Patrick Towles don't play defense. Our record might still be the same. Although I think we would have prolly beat Southern Miss. With that said, I most certainly think this offense, with Gran & Towles would be much better than we have seen so far.
Kentucky's Quarterback Situation
- Thread starter JPFisher
- Start date
Totally agree. I don't see Barker recovering from back problems during the season. This sounds like an off season type of thing. Also Johnson isn't built for the punishment he will be taking. He might not go down for the entire season but I can easily see him being out for some series. Also even if he doesn't go down you want to rest him as much as possible. Even if there are no injuries that sideline him he will get dinged up enough to severely reduce his effectiveness.
Last edited:
Hopefully it doesn't happen but if Johnson goes down (even for a couple of series in either of the next 2 games then you have to think Hoak is the next guy up,depending on the situation later in the year that might change.
I haven't heard it discussed lately but I thought I heard the coaches say a while back the Hoak was getting the #2 reps in practice.
perspective: after 2 straight games against excellent defenses Johnson's QB numbers are in the top half of the SEC
Harline may be a good comparator for Johnson. I think SJ will get better. He seems to have a solid ethic and stays relatively calm. Maybe too calm, at times. When he is able to see more of his progressions, I think he will be better. We recruit DL and OL Jucos at times, the former much more than the latter, and we do not expect much of them the first part of their first year, even when they get here in spring. I think we need to be patient with Stephen.
Johnson has played well & saved us after this injury, but I'd sure like to see a healthy Drew Barker playing alongside our newfound thunder & lightning running game sometime this season
I would like to see Johnson keep the ball on the read option (when the end contains) 3 or 4 times a game minimum. That will do a lot to help our running backs. I also think he is most dangerous when he is rolling out with run/pass options. I know they didn't want to do much of that against Bama but I think he should on the remaining teams on our schedule. He can be very effective if used properly.
Last edited:
I sort of agree but that will be throwing the lamb to the wolves. The qb situation has and is chaotic.
Perhaps you would enlighten us as to this lad might be and how he will lead us to the promised land. I'll hang up and listen.
Jarren Williams is the real deal. He's the guy that will take us to the next level, we just have to hold on to him.
I think Johnson will be fine. When we give him time he has been solid and found receivers. Look at the few good drives against Alabama. Stood in there and threw strikes.
Some great thoughts in this thread. I think the reality is that neither QB has a lot of experience and probably are not so incredibly talented that they can come in and be great from day one, regardless of how they performed in the Spring game. There were many folks on this board (at various times) that felt that both Andre Woodson and Mike Hartline were not SEC-quality QBs.
I think that both Johnson and Barker will get better with time. Will they be all-SEC, I am not sure. Will they help us win some games, I think that they can and probably will. But they (and we) need more time to figure out whether they are a long-termish solution.
On Johnson, I think he played more like an early Andre Woodson, as Andre had a bad habit of hanging on to the ball too long -- and was stripped several times for fumbles. I like how Johnson does appear calm in the pocket -- maybe too calm -- holding on to the ball too long.
Most likely, we will get to see both QBs more this year and can probably make a more informed decision on QB potential when that happens.
The jury is still out on Johnson but I think under the circumstances he has done a decent job. I just worry about his ability to make it through the year without injury.
Johnson was sandwiched pretty hard on that last 3rd down. This may have had a lot to do with the FG call on that last 4th down. Go Cats!!
I don't understand what you're asking for really. If you're asking me to name names his name was Mac Jones and he's not committed here no more
Jawon Pass is being red-shirted at Louisville, having chosen U of L over Alabama and Ohio State, among others. That's damn impressive, no matter who you root for, especially with Lamar Jackson only a sophomore. I sure wish Pass was at Kentucky.
Louisville Committed (7/16/15)
Offers List:
Alabama, Auburn. Clemson, Florida, Indiana, LSU, Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia Tech
Louisville Committed (7/16/15)
Offers List:
Alabama, Auburn. Clemson, Florida, Indiana, LSU, Miami (FL), Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia Tech
Last edited:
ZCats, who was the bad OC hire. Brown went to Troy and is successful and Dawson is at USM, and they beat us. Gran is at UK, and our offense hasn't been that great. Seven points against Florida, and 6 against Alabama. One TD in two games won't cut it.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
Then he's an idiot if he's as good as you all claim. If so he'd be starting for about half those teams as a true freshman.
The list of offers was taken directly from this website, under the recruiting tab for Louisville, so I assume it is legit. I remember seeing him in the East-West Army All-Star game and he was quite impressive, reminding me of a better-throwing version of Derrick Ramsey. Nonetheless, as I stated, it's quite impressive that he went to Louisville and was okay with red-shirting to wait his opportunity to fill the shoes of Lamar Jackson.
There's no question that he would be starting for us, for sure. Can't help but wonder if our record would've been any better, though, at this point...???
https://redragetailgate.com/2016/09/05/will-jawon-pass-redshirt-this-season/
Last edited:
Drew Barker has had 5 starts and, overall, has played surprisingly poorly. But Barker is only a sophomore. He has an NFL quarterback's body, and a good arm. Barker hasn't yet shown an ability to recognize coverages or put together a full game of solid play, but it's possible that he can still learn to do those things. The problem with Barker is the back injury. Once a young quarterback suffers a significant back injury, they are seldom the same again. Steve Johnson is a 2nd string quarterback from a juco. He is an emergency quarterback, who was probably never intended to be the starter. Johnson has started 2 SEC games, and he is 1-1. Johnson has poor fundamentals and almost no experience. He will improve with more playing opportunities, but he only weighs 180 pounds. Right now, Gunnar Hoak is the future. But if Kentucky signs Danny Clark and Jarren Williams, those 2 will change the future for the quarterback position.
Didn't the kid from Ohio who had been committed to Ohio St. for 2 years there just visit us! ( can't think of his name) But Vince Marrow has stayed in touch and we are the favorites! I say
go ahead and play Hoak if he is good enough!
go ahead and play Hoak if he is good enough!
I think you are correct, when he moves the pocket and rolls out he is pretty good throwing on the run
Luke Wright Looked really comfortable to me in the spring game. Didn't get many opportunities, but the 1 deep ball he threw was dead on the money (wasn't caught beacause of a good defensive play) ! He also probably knows this offense inside and out since he came to UK from Cinci. with Gran & Hinshaw. I look for him to get a shot at some point if Johnson can't hold onto the bean!
I know very little about Wright. If he's at all competent, then I would prefer him to throwing Hoak to the wolves (and burning a crucial redshirt), if Johnson gets hurt.
Love Gran and Hinshaw and woukd not be upset if Stoops does get fired. HAVE the incoming coach keeps these 2 around. They do not have much to work with from QB spot right now. I like what they are doing with the backs no doubt.
Dawson was on the rocks with Stoops the first week of the season and by mid season was accepted to be on his way out. His play calling, use of personnel and teamwork were clearly destructive to what UK needed. I would call that a bad hire. Maybe he beat us at USM but beating UK is nothing to write home about.
On the other hand, you picked Florida and Bama to judge our offense? They are the 7th and 11th ranked defenses in the country and both games were on the road. Believe me I don't like where our program is one bit but the bar you set is ridiculously high. A lot of good offensive football teams would struggle to get 7 points in those games much less a program which has been flirting with free fall like UK.