In breaking news long foreshadowed and often feared, Vince Marrow, Kentucky’s recruiting coordinator and associate head coach, has left the program for a similar role with the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals.

The announcement came as a shock to many Kentucky fans who, despite rumors of such a
move swirling in years past, expected the coach’s longevity in Lexington to play a role in his
staying. Back in December, he even told fans himself that he would be in Lexington for this season.

Clearly, this was not the case.

Marrow is expected to finalize a three-year deal as the Cardinals’ new general manager, handling roster management, recruiting, and transfer portal operations for the team down the road.

Since his hiring in 2012 as the tight ends coach, among other roles, Marrow had become a
Kentucky football mainstay. To many, he was one of the few constants for a program that has
suffered serious change throughout the years.

His departure comes on the heels of the Wildcats’ worst season on this side of 2020, finishing at 4-8 and, of course, missing any possible chance at playing in the postseason.

Despite this loss, the program will attempt to look forward with a relatively finished roster and a clear goal on the horizon: somehow, someway, don’t be worse than last year.

The Cats and Cardinals will meet in Louisville on Nov. 29 later this year, for the final game of the season, as is tradition. Now more than ever, the stakes are red-hot with the program’s former fan-favorite wearing red on the other sideline.

Davis McCray, a San Antonio, Texas native committed to the Wildcats on June 3, marking the second commitment from the 2026 class for Mark Stoops and company.

McCray tallied 639 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 32 receptions last season will also contributing on the defensive side of the ball and maintaining an impressive track and field career.

The 6-foot-2 receiver sat down with Kentucky Insider to tell us about why he chose Kentucky and who he compares his versatile play style to.

Q: With 16 different offers, why did you choose Kentucky?

What stood out to me is definitely being in the biggest conference in the nation, for sure. Also coach Bush (Hamdan) and coach L’Damian Washington, and then also coach (Mark) Stoops. He’s been there 13 years, which I feel like that shows a lot. They’re really great guys. They’re really down to earth people, and I really feel like I could see myself developing with them in the future.

Q: Does your national ranking matter to you at all? Are you in that stage where you want to get it at high as possible or do you just go out there and play?

I mean yeah, a little bit. I mean, me personally, I feel like I’m better than some of the highest ranked players in the nation. So, I feel like if I just keep on going out there, balling, proving myself, it will come naturally, you know what I mean?

Q: What motivated you to make such an early decision on Kentucky?

I feel like I definitely have to lock in the spot somewhere, and I feel like I can definitely develop at the highest level at Kentucky, and I can see myself there for however long I play in college.

Q: Say someone else came down the line after this year and offered you a spot. Would you even think about decommitting and going somewhere else?

No sir, I really probably wouldn’t. It depends, like, how late into the process it would be, but if it’s like during the season, no I wouldn’t. I would say I’m locked into Kentucky.

Q: What do you bring to Kentucky, on and off the field? Who would you compare your game to?

I’d probably compare myself to like a Ja’Marr Chase type of guy. I’m pretty quick, I have the size, I have the frame, and I’m like, a physical receiver. Even if we’re running the ball, I’m still going to give it my all to go block the defender just so we can get an extra maybe couple yards. Off the field, I feel like I’m a great kid. I’m good with my books, pretty smart student. I plan on graduating early and coming down there early. I don’t really like to party or anything like that. I’m more of just like a stay at home video game type of guy.

Q: What’s an interesting fact that you would tell Big Blue Nation about you to kind of show them who you are?

I would say I’m a pretty humble kid, and I’m very disciplined. Most people, like, make a big catch and they want to go celebrate or something. I’m more of a guy, to like, make a big play and line up on the line and get ready for the next one and try to make another big play or even a bigger play.

Q: The transfer portal is so prominent in the world of college football now. How do you think that culture affects players like you that want to stay at one school for their whole career?

There’s coaches always trying to bring guys in from the other schools and from the portal. It’s almost like you’re always trying to fight for your spot. I feel like it also keeps you motivated to keep working for that spot, and doesn’t keep you complacent.

Beau Allen’s journey back to Kentucky is a story that deserves to be told again, one that sent the Lexington native over 900 miles away from home when he played for Tarleton State during his sophomore season. He then found himself at Georgia Southern for his junior season, eventually having to sit out due to NCAA regulations.

Allen spoke of his time away from home, claiming he grew so much on and off the field before his eventual return to Kentucky last season. Now, with one season left in his college football career, Allen sat down with Kentucky Insider to talk about his confidence in still starting at quarterback for the Wildcats and how he keeps his fire for the sport alive.

Q: How have you been doing? How’s the offseason treating you so far?

It’s been good! We were off in May, this past week has been the first week we’ve got back into it and it’s been good. We’ve been working out, running, throwing, working out in the weight room, but it’s all been good so far.

Q: You’ve had such a crazy journey throughout college. Deciding to return to Kentucky, what influenced that decision rather than from being from Lexington?

I thought (about) things right around when I was in my fourth year of college at Georgia Southern University at the time, I loved and I had a good time at all my stops that I’ve been around, but I kind of thought I wanted to end my career here (Kentucky) in college, and it just meant more.

All in all, I thought if I had the opportunity to end my career here at Kentucky, I would and I’d take that up and that’s kind of what it came down to.

Q: How hard was it to combat with maybe going somewhere else and being a guaranteed starter for a full season? Was that decision difficult at all?

It definitely was. It’s obviously harder to play here than it would be at some other schools that I’ve been at before, but, kind of going back to what I said earlier, I thought if I was the best I could be here (Kentucky) and do as much as I could for the team, that’d be something I’d be happy about looking back on my career.

I don’t know if it would’ve been something I ever would’ve done if I didn’t get to start at Tarleton (State) but from like a wide view or if I’m looking back on my career a few years from now, I imagine I’ll probably be happy that I can play a little more and also finish my career at home too.

Q: With the offseason depth charts, does that ever bother you during the offseason, knowing where you rank among the field according to everyone? Is it distracting or anything?

No, not really. I mean, maybe when you’re younger you think about that stuff, but it doesn’t really change anything. You just go into practice every day, or whatever it is, if it’s a workout or even a meeting, just trying to be the best that you can be. Everything else will fall in line after that.

Q: How easy is it to keep the fire going? Do you still envision a world for yourself where you could start at Kentucky?

Oh yeah, I definitely feel the fire. I mean, obviously, compared to last year and like this year, I won’t be the guy that rolls out there week one or anything, you know what I’m saying? Every day still, I still get after it. It’s something I love to do and if my numbers called, I’ll definitely be ready.

Mentally, physically, I’m still attacking it, and that is the way I still go about it and every time again, who knows what happens but I’ll always give it the most I can.

Q: I want you to take me way back to 2020 when you made your debut against Vanderbilt. How did that moment feel? I know a lot of athletes say they don’t remember their debut and that it’s all a blur, is that the same case for you?

Maybe a little bit. I definitely remember the first play I was in. Eddie Gran was our offensive coordinator back then. I can still remember the first completion I had in college, but it was definitely awesome. It definitely was good to take back and get those moments.

It was kind of similar to Cutter (Boley), Cutter played more serious time than I did when I was a freshman, but, it’s definitely something you’ll never forget, good or bad.

Q: Coming out of high school, I was curious if your decision to commit to Kentucky and then recommit after Georgia Southern, did it have the same feeling for you? Did you want to go home and play from where you’re from?

I’d say so. I think coming out of high school, I’d say going to be a quarterback at Kentucky was always a dream of mine. At the time, my senior year was like when Lynn Bowden’s (Jr.) year and I knew all the injuries we (Kentucky) had at quarterback. I guess it is a little hard to project it, I guess play style wise, but I love all the people.

We still have so many of the same people around here. Obviously, I know offensive coordinators change a lot, but there’s still a lot of those guys around here. That’s a good thing for me I mean I have a great relationships with all the coaches, that was a big thing in high school. It’s still a big thing coming back, when I was in Tarleton (State) in Texas or Georgia Southern, I kept up with or had a text or texted with at least one of the coaches at all times.

Q: You mentioned Tarleton (State) a lot. How did that year help you and transform you as a player?

Yeah it was obviously huge. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I had a great time at Georgia Southern, but there was a few eligibility issues with transferring at the time. I mean, shoot, if I had to do it all over again, I would’ve stayed there another year, maybe come back after that. I had a wonderful time and we had some great players, some great coaches. I wish we won more games.

My two highest leading receivers on that roster both made mini camps and are pushing and grinding to make it longer in the summer and try to hopefully get a roster spot.

Q: That 2023 season, leaving Tarleton State and then going to Georgia Southern, when the eligibility thing hit, how did you feel then? Did you feel like you made the wrong decision?

I think that was kind of something that like everything happens for a reason. I thank God, always a part of everything that happens in your life. How it mainly happened, like at the time, the big thing was like you can’t transfer twice as an undergraduate, but you could get a waiver at the time. The year prior, everyone was getting these waivers and we all thought it would work out and obviously it didn’t.

Football wise, I got to do the scout team, which I didn’t do my freshman year. There’s a part of me that kind of, looking back, wished that I did that at UK. There was a two week span where I was pretty down in the dumps about it, but it ended up being a great thing for me, just developing with myself as a quarterback on and off the field.

Q: I wanted to ask about your dad’s (Bill Allen, Kentucky quarterback from 1984-88) impact. Can you talk about how his experience at Kentucky kind of shaped you into what you are today?

He played kind of similar, probably similar to my career, besides the transferring stuff, in terms of like, playing a little bit here and there, but he was very instrumental. He’s never, and I kind of thank him for it, there’s some of the crazier dads that make their kids throw 1,000 balls a week or something and he never was that way. His perspective kind of allowed me to not, especially at a younger age, not really burn out much or anything, or get tired of football. It’s a big part of why I’m still doing it now. We would throw all the time, but I would be the one to instigate it. I think how he kind of handled being a former player, and his kid playing the exact same position, he had a lot of opportunities to maybe push that kind of nature. How he did it led me to love football a little more naturally than most people are probably able to.