Joey Gatewood is now at Central Florida with two of his former coaches. (UK Athletics Photo)
College quarterback competitions are brutal because every player is recruited believing he is going to play and coaches have to pick ONE quarterback to lead the team. Joey Gatewood transferred from Auburn to Kentucky when he didn’t win the starting job there. He had to believe he would become the UK starter and his high recruiting ranking — he was a four-star recruit, a top 50 player nationally and the No. 1 overall athlete in his recruiting class —certainly made many others believe that as well.
But he did not beat out Terry Wilson in 2020 and this year he lost a three-way battle with Penn State transfer Will Levis and Beau Allen. He’s now transferred to Central Florida but he certainly left UK with coach Mark Stoops’ blessings.
Stoops praised Gatewood the day he announced Levis was the starter and Allen would be the backup. He did so again last week on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning, a radio show in Alabama.
“I just didn’t want him to burn up a full year if he didn’t want to be here. I know it was a heated battle and Joey put everything into it,” Stoops said. “I was very impressed with the work that he’s done throughout last spring and this summer he’s worked really hard.”
Again, nothing he did wrong. He just could not beat out Levis.
“I just didn’t want to put him through that (not starting). He had been through it once. I wanted to be very transparent. I felt good with the decision and once I came to that resolution that I was going to put Will in there as the starter I just thought it was right (to tell Gatewood),” Stoops said.
“I just thought it was right to Joey to let him know and let the team know as early as possible.”
Gatewood did play in seven games in 2020 but threw just 35 passes and was never the focal point of the offense.
Stoops also went on BBN Tonight on WLEX-TV to praise Gatewood and said it was important to be “respectful” of his feelings when he did not win the job.
“I know how hard he’s worked. I understand,” Stoops said. “I’m always conscientious of that, I think. Making the decision early, giving Joey an opportunity to transfer if that’s what he wanted to do, and find a home. I’m all for that for him because I respect him and really appreciate the way he competed here.”
Ironically the head coach at Central Florida is Gus Malzahn, the head coach at Auburn when Gatewood signed. The quarterback coach is Darin Hinshaw, the QB coach at Kentucky when Gatewood transferred to UK.
9 Responses
Levi’s throws a better football
Yes he does Grover — if Stoops turns him loose to throw
We needed a quarterback with a great arm and a high football IQ. I think Levis was is the right choice and wish all best for Joey.
GO CATS!!
With you Norman
I can understand wanting to leave. But why would you go back to the coach that didn’t play you the first time? Kids do the darndest things.
Why you have to believe Jim that Gus told him what he needed to hear and maybe he trusts Darrin Hinshaw a lot also
The decision to start Nix over Gatewood was not Malzahn’s. The boosters made the call and Gus had no choice.
I do not know if you are right about that Maggie but an awful lot of people think you are
I think Joey may have been the better QB between him and Terry Wilson, but never got enough playing time to prove it, or the right play calling under Coach Gran and Hinshaw for that matter. I don’t think he beats out junior Dillon Gabriel either at UCF. He should have stayed at UK. He had worked hard, and could have possibly seen playing time sooner or later. Now if you look at UCF, he will have to compete against a very good QB and his backup.