Kaiya Sheron (UK Athletics Photo)
Who will back up quarterback Devin Leary in the Gator Bowl?
Kentucky backup quarterbacks Destin Wade, who started the Music City Bowl in 2022, and Kaiya Sheron, who started against South Carolina in 2022 when Will Levis was hurt, have both put their names into the transfer portal.
That leaves only Deuce Hogan. He did not play in a game last season but did complete six of seven passes for 19 yards against Iowa in the Music City Bowl in 2022.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Thursday during a Gator Bowl press conference that he is still not sure about who the backup will be.
“There’s been some dialogue between myself and the quarterbacks,” Stoops said. “I’ve been on the road the last couple of days. That’s a little bit of a fluid situation, so I’ll know more once I get back on campus.”
Since both Wade and his twin brother, Keaton, a linebacker who played in every game last season, are transferring it certainly seems doubtful that Destin Wade would opt to stay at UK two more weeks on the chance he might play in a bowl game.
Sheron might be more likely to consider playing in the bowl but he also has to weigh what is best for his career as he is seeking a school to play for next season.
11 Responses
Why would they waste their time? A backup at UK seldom ever sees the field whether they are up by 30 late in the game or behind by 30. You can’t develop qbs into starters when they never see the field. Developing qbs is probably Stoops’ biggest downfall.
Here, here!
You nailed it. We sucked this year against the cupcakes that came in and when we did get up we didn’t put our backups in to gain reps. When he did put Sheron in it was mostly running plays and we would purposely run the clock out with our extremely slow play. Had those guys gotten to see the field you might have actually improved them to where they could play some meaningful minutes.
So true about Stoops….How many QBs have left the football program…I think the last time media had a article on it was like 10-12..??…You can’t lose that many QBs regardless whether their good or bad….In any sport you can’t be losing players…How many have we lost in Women’s Basketball…??…Like article said about Stoops….He won’t play 2nd string QB in any circumstances….The only way Stoops plays his 2nd String QB is if the starting QB gets hurt so bad he has to leave the game….
The problem has been Ky’s starting QB is always a first year starter in the system. The staff wants him to get as much experience as possible during the first few games. By then it’s time for SEC competition. The games are too tight then. I hope they hit a home run with Boley. I’m thinking it will be Saunders who will finally break through. Having Vandergrift for two years will be nice. Maybe one if he’s great. That will ok because it will mean the Cats are in the 12 team playoff. Go Cats!!!
With Vandergrift coming I’m afraid we may lose Boley sometime down the road. I agree with other comments that Stoops downfall is at the QB position.
Boley will in the portal in the ’25 season if Stoops doesn’t change his ways. I’ll lay odds on it.
OldFan got it right. Going into a bowl game with no clue who your backup QB is, wow!!! That is not a good place to be IMO, not at this level. Could cost you a win. I was sorry to see Sheron go in the portal. He was the man for the hour in such a situation. I don’t blame him for looking for a new coach and home. Why wouldn’t he, and why would he play and chance injury in this bowl game if he is going to a new school? It is probably going to be Deuce.
I hope Stoops, and Coen, get these young gunslingers, Saunders and Boley, coming into the program some development and meaningful playing time. Give them a chance to win the job too. I don’t think filling the position with a transfer is always going to work in the future; It has so far. I think it will eventually hurt in recruiting highly ranked hs QB’s if UK keeps going this route every year. That said, it would be hard not to take a QB with Vandagriff’s talent if one is available in the portal, and UK has a chance to land him. He also has two years remaining. He is going to be a good one under center for UK I do believe, He would be very hard to beat out too, IMO.
Sometimes Stoops can be Stoopid at times, too much so to be raking in $9 million a year. We will NEVER win an SEC East title, much less an SEC Championship with Stoops as our coach. He has elevated our program from being pitiful to slightly above average. The other SEC East teams got better this year; we took a couple of steps back. Stoops might be the best we can get, but for $9 million, I bet we could get some attention from some assistants at some of the Top 10 teams.
Low information fans are the absolute worst. You make some relevant points and then you show that you don’t even have the least clue about what you are talking about when it comes to the game at all. It just cancels out anything you may have said that was valid.
There is no SEC East anymore. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, divisions go away. If you don’t even know that, then I don’t know why you bother saying anything.
Going to the portal every year and it’s not just KY, will completely make High School recruiting moot. Unless there’s a Bo Jackson type, most High School grads will go to non-power 5 schools. And if they perform good then they will be picked up out of the portal. Now I’m just predicting the future. This NIL and Portal is not sustainable, it will emplode.