Terry Wilson had his ups and downs in 2018, but nobody can question the team results with him behind center. The Wildcats' second-year starting quarterback carries a 10-3 record and he flashed enough potential for fans and the coaches alike to believe a step forward is possible.
What can he do to become a better quarterback over these next few weeks during spring football?
That's the subject of today's roundtable.
Jeff Drummond: With Benny Snell moving on to the NFL, Terry Wilson likely inherits more of the leadership aspects of the offense. That's not to say he did not lead last season. He certainly did. But with so many other big personalities on the UK roster, he did not have to be very vocal in his leadership. That may change a bit now. I expect him to set the tone for the offense with a bigger voice in the huddle. Look for him to organize unofficial workouts and 7-on-7 drills during the off-season. That may help him develop another receiver target to complement Lynn Bowden. Physically, it would be nice to see him make some gains in the weight room so that he'll be able to hold up to the punishment a dual-threat quarterback receives during a long season in the SEC.
Travis Graf: Wilson’s biggest problem last year was adapting himself to the SEC following JUCO. You could see the wheels grinding in his head when he was deciding which play to make. There were numerous times when he should’ve pulled the ball on the read option, when he should’ve tucked it and ran, and when he aimed instead of just throwing. Repetition with his receivers during spring practice coupled with spending hours upon hours in the film room watching himself last year should spark and improvement.
Justin Rowland: I think Wilson is going to improve because of the simple reality that he is empowered based on how last year went and he knows there is a leadership void in some respects with the team's most visible players gone from last year. This is a guy who has been in college for several years now so he's been around the block and he's a mature guy. All of that coupled with the much greater experience against SEC defenses will make him more comfortable in the offense. And so when I think about other things, like throwing a more accurate deep ball or being aggressive with looks to receivers in less than perfect throwing windows, it goes back to how empowered he feels as a player. The more he trusts his instincts and the players around him (that last part is somewhat out of his control but it's tied together), the less you will see him aiming, the less time he'll spend calculating risk, the more natural the game will come and look. I think all of that is virtually inevitable over the spring.