Wins and losses in recruiting are usually easy to determine.
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Either a team lands a recruit or it does not. But for Kentucky football coach Will Stein, the first recruiting win of his tenure may not have actually resulted in a commitment.
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That win came by simply getting former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt on campus for the first weekend after the transfer portal opened in January. At the time, Stein was still splitting duties between trying to build his first Kentucky roster and help Oregon prepare for the College Football Playoff as offensive coordinator.
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So, when news broke that Leavitt, the top-ranked quarterback in the portal, had chosen to take his first visit to Kentucky, national attention followed for Stein and his UK staff.
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Leavitt flew to Lexington on Jan. 2, the first day the transfer portal was open for players to take visits to other schools. He spent more than a day visiting with Stein and UK offensive coordinator Joe Sloan in but left Kentucky without making a commitment.
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Visits to Tennessee and Miami followed as it became apparent that Leavitt was waiting to see what new LSU coach Lane Kiffin would do in the transfer quarterback market. Rather than wait for Leavitt’s decision, Stein and his staff quickly pivoted to flip former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey from his Nebraska commitment Jan. 5.
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“Tense isn’t the word,” Stein told the Herald-Leader a few weeks later when asked to describe his pursuit of a quarterback transfer. “Like, when we initiate the conversations, everybody’s excited. A lot of guys are getting recruited again. I mean, it’s a fun and exciting time for them. Maybe a little nerve wracking.”
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Nine months later, Leavitt and Minchey will face off against each other when Kentucky hosts No. 10 LSU in a Homecoming matchup Saturday.
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The two quarterbacks will face different defenses, so determining if Kentucky ultimately landed the better transfer will not be a simple as seeing which player performs better in Kroger Field.
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But the performances of Leavitt and Minchey through five games suggest Kentucky’s new staff did far more than “settle” for Minchey when Leavitt looked destined to sign with a different program.
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Leavitt is averaging 244.2 passing yards per game, 14.6 more yards per game than Minchey. Minchey’s quarterback rating (160.4) is 11 points higher than Leavitt’s (148.9). Minchey has completed 68.3% of his passes. Leavitt has completed 66.2% of his throws.
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Minchey has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception. Leavitt has thrown eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
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Leavitt has been far more dangerous on the ground with 220 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Minchey has netted minus-1 rushing yard on the season but did earn four first downs with his legs in the comeback win last Saturday at South Carolina.
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Each quarterback shined in his respective matchup with Texas A&M.
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Minchey completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in UK’s 31-21 win in College Station. Leavitt completed 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in LSU’s 35-6 win over the Aggies in Baton Rouge.
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Each quarterback struggled in his team’s lone loss this season.
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Leavitt completed 16 of 27 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown and one interception — but did gain 63 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries — in LSU’s 32-24 loss at Ole Miss. He threw an interception in the end zone with 1:02 left as LSU was driving for a possible game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion.
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Minchey completed 18 of 31 passes for 146 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 45-17 loss to Alabama. His interception was returned for a touchdown, and he lost a fumble on a sack that set up another short field for an Alabama touchdown.
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Since the Alabama loss, Minchey has completed 72.6% of his passes for 701 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s overtime win at South Carolina.
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“He’s so calm in the chaos,” Stein said of Minchey after the game. “Very proud of him. This is a giant growth moment for him, being down the way that we were, battling back. No panic, no nothing. Just hey, next-play mentality. He was excellent tonight.”
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Grading Leavitt’s performance for LSU is made more difficult by a hamstring injury he suffered in the second quarter against Texas A&M. Leavitt has not been sidelined by the injury, but Kiffin has said the staff has been intentional about protecting Leavitt from running situations.
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Leavitt did not record any runs in last week’s 63-14 blowout of FCS McNeese State. If his running ability is limited, that adds more pressure for Leavitt to fix his interception issue when plays break down.
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Kentucky’s chances of winning Saturday would be aided if turnovers remain an issue for Leavitt.
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Regardless of what happens in the game, Stein and company appear to have done just fine in the transfer quarterback market, though.
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“I mean, when you’re choosing between Kentucky, Nebraska and some of these other really strong and good programs with big brands and ability to play in the SEC or the Big 10, I mean, you kind of have a dealer’s choice,” Stein told the Herald-Leader in February. “I just think our track record — my track record and Joe’s with quarterback play — I don’t think you’re going to find a better head coach and coordinator duo in the country than us.”
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约翰·黑尔
列克星敦先驱领袖报
