New Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley has a Kentucky football legend to lean on for advice
Almost 28 years after arriving at Kentucky as one of the most-hyped football recruits in the country, Tim Couch has no problem recalling the first lesson he learned as a Wildcat.
“You’re starting all back over,” Couch said. “I’d accomplished everything that I possibly could at the high school level, but I remember when I got here as a freshman no one cared. What are you going to do for us?”
Couch’s freshman season did not go according to plan as UK coaches tried to shoehorn the pocket passer into an option offense, but the work he put in then helped gain the respect of teammates. After UK hired Hal Mumme as coach to bring his “Air Raid” offense to Lexington, Couch blossomed into one of the best players in program history.
Now, Couch is planning to serve as something of a mentor for Kentucky freshman and former Lexington Christian Academy star quarterback Cutter Boley as he makes a similar transition to the one Couch faced in 1996.
“He’s got great parents who give him great advice, but I certainly have helped Cutter on some things and will continue to help him and be a resource for him whenever I can,” Couch said. “I’ve certainly walked in his shoes. I know exactly what he’s going through, being a home-state kid and deciding to come to play ball here and turn down a lot of other opportunities. I know the pressure that comes with it. I can definitely help him figure out how to walk the line on some of those things.”
When Boley committed to UK in May 2023, he was considered the most highly touted recruit since Couch to pick Kentucky. Boley’s recruiting rankings dipped during his senior season at LCA — he was originally rated as a five-star prospect in the class of 2025 but finished his high school career as a four-star prospect after reclassifying to 2024 — but he still arrived on campus this month with the type of hype only a local quarterback can bring.
Boley began his high school career at LaRue County, operating a run-heavy offense, but transferred to LCA prior to his junior season. There, he connected with Couch, whose son Chase also played for the Eagles.
Playing in a more balanced offense at LCA, Boley thrived. He picked UK over finalists Tennessee, Michigan, Florida State and Penn State. At the time of that commitment, he was ranked as the No. 12 overall recruit in the class of 2025 by Rivals.
“There’s just things you’ve got to do when you come in with that name tag as a quarterback,” Couch said. “He’s one of the highest recruited quarterbacks we’ve had here. He’s just got to come in and be one of the guys, work hard and earn respect from the other guys and earn a spot on the field.”
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Boley’s situation is at least slightly different than the one Couch encountered at Kentucky.
Couch was viewed as the savior for a program that had not recorded a winning record in the six seasons before he arrived on campus. Boley will not face that pressure with the current Wildcats on an eight-season bowl streak.
Boley also can benefit from reduced expectations for at least his freshman season since Kentucky signed Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, a former five-star recruit, as its probable starting quarterback for 2024.
Still, UK coaches have done little to downplay excitement for his arrival.
“He has all the intangibles you’re looking for,” UK coach Mark Stoops said of Boley on signing day. “He has all the physical attributes that you look for. Really had a great year. He’s just a guy we can build around.”
Couch is not the only former UK quarterback Boley has a relationship with. His position coach at LCA was former Wildcat Morgan Newton. Newton also arrived on campus with the hype of a four-star recruit, and while his college career failed to back up that hype he is still the last high school signee recruited as a quarterback to start for a UK team that reached a bowl game.
Newton took a step back from Boley’s recruiting process, letting the family make that decision, but he too saw reason to be excited.
“He’s extremely composed,” Newton said after Boley’s commitment. “Has got a really great demeanor about him to be a quarterback. … I think between that and his pedigree — has been around college athletes his whole life — he’s uniquely qualified to be a good college quarterback.”
Boley’s older sister, Erin, was ranked a top-five basketball player in the high school class of 2016 who played at Notre Dame and Oregon. His father, Scott, played basketball at WKU.
Kentucky’s track record with highly touted in-state quarterbacks since Couch is mixed.
Jared Lorenzen and Andre Woodson turned into program greats, but Patrick Towles, Drew Barker and Beau Allen all left the program before their eligibility expired. (Allen has since transferred back to UK where he will compete with Boley for a backup job in 2024).
If Boley is to break the trend of recent high school quarterback disappointment for Kentucky, the lessons he learned from his family, Couch and Newton could be essential.
“I had supportive friends and family that kept me grounded and kept my focus where it should be, on working to become a better player,” Couch said. “It is hard. I remember as a junior and senior in high school every time I would come out of a classroom, there would be Joe Paterno in the hallway or Steve Spurrier or Lou Holtz. All these coaches were always there at my games. The recruiting just never stopped. It was overwhelming. It was tough. I think I had a great support staff around me to help me work through those situations.”