Mark Stoops believes QB room is among strongest he's seen at Kentucky: "It's a really good group."

Kentucky is in a unique position at quarterback going into Mark Stoops’ 12th season in Lexington. On one hand, Brock Vandagriff has thrown 21 passes in three seasons at Georgia to go with another six carries. That’s QB1, the guy you’re pushing all of your chips in on being a star in blue and white. He’s got all of the hype as a former five-star recruit, but none of the experience.

On the other, you’ve got not one, not two, not three, but four guys in that room you know won’t be absolute disasters under center. You’re starting a former top-25 prospect who was viewed as the potential quarterback of the future by a guy who knows a thing or two about winning national championships in Kirby Smart. If that doesn’t work, you have Gavin Wimsatt — a dual-threat who started 13 games in the Big Ten in 2023. Not him? Four-star Cutter Boley has the tools and is seen as the long-term face of the room. You can give him his shot early, or roll with another former four-star in Beau Allen, who has been around the block in his own right.

Can you say with certainty Vandagriff will be a superstar until the games are played? Maybe not, but you can feel pretty solid something will work. And that’s a position Stoops likes to be in going into 2024.

“I really feel good about them,” he said Saturday. “Absolutely no knock to anybody that’s been here before, but as a group, the four guys that we have, I have so much confidence in. It’s a really good group.”

Kentucky has had strong starters in the past, but limited or inconsistent depth, putting the Wildcats in a tough spot when the injury bug bit. It’s even derailed things a time or two.

That’s not to say injury issues won’t pop up this fall, but Stoops feels the team is better equipped to handle whatever comes its way compared to past years.

“With the portal, sometimes when you have guys, other guys leave and it leaves you thin,” he said. “I feel like we are in a really good situation with the quarterback room, I really do. I just told them that, that I have confidence in all of them. We don’t want anybody to get hurt, but it lets you have the confidence to let the guys go play and just go play the game.

“We all know the game is physical and things happen and we don’t want that to anybody, but I really do feel good about the depth and feel like all four guys could play.”

His secret weapon in all of this, the new variable that has him feeling more confident than usual? New offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, who has made an early impact in the quarterback room as a teacher and communicator. The players are experienced, but so is the guy calling the shots on offense.

They’ve worked exceptionally well together up to this point.

“I think it helps a lot. It starts with Coach (Bush) Hamdan, just going back to the spring and the way he teaches. Gavin (Wimsatt) is new this summer, but (Hamdan) is very organized, he’s very calm and he’s very decisive. He’s a very good teacher. I think that rubs off on those players,” Stoops said. “Brock (Vandagriff) and his experience, talking about Gavin — he probably has the most playing experience of any of them. You have Cutter (Boley), he came in the spring along with Beau (Allen) coming back.

“All four of them, I think they complement each other very much. It’s a really good room.”

Ideally, Vandagriff is the guy — and that’s the plan. But it helps having a foursome as strong as Kentucky does just in case.