Throughout the offseason, one narrative dominated talk about Kentucky football. Who would be the starting quarterback for the season lidlifter on Aug. 30 vs. UT Martin?On Monday morning, Kentucky second-year head coach Mark Stoops put the question to bed, announcing on his twitter account that sophomore Patrick Towles had won the starting gig over freshmen Drew Barker and Reese Phillips, and junior Maxwell Smith. “Patrick’s done a very good job,” Stoops said. “I have a lot of confidence in Patrick. He’s worked extremely hard. I said it before that I was proud of his work ethic.”A 6-foot-5, 238-pound native of Ft. Thomas, Ky., Towles is coming off a well-utilized redshirt season in 2013, after seeing action in five games as a true freshman in 2012. The former Gatorade Kentucky High School Player of the Year out of Highlands High School, Towles played as a true freshman in 2012 after injuries plagued the position. His first drive as a collegiate quarterback dazzled the fan base, going 5-for-5 for 71 yards against Mississippi State, capped by a 32-yard TD pass. Later in the game vs. the Bulldogs, Towles suffered an injury, hampering what could have been a promising freshman season. He finished 2012 completing 19 of 40 passes for 232 yards, including his TD strike vs. MSU. Following his freshman season, Towles saw Smith and Jalen Whitlow share the quarterback position in 2013 as UK learned a new, exciting offensive system under Stoops. Towles dedicated himself in the weight room, improving his fundamentals and to the mental side of the game, putting himself in position to compete for the 2014 starting job. “A lot of people, a year ago when he was told that he was not going to be in the mix, could have put their head down,” Stoops detailed on Towles mindset during his redshirt season. “They could have quit, they could have transferred. Or they face it and get improvement. And he worked. And I’m proud of that. I like the fact that he just went to work to get better. That sends a good message to the rest of the team.””What he did is he really grew up, he matured, became more serious about football, started doing things right off the field,” UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown said. “And what I mean by that is — he was always a good kid, I don’t mean that — he made football one of the top priorities in his life. After the givens, he made football a top priority. He went out and got a lot of drill work. We focused on fundamentals, which was really important to him. He went out and got some extra work, and he was productive.”Towles brings a dynamic skill set to the position in Brown’s high-tempo offensive attack. As Mr. Football in Kentucky in 2011, Towles led his club to three consecutive state championships, compiling a three-year record of 44-1, including a 38-1 mark as the starting QB. As a senior, Towles completed 171 passes for 3,820 yards with 32 TDs and just one interception. “Patrick has a big arm,” Stoops said. “He’s sneaky fast, too, as well. He’s maybe not as fleet of foot as some other guys, but in the open field he’s really got some pretty good speed. He’s a big guy. He’s strong. And he can make all the throws. He’s improved on his release. He’s much quicker getting rid of the ball, and that improves his decision making. That’s the biggest area of improvement for him over a year.”After Stoops and the staff broke the news to Towles and the UK quarterbacks on Monday, they were pleased with the reaction of the four QBs in the ensuing practice. “He was excited,” Brown said. “He’s worked hard for this. What I told him though: this is just the start. You’ve got the opportunity, let’s see what you do with the opportunity.””The truth is that he won the job,” Stoops said. “He won the job. It was very close, but he ended up being the winner.”