Drew Barker named Kentucky's starting quarterback

For the first time in his tenure, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has named a starting quarterback following spring practice.

Stoops named sophomore Drew Barker as the starting quarterback after Kentucky’s spring game. The move is unsurprising as Barker started the last two games of the 2015 season and is the only returning quarterback on the roster with playing experience, but Stoops said his play during the spring solidified his spot.

“He came out of the spring as the number one guy,” Stoops said. “I thought he was very, very consistent this spring. He needs to continue to stay the course and stay consistent in his approach and the way he handles everything.”

Stoops said junior college transfer Stephen Johnson pushed Barker during the spring, but Barker started to pull away in the final week. Barker, who threw for 364 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions as a freshman, said it was a good feeling to be named the starter.

“It’s good to hear that, especially from the head man,” Barker said. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said he had talked with Stoops after each week in the spring about the quarterback battle, but said over the last two weeks it had been leaning in Barker’s direction.

“It’s exciting,” Gran said. “Those guys are all in the quarterback room pushing each other, so (Barker) has to understand that right now he’s the starter, but things can change quick.”

Gran said the biggest improvements Barker has made in the spring has been the mental aspect.

“Decision making,” Gran said. “His target throws, the one he’d love to have back is the interception. He was really upset about that and he should be. But I thought he had really good decision making, got it out quick. That’s huge. As a quarterback you have to be able to do that.”

Barker finished the spring game 12-18 for 156 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He found Ryan Timmons on a rope over the middle for a 64 yard touchdown and later fit in a perfect pass to C.J. Conrad for a 19 yard touchdown completion.

While the spring game was a solid step for Barker, he knows he has to continue to progress over the summer.

“I’m not going to do anything differently,” Barker said. “I’ve been going in on off days and watching film. Then come out in practice and keep doing that consistently. This summer is going to be big. We have a good starting point, but we have to have a capacity for boredom this summer while running the same plays over and over until they’re ingrained in our memory.”

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