It’s ‘a blessing’ to wear UK blue, and Beau Allen is ready to make the most of it
Beau Allen can’t imagine playing college football anywhere other than the University of Kentucky.
Among the 11 class of 2020 scholarship players who enrolled in January after signing national letters of intent in December, Allen was recruited by Mark Stoops’ staff since he was a freshman at Lexington Catholic. Even when the prospect of adding another quarterback, former top-50 recruit Joey Gatewood, as a transfer in the class became an option, Allen remained a central figure — Stoops and co. even consulted with him during its pursuit of Gatewood to make sure he wasn’t blindsided.
Allen, who committed in May, welcomed that pursuit and UK ultimately added two four-star recruits to its roster.
“I’m always of the interpretation that competition is (good) everywhere,” Allen said Wednesday. “When they told me about recruiting him and him coming I was all for it, just for the competition and the level of talent in the quarterback room that I was able to be in.”
Allen and Gatewood joined a stable of quarterbacks that includes Amani Gilmore, Nik Scalzo, Sawyer Smith and Terry Wilson. Wilson, who started the entire 2018 season and the first two games last year before a knee injury sidelined him, won’t be available in spring camp but is expected to be ready for the 2020 season. Scalzo also is still recovering after tearing his ACL in September and probably won’t be ready to play in the spring. Gatewood is preparing as if he’ll be able to play right away, but unless he’s granted a waiver by the NCAA he won’t be eligible until the 2021 season.
Smith, who started three games last year but played sparingly down the stretch after Lynn Bowden succeeded him following several injuries, is likely to be the starting quarterback for the first-team offense come spring. That leaves room for Allen, in addition to Gatewood and Gilmore, to build a case to be the main man for the “opposition” a couple months from now.
“I’m going to go for as many reps as possible and I’m going to master the playbook and work to give the best I can mentally and physically to be ready for the spring,” Allen said.
A lot of time remains before we’ll find out if Allen’s recruiting pedigree and the workout gains acquired by enrolling early fast-track him onto the depth chart this fall, but regardless of how things shake out he’s ready to embrace being a Wildcat.
“It’s a little surreal, that’s for sure,” Allen said. “I’ve always been a fan my whole life and just to be here every day is a blessing.”
Louisiana
After de-commiting from Florida last June, Joel Williams did not publicly commit to Kentucky until he signed in December. The four-star defensive back enrolled early, though, in order to improve his chances of getting on the field early for a Kentucky defense that last year allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game in the country.
Kelvin Joseph, a transfer from LSU who enrolled before the fall semester, is a close friend who sold Williams on the idea of coming to Kentucky.
“We’re like brothers. We’re with each other every day,” Williams said. “ ... We were with each other when we were little, so we’ve been doing this together.”
Gilmore is the only other scholarship player currently on UK’s roster from Louisiana, but it’s an area in which it’s stepped up its recruiting efforts. Williams dropped this tidbit when he met with reporters Thursday.
“We’ve actually got some more Louisiana guys that are committed in 2021, but we ain’t gonna say nothing about that right now,” Williams said with a laugh. “We’re trying to get something together.”
Other Kentuckians
Defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine (North Hardin) and offensive lineman John Young (Christian Academy of Louisville) each addressed the media for the first time as Wildcats on Thursday. Both were four-star prospects coming out of high school.
Young said he wants to be an example for other Kentuckians for whom UK is a potential college destination.
“I take immense pride in playing for Kentucky,” Young said. “I grew up a fan of the school and when I got the opportunity to play for them, it was something that I jumped on. I’m just so excited for the first time I get to wear the jersey.”
UK’s proximity to Radcliff, Oxendine’s hometown, made it “a home away from home” for the 6-foot-3, 296-pound freshman.
“I’ve got home an hour away and I’ve got home right here with me,” Oxendine said.
