Patrick Towles Should be Starting Quarterback for Kentucky Football

The Kentucky Wildcats went into spring camp with an open competition for the quarterback job. They came out of spring camp with a clear leader.

Last year’s starter, Patrick Towles, solidified himself as the starter during the spring, outplaying redshirt freshman Drew Barker. While head coach Mark Stoops has not yet officially named Towles as his starter for 2015, it’s likely just a matter of time.

Towles started all 12 games for Kentucky last season, but the quarterback job came open due to Stoops hiring Shannon Dawson as the Wildcats’ new offensive coordinator. Both Stoops and Dawson thought it was only fair for both quarterbacks to have a shot at the job this spring.

Last season started out very well for Towles, as it did for Kentucky. As the Wildcats won five of their first six games, Towles seemed to be a natural in the “Air Raid” offense. But as the season went on and the competition got tougher, Towles, and the Wildcats, struggled. That was one reason the job was opened up for the spring.

Another primary reason that the job was open was to give Barker a chance to win the job. Barker is a Kentucky kid and was a four-star recruit in high school (as was Towles). The coaching staff, especially Dawson, felt like they should give Barker an opportunity to win the job.

They did that this spring, dividing reps between the two players. And during Kentucky’s limited open sessions this spring, it’s been fairly easy to see that Towles is the better quarterback.

Towles will be the starter this fall for Kentucky. Barker may stick around as the backup or he may explore other options. That portion of the story remains to be seen.

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.