upgrade is live, we hope you like the new digs and will continue to stop by on a regular basis to see what’s going on. We’ve always enjoyed your company and love having you here while you’re on the internet. Come back anytime, front door’s always open.

What’s not open is the quarterback competition over at Kentucky Football’s fall camp, the biggest piece of news for your Monday morning scroll.

Will Levis officially named UK’s starting quarterback

Mark Stoops called an impromptu Sunday evening press conference to declare Penn State transfer Will Levis the winner of Kentucky’s preseason quarterback competition. Normally a quiet day around preseason camp, Stoops said he wanted to get out in front of the news with on-the-record comments once it was reported by KSR’s own Matt Jones on Twitter hours earlier.

“We were ready,” Stoops said of the decision to call off the battle only 10 days into fall camp. “It was the right time.”

Stoops met with the three QB contenders—Levis, Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen—at some point over the weekend to deliver the news of his decision for the first game depth chart.

“They all have done some really good things throughout camp, but this was clear,” he told the media.

With Levis, “the operation is very smooth for a guy who hasn’t been there that long,” Stoops explained. “He’s been extremely efficient at running the offense. He’s been at the grade-able reps 74 percent. His first throw in the stadium was a 65-yard touchdown strike for his first live play in the stadium. He has a lot of talent. He’s been doing some really good things. He’s been very efficient. He’s got unbelievable arm strength. He’s a big, strong guy. He won the job.”

Levis tweeted, “I’m so incredibly blessed to be given this amazing opportunity. Words can’t describe how excited I am to lead this group of guys! Get ready for a great season, Big Blue Nation!”

I’m so incredibly blessed to be given this amazing opportunity. Words can’t describe how excited I am to lead this group of guys! Get ready for a great season, Big Blue Nation! https://t.co/MGyqhmfR6C

— Will Levis (@will_levis) August 16, 2021

Joey Gatewood to the transfer portal

With Levis locked in as Kentucky’s starting quarterback, one of the guys he beat out will seek other opportunities. Stoops announced Joey Gatewood will no longer practice with the team as he enters the transfer portal a week before the first day of fall classes.

“If this is the decision we were going to make, I wanted to give people like Joey the opportunity to transfer and go somewhere,” Stoops said. “If you wait another week, he’s trapped here.”

Stoops also revealed Gatewood would’ve been the third option behind Levis and sophomore Beau Allen, which likely added to Gatewood’s decision to look elsewhere for his fourth year of college football.

“I told him how much I appreciate how hard he’s worked, and I know he’s been through this before so I knew it would be an especially tough decision, not what he wanted to hear,” Stoops said. “We had a good talk. He handled it completely professional. I really appreciate him. At that point he did inform me that he thought it would be in his best interest to enter his name into the portal.”

Gatewood still has a spot on Kentucky’s depth chart if he doesn’t find a new home for his game in time for the season.

Watch Mark Stoops’ entire QB press conference

Kentucky Football also picked up a Sunday afternoon commitment

UK Football rolled a Yahtzee on an unusually busy Sunday for the program with a verbal commitment from Tomiwa Durojaiye, a three-star defensive end out of the Class of 2022. A product of Delaware, Durojaiye picked the Wildcats over offers from the likes of Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and West Virginia, among many others.

BIG BLUE NATION I’m COMMITTED @UKFootball pic.twitter.com/hIUoItUceI

— Tomiwa Durojaiye (@TomiwaDurojaiye) August 15, 2021

He intends to enroll in January.

It’s Day 9 of the NBA Summer League

The NBA Summer League action continues today out in Las Vegas with eight consolation games on the docket, beginning with Isaiah Jackson in the first game of the afternoon. Jackson’s Indiana Pacers will take on the Washington Wizards

• 3:00 p.m. on NBATV: Indiana Pacers (Isaiah Jackson) vs. Washington Wizards
• 4:00 p.m. on ESPNews: Milwaukee Bucks (EJ Montgomery) vs. Denver Nuggets
• 5:00 p.m. on NBATV: San Antonio Spurs (Skal Labissiere) vs. OKC Thunder
• 6:00 p.m. on ESPN 2: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns
• 7:00 p.m. on NBATV: Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks (Immanuel Quickley, Reid Travis)
• 8:00 p.m. on ESPN 2: Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
• 9:00 p.m. on NBA TV: Memphis Grizzlies (Olivier Sarr) vs. L.A. Clippers (BJ Boston)
• 10:00 p.m. on ESPN 2: Charlotte Hornets (Nick Richards) vs. Chicago Bulls

The Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings will play in the summer league’s championship game Tuesday night on ESPN 2.

Rajon Rondo included in trade for Eric Bledsoe.

Two former Wildcats swapped locker rooms in the NBA as part of a trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies late Sunday night. The Clippers called Eric Bledsoe home to the franchise that drafted him out of Kentucky in 2010 in exchange for Rondo, 2020 second-round pick Daniel Oturu, and longtime Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley.

Bledsoe played his first three NBA seasons as a Clipper and had only been with the Grizzlies for a week following a trade with New Orleans, where Bledsoe averaged 12 points and four assists per game.

Meanwhile, Rondo joins his ninth NBA team and his eighth in eight seasons since leaving Boston in 2014.

Happy Birthday, James Young!

Former UK Basketball star James Young turns 26 years old today. Let’s celebrate by re-watching his dunk against UConn in the 2014 national championship game.

Young now does his dunking for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

That’ll do it for now. Check back throughout the day for more on the Cats on this fancy new website.