Kentucky freshman Montavin Quisenberry has learned to adjust to a bigger playbook in college. (Chris Zollner Photo)
He helped Boyle County win Class 4A state championships in 2022 and 2023 before Boyle was upset in the 2024 state semifinals but he still ended his prep career with a 41-2 mark at Boyle.
Now Montavin Quisenberry is ready to start his first spring practice at the University of Kentucky and the 5-10, 165-pound receiver has not minded the “grind” since arriving on campus in early January.
“Coming from Boyle County, hard work was just something I was used to because we did it all the time,” said Quisenberry.
He played for coach Justin Haddix at Boyle and still talks and texts with him as he prepares for his first season of collegiate football after sweeping the Paul Hornung, Gatorade and Mr. Football honors in Kentucky. He had over 8,000 total yards as he rushed for 4,469 yard and 61 scores, caught 151 passes for 2,509 yard and 38 more scores, completed 102 passes for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns, and returned 13 kicks for scores.
Quisenberry’s biggest adjustment to college football has been an expanded playbook. He also knows he’ll have a better idea of how he will fit in after he goes through spring practice.
“Once spring ball starts, that’s when we’ll see the results of who should be getting the most reps for who would be playing,” Quisenberry, who originally committed to West Virginia before signing with Kentucky.
He was a dynamic playmaker at Boyle County but expects to be even better after the training he’s already received at UK.
“The workouts that we do in the weight room are just so much different. I feel like I’m way faster and more explosive and that should help me in the SEC,” Quisenberry said.
He thought he understood what it would mean to play for Kentucky but has been a bit more than he expected.
“Because you’re actually here, you’re doing something that you dreamed of. It has been great,” the former Boyle standout said.
Head coach Mark Stoops has made it clear he was not happy with the football culture at UK last season when the Cats won only four games. Quisenberry hopes he can be part of the change.
“Just being cool with everybody like you got no hate in the locker room. Everybody likes each other. Everybody hangs out with each other. I’d say just changing the whole culture around, even with the coaches coming in and talking to the other position groups has been great,” Quisenberry said.
Receivers Rico Crowder, a redshirt freshman from Glasgow, and Chy Rivers, a junior from Baton Rouge, have helped Quisensberry not only study the playbook but “how college football works” to help him adjust.
Quisenberry gave up his senior basketball season at Boyle so he could enroll at UK in January to get a jump start on his collegiate career like a lot of players do
“I do miss basketball. I went and watched a couple of games,” Quisenberry said. “But it is what it is. At first it was a little rough being here and knowing all my friends were still back at Boyle. But I am getting the hang of everything now. Classes are getting easier. I have easy access to three or more meals a day to help me gain weight. So overall, things have been great and I hope they are just going to keep getting better.”
4 Responses
Hope he has a successful career at UK.
He could take it to the house anytime he touched the ball. Very explosive. If he learns the play book, there will be no keeping him off the field. A Wan’dale Robinson type player. Go Stoops Troops!
If he cracks the receiver rotation this year which I think he could he is going to be a dangerous man. I’m glad we got him. I seen him play in high school 2 times and let me tell ya he didn’t disappoint. He was constantly making plays. The first time I seen him he dominated at running back the second time I seen him he dominated at receiver but still ran the ball a couple of times. Hell the second time he even played some quarterback and was even good at that because the defense would be so worried about him running the ball the receivers were getting wide open and he was hitting them in the numbers. I said dang is there something this kid can’t do. At one point in time I heard he might play some corner in college I think it was the first time I seen him and I just couldn’t believe it. I said he definitely should be on the offensive side of the ball. We could do some trick plays with him playing receiver faking a reverse and throwing the ball down the field. Don’t underestimate his arm. He has a nice arm for his size. I could also see him playing 4 games as a freshman preserving his redshirt and then being a all freshman sec guy his second year as a redshirt freshman. He can play anywhere even on like jet sweeps. I’d prefer Wilcox for that but you could fake the defense out and have him run outside. You can basically open the playbook up for him. I’m excited to have him in the fold.
Terry, based on your assessment – forget the redshirt – get him on the field early and often !!