A Confident Cutter Boley Understands UK’s QB Battle

Cutter Boley (UK Athletics Photo)

Cutter Boley will not celebrate his 20th birthday until later this month and the former Lexington Christian quarterback knows he’s a lot better player now than a year ago despite his limited playing time at Kentucky in 2024.

He’s also not nearly as worried about Zach Calzada likely being Kentucky’s starting quarterback over him when UK opens the season Aug. 30 against Toledo.

“This is the biggest ride I’ve made in my life in any sport. From the start of last season to now I have made tons of strides mentally and physically,” Boley, who increased his weight to about 220 pounds during the offseason, said. “I know I am a better player now that I was coming out of high school.”

He was a consensus four-star recruit and ranked as the nation’s 14th best quarterback by 247Sports Composite. He completed 565 of 937 passes for 8,331 yards and 82 scores and also ran for 17 touchdowns in his prep career. He picked home-state UK over Penn State, Florida State and Michigan.

Boley insisted he knew there were parts of his game that needed improvement when he got to UK.

“I am really confident in what I am doing now,” Boley said at Friday’s Media Day.

Boley was impressive during open practices at both Media Day and Fan Day last weekend even though he was with the No. 2 offense going against the No. 2 defense.

“At the end of one of the blitz segments, he missed one (throw) that he had an opportunity to convert on a third down. The next series, he went in and moved the team right down the field. On that rep, it was third and long,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said after the Fan Day scrimmage.

“You’re gonna get pressure. He was buying time in the pocket very well, but he got a little ‘happy feet’ and missed the throw. And later he just settled in. I think with every opportunity like that, he’s getting better and better. He’s more comfortable. You can see it. He’s like 222 pounds right now. He changed his body, he’s worked really hard, and he’s just getting more comfortable.”

At other positions, not being the starter would not keep a player from getting on the field in a backup role. At quarterback, the starter dominates the playing time unless he is injured or not playing well.

“I understand that and accept that. I take that as a challenge,” Boley said. “I know I still have a lot to learn and a lot of things I need to get better at to be able to play at the level I want to play at and go the places I want to go. Having Zach in the room really pushes me, makes me compete every single day and I know I have made really good strides from the spring until now.”

He’s learned to appreciate the meaning of patience.

“I have learned not to look too far in the future and just keep stacking days. Working as hard as I can day after day leads to good things,” Boley said.

Boley’s family has a history of athletic success. His sister, Erin, was the 2016 Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year at Elizabethtown High School and a college basketball standout. His brother, Jaxon, was a tight end at Wyoming. His father played basketball at Western Kentucky and his mother was a high school sports standout.

“They all know what it takes to play at this level. My parents are really good about not adding that extra worry and frustration on me. They always keep me level headed,” the UK quarterback said. “They listen to me. They know I am motivated. They know I keep my head down and they help make sure I do not get too high or too low.

“I know a lot of guys just want to get up and leave as soon as they don’t get something or something goes wrong for them. I am not that way. My heart’s at Kentucky and it just means more to me to be here. There’s never really been a thought in my mind to leave this place and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Boley said it is not that hard to avoid the outside “noise” from media and/or fans.

“The guys that don’t block it out, those are the guys who want to hear it,” Boley said. “This is the school I want to represent. The people in this state are the people I want to represent. There is nowhere else where it would mean this much to me to play.

“I’m competing for a starting job in the SEC. There’s really  not much  more I could ask for. There’s not a better position I could be in and it is my job to do the things I need to do to reach the position I want to be in. For a kid from LaRue County, it has still been a good journey.”