Quintin Wilson not worried about living up to high standard as UK’s center

Quintin Wilson (UK Athletics Photo)

The biggest question for Kentucky football going into this season is who will be the starting quarterback. Will it be Joey Gatewood, Beau Allen or Will Levis?

However, there is at least one more question that needs to be answered — who will replace Drake Jackson at center?

Jackson has been a fixture in the UK offensive line and made all the right calls. He was not only one of the best centers in the NFL but also one of the best in the nation.

Before Jackson, Kentucky had another special center in Jon Toth. Now it looks like 6-1, 290-pound junior Quintin Wilson is going to become the new center. He was ranked as the nation’s fifth-best center by Rivals.com in the 2018 recruiting class. He redshirted his first year and then played in five games in both 2019 and 2020.

“I don’t take it as too much pressure (following Jackson and Toth). We have high expectations at every position, just not center,” Wilson said. “Everyone pushes me. Guys before me really set the example. I got a chance to learn from Drake.

“If I struggle with something, I can reach out to him and he will help me out. We can bounce ideas off each other. That’s a really good relationship for me to have.”

If Wilson is the starting center, he is not worried about who the starting quarterback will be.

“I think whoever it is we will work well together and try to make it right,” Wilson said. “We will find a way to get it done and I think we will look really good this year.”

Wilson said new offensive coordinator Liam Coen builds energy daily with the team.

“He is as excited as we are. In spring practice if we hit a big play he was always jumping up and down,” Wilson said.