Spring Briefing: Brock Vandagriff era at Kentucky starts now

Preparations for the 2024 college football season are already underway at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. The Kentucky program was thrown a wrench when Liam Coen bolted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it took Mark Stoops just over a week to find his new play-caller. We’re waiting for official word that Boise State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan will be the next man to hold the call sheet in Lexington. Once the 38-year-old finally makes the move back to the SEC he will immediately be tasked with getting the quarterbacks up to speed.

After seeing Will Levis turn a corner to end the 2021 season, Kentucky has faced some setbacks at the most important position in football over the last two seasons. Levis had to play through injury during most of the 2022 season, and NC State transfer Devin Leary struggled to adjust to Kentucky’s pro-style scheme in 2023. Another change is coming at quarterback, and there is not much depth on the roster.

In KSR’s Spring Briefing series, we will cover every position on Kentucky’s roster before spring practice begins. First up is quarterback where Kentucky will have a new starting quarterback playing for an offensive coordinator that did not recruit him just two months ago. Welcome to modern college football.

The Room

Brock Vandagriff (6-3, 210, Redshirt Junior)

The Georgia transfer joined Kentucky’s program in December and is the heavy favorite to be QB1 in Lexington this fall. Vandagriff is a former five-star recruit who was once committed to play for Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before flipping to Georgia. After backing up Carson Beck in 2023, the former blue-chip prospect entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. Vandagriff has only played 76 offensive snaps during his collegiate career.

Beau Allen (6-2, 215, Redshirt Senior)

The Lexington (Ky.) Catholic product spent his first two seasons at Kentucky before throwing for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 starts for FCS Tarleton State. Allen landed at Georgia Southern in 2023 and was forced to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. The former high three-star recruit has returned to Kentucky in 2024 as a walk-on and will give this room some much-needed experience.

Cutter Boley (6-5, 205, Freshman)

The Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy product was a huge recruiting win that happened shortly after Liam Coen was brought back to Lexington. However, Boley will be playing for an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that did not recruit him. The class of 2024 product with a huge arm saw a rankings dip after re-classifying. The young player brings a bundle of high-level physical traits to the offense but could need some time to develop.

Top Storyline: Does Brock Vandagriff gel with Bush Hamdan?

Kentucky likely won’t come out and say that Brock Vandagriff is QB1, but we all know that Brock Vandagriff is QB1. Bush Hamdan’s No. 1 job as soon as he gets on campus will be building a relationship with the redshirt junior.

The spring transfer portal window looms large in April as undergraduate players will be given one more opportunity to become free agents. Vandagriff is an unproven quarterback, but he was a very accomplished high school prospect. Looking around is not out of the realm of possibility if this relationship gets off to a rocky start during spring practice.

Kentucky’s top goal over the next two months will be to install Hamdan’s offense and keep this roster intact. The Wildcats have a lot to offer Vandagriff even with a new offensive coordinator not named Liam Coen. I would expect him to be on the roster in the fall, but we are in a Wild West version of college football. Anything is possible.

Relationship building is going to be the top goal for Hamdan and his new quarterback over the next 60 days.

What to Watch: Backup quarterback race

Brock Vandagriff will be the starter, and the quarterback will get a large majority of reps with the ones. Who gets the QB2 job? That is something we will all be monitoring throughout the spring.

Kaiya Sheron (UT Martin) and Destin Wade (Colorado) are no longer with the program. That has left the room wide open. Early enrollee Cutter Boley will likely be given every opportunity to seize the backup quarterback position. Beau Allen will give the Wildcats a high-floor walk-on option.

Expect Bush Hamdan to evaluate this situation closely over the next two months. If Boley is unable to seize the job, Kentucky could attempt to address this position in the spring transfer portal window. The Wildcats currently only have two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

Bold Prediction: Brock Vandagriff and Bush Hamdan give Kentucky some roster stability

At the end of the day, I believe there will be too many pros for Brock Vandagriff at Kentucky. Expect the Georgia transfer to seize the QB1 job and become a leader for the offense over the 15 practices on campus. That will give Kentucky some locked-in roster stability under Bush Hamdan.

Some other players might need to make some decisions, but Vandagriff gives the new regime a much-needed building block heading into a big season. Vandagriff staying locked in with the Wildcats should help immensely with roster retention.

As of right now, I would expect all of Kentucky’s projected offensive starters to be on the roster in August. But things can change fast in this sport.