Cutter Boley Learning Valuable Lessons at Spring Practice

by:Nick Roush•04/10/24•

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Cutter Boley is not new to Kentucky football practice. He lived just down the street from the Joe Craft Football Training Facility and spent many hours on the sideline over the last year. Now the talented freshman quarterback is finally suiting up for the Cats and learning some hard lessons in SEC football.

The first lesson: a pro-style playbook is not something you pick up in a day. Some practices are better than others, but each provides a teaching moment.

“I’m really enjoying it. Coach Hamdan is making it really easy to learn,” Boley said Tuesday morning. “He’s made it black and white for us. I’m just trying to make it really simple for myself every play out there.”

The good news for Boley is that he’s not the only quarterback learning a new playbook. Brock Vandagriff is in the same boat. Beau Allen is too, even though he’s played in a similar system before at Kentucky.

“It’s awesome to have guys like Brock and Beau in the room that have a lot of years under their belt. Both guys have a ton of experience and they’ve been to a few different places. There’s a ton of stuff I can gain from them. I’m learning stuff from them every single day.”

Boley Adjusts to SEC Speed

The speed and physicality of the game are typically the initial eye-openers for newcomers. Unlike high school, you simply can’t out-athlete your opponent. For Boley, the added speed on the outside is actually beneficial.

“The level of talent out there is definitely different. Throwing to guys, in a way it’s almost easier throwing to bigger, better athletes,” said the quarterback. “It’s just the competition is so much better one-on-one every day.”

As Boley quickly learned, they don’t make them much faster than Barion Brown. Good luck trying to overthrow that guy. “I haven’t done it yet. I don’t think it’s possible.”

There is a downside though. The guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage are pretty fast too. When Maxwell Hairston is playing defense, Boley has to be aware of where the cornerback is on the field at all times.

Playing for Kentucky is a “Dream Come True”

The early returns on Boley’s play aren’t 100% positive. Bush Hamdan previously harped on Boley’s fundamentals, particularly with footwork.

“I think Cutter Boley, for what you guys have seen, he’s certainly a young guy that can do a lot of good things,” said Bush Hamdan. “He’s talented. I think right now for him, the playbook, days stacking on days, there’s a lot of thinking going on, but once things slow down for him, we’re really excited about his future.”

Even though it isn’t always pretty and there is a long way to go, his peers like what they’ve seen so far.

“Honestly, Cutter really excites me,” said tight end Jordan Dingle. “There’s so much raw talent. He has a lot in his bag and once that’s really fine-tuned and developed, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

This Saturday at the Blue-White Game the Big Blue Nation will get to see Boley in a Kentucky uniform for the first time. It’s a moment the quarterback has envisioned for a long time.

“It’s a dream come true. Since I’ve been a little kid, I’ve been a UK football fan. Being out there practicing, it’s awesome. It’s a ton of fun. The practices are really competitive and we get a lot of work in. We got a lot of great guys out there, so it’s been a blast.”