WBN Nightcap: Kentucky Football Swings and Misses

Lonell Dewalt

In every recruiting class across the country there are highly-rated players who won’t live up to expectations. That’s why these kids are prospects, there are no sure things. Tonight I’m going to look at Kentucky recruits who didn’t pan out, none of whom are currently on campus. Scout lists recruiting classes going back to 2002 and I’ve selected one player from each season listed.

2002: CB Bo Smith. Smith actually played quite well at times for the Wildcats but got in trouble too many times, including an incident where he took a bat to the skull. Eventually dismissed.

2003: WR/KR John Logan. I played Logan in high school and he was dynamic, it seemed he would be a star at UK. For whatever reason it never materialized, there were always great reports of Logan tearing up practices but come game time he was nowhere to be found.

2004: WR Lonnell Dewalt. Dewalt was phenomenal as a freshman, catching touchdowns and blocking kicks. He had a very bright future but became an academic casualty. He tried to JUCO and get qualified but never made it back to Lexington.

2005: QB Curtis Pulley. Pulley was Mr. Football and was the new prototype athletic quarterback coming out of high school. As a freshman he played a stellar quarter of football against Florida and as a sophomore was declared the starter over a guy name Andre Woodson during the spring. But Pulley had academic trouble and had run-ins with the law, Rich Brooks dismissed Pulley prior to his senior year in which he was slated to start.

2006: DL Josh Minton. Minton, along with Micah Johnson and Corey Peters, signed as UK’s version of the “Dream Team”. While Johnson and Peters both went on to be stars, Minton suffered injuries annually and eventually retired from football.