Kentucky assistant reacts after state’s top prospect commits elsewhere

[*Bleedingblue*]

On Friday, four-star quarterback Gavin Wimsatt announced his commitment to Rutgers over Kentucky, Ole Miss, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Oregon, among a host of other offers. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Owensboro native is not only rated as the No. 1 prospect from the Bluegrass State, but he’s also the No. 3 dual-threat passer and a top 100 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Wimsatt is now Rutgers’ highest-ranked prospect in the class.
If losing Wimsatt to a Big Ten doormat wasn’t bad enough, Kentucky’s quarterback play in recent seasons has held the program back from potentially taking a step up in the SEC ladder.
While some UK fans like to tout Terry Wilson’s 17-8 record as a starting quarterback, there’s a reason he left the program to close out his college career and the fact he landed at New Mexico doesn’t say much when it comes to the offers he received after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

More here including the Marrow tweet.

Kentucky assistant reacts after state’s top prospect commits elsewhere

Kentucky just lost out on the state's top prospect.

www.google.com

 

[sambowieshin]

On Friday, four-star quarterback Gavin Wimsatt announced his commitment to Rutgers over Kentucky, Ole Miss, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Oregon, among a host of other offers. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Owensboro native is not only rated as the No. 1 prospect from the Bluegrass State, but he’s also the No. 3 dual-threat passer and a top 100 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Wimsatt is now Rutgers’ highest-ranked prospect in the class.
If losing Wimsatt to a Big Ten doormat wasn’t bad enough, Kentucky’s quarterback play in recent seasons has held the program back from potentially taking a step up in the SEC ladder.
While some UK fans like to tout Terry Wilson’s 17-8 record as a starting quarterback, there’s a reason he left the program to close out his college career and the fact he landed at New Mexico doesn’t say much when it comes to the offers he received after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

More here including the Marrow tweet.

Kentucky assistant reacts after state’s top prospect commits elsewhere

Kentucky just lost out on the state's top prospect.

www.google.com

Much classier response than the truth...."Rutgers sucks".

 

[jlkirk]

Much classier response than the truth...."Rutgers sucks".

...and much classier than Hinshaw's when Mac Jones decommitted...

 

[Johnfarrel]

Hard to understand why he would choose Rutger's over all those high profile schools recruiting him. Maybe he was a huge Quincy Magoo fan growing up, or maybe he has a girl friend going to Rutgers.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Thought the message from stoops was clear and unequivocal when he said if you are afraid of competition, don't come. That was clearly directed at one person. Pretty clear by reading the tea leaves he wants to be handed the reigns when he shows up. They said yes. Stoops said what he said.

No offense to the kid but if that's what he wants the he made the right choice for all involved.

Imo If coen puts half the product on the field I think he will, combined with his personality, qb recruiting will be the best it's ever been in school history

 

[gobigbluebell]

his commitment to Rutgers over Kentucky, Ole Miss, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Oregon, among a host of other offers.

So, what’s his deal? Doesn’t want to compete?

I guess he knows how good he is, and I hope things work out well for him.

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

Yep..bring on football.

 

[wildcatglenn]

Sounds like the kid wanted to be coddled and start from the get go. Stoops told him he would have to compete for the job. Guess he didn't want any competition

 

[Caveman Catfan]

So, what’s his deal? Doesn’t want to compete?

I guess he knows how good he is, and I hope things work out well for him.

I don’t think we should react to poster’s conjectures about a recruit’s reasons for picking a school over UK. I have never heard Wimsatt say he was going to Rutgers because he does not want to compete. Schiano did well at Rutgers his first stay and really did better than anticipated last season. Maybe Wimsatt likes what he sees. Maybe he wants to get away. Maybe ...

Until he says his reasons, we don’t know. Nor does it really matter. We know we have great recruiters. If a Kentucky kid is recruited hard by this staff and goes elsewhere, the kid wants to be elsewhere.

best to the kid. Seems like a smart, nice, and very talented kid.

 

[AirRaid08]

Early PT at Rutgers maybe? I don’t know their roster.
But, let him go there and develop, get him back in the transfer portal as a junior. LOL

 

[3kidsandme]

TBH the staff did not throw all there eggs into the Wimsatt basket. I do not really blame him for picking somebody else considering it’s pretty obvious his future OC was not enamored by him at all. Rutgers though lol come on I could understand Ole miss or even Cincy but Rutgers is historically terrible and have nothing to offer. Ray Rice is not walking through that door imo. I wish him luck and am kinda glad he did not commit here. It just seemed like a bad fit and I want Coen to pick his guy so he does not feel handcuffed to a prospect.

 

[SmedMoley]

As I said yesterday I'd like to keep all the best in-state kids at UK. But if you've got to lose some, I'd prefer it be a QB. Let's keep the elite linemen. The transfer portal will be stuffed with QBs every year until the rules change.

 

[IFerg1969]

At some point when you place absolutely no emphasis on the passing game for the last 5 years, you're gonna lose out on some good QBs, WRs and pass catching TEs. I get that UK brought in a new OC and that the passing game should improve. But, until you see it, it's just words from the coaching staff. I can't blame the young man. If this were Coen's 3rd or 4th year and we had shown some production in the passing game, maybe guys like this start taking UK a little more seriously. Between Gatewood, Allen and Levis, I think UK will find a QB that can be solid if not special.

 

[turkeywildturkey]

Much classier response than the truth...."Rutgers sucks".

I agee. I love Morrow took the high road. I wish the kid the best of luck. I’m sure he had his reasons for choosing Rutgers.

 

[optimus-blue]

Thought the message from stoops was clear and unequivocal when he said if you are afraid of competition, don't come. That was clearly directed at one person. Pretty clear by reading the tea leaves he wants to be handed the reigns when he shows up. They said yes. Stoops said what he said.

No offense to the kid but if that's what he wants the he made the right choice for all involved.

Imo If coen puts half the product on the field I think he will, combined with his personality, qb recruiting will be the best it's ever been in school history

It will be hard to to beat the run of Couch , Bonner , Lorenzan and Woodson plus Hartline who was pretty good . You could also add in Shane Boyd who made a living in the NFL for a few years and Randall Cobb who could do about anything . Was the golden age so far for QBs at UK.

 

[Girthang]

On Friday, four-star quarterback Gavin Wimsatt announced his commitment to Rutgers over Kentucky, Ole Miss, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Oregon, among a host of other offers. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Owensboro native is not only rated as the No. 1 prospect from the Bluegrass State, but he’s also the No. 3 dual-threat passer and a top 100 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Wimsatt is now Rutgers’ highest-ranked prospect in the class.
If losing Wimsatt to a Big Ten doormat wasn’t bad enough, Kentucky’s quarterback play in recent seasons has held the program back from potentially taking a step up in the SEC ladder.
While some UK fans like to tout Terry Wilson’s 17-8 record as a starting quarterback, there’s a reason he left the program to close out his college career and the fact he landed at New Mexico doesn’t say much when it comes to the offers he received after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

More here including the Marrow tweet.

Kentucky assistant reacts after state’s top prospect commits elsewhere

Kentucky just lost out on the state's top prospect.

www.google.com

Marrow is awesome.

 

[Larry Skaggs]

It is much better to develop QB’s yourself. For every Joe Burrow and Justin Fields there hundreds of Tate Martells

 

[Girthang]

At some point when you place absolutely no emphasis on the passing game for the last 5 years, you're gonna lose out on some good QBs, WRs and pass catching TEs. I get that UK brought in a new OC and that the passing game should improve. But, until you see it, it's just words from the coaching staff. I can't blame the young man. If this were Coen's 3rd or 4th year and we had shown some production in the passing game, maybe guys like this start taking UK a little more seriously. Between Gatewood, Allen and Levis, I think UK will find a QB that can be solid if not special.

How many times do we have to hear the same bullsht from the same people? They were focused on the passing game, but they weren't stupid enough to abandon a running game.

Prior to Wilson's injury we were on track to throw pretty damn well. The problem was injuries and switching offenses. It was a no win situation for the staff. If they went all out for the passing game and didn't get to a bowl game in 2019, the negs would have btched. They did what they could to salvage the season and the negs btched. We had no spring and no offseason to get Gatewood or Allen ready for this past fall.

Y'all negs were begging to go back to a pocket passing only offense that throws the deep ball well, and I hope for your sake (or just so that you'll shut it) it does well in the stacked SEC. It hasn't worked so well for the 3 deep 4-5 stars on Georgia's rosters for the past 10 years, I'm sure it'll result in 5 straight National titles for us, because we're...Kentucky.

I'm glad we got Coen but even more happy he's not a pocket-passing only guy. I hope we have enough parts to put together a great year this year or the negs will be running off another coach. They have no patience nor football IQ.

 

[southindycat]

I've seen it suggested Coen showed no love. Maybe he has his eye on a 2023 whale that will be easier to bring in with at least some space ahead of him? Isn't Allen going to effectively be a RS Frosh this year? Gatewood and Levis SO's??? Assuming (perhaps foolishly) we can keep everyone on campus, maybe a gap year makes some sense?

 

[Pickle_Rick]

How many times do we have to hear the same bullsht from the same people? They were focused on the passing game, but they weren't stupid enough to abandon a running game.

Prior to Wilson's injury we were on track to throw pretty damn well. The problem was injuries and switching offenses. It was a no win situation for the staff. If they went all out for the passing game and didn't get to a bowl game in 2019, the negs would have btched. They did what they could to salvage the season and the negs btched. We had no spring and no offseason to get Gatewood or Allen ready for this past fall.

Y'all negs were begging to go back to a pocket passing only offense that throws the deep ball well, and I hope for your sake (or just so that you'll shut it) it does well in the stacked SEC. It hasn't worked so well for the 3 deep 4-5 stars on Georgia's rosters for the past 10 years, I'm sure it'll result in 5 straight National titles for us, because we're...Kentucky.

I'm glad we got Coen but even more happy he's not a pocket-passing only guy. I hope we have enough parts to put together a great year this year or the negs will be running off another coach. They have no patience nor football IQ.

Strawman. Most have been clamoring for QB development. Any development. Instead we got year after year of the same bad reads, and bad checkdowns. And the only play the back ups get are with 1:30 left in a game where we are up 21, and he hands off to the rb 3 atraight times. Game over!! Yeah!!! We won!! Whose fault was that? Grans, Hinshaw, or Stoops? Common belief is the buck stops at the head coach. Maybe if Stoops ass wasn't so tight about a turnover we might see some. As is, I'll believe it when I see it.
We got 10 yesrs of 3 yards and a cloud of dust. I hope that changes enough to get us too Atlanta.

Which is bigger, UK making it to Atlanta, or UGA making it to the playoffs?

 

[fromthe25ydline]

Sorry, but TW was never going to get it done putting the team on his back and his arm. His supporting cast had much to do with his success.
Nevertheless, the level of HS competition in Kentucky pales to other states. When is the last time Trinity HS made news on this board? Part of that is due to their scheduling; they don’t play but 5-6 Kentucky HS in any particular season. Their kids get some exposure elsewhere against higher profile opponents. THS steps out of the state to play a higher level of football week after week.
Now, Wimsatt may possess all of the intangibles that recruiters like to see, but given his performances, as described by HoB posters when he’s pitted against better in-state teams, he’s been less than stellar. So, maybe he’s not interested in waiting his turn, working on his mechanics, maturing emotionally and physically, becoming a team leader, and beating out the competition, things those very familiar with him would expect that he need to do. He’s been “the man” locally for a few years now, maybe he doesn’t like the thought of stepping into another role.

 

[Girthang]

Strawman. Most have been clamoring for QB development. Any development. Instead we got year after year of the same bad reads, and bad checkdowns. And the only play the back ups get are with 1:30 left in a game where we are up 21, and he hands off to the rb 3 atraight times. Game over!! Yeah!!! We won!! Whose fault was that? Grans, Hinshaw, or Stoops? Common belief is the buck stops at the head coach. Maybe if Stoops ass wasn't so tight about a turnover we might see some. As is, I'll believe it when I see it.
We got 10 yesrs of 3 yards and a cloud of dust. I hope that changes enough to get us too Atlanta.

Which is bigger, UK making it to Atlanta, or UGA making it to the playoffs?

Lol. Don't know where to start picking this one apart. "To" many choices.

 

[RU1977]

It's Schiano 2.0

 

[IFerg1969]

How many times do we have to hear the same bullsht from the same people? They were focused on the passing game, but they weren't stupid enough to abandon a running game.

Prior to Wilson's injury we were on track to throw pretty damn well. The problem was injuries and switching offenses. It was a no win situation for the staff. If they went all out for the passing game and didn't get to a bowl game in 2019, the negs would have btched. They did what they could to salvage the season and the negs btched. We had no spring and no offseason to get Gatewood or Allen ready for this past fall.

Y'all negs were begging to go back to a pocket passing only offense that throws the deep ball well, and I hope for your sake (or just so that you'll shut it) it does well in the stacked SEC. It hasn't worked so well for the 3 deep 4-5 stars on Georgia's rosters for the past 10 years, I'm sure it'll result in 5 straight National titles for us, because we're...Kentucky.

I'm glad we got Coen but even more happy he's not a pocket-passing only guy. I hope we have enough parts to put together a great year this year or the negs will be running off another coach. They have no patience nor football IQ.

First off, I don't ever recall suggesting that UK should abandon an effective running game just to chuck it all over the place, that would be stupid. Second, we're not just talking about 2019. We're talking about the whole of Stoops tenure at UK. UK's best year through the air was 231 yds per gm in Brown's second season at UK. Since then the passing game has gotten measurably worse each year.

I've only ever wanted a balanced offense. So, here's the scenario, you either have the worst luck in the history of coaches focused on having a respectable passing game, or you just just haven't been very good at it. Injuries happen, but if you're blaming your piss poor ability to throw the ball even at a competent level on that for 8 years, that's a loser mentality. No coach worth their salt that has been completely committed to improving the passing game needs 8 goddam years to get there. And no one has that bad a luck, no one.

I do believe that there is more commitment now and I like the hiring of Coen. The point of my previous post was not to bitch about the passing game, but more so to point out that if you were a player that wanted to play in an offense that was more pass friendly than UK's has been, other than words and hiring a new OC, what have you seen to think things are going to be vastly different? After 8 seasons and 4 OCs, I'd need to see it in action first before believing it and I wouldn't be surprised if players like Wimsatt felt the same way. That's all I was saying.

 

[Freetaxreturn]

I love these passing game excuses 😂🍺

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

How many times do we have to hear the same bullsht from the same people? They were focused on the passing game, but they weren't stupid enough to abandon a running game.

Prior to Wilson's injury we were on track to throw pretty damn well. The problem was injuries and switching offenses. It was a no win situation for the staff. If they went all out for the passing game and didn't get to a bowl game in 2019, the negs would have btched. They did what they could to salvage the season and the negs btched. We had no spring and no offseason to get Gatewood or Allen ready for this past fall.

Y'all negs were begging to go back to a pocket passing only offense that throws the deep ball well, and I hope for your sake (or just so that you'll shut it) it does well in the stacked SEC. It hasn't worked so well for the 3 deep 4-5 stars on Georgia's rosters for the past 10 years, I'm sure it'll result in 5 straight National titles for us, because we're...Kentucky.

I'm glad we got Coen but even more happy he's not a pocket-passing only guy. I hope we have enough parts to put together a great year this year or the negs will be running off another coach. They have no patience nor football IQ.

Don't think I read anywhere to what you said fans were clamoring for. What I read was like a 50/50 ratio and pass for 220 yards or so.

Not one time I read where someone wants to abandon the run game.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

I've seen it suggested Coen showed no love. Maybe he has his eye on a 2023 whale that will be easier to bring in with at least some space ahead of him? Isn't Allen going to effectively be a RS Frosh this year? Gatewood and Levis SO's??? Assuming (perhaps foolishly) we can keep everyone on campus, maybe a gap year makes some sense?

I have no clue if Coen wasn't impressed with Wimsatt. Maybe the staff is all in on the 2023 kid from Cali?

I wished they had showed much more attention to Allar. Loved his tape

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Sorry, but TW was never going to get it done putting the team on his back and his arm. His supporting cast had much to do with his success.
Nevertheless, the level of HS competition in Kentucky pales to other states. When is the last time Trinity HS made news on this board? Part of that is due to their scheduling; they don’t play but 5-6 Kentucky HS in any particular season. Their kids get some exposure elsewhere against higher profile opponents. THS steps out of the state to play a higher level of football week after week.
Now, Wimsatt may possess all of the intangibles that recruiters like to see, but given his performances, as described by HoB posters when he’s pitted against better in-state teams, he’s been less than stellar. So, maybe he’s not interested in waiting his turn, working on his mechanics, maturing emotionally and physically, becoming a team leader, and beating out the competition, things those very familiar with him would expect that he need to do. He’s been “the man” locally for a few years now, maybe he doesn’t like the thought of stepping into another role.

Ya no way was Wilson going to be able to carry the team consistently with his arm. He had very little accuracy and made bad reads a lot.
Their was a reason why Oregon wanted to move him to safety. Personally I was clamoring for the staff to move him to WR. We had little speed and he has good straight-line speed just not a lot of juke which caused his running ability to suffer from scrambles or called plays. If their was a hole he was gone

 

[Old_Red]

I am much simpler in my desires. I want a quarterback that has the threat of actually completing a long pass, can consistently hit backs and tight ends with short passes in stride, and can make reads so I don't have to be happy he didn't throw a pick to a DB or linebacker while throwing to a receiver that was covered and ignoring an open receiver.

 

[bluedynasty]

Marrow is awesome.

Not gonna say, "we never wanted him anyway" (you always want to keep the top in-state kids home), but I think I'll wait and see which QB's we land this year and next before I start pissin' and moaning over losing Wamsatt since no HS kid they sign this year will be likely to see the field in '21.

I believe the perception of losing the state's top-ranked recruit (a 4*) hurts more that not landing his talent. Wamsatt's raw tools are great, but I think he'll need to develop a year or two. His ceiling is fairly high, but I get the sense that his floor may be surprisingly low.