Last year Kentucky faced Mac Jones and Kyle Trask, two of the nation's top quarterbacks. There wasn't an all-conference opponent under center every week but the 'Cats saw a number of passers who could really make a defense pay.
Kentucky's schedule is not as daunting on paper going into 2021 but there are still a few quarterbacks who could keep Brad White up at night.
Here's one take on the top five quarterbacks Kentucky will face in 2021.
1. JT Daniels, Georgia
The difference between UGA with Daniels and the Bulldogs of Stetson Bennett was noticeable last year. Bennett simply didn't have the chops to make that a national championship caliber team. But UGA was undefeated (granted, against an easier portion of the schedule) when Daniels took over.
A knee injury suffered while still at Southern Cal followed Daniels to Georgia and the rehab process was not easy. But when he was finally ready to play he looked excellent.
Daniels played in UGA's final four games of the season, completing 67.2% of his passes for 1,231 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only two picks. He threw for 392 yards in UGA's 24-21 bowl win against Cincinnati and 401 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks in his debut against Mississippi State.
The good news for opponents is Georgia doesn't have Alabama-caliber wide receivers. But Daniels is one reason UGA could be a national championship frontrunner if it gets by Clemson in the season opener.
2. Emory Jones, Florida
Jones is not going to be Kyle Trask but he does have Dan Mullen the quarterback whisperer coaching him up. If you know college football and if you've followed Mullen's career you know it wouldn't be wise to bet against the success of whoever he has behind center. Mullen is excellent when it comes to tweaking an offense and building around his personnel strengths and weaknesses. So don't expect the Gators to look much like last year's team.
Trask rushed for 50 yards all season last year for Florida. Jones rushed for 217 yards and 6.78 yards per carry. He ran the ball 32 times in nine games, and he passed the ball 32 times in nine games. Mullen might want to protect him from taking too many hits, but we're just going to watch Florida's quarterback play very differently this season and given the losses at the skill positions that QB run game might have to be a big part of what UF does.
As a starter Jones remains a great unknown. He has to break in a new supporting cast. But given the way Mullen has talked Jones up, and considering his track record as a coach, Florida's QB play should be very good compared to most of the other teams Kentucky will face.
3. Connor Bazelak, Missouri
There was an absence of big plays for Missouri last season but that doesn't mean the offense was bad. The Tigers had the nation's No. 59-rated total offense measured by yards per game. (It's worth noting that he only faced three teams that finished the season with a winning record.)
Bazelak was efficient even if he wasn't explosive, completing 67.3% of his throws for 2,366 yards. In Missouri's wins he passed for five touchdowns and one pick. In its losses he threw five picks and two touchdowns.
Bazelak burst onto the scene with the best game of his career against LSU in Week 3, completing 29 of 34 (85%) passes with four scores and no giveaways in a 45-41 win. Against Kentucky, in a 20-10 Tiger win, Bazelak just moved the chains: 70% accuracy, no touchdowns, no picks. He just moved the chains.
Bazelak was targeted by Darin Hinshaw and the UK coaching staff when he was in high school and he's already showed their evaluation was correct.
