“If you have two quarterbacks, you do not have a quarterback.” Kentucky is no exception to this truth. For the past two seasons, Kentucky has had two quarterbacks have 150-plus attempts in each season. To be fair, that only happened in 2012 because Maxwell Smith was injured and forced Jalen Whitlow to take over.

The next season, the two split responsibility as the starting quarterback. Oddly enough, neither of those two previously mentioned quarterbacks are slated to start. Instead, redshirt sophomore Patrick Towles and incoming freshman Drew Barker will battle it out for the starting job.

As mentioned before, injuries at the quarterback position haunted Kentucky in 2012. Unfortunately, that meant Towles was not able to redshirt the year because he was forced onto the field. Towles was able to redshirt the 2013 season to take the time to improve on his mechanics and become the quarterback that he was recruited to be. Kentucky made the right decision to not play him (without need) if he was not ready.

Since Towles last played, he has worked through two offseasons and one regular season. The product of such process is evident in Towles’s footwork and release. In 2012, Towles’s footwork did not look like the precise, smooth movements that he displays now. Likewise, Towles’s release has been sped up from its rather sluggish previous form. Towles has even shown more velocity on his throws as a product of both his footwork and quicker release.

Barker, on the other hand, has jumped straight from the frying pan and into the fire. Barker was a Kentucky native who earned the title as a 4-star pro-style quarterback. At this point, Barker is somewhat reminiscent of Jake Locker. Barker shares Locker’s tendency to bail the pocket, as well as his more physical approach to running the ball. The two also have similar arm talents.

In this case, that means an arm with above average strength and average ball placement. Barker is physically talented, but he is a raw player at the moment. Now, that is to be expected from an incoming freshman, but Barker is not at the level of readiness that a freshman ought to be if said freshman is going to be the starting quarterback.

For a number of reasons, Towles is the better option for Kentucky at the moment. Towles is more polished and more experienced than Barker. Of course, that is not to say that Barker will never be better than Towles, but in regards to 2014, Towles is the better player. He will have a much clearer understanding of the playbook and a much more established chemistry with the rest of the offense. Barker will be a solid quarterback for Kentucky in due time, but 2014 is Towles’s time to shine.