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Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Joey Gatewood will get the starting nod this week vs. the Georgia Bulldogs.
On Thursday, head coach Mark Stoops announced Terry Wilson will miss this week’s game due to a wrist injury. He suffered the injury in last week’s loss to Missouri and has been unable to practice this week.
Stoops also confirmed Gatewood will be Kentucky’s starter when the fifth-ranked Bulldogs invade Kroger Field. He was previously listed on Monday’s depth chart with an ‘OR’ next to Wilson for the starting quarterback spot.
Gatewood, who transferred in from Auburn this past offseason, was originally expected to sit out a year. However, the NCAA and SEC allowed Gatewood to be immediately eligible for the 2020 season, largely due to the coronavirus. He was expected to be the primary backup behind Terry Wilson at quarterback.
A former top-50 recruit in the Class of 2018, Gatewood spent his first two seasons at Auburn. After redshirting in the 2018 season, Gatewood completed 5/8 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns with 32 carries for 176 yards and three more scores for the Tigers last season.
For the 2020 season, Gatewood is a redshirt sophomore. That’s also what he will be in 2021, as the NCAA previously ruled that athletes who play in fall sports won’t lose a season of eligibility due to coronavirus concerns. That means Gatewood has three more seasons of college eligibility following the 2020 season.
Here is Gatewood’s scouting report when he was a recruit.
“Gatewood, who possesses intriguing size for a young quarterback, is a dual-threat that can dismember defenses by extending plays with his legs. He is effective when throwing on the run, and shows good poise and anticipation in the pocket as well. Gatewood has big-play capabilities and does a nice job of evading pressure once the pocket gets congested, but is athletic enough to finish the play off for six points as well. He’s at his best when putting defenses on their toes in the read-option, but must continue to work on his release and weight transfer moving forward.”
Gatewood has gotten limited reps this season, so this will be the first time he’s had a full week to prepare as a starter. Will he provide the spark this offense desperately needs?
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