Beau Allen only played in five games at UK and has decided to transfer to seek more playing time. (Vicky Graff Photo)
I understand why quarterback Beau Allen has decided to transfer from Kentucky. It’s all about playing time and with Will Levis back to start a second season, Allen knows he would have limited playing time at best.
I watched Allen a lot during his sensational career at Lexington Catholic High School when he threw for 11,439 yards and 127 touchdowns. He was a priority recruit for then UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and then quarterback coach Darin Hinshaw in the 2020 recruiting class.
Allen, the son of former UK quarterback Bill Allen, played in two games during his redshirt season in 2020 and then played in three games in 2021 when he completed 11 of 16 passes for 132 yards. He also had a 23-yard run against Louisville.
Gran and Hinshaw were not retained by coach Mark Stoops after the 2020 season and UK went to a more NFL-style offense that values a strong arm over an accurate, quick release like Allen has.
Allen knows that and also that UK could potentially go to the transfer portal for another quarterback after Levis leaves following this season.
“After a lot of thought and prayer, I have decided for the best interest of my football career, I will enter the transfer portal to have an opportunity to play this upcoming season. I am forever a Wildcat and I am very excited for the future,” Allen posted on Twitter Wednesday after news broke earlier that he planned to transfer.
Allen had scholarship offers from Georgia, Michigan, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Washington State, West Virginia and others when he signed with the Wildcats.
While Levis is a proven quarterback and projected first-round NFL draft pick, Kentucky has no other experienced quarterback on campus which could be worrisome considering Levis not only likes to scramble but also likes to attack tacklers.
Iowa transfer Deuce Hogan threw one pass for the Hawkeyes but was a four-star prospect out of Texas in the 2020 recruiting class. Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Baylor were other schools who recruited him before he went to Iowa. He left after disparaging remarks by the head coach about him.
Somerset’s Kaiya Sheron will be a redshirt freshman and Tennessee prep standout Destin Wade is a true freshman.
Obviously Kentucky would like to have kept Allen but Stoops has never been one to begrudge a player wanting to find a better opportunity for himself and hopefully Allen will find a landing spot where he’ll have a chance to play more than he would have at UK.
6 Responses
Hate to see him go, but can’t blame him for doing so. Cincinnati is looking for a quarterback. Beau would be a good fit there.
I also hate to see him leave.
This is continuing pattern for the QB position at UK. For some reason, they have had trouble recruiting, signing, and developing talent at that position, and they have had better results filling the QB position with the transfer portal.
I believe that Allen knew since last January that his time to start could not come until the 2023 season, and that was not an impediment to his going through spring practice, and the entire summer off season with UK. Making this move now, just as August practice is ready to begin, seems peculiar.
Why now and not last winter during the semester break?
Why does UK have more success via transfers at QB than via recruiting and developing the talent within the program?
I suppose Allen would have to be the one to answer the first question, but I would like to hear the UK coaches’ answer to the second question.
I think the play of Hogan and Sheron in the spring and summer led to his decision
Beau is making the right move. He has to get on with things and the new offense does not favor his better qualities. I hope Beau does well at his new digs. He seems like a quality kid.
That said, this just makes it harder for the Cats to recruit a quality in-state QB. Stoops’ history does not bode well for QB’s recruited by the Cats. They tend to ride the pines for 4 or 5 years and watch the playing time go QB’s acquired from the "portal". I have often blame Stoop’s DNA but I really think it’s the "system" instability at UK. How many offense changes have been made six years. You can’t develop unless you know what you are developing to.
UK has the offensive system they want now in place, and the offense overall is in much better hands now than in past years with a pro style offense suited for strong arm QB’s like Levis. Allen made the right move. Hogan may even have been ahead of Allen on the depth chart. Just a guess on my part. He is a fine young man, I wish him well.
Until the next offensive system change.