As a freshman, quarterback Maxwell Smith appeared to be the future of Kentucky Wildcats football. After a change in coaching staffs and a continuous quarterback carousel, Smith won’t finish his career at Kentucky.
Instead, Smith will return to his home state and become a member of the San Diego State Aztecs, according to Jennifer Smith of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Maxwell Smith’s father confirmed Friday that his son will transfer.
“He loves, loves, loves, loves Kentucky with all of his heart; he is sad,” Carl Smith texted to Jennifer Smith. “He’s happy but sad.”
The quarterback’s career looked like it was going to take off during the 2012 campaign. After being named to the Freshmen All-SEC Team, Maxwell Smith started four games as a sophomore. During those four games, he completed 68.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns. His season came to a premature end, though, due to an ankle surgery.
Maxwell Smith was never able to recover the momentum he built as a young player in Lexington. He battled a shoulder injury this past year and never threw a pass for the Wildcats during the 2014 campaign.
As a graduate transfer, Maxwell Smith is eligible to play next season. He’ll provide an immediate starting option after Quinn Kaehler exhausted his eligibility.
No one knows exactly who will be directing San Diego State’s quarterbacks, though, after their position coach, Brian Sipe, was dismissed after the season, per the San Diego Union-Tribune.