First Down Kentucky: Brock Vandagriff follows the Will Levis playbook

It’s spring break at the University of Kentucky. Some are spending the week at the beach. That’s not Brock Vandagriff‘s style. Before the quarterback returned home to get some R&R ahead of his first spring practice in Lexington, Vandagriff spoke with Connor O’Gara about his transition to Kentucky.

As the Saturday Down South columnist waited for Vandagriff to grab a protein shake, he overheard the quarterback ask the training staff, “What did Levis hit?” The new Kentucky quarterback is trying to exceed the bar the Titans’ quarterback set during his time in Lexington.

“Even just walkin’ around the hallways, they’ve got pictures of him and you’re like, ‘That dude’s a freak. He’s very jacked,’” Vandagriff told SDS. “Definitely just trying to put on a few extra pounds before summer and fall. Maybe not quite have that physique, but just being able to run and throw like (Levis) is cool, and just taking what he did in the weight room and in conditioning, how he applied that here and at the next level … it’s cool to see that you know that stuff works.”

The two share plenty of similarities. They each were stuck behind vets at powerhouse programs. They’re both big, physical football players who tried out mustaches during their first weeks in Lexington.

The differences between the two are as important as the similarities. Will Levis was an unheralded three-star talent when he signed to play at Penn State. Vandagriff was a five-star who flipped from Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma program to stay closer to home. There’s also a difference in their running style. Levis ran over opponents. Brock, well, he got run over by a future teammate.

“I got freakin’ smoked against Kentucky last year,” Vandagriff said. “I was running, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Am I gonna hurdle this guy?’ I thought I was gonna have a chance to score. As (the UK defender) is getting closer, he’s staying high and I’m thinking I’m just gonna run out of bounds. I eased up and got smoked.

“One of my first couple days here, they were all like, ‘Bro, you gotta learn how to slide.’”

Why Vandagriff cut his hair

When you see a picture of Brock Vandagriff in a Georgia uniform, there’s a good chance his long locks are flowing out of the back of his helmet. The avid outdoorsman looks like a lumberjack, but he cleaned it up recently in favor of a high and tight look. Former Duke head coach, and Manning whisperer, David Cutcliffe, was the one who encouraged him to change his hairstyle for one simple reason.

“(Cutcliffe) said, ‘No quarterback has long hair. You need to cut that. I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ I got a haircut a week later because that’s how much I respect Coach Cut.”

Those are just a couple of anecdotes from the excellent profile of the new Kentucky quarterback.

Kentucky Wildcats Honored at Hornung Award Banquet

The 2023 college football season is in the rearview mirror, but not every college football award was formally passed out until this weekend. The Louisville Sports Commission hosted a banquet this weekend to give Travis Hunter the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to college football’s most versatile player. Lynn Bowden was a recipient following the 2019 season.

In addition to the big award, there’s an undercard that featured a couple of Kentucky Wildcats. JJ Weaver was recognized as the Howard Schnellenberger Award winner, given each year to the Governor’s Cup MVP. Cutter Boley was also on hand to receive his Hornung Award as the state of Kentucky’s top high school football player.

A Fun College Football Exercise

ESPN college football writer Bill Connelly is the proprietor of the SP+ rankings. Kind of like KenPom, you can use the numbers to forecast future games but also relitigate the past. For years national champions were crowned by AP voters. Connelly decided to use his power rankings to simulate an 8-team CFB Playoff, starting in the 60s.

For college football junkies, this is a fun exercise to play out so many ‘What If?’ scenarios. Unfortunately, Kentucky did not get into the mix, but a few rivals may have flourished in this scenario. Peyton Manning actually got a title at Tennessee in this hypothetical and No. 6 Louisville defeated No. 4 LSU in the 2006 alternate universe.

ESPN: How a playoff would have decided every college football title since 1966

Shane Beamer got Laser Beams

As Dr. Evil taught us, what’s cooler than freaking sharks with freaking laser beams attached to their freaking heads? Shane Beamer has applied that logic to recruiting photoshoots. QB Ryan Montgomery recently got the laser beam treatment and it amuses me. Kentucky can’t lose to Shane Beamer anymore, they just can’t.