Kentucky laying the pipe….lines.

By Kyle

Good Sunday afternoon and happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. I decided I’d get my dad a very special present today and give him a list of players that UK is rumored to be interested in at some of Kentucky’s pipeline recruiting schools. I mean, what more could anyone want?

LaGrange High School – LaGrange, GA
Most Kentucky fans think of LaGrange first when picking a UK pipeline school and for good reason. The list of fromer Grangers to stand out at Kentucky is long and includes Wesley Woodyard, Braxton Kelley, DeMoreo Ford. The current Wildcats that hail from the school includes Corner Randall Burden, Linebacker Qua Huzzie, Kicker Joseph Mansour and Defensive End Tristian Johnson. Unfortunately there’s also a long list includes high profile commits that never made it to campus like RB Demetrius Goode, DT D.J. Stafford, WR Emmanuel Harrell, LB Demetri Merritt, and DB Mychal Bailey (although Bailey still has a chance to qualify this year). For the 2011 class, only Javonte Daniel has garnered much attention from college coaches and scouting companies. The 6’3 220 pound Defensive End prospect hasn’t been reported to have a lot of contact with Kentucky’s staff, but that could change at any time. Look for LaGrange to produce several more talented players over the next few years, but much like Louisville Central, this year looks to be a down one.

Alcoa High School – Alcoa, Tennessee
The home of Kyrus Lanxter, Randall Cobb, and Tyler Robinson has a history of producing some solid talent from year to year. No Alcoa players have received scholarship offers yet, but Defensive End Darrell Warren has garnered some interest. I would think it is highly unlikely that Kentucky offers anyone from this pipeline until 2012 at least. Next year they will have a solid Wide Receiver in LaJuan Warfield, and we all know how well this other 5’11 WR from Alcoa has turned out to be.

Milan High School – Milan, Tennessee
Milan isn’t a true pipeline yet, but looks to be heading that direction. Current freshman Linebacker Avery Williamson is doing his best to convince his teammates to give Kentucky a look and it might pay off this first year. Christian Coleman is a 6’5 260 pound Defensive End prospect that is extremely high on the Cats and does have a scholarship offer on the table. Most recruiting analysts believe he is Kentucky’s to lose.

Stephenson High School – Stone Mountain, Georgia
All it took was one year and Stephenson went from a school that produced just one walk-on/transfer on Kentucky’s roster to a school that had three players commit in one class. Ray Sanders, Jabari Johnson, and Ronnie Shields are all Stephenson graduates and members of Kentucky’s 2010 recruiting class. This year, Stephenson should produce at least ten college football players and Kentucky has been watching several of them. Two of the top targets are now off the board though as Center Tarik Cook recently picked UCF and Running back Willie Davis picked USF earlier this month. Still on the board though is Cornerback and UK target Jared Boyd, and he could help fill a position of need. Safety Kadetrix Marcus, Defensive End Preston Smith, Athlete Jordan Tarver, and Cornerback David Stevenson are all players to keep an eye on. Once again, Stephenson is expected to be stacked for the 2012 class as well.

Central High School – Louisville, KY
It looks like Kentucky has grabbed their last player from Central High for a year or two. While coach Scroggins has plenty of talented players on his roster, it appears that none of them are SEC-level talent at this point. The school that has produced Kentucky standout and current Atlanta Falcon Corey Peters along with Current UK players Ridge Wilson, Mister Cobble, and Tim Patterson will no doubt further produce high level talent in the future and have Kentucky back in Louisville in no time.

St. Xavier High School – Louisville, KY
Few fans would think of St. Xavier High School in Louisville as on e of Kentucky’s top pipeline schools because only offensive linemen Matt Smith and Justin Jefferies have garnered a scholarship to Kentucky over the past few years. But if you look a little close, St. X has contributed several quality walk-on players to the Cats roster and has sent several highly rated players to other schools as well. This year, UK is attempting to solidify a new pipeline by offering scholarships to speedy Cornerback Daylen Hall and shifty Running back/Wide Receiver LaMont McMurray. Despite the reputation as a school that wins with well-coached players and depth, St. X is turning the corner to a school known for producing high numbers of quality college football players.

Henry Clay High School – Lexington, KY
There’s no place like home and Henry Clay High School’s top athletes have largely stayed home in Lexington for college over the past several years. Guys like the Boyd brothers, Sam Simpson, and backup QB Ryan Phillipi have all picked UK and this year Henry Clay is turning out more talent. Defensive Tackle Ryan Smith has gone from an unknown player in Kentucky’s back yard to a guy who’s gaining momentum as fast as any player in the state. At 6’1 and 295 pounds, Smith has the SEC size needed to play on the defensive line early in his career. Defensive Back Ryan Duzyk has some impressive college options as well, including Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Stanford, Vandy, and Northwestern. His academic prowess may lead him to the Ivy league, but don’t count out a late scholarship offer from Kentucky if a couple of other prospects spurn the Cats. Down the road, 2012 receiver Vinny Miller is gaining some serious accolades in the camp circuits and could be one of Kentucky’s highest rated players next year.

So there’s your Sunday update of some of UK’s “pipeline” schools. Have a happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and to my dad, if you’re reading this, I got you a grill accessory set.

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