Kentucky Starting QB Patrick Towles Announces Transfer on Instagram

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The Kentucky Wildcats more than likely ended their 2015 college football season falling one game shy of the normally needed six win mark to be invited to a bowl game. The Wildcats put a stamp on the end of another frustrating season losing to in-state rival Louisville 38-24 after racing out to a 21-0 lead.

The drama on the field spilled over into the locker room with former starting quarterback Patrick Towles announcing he will transfer in the offseason finishing his collegiate career at another program.

The 6’5”, 240 pound, junior from in-state Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, took to Instagram on Sunday posting his decision scribing, “I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for giving me the opportunity to achieve my childhood dream of playing quarterback for the WildCats [sic]. The last four years have been ones that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life. Although I wish my time here in Lexington could have ended another way, I’m eternally grateful. I’ve decided to transfer to play my fifth year at another university. Thank you to Coach Stoops, Coach Dawson, Mitch Barnhart, my teammates, the Big Blue Nation and the entire Kentucky Athletics Department for allowing me to achieve my lifelong dream. I will truly bleed blue til the day I die.”

Towles started out his redshirt junior season as the Wildcats’ starting quarterback connecting on 183 of 326 pass attempts for 2,148 yards with nine touchdowns tossed against 14 interceptions. Kentucky won four of their first five games and then hit a hard five-game losing streak with Towles getting benched around the 27-3 loss to Georgia then played in parts of the Vanderbilt game before giving way to Drew Barker for the final two games of the season. Towles did not play in Kentucky’s non-conference game against Charlotte. Against Louisville, he connected on 3 of 4 passes for 71 yards with the lone incompletion being an interception.

The Wildcats had high hopes for the 2015 season with Towles coming back as a returning starter. He had a breakout season in 2014 starting all 12 games passing for 2,718 yards with 14 touchdowns adding another 303 yards on the ground with six more scores. Towles played in five games during his freshman season after being named a Parade magazine All-American and winning Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky. His true sophomore season was spent as a redshirt coming back strong in 2014 as a redshirt sophomore.

Despite being a 4-star out of high school, Towles was not widely offered with expressed interest in staying in-state to play for the Wildcats. Arkansas, Cincinnati, Illinois, Vanderbilt, and Louisville all offered. Where Towles may end up is still unknown at this point. Once he has graduated from Kentucky he can transfer as a graduated senior with immediate eligibility.

Due to the over saturation of college bowl games but the lack of bowl eligible teams, there is a possibility that Kentucky could be invited to play in a bowl game even though they did not win six games this season.

Photo credit: vaughtsviews.com; No. 14 Patrick Towles.