Fate can be cruel. Just ask Drew Barker.
He came to Kentucky as the in-state star destined to lead the Kentucky offense after throwing for 6,264 yards and 62 touchdowns at Conner High School and running for 3,931 yards and 51 touchdowns. He was big-time recruiting target for then South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier but decided early to sign with Kentucky.
Barker waited patiently for his chance to play. He got to start the final two games of his redshirt freshman season in 2015. He started the first three games in 2016 before a back injury sidelined him for the rest of the year and eventually required surgery. That gave Stephen Johnson a chance to play in 2016 and he kept the job this year. Johnson led UK to 14 wins and two bowl berths in two years.
Johnson has graduated but Barker won’t be UK’s starting quarterback in 2018, either. He announced on Twitter Tuesday night that he was transferring. Since he’s already graduated — he actually graduated in three years — he will be eligible to play at another FBS program as a graduate transfer immediately.
“One of the greatest accomplishments of my life was receiving my degree from the University of Kentucky,” Barker posted on Twitter. “That is something that I will always take pride in and cherish for the rest of my life. With that being said, I will be exercising the the graduate transfer option and finishing my Master’s degree and playing my fifth year at another university.
“I’d like to thank the coaches, strength staff, medical staff and nutritionists for all of the countless hours you all have put into making me and my teammates better men. To my teammates, I’d like to thank you for the countless memories we have made together. Every single one of you, past or present, holds a special place in my heart and I will always be here if you all ever need anything.
“Football has taken me places that I have never dreamed of and I’m excited to see where it takes me next!”
So am I.
Barker handled his injury situation with dignity. He never complained. He supported Johnson and understood why he kept the starting job this season.
Never question Barker’s loyalty to Kentucky. He loved UK — much like former UK quarterback Patrick Towles who also transferred to play his final season at Boston College. But just like Towles had to do what was best for him, so does Barker.
If he stayed at UK, he would have to compete with redshirt freshman Gunnar Hoak and recent signee Terry Wilson — along with freshmen Danny Clark and Walker Wood — for the starting job in spring practice. If Barker didn’t win the job and then decided to transfer, he would have had a harder time finding a school and having a chance to play next season after missing his new school’s spring practice. Now he can pick his school and go through spring practice with a new team.
Barker never bailed on UK when he was hurt. He stayed involved and did again this year when he threw just seven passes. But UK coach Mark Stoops made it sound like in December he still believed in Barker even after signing Wilson, the No. 1 junior college quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class.
“The kid went through a major injury, left football for a year. So when he’s come back and just had practice opportunity, limited reps in the games. Drew’s looked very, very impressive through this bowl practice, and I expect big things from him,” Stoops said.
Now Barker will be looking for another school where he can do “big things” his final season. Barker’s tweet did not indicate what school he would pick or when he would do it.
Kentucky fans should wish him well. He’s making a business decision about his future just like Stoops did when he signed Wilson. SEC football isn’t personal. It’s about winning.
Barker was always first-class when it came to me. He always returned calls in high school. He never refused an interview request from me at UK. He never refused to answer a question.
Barker had some off-field incidents early in his career. He didn’t hide from them. He admitted his mistakes and learned from them.
I remember before this season having his father tell me how proud he was that Drew had matured into a young man at Kentucky and also already had his degree.
Now Barker has made the decision to move on with his life and football career and just like I did when Towles did the same thing, I hope it works out great for him.
