Kentucky started last year with Drew Barker as its starting quarterback, but after he got injured, Stephen Johnson took over and led the Wildcats to their first bowl berth since 2010.

While appearing in 12 games, Johnson threw for 2,037 yards and 13 touchdowns. At SEC Media Days on Wednesday, coach Mark Stoops said Johnson’s 2016 performance and his work this offseason has been enough to earn him the Week 1 start this fall.

When asked by SDS if Johnson would start when the Wildcats take on Southern Miss on Saturday, Sept. 2, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Stoops said “Stephen is our starter.”

“Stephen has earned the right to be the starting quarterback,” he added. “It’s just like the strong safety or the defensive lineman or the offensive guard. If you are a returning starter, you’ve done what it takes to put yourself in a position to start — you’ve earned that right. We have quite a few practices before our first day, [so] Stephen also knows he has to go earn that job everyday.”

He added that Johnson will have to continue to prove he deserves to be the starter and that he expects Barker to provide some quality competition this fall.

Obviously, Barker will still be there in case Johnson struggles and will likely receive some playing time regardless of how Johnson performs, but Wednesday’s news is important for Johnson’s confidence heading into the 2017 season.