Kentucky QB Patrick Towles announces he'll transfer

Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles took to Instagram on Sunday to announce his decision to transfer and play elsewhere as a fifth-year graduate student in 2016.

I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for giving me the opportunity to achieve my childhood dream of playing quarterback for the WildCats. The last four years have been ones that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life. Although I wish my time here in Lexington could have ended another way, I’m eternally grateful. I’ve decided to transfer to play my fifth year at another university. Thank you to Coach Stoops, Coach Dawson, Mitch Barnhart, my teammates, the Big Blue Nation and the entire Kentucky Athletics Department for allowing me to achieve my lifelong dream. I will truly bleed blue til the day I die.

A photo posted by Patrick Towles (@patty_ice14) on Nov 29, 2015 at 11:03am PST

The decision comes after Drew Barker replaced Towles as the starter late in the season.

Towles, rated before the season as one of the top 5 underclassman NFL quarterback prospects by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., regressed in his second season as UK’s full-time starter.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior threw 9 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, absorbed 25 sacks and managed just 6.6 yards per attempt. He would be eligible to play immediately if he transfers to another FBS program and begins work on a graduate degree not offered at the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky finished the season 5-7, and will not receive what would be an automatic bowl bid as an SEC team by reaching six wins. Still, it’s possible that UK could eventually get a bowl invite, as there will not be enough six-win FBS teams to cover the 80 necessary slots.