Kentucky Football: 2 Quarterbacks Join Team Mid-Year

Kentucky Football: Two highly-touted freshmen quarterbacks have graduated high school early and enrolled at UK for classes, spring practice

Sep 26, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; A Kentucky Wildcats helmet sits on the field before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky’s football team just got a big dose of depth at the quarterback position, with two 2017 freshmen class players enrolling and joining the team mid-year.

2017 UK COMMITTMENTS

One is a four-star recruit by ESPN and Scout, rated 26th overall; the other, the No. 24 dual-threat quarterback in the class, rated three stars across the board by recruiting services. Kentucky offensive coordinator Eddie Gran is surely licking his chops.

Danny Clark is a 6-2, 230-pound, pro-style quarterback from Archbishop Hoban in Columbus, Ohio. Clark has the four-star rating and was pegged the No. 2 quarterback out of the state of Ohio.

Clark is a proven winner, leading his high school to back-to-back Division III state championships. Clark went 117-213 for 2,122 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior season.

“Danny is an exceptional leader, competitor and winner, having led his team to two state championships,” said head coach Mark Stoops.

A lefty, Clark picked the Cats over some big time programs, including Florida State, Miami, Ohio State and SEC rivals Alabama and Georgia.

Walker Wood, meanwhile, is exceedingly familiar in Lexington, having lead Lafayette high school to back-to-back appearances in the 6-A state title game. For those not familiar with Kentucky prep football, that’s a big deal, as Lexington schools haven’t fared very well in 6-A football for some time, and the Generals were very good with Wood at the helm.

Rated three stars by all the recruiting services, Wood is a true dual-threat, having passed for 3,047 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 1,321 yards and 31 touchdowns. A first-team All-State selection, Wood won the coveted Paul Horning Award from the Louisville Quarterback Club, honoring the state’s top player.

Wood’s career numbers at Lafayette are impressive, throwing for 8,230 yards and 74 touchdowns, while rushing for 4,199 yards and 73 touchdowns.

“Both of the quarterbacks in this class have similar qualities – Walker is an exceptional leader, competitor and winner,” Stoops said. “He’s a dual-threat quarterback who can be the most dangerous when a play breaks down.

Wood committed early, and the early buzz in Lexington had him heading to UK as an athlete, not a quarterback. But UK coaches pledged to give the 6-0, 190-pound hometown kid a shot. If he can win the job someday, he’d be the first Lexington product to take snaps for the Cats since Henry Clay’s Shane Boyd in 2004.