Skip to main content

Kentucky QB Barker to have season-ending back surgery

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Kentucky coach Mark Stoops says that sophomore quarterback Drew Barker will undergo back surgery the week of Thanksgiving and miss the remainder of this season.

Barker has been out since being injured on the Wildcats' first series against New Mexico State on Sept. 17. Junior college transfer Stephen Johnson is 5-2 as QB for Kentucky (5-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) since relieving Barker and 4-2 as a starter.

Stoops said after Thursday's practice that surgery was scheduled for Barker after non-surgical treatments had been exhausted without improvement. The coach suggested that ''if everything goes right he should be back for spring, the latter part of spring, in some capacity.''

---

More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org

© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.