Kentucky gets commitment from Georgia backup quarterback

Published 4:18 pm Thursday, December 7, 2023

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Former Georgia backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff will transfer to Kentucky for his final two seasons of eligibility as a graduate transfer.

Vandagriff announced his decision on Monday in a post on X in which he thanked Bulldogs teammates, coaches and fans. A Wednesday post showed him superimposed in blue-and-white Kentucky gear under the heading “Committed” with the comment, “Ready to get to work.”

“I really like what they do on offense and believe it will get me ready for the next level, which has always been the goal,” Vandagriff said to On3’s Chad Simmons. “I really enjoyed talking ball with Coach [Liam] Coen and Coach [Mark] Stoops.

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“I’m just really excited to go in there and get to work. Ready to meet my new teammates and learn this offense and be ready to roll this spring!”

Across three seasons in Athens, Vandagriff appeared in over 10 games as a reserve QB for the Bulldogs. He served as the backup to Caron Beck in 2023.

Vandagriff is expected to be the third straight starting Kentucky quarterback from the transfer portal. He is similar in a lot of ways to Will Levis, the rookie starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans who played two years at Kentucky after transferring from Penn State. Devin Leary, this year’s starter, transferred from N.C. State.

Vandagriff completed 12 of 18 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in eight contests while backing up Beck. He leaves just before the No. 6 Bulldogs (No. 6 CFP) prepare to face No. 4 Florida State in the Orange Bowl outside of the College Football Playoff, but will join a Wildcats program needing a replacement for Devin Leary, a North Carolina State transfer who has guided them to a 7-5 record and Gator Bowl appearance against Clemson.

Vandagriff will come to Kentucky as one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal. As a transfer, he was rated by 247Sports as a four-star player, including the No. 6 quarterback and the No. 17 overall player in the portal.

He is expected to be on UK’s campus in January.

Vandagriff’s father Greg played football at Tennessee Wesleyan and his mother, Anna, played college basketball at Southern Union. His sister, AG Vandagriff, currently is a sophomore at Eastern Kentucky University and is a member of the school’s volleyball squad.

Stoops said earlier this week his top priority is recruiting high school players and addressing the team’s immediate needs through the transfer portal.

“It’s pretty much 24/7,” he said. “It does kill me once in a while, when guys I’ve known for 10 years and good friends of mine that are in town and I love them, they are dear friends – ‘Hey coach, you wanna go do this?’

“Like don’t you understand, I’m busy 24/7 right now. Like literally, right now it’s 24/7. Everybody thinks it stops right after the season, (but) probably the busiest time of the season is between now and December 20 when we get a little break before Christmas.  Between now and December 20 it’s 24/7.”