Towles: winning UK QB job "just the beginning."

"He sits me down. He's like, 'Hey, last year at this time I brought you over here and I told you that you needed to get better.' He said, 'Unfortunately, I'm going to have to ask you to do the same thing,' " Towles recalled Tuesday.

Consider that he is a lifelong UK fan who called it his dream since childhood to be the Wildcats' QB. Consider that after not winning the job his first two seasons on campus, the former four-star recruit went to work with a private quarterback coach all spring and summer, drilling the things Stoops told him needed to improve.

"All the color drops out of my face," Towles said. "It was bad. I was like, 'Oh, my gosh.' Then he said, 'Just kidding.' And it was like an immediate relief. I'm glad I was sitting down."

Relief has been the overwhelming emotion for Towles, although there's been plenty of joy, too. His first text message after learning he'd beaten out redshirt freshman Reese Phillips and true freshman Drew Barker in a tight three-way race was to his father.

"My dad lost his father when he was 18 years old, and he was a huge football fan," Towles said. "So I texted him. I said, 'Papa Tommy is partying in heaven.' And he knew immediately what had happened."

He sent another text message Monday morning at 11:47 – the moment Towles got out of his first practice as the starter – that didn't need any context for the recipient: Thanks, Donny. Couldn't have done it without you.

Donny Walker is the QB coach Towles hired to help him fix flawed footwork, a faulty grip and slow release – none of which hadn't prevented him from becoming a Parade All-American at Highlands High School, where he won three straight state titles and threw for 3,820 yards, 42 touchdowns and one interception as a senior, but would have kept him on the sidelines at Kentucky.

"He was happy we put in all that work and were able to pull it out. I'm so happy for him," Walker said. "To be able to go out and do it consistently over the course of these several months is a tremendous tribute to how hard he works and how bad he really wanted this. But I think he understands it isn't over.

"He wanted to go out and be in the hunt in the spring, and he did that. He wanted to win the job in camp, and he did that. Now I think he's got some loftier goals."

To that point, Towles said Tuesday that winning the job was "just the beginning." But it was a mighty big step in fulfilling a dream he's had so long he can't remember not having it.

"I've been Kentucky through and through for my entire life," he said. "I've heard 'no' a lot (at UK). It was just the last time that I wanted to hear 'no.' I was told things that I need to get better at. I went out and got better at them. And now I'm here."

Towles stood taller and spoke more confidently Tuesday than at any point in his Cats career so far. Fear of failure, of doing all the work and getting no reward, can weigh heavy on the shoulders. Now he's unburdened, and everyone can see it.

Offensive coordinator Neal Brown said "a little bit of pressure has been taken off him." Walker said he can tell Towles is "playing a lot looser" now that he knows he's the guy and will "probably even play a little better."

Kentucky's top wide receiver, Javess Blue, thinks he already is.

"He's been a lot different. He's stepped up a lot. He's leading the team," in two days as the starter, Blue said. "That's what we need out of him as the quarterback. I felt like he was way more comfortable. I could see it in his arm, in his posture and the way he's playing the game out there. He's real comfortable."

All through spring practice and two weeks of fall camp, as he was neck-and-neck with Phillips and Barker, Towles said he felt like every throw had to be perfect. Any errant ball brought on anxiety. But these last two days?

"I felt like I was a senior in high school, and I was just able to play, just make plays. That's a good feeling," Towles said. "I can play free. I can just go out and let it all hang out."

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.

UK CAMP

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UK QUARTERBACKS AT A GLANCE

Quarterback - Ht. - Wt. - Yr. - Exp.

Patrick - Towles - 6-5 - 238 - So. - 1L

Reese - Phillips - 6-2 - 218 - Fr. - RS

Drew Barker - 6-3 - 216 - Fr. - HS

Maxwell Smith - 6-4 - 238 - Jr. - 2L

L - Letters won. RS - Redshirt. HS - High school.

Position coach: Offensive coordinator Neal Brown also coaches the quarterbacks, and for his "Air Raid" offense to take off, he needs a good pilot. Brown presided over offenses that ranked second, seventh and seventh nationally in passing yards over three seasons at Texas Tech. Then in Year 1 at Kentucky: 100th. No stability at quarterback hurt his ability to even call an offense remotely resembling the Red Raiders. He hopes that'll change in Year 2.

Strengths: Brown and head coach Mark Stoops insisted from spring ball through August camp that whoever won the job was going to be an upgrade. Maxwell Smith and Jalen Whitlow alternated at quarterback last season, and Smith was limited by shoulder problems while Whitlow was a much better runner than passer. Patrick Towles -- and backups Reese Phillips and Drew Barker -- are more prototypical passers, and all so far completely healthy. Towles has NFL size and arm strength.

Weaknesses: Smith has thrown for 3,000 career yards at UK, but he's still working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. So when the season starts, the only available quarterback with any experience at all is Towles, and that amounts to five games and 40 pass attempts -- two years ago. One might also assume that how long the competition dragged on indicates none of those three options were overwhelmingly good.

Watch for: Whether Towles makes all the short, simple throws and avoids the big mistake. No one questions whether he can hit a receiver 50 yards downfield in stride. He can. But will he check down to the running back when the home-run option is covered? Or will he try to show off that big arm and try to rifle passes into too-tight windows? "I want to see who makes the best decision," Brown said just before naming Towles the starter, "especially on the crucial downs, third downs. I want to see who's the most accurate."

Bottom line: Kentucky has upgraded the talent at every position around Towles. He has multiple former four-star recruits at wide receiver and running back. The offensive line -- at least the starting five -- is bigger and more athletic than it has been in years. All the "Air Raid" needs now is a capable trigger man.

-- Kyle Tucker