Owensboro’s Gavin Wimsatt announced on his Instagram this afternoon he’s returning to the Commonwealth to play football for the University of Kentucky. He transferred to UK from Rutgers University, where he started several games for the Scarlett Knights.
In a release issued Tuesday afternoon, head coach Mark Stoops said “We are excited to add Gavin to our program. Game experience is extremely valuable at quarterback and this is a unique opportunity to add talent and experience to the room.”
Kentucky Sports Radio was the first to report the news. Wimsatt’s Instagram caption reads, “I’m Coming home #BBN.”
The Wildcats were the first Power 5 program to offer Wimsatt a scholarship in May 2020, but he eventually elected to take his talents to Rutgers instead. After 3 years in New Jersey, the former Red Devil standout and dual-threat quarterback entered the transfer portal earlier this year.
Wimsatt played a total of 25 games and started 19 of those in three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, completing 212 of 455 passes for 2,537 yards and 14 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. He has rushed for 628 yards and 11 scores on 180 carries.
Most of his production came during a breakout junior season in 2023, with Wimsatt passing for 1,735 yards and 9 touchdowns versus 9 interceptions in 13 starts at quarterback. He also rushed for 497 yards and 11 scores on 131 carries. He helped lead the team to a 31-24 win over Miami in the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, scoring on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. It was the first winning season for the Scarlet Knights since 2014.
However, in the offseason Rutgers added Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis, who was named the new starting quarterback last week. Wimsatt entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
Quarterbacks already on the UK roster include Brock Vandagriff, a graduate transfer who spent three seasons at Georgia and has two years of eligibility remaining; Beau Allen, who came back to Kentucky as a graduate transfer after one season at Georgia Southern and one at Tarleton State; and true freshman Cutter Boley, a graduate of Lexington Christian Academy.
Wimsatt did not return requests for comment prior to publication.
